Best Family Car for £3500 | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

View Threaded

Tue 3 Jul 2012 12:00

Best Family Car for £3500 - boristheblade

Hello

Need a family car for 3500 or under needs to be big enough for for 3 adults 1 child and Dog + luggage for Hols.

Been looking at estates and MPVs but so many to choose .

I need to keep the Tax down prefer under £100 for 6 months and half decent fuel economy

Up to 2 litre if diesel and up to 1.8 if petrol.

I don't do many miles about 7000 last year which is short commute and driving holidays .

Does anyone know what Car Manufactures I should concentrate on and which to avoid.

Any advice much Appreciated

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 3 Jul 2012 12:15

Best Family Car for £3500 - GavoTheSane

I'd probably go for something like a Ford C-Max, Focus estate (diesel or petrol 1.6), or something similar to that. If you want bigger, go for a Honda Accord estate.

You can't really go wrong with Japanese petrols, Honda, Toyota, etc.

I'd avoid Renault or Peugeot if possible, as at the age you'd be looking at, and the price you want to pay, they would be considered rather unreliable.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 3 Jul 2012 12:28

Best Family Car for £3500 - boristheblade

I'd probably go for something like a Ford C-Max, Focus estate (diesel or petrol 1.6), or something similar to that. If you want bigger, go for a Honda Accord estate.

You can't really go wrong with Japanese petrols, Honda, Toyota, etc.

I'd avoid Renault or Peugeot if possible, as at the age you'd be looking at, and the price you want to pay, they would be considered rather unreliable.

Thanks for the Tip

Which Japanese petrols would be better suited

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 3 Jul 2012 13:51

Best Family Car for £3500 - Oli rag

Toyota avensis 1.8 or a mazda 6 1.8 would be a good choice. Avoid the diesels on these models.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 3 Jul 2012 14:50

Best Family Car for £3500 - veryoldbear

If only doing 7000 per annum, stick to petrol.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 3 Jul 2012 15:42

Best Family Car for £3500 - Bobbin Threadbare

Yes, 7k a year means that petrol is your best bet.

Olirag's suggestions are good. You're looking at around £3k for a 2006/2007 1.8L petrol Mazda 6 with average mileage and the same money will get you a circa 2004 Toyota Avensis with average mileage. That gives you some cash to spare.

Speaking from personal experience, as I am in the process of selling a Mazda 6 myself, the car is an excellent choice for a family. I've been commuting in mine (do a lot of miles) by myself but I have had 4 adults, 4 adults' luggage and a labrador in the car and it cruised smoothly to Scotland and back.

There's a Toyota in our household too, and basically, nothing ever goes wrong with it.

As for paying under £100 VED, I think you'll be struggling to get a large enough car that fits the bill. The only thing I can think of is a Honda Accord, but that's probably going to be a diesel one and 7000 miles p.a. doesn't merit a diesel.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 3 Jul 2012 16:18

Best Family Car for £3500 - GavoTheSane

As for paying under £100 VED, I think you'll be struggling to get a large enough car that fits the bill. The only thing I can think of is a Honda Accord, but that's probably going to be a diesel one and 7000 miles p.a. doesn't merit a diesel

He wanted under £100 tax per 6 months. Which is a bit of an ask for the larger cars. You're in 1.6 territory at that tax band, you want G or below (possibly H). Which brings us back to Ford Focus/C-Max 1.6 Estates.

Mitsubishi Lancer 1.6 Estates are also an option if you stick to the 1.6 which is just over your £100 per 6 months at £107.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 3 Jul 2012 16:19

Best Family Car for £3500 - unthrottled

As for paying under £100 VED, I think you'll be struggling to get a large enough car that fits the bill.

£100 for 6 months is achievable-£100 for a year, considerably less so!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 3 Jul 2012 18:14

Best Family Car for £3500 - Bobbin Threadbare

As for paying under £100 VED, I think you'll be struggling to get a large enough car that fits the bill.

£100 for 6 months is achievable-£100 for a year, considerably less so!

Mazda 6 1.8 is £215 VED p.a......but I always felt it balanced out with how reasonable my insurance costs have been, and how little it needed doing to it.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 3 Jul 2012 16:26

Best Family Car for £3500 - Wicker

How about this beauty on Autotrader . There are some heavy oil ones as well. 2005 so should be under the old tax regime.

Wicker

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 3 Jul 2012 17:21

Best Family Car for £3500 - veryoldbear

They are very good value at the moment and very very comfortable, as well as having the best comedy cupholder in the business ...

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Sun 8 Jul 2012 13:14

Best Family Car for £3500 - boristheblade

Thanks for all the recommendations

I have been looking at Citroen Xsara Picasso 1.6 diesels as they are low tax and CO2

Plenty to choose from looking at 55 plate and above as they have good prices at the moment .

Anything I should be aware of or use as leverage in price negotiations .

Going to use my 2001 Audi A2 1.4 petrol as PX

All advice welcome

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Sun 8 Jul 2012 13:36

Best Family Car for £3500 - veryoldbear

Not bad. You can get an amazing amount of stuff into them.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Sun 8 Jul 2012 14:28

Best Family Car for £3500 - hallington

I like citroen, but if it has an electronic gear box avoid like the plague. I have just learnt to my peril, to never have an electronic gear box. The toyota and mazda will probably hold their value better?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Sun 8 Jul 2012 15:18

Best Family Car for £3500 - boristheblade

not too fussed about retaining value as wil probably run into the ground so to speak

I wil only go for manual as I have heard of some horrors regarding citroens attempt at electronic gearboxes.

Need to find out how my Audi will hold up in PX value

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Sun 8 Jul 2012 16:34

Best Family Car for £3500 - hallington

One thing I've learnt from buying for a similar price, is how many cars in this range need their cambelt doing, ask this about any car you are interested in as a lot will offer to do it within the asking price, saving you hundereds. good luck :)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Sun 8 Jul 2012 18:01

Best Family Car for £3500 - boristheblade

I have got a local garage that does all my work that I need doing so he has already gave me a price for a Cambelt replacement .

This I will factor in when negotiating

Which would be better??

Xsara Picasso 1.6HDI

Xsara Picasso 2.0Hdi

I have heard there is no DMF on the 2 litre and the clutches on the 1.6 go early.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Sun 8 Jul 2012 18:09

Best Family Car for £3500 - hallington

I don't know which is better, but I would presume the 2.0 as they aren't light weight vehicles and I would personally prefer the 2.0 engine to make it nicer to drive on the laden down holidays etc?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Sun 8 Jul 2012 19:22

Best Family Car for £3500 - Bromptonaut

Lots of suggestions here and good advice about generic stuff like servicing and lifed parts such as cambelts.

Another possibility might be a Berlingo or Partner. Local dealer had a 52 reg Hdi in OP'S budget. Petrol would probably be cheaper as would private sale.

Ticks the boxes for capacity. Three proper rear seats with a flat floor and loads of stowage. Boot dead easy for dog, though if you can stop the OEM dog guard rattling tell me how!

The 70ps versions have 'relaxed' performance but are perfectly capable of cruising all day at motorway speeds. The 90ps engines will cope better with a road overatakes and, at least in diesel form, are more economical but command price premium.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Mon 9 Jul 2012 12:26

Best Family Car for £3500 - boristheblade

On the Citroen Xsara Picasso I understand that the Digital Displays pack up after a period of time.

My questions are

Is there a definitive time when this happens

Are only certain trim levels affected

Was there a fix from citroen

Does the year of the vehicle make a difference

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 10 Jul 2012 10:35

Best Family Car for £3500 - boristheblade

bump :)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 10 Jul 2012 11:20

Best Family Car for £3500 - hallington

Boris there is a citroen forum if you google it, that may have more info.? some citroen dealers can be helpful as well?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 10 Jul 2012 15:54

Best Family Car for £3500 - barney100

I always say a Volvo estate, when I needed a car that was cheapish and big I got a 740 with 165k on the clock and kept it a few years with few issues.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 10 Jul 2012 16:04

Best Family Car for £3500 - balleballe

Mazda 6 1.8 or 2.0 petrol or

Accord 2.0 petrol

Keep the rest of the money for unforseen repairs and fuel

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 13 Jul 2012 09:22

Best Family Car for £3500 - boristheblade

Hello again

Found this does anyone know of any associated problems with these

Also what the Cam Belt change interval is .

Fiat Croma 55 plate 1.9 multijet diesel eleganza model 59000 miles £3000 I would use a link to autotrader where I found it but its not working at the moment

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 13 Jul 2012 09:37

Best Family Car for £3500 - madf

Fiat Cromas are unreliable - see the Owners Forum

The 1.9 engine is subject to a range of maladies.

They are cheap for good reason.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 13 Jul 2012 10:31

Best Family Car for £3500 - boristheblade

Fiat Cromas are unreliable - see the Owners Forum

The 1.9 engine is subject to a range of maladies.

They are cheap for good reason.

Thanks for the Tip

just read a couple of reviews

yikes!!!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Ask Honest John

Sell Your Car

Real MPG

Fuel Calculator