Which estate car would you recommend for lots of short journeys?

I am looking to change my car, a Citroen Xsara Picasso HDI exclusive on a 51 plate. I've enjoyed the comfort and space of this car, particularly the boot because it holds two sets of golf equipment. I'm looking for something of a similar size, perhaps a diesel estate, but would wish to keep within the £125 road tax band if possible. I have looked at Peugeot 307 and Ford Focus estates.

I bought the Picasso at the time because it seemed to give me good engine power for the size of the car, more miles per gallon and relatively low road tax. I do mostly short journeys of two to 10 miles, with an occasional longer journey of 60 to 200 miles. Would a diesel still be appropriate? My budget is £6000.

Asked on 29 June 2010 by sundowner

Answered by David Ross
Our suggestion would be the Ford Focus estate or alternatively the Hyundai i30 Estate or KIA Cee'd SW - all three are versatile, well built and reliable. You'll get more car for your money if you go for the KIA or Hyundai. The 1.6 CRDi Hyundai i30 Estate is a band D, so will cost £90 a year to tax. However, if you're only doing shorter journeys you may want to consider a petrol as diesels don't perform well if they only do short and quick journeys. If you're doing a longer journey, say every one to two weeks, then it should be okay, but if it's less often a petrol engine will cope better. All three cars are available with a decent 1.6-litre petrol engine.
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