Buying a family car for less than £3000
We have just sold our beloved old Land Cruiser after three years of trouble free driving as it was just too juicy but I am terrified at re-entering the world of car buying. We have £3000 to spend and after trawling through reviews I have been put off buying anything!
They all seem to have so many issues. We did fancy a Mazda 6 but the reviews are terrible. Then thought about a Focus diesel but they don't seem to fare much better.
C-Max, Mondeo, Accord, Volvo, Scenic, Avensis....too many to name. We would like a decent sized car which is relatively economical but above all safe and reliable. After reading your reviews I am now terrified of diesels with a DPF!
We have to travel 7 miles just to get to school so there isn't much poodling around - most of our driving is on A-Roads. What would you recommend?
They all seem to have so many issues. We did fancy a Mazda 6 but the reviews are terrible. Then thought about a Focus diesel but they don't seem to fare much better.
C-Max, Mondeo, Accord, Volvo, Scenic, Avensis....too many to name. We would like a decent sized car which is relatively economical but above all safe and reliable. After reading your reviews I am now terrified of diesels with a DPF!
We have to travel 7 miles just to get to school so there isn't much poodling around - most of our driving is on A-Roads. What would you recommend?
Asked on 18 March 2012 by evilmoo
Answered by
Honest John
£3,000 probably doesn't buy a diesel with a DPF unless it's a Peugeot or Citroen.
Look at station taxi ranks. Buy what the taxi drivers buy. Probably a pre-2006 Avensis 2.0 D-4D.
Look at station taxi ranks. Buy what the taxi drivers buy. Probably a pre-2006 Avensis 2.0 D-4D.
Our honest used car pricing is a little bit different to all the others. You can get to our values through make or model - you don’t have to follow a prescribed route. Plus, it’s live, which means we can react to changes in the market quicker than any printed price guide.
Honest Used Car Prices
From which small car to buy at which price point to the best UK-built cars, our Top 10s have the lot. Click now for your shortlist.
Unsure of what to buy? Our Top 10s are here to help you....
Dear Honest John,
Please help me choose my next car. I would like it to have:
Please help me choose my next car. I would like it to have:
Similar questions
I intend to downsize from my Jaguar XJ6 - very comfortable but expensive to tax, insure and service - to a small, second-hand car which will be our "second car".
Because of a bad back and dodgy hip I...
I'm looking to downsize from 2008 Vauxhall Zafira 1.6 as I no longer the need an MPV. I like the look of the 2008 Ford Fiesta - what's the best engine? I do about 8000 miles a year (mixture of motorway/urban),...
I currently drive a 2005 Mk2 Octavia Estate and it's done 114,000 miles. It's now getting to the age/mileage that one thing after another is starting to go wrong, and coupled with general wear and tear...
Related models
Big, roomy, tough and stacked full of kit. Very capable off-road and as a tow car. Seats up to eight people.
Elsewhere on 
.jpg)
