What other family cars should I consider for up to €8,000?

I'm looking for an economical family car for long commutes, with a large boot and space for two car seats, around the €7,000-€8,000 mark. So far have come up with the Ford C-Max... Any other suggestions?

Roisin Vaughan (Dublin)

Aug 2013 Filed under: choosing used car

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Expert answer

Hi Roisin,

When you say large boot, exactly how large do you mean? Ford C-Max is an excellent choice, and if you're looking in the MPV market then there's always the solidly reliable Toyota Verso too, or the Mazda5. For slightly less money, and indeed for slightly lower running costs, you could be into a compact estate though, a class of car that gets unfairly ignored these days. The Focus Estate is excellent and has a massive boot, but the absolute best choice is a Skoda Octavia Combi. It has a simply massive boot, lots of space in the back seats for the kids and, if you get one with the 1.6 or 1.9 TDI engine, you've got an excellent long-haul, economical family car. Reliable too.

Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Adviser
@neilmbriscoe