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As you need a decent amount of boot space, does that mean you're lugging lots of kit around or regularly taking kids out-and-about and need the space for buggies, bikes etc?
What would be useful is if you can indicate:
- The type of trips you'll be undertaking on a regular basis (lots of short journeys to the shops/school/work in urban traffic, or fewer trips over longer distances on faster moving roads, etc);
- Who will mainly be using the car and for what purpose (see above), including both your normal passenger load (numbers) and maximum requirements;
- What your approximate budget is for running the car each year (older cars WILL generally require new parts on a much more frequent basis than newer ones), including VED, insurance and fuel. Often people buying older, bigger cars find that they cannot afford to run them - its often why they depreciate at a higher rate than their mid-sized cousins. For example, my 11yo Mazda3 1.6 petrol costs £210 to tax, which is 10% of your purchase budget. A big family car of the same era may be higher and have a much lower fuel efficiency;
- How long do you intend to keep the car.
The above (I'm sure others may have more questions that I've forgotten) will help you and us come to a more considered choice. BTW - don't discount larger-engined cars, as if you are regularly lugging heavy loads, they often give better mpg than smaller-engined versions of the same car because they don't have to be worked so hard when full with people and/or boot stuff.
I would also consider cars such as the Focus estate and similar from other makes as these often give adequate space for up to 5 people but a decent amount of boot space for cars smaller on the outside than a Mondeo or Octavia.
Whatever you go for, DON'T buy a diesel for such low mileage - too many expensive problems await you if you do. Additionally, don't buy a high-spec car with lots of gadgets to go wrong - they just add to the purchase price and are often expensive to repair. Just go for a basic model with the absolute minimum of spec you need, including tyres (higher profile ones will give a better ride, last longer and cost half as much as the lower-profile ones to replace [the difference for replacing all four could be £200-£300). I would also be wary of low-mileage cars with little in the way of proven history, or any car that looks unloved/doesn't feel right when you look at /test drive it.
Make sure you also find a good, reasonably local main dealer or reputable independent garage to get the car serviced - this will make as much difference as to how long it lasts as choosing the right car itself.
Best of luck.
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