Get a test drive in a Qashqai and see how you like it. I found it wallowy and vague to drive, but clearly lots of other people like it. There's the smaller Juke if the Qashqai is too big, although you'll either love or loathe its looks.
The Altea never sold well so it may be hard to find one. You might just get a Golf SV within budget, or there's the older Golf Plus which you certainly would. But we wouldn't advise a VW if you need an automatic.
I think I'd look first at a Ford B-Max or bigger C-Max. More of these to choose from although probably fewer petrols than diesels.
Oldroverboy speaks highly of his Kia Venga, which I think he got precisely for ease of access. The Hyundai ix20 is very similar. You'd get a newer one of these for your money, with some warranty remaining.
Mercedes A or B class for your budget could be expensive to repair, and most of them seem to be diesels.
Hope the above will give you somewhere to start from.
Edited by Avant on 06/01/2017 at 23:44
|