With around a 5K budget, and the need for more space, you're looking a cars well into middle age. Yes, petrol, Japanese and full service history to give you the best chance of avoiding huge bills and buying somebody else's money pit. This shouts Avensis estate to me. Also, the Focus estate 1.6 petrol if you can find a good one, will do nicely. Octavia estates of that era will be largely problematic petrol engines but if you could find a now rare 1.9 tdi, with full history, that would be worth considering. SLO will be along soon to advise in more detail, with his expertise as a car dealer. Don't forget if you buy from a dealer, a good thousand or so will be taken up as profit.

As Rob says, more info needed regarding your annual mileage and usage. As for budget, no disrespect intended, but £5k really is not a lot of money to be throwing at a complex turbo diesel or SUV, and as such, image, style or whatever, really shouldn't be a major factor. You really want to be keeping it as simple as possible. If mileage permits, you want a petrol engine and ideally manual gearbox. Yes Japanese is likely to be the best bet reliability wise, but also Korean. Out of your list, the only 2 that would appeal at £5k are the mondeo or focus estates. 1.6/1.8 petrol for the focus, 2.0 petrol for the mondeo. The mondeo of that budget is very closely related to the mazda 6 of the same age, so i'd be looking at one of them too. I wouldn't go anywhare near a freelander at that price (or indeed any price!), if you must have an SUV then you should be looking at a toyota RAV4 or honda CR-V (with petrol engine). But going by what you have said and without knowing what miles you cover, this would be my 1st choice,

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20171221220...1

Here are some others you might want to consider,

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20171221221...1

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20171130171...1

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20171011018...1

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20171129168...g

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20171129167...1

With that mileage then definitely petrol unless you tow a large caravan.

With regards to budget and reliability, that is a bit more complicated, but essentially it boils down to the fact that for quite a few years now diesel cars have been becoming ever more complex and sophisticated in an endless quest to provide the Holy grail of performance, economy and low emissions those who want their cake and to eat it desire. For the serial new car buyer who changes before the warranty is up this is not a problem. But as the cars get older and go through subsequent owners who then cut costs by having the car serviced by back street garages who don't really understand the finer points of keeping them in good fettle, that is where the problems arise. And that is precisely the kind of car which you might find yourself looking at with your budget. Something new enough to have a more modern turbo diesel engine, but old enough to have had plenty of opportunity to be neglected. It is undoubtedly possible to get a great diesel car for your £5k, but the chances are slim, and the financial implications of a major engine component on car like this going wrong is grim, thousands of pounds worth of grim!.

So, to sum up, given your mileage, I would very much stick with the types of cars in the links I posted.

Edited by SLO76 on 01/01/2018 at 12:57