For £2-3k, those same cars are now closing in on a decade old, are tired, worn out, and have seen interstellar mileages.

So buying a 'reliable' Passat / Mondeo for that price really is a case of rolling the dice. You might be lucky, and get something that runs for 2-3 years without major problems. Or it might leave you stranded on the roadside every couple of month, or need a fair bit spending on it, to keep it from leaving you stranded.

thats what i'm afraid of - the kia is looking more like my only option at this price range!

So it's bit of a lottery, and you need to be careful or have a good 'nose'. In your favour is that older diesels (<2009) may well not have a DPF. Also if you are only used to a petrol, you may find driving a diesel a bit different, so try one or two first.

i've driven diesels plenty as rentals on holiday etc. so no real problems there!

not ending up with a complete lemon on the other hand...thats the tricky part :)

... nicely surprised to see plenty of low(ish) mileage examples nearby...so could be a definite contender!

So you ask why so many owners choose to sell their cars at a low mileage?

You haven't much to spend - so your car will be 'middle-aged' - so you need to know if it has been reliable and looked after.

So it's bit of a lottery, and you need to be careful or have a good 'nose'. In your favour is that older diesels (<2009) may well not have a DPF. Also if you are only used to a petrol, you may find driving a diesel a bit different, so try one or two first.

At 70 miles a day the DPF isn't a concern of the OP anyway. It's the rest of the diesel engine/transmission.

Unless you can find a really well maintained diesel pre-DPF such as a 1.9 PD, with less than 100K or so --and I think you'll struggle --- then I just wouldn't bother with a diesel at all. You'll save what? £25 to £30 quid or so a month on fuel. At your budget, there are plenty of decent petrol Japanese hatchbacks around, all of which will do 40+ mpg on a journey like that. I'm thinking Corolla, Civic, 1.3 Yaris, . Find a nice well serviced one, say with 60 to 80K and these cars will run easily to 120, 130K and well beyond, with perhaps just a clutch change to think about plus routine servicing and replacement of consumables. Even something bigger like a 1.8 Avensis will be cheap to run, boring-maybe but dependable, comfortable, safe and gets the job done.

For an alternative thought, what about a small petrol car? I'm in Italy at present on a business trip and have a hired Panda.If you don't especially need the room for your commute maybe a similar sort of thing might suit?

yes, been thinking just that - diesel may be more trouble than its worth at this price range!

And thanks to everyone for all the replies, very much appreciated!