Which family car is a good replacement for my Vectra?
What would the best car be to buy when doing about 35,000km per year? I've a 2006 Opel Vectra to trade in with about €16,000 to spend. There's 114,500km on the clock. It has to carry one child and two adults. Thanks in advance.
Catherine Anne Fahey (Tipperary)Apr 2013 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Catherine,
OK, so what you need here is something spacious (kids, even just the one, take up a heroic amount of space, as you know), something economical for all that annual mileage and something comfy so that your buttocks survive all that mileage. I think you should stay with the current rough size of car, as some of the best bargains can be found in the mid-size saloon segment.
First up is a Volkswagen Passat. Ideally, you'd get the 1.6 TDI BlueMotion version, a car in which we once managed to drive from Galway to Glasgow and back on one tank of fuel. Or, what about a Ford Mondeo? You'll easily get a 2.0 TDCi model for that money, and there are very few cars quite so comfy on a long journey. Even BMWs and Mercs can't always match the Mondeo for seat comfort.
Of course, if you fancy the high life, and are prepared to compromise on space a little, then there's the BMW 3 Series. You'll get a 320d or 318d for that kind of budget, but shop around to make sure you get one in a dark metallic, with leather and preferably an automatic gearbox.
Finally, there's the Mazda6. Bit of an unsung hero of this segment, it's brilliant to drive, spacious, good looking and you should be able to track one down with Mazda's excellent 2.2-litre diesel engine under the bonnet. Reliable as it gets, it should chomp through your annual mileage with nary a worry. Find the even more handsome estate version if you can.
Come back to us if you need help narrowing this down.
Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Adviser@neilmbriscoe