Family hatchback <£4k?

Master Skooter

Master Skooter

Master Skooter

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Joined
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Somerset
I'd thought I'd call on the forums wealth of knowledge. Apologies the budget isn't lavish but I've got a mortgage, 3 kids & a wife that works part time :P

Recently our 01 1.8 Mondeo estate developed a big end rattle, and was swiftly sold.

Been looking for a replacement for several weeks, the requirements being:

Will comfortably sit family of 5 (kids aged 16, 10 & 2 with car seat).

Cheaper annual running costs (fuel and road tax) - the Mondy was £245 in road tax!

Enough power to pull said 5 persons at average speeds. Although it's rare we're all in the car together.

Resonable servicing costs.

Boot big enough for a stroller and a few bags.

Have cash up to £4k.

We don't cover a huge amount of miles, the last MOT showed about 7k. Daily the car would be used by my wife for her short commute to work which can only be 3-4 miles. We may use it for the odd day trip out every now and then or I might use it occasionally for commuting (64 mile round trip) if too cold for my bike.

My wife harps on about cheap tax but doesn't want a diesel as she read they are only economic when covering large miles? A shame as some have group C tax - £30? The cheapest petrol for a 1.6 litre seems to be about a group G, £165 a year.

We both like Golf's as they are stylish and apparently well built, but newer shapes (mk 5?) seem to start around £4.5k. Road tax for the 1.6 is group H (£195 a year).

We're thinking of a Focus, the 05-07 shape jobbies. Seems to be plenty of 1.6 Zetec & Sport models around (and zillions of LX). We visited a local dealer to look at one, seems to be plenty of room in the rear & a good boot. The 1.6 seemed to go ok but don't think a 1.4 would be enough? They all have heated screens, mirrors, air con, electric front windows etc - which tbh is all we need.

They also seem lowish on insurance with affordable servicing costs.

I was wondering if anyone had owned a Focus or could suggest other cars worth considering in this price range?

Cheers in advance
Scott
 
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Get another Mondeo.
£4k Golf will be a waste of money IMO, and 3 kids in the back will be rubbish.
 
Mondeo Zetec-S.

V6 will probably be out of the question for you so 2.0 TDCi would be the better option.

If you want a good spec get a Ghia X instead, however it won't look "as nice" as the Zetec S.
 
got a zetec-s estate mondeo tdci you can have for £1200 its done 160,000 miles tho but obviosuly had the big jobs done
 
DannyW said:
got a zetec-s estate mondeo tdci you can have for £1200 its done 160,000 miles tho but obviosuly had the big jobs done
Click to expand...

Trusted seller! Have a search :):p;)

292840large.jpg
 
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No need for an estate at all - we only had one originally due to owning a dog.

Thinking of only a 1.6 to save on fuel and road tax costs. Something the size of a Golf or Focus would be fine - only a few times a year are all three kids sat in the back, usually two as the 16 yo doesn't often want to go anywhere with us lol.

Looking for something with FSH, under 60k miles and as few owners as possible.
 
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Mondeo is probably the best shout here, although some alternatives just to mix it up:-
Skoda Octavia. It's basically a Golf in drag, bit of a lacklustre engine IMO -- although the same 1.6 in the Golf that you were looking at -- but FSH and lowish miles). £165/yr on tax.
Honda Accord. I like the look of these, they're a bit more thirsty on fuel and also that's a 2.0 so maybe a bit more powerful than you're after? £190/yr on tax.

The Focus of course is a good car as well, I looked long and hard at the Mk2 before I cheaped out and bought a TDI banger instead.
 
Master Skooter said:
Cheaper annual running costs (fuel and road tax) - the Mondy was £245 in road tax!
Click to expand...

Ignore the road tax - as in the price of it, not ignore paying it!.
Say you pay £150 on the new car that you buy, you are saving <£10 per month over the Mondeo.

Don't bother with a diesel unless you find one in spectacular condition.

A Golf is a good car, but for the same money the Ford equivalent will be newer.

The Father has a 57 reg Focus with about 73k on it - 2.0tdci (Important: The 2007 were the last of the non DPF diesels) and the trade-in for it is under £4000 now afaik (was offered £4200 trade-in 6 months ago).
It is a very good car. The only issues being the front discs warped and new ones were needed, but this is cheap on a mass production common car. Also the fuel tank was replaced, but that was paid for by Ford.

Good luck with your car search!
 
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Thanks for the links Andrew, I've tried my wife on a Skoda - she thought it was ugly lol

I've rang about an 06 Focus sport. 34k, 2 owners, FSH, apparently great cond inside and out, 1 years MOT, 6 months tax. Recently serviced, 4 new tyres and new disc & pads up front. Going to view it at the weekend The guy owes £3989 to an HP company, but doesn't use it so wants to sell it and pay off the debt. He's getting written confirmation this week so it all sounds legit. I can speak with the company and pay it off for him & drive the motor home.

Not done this before but what can go wrong? :)
 
Seat Toledo / Leon or nissan primera.

I would avoid diesel for such low mileage per year and don't get hung up on tax saving. You are already spending chunk of money on a new car, the 100 saved is hardly a deal breaker.
 
Primera DCI is a better bet than any of the petrols, thirsty and gutless is what i'd describe them as. Primera is very good value for money, nothing exciting, but its big, well equipped and a decent drive, just sold a 2003 DCI with 104k for 1500 notes, and thats about the going rate for em.

Also look at Avensis, Accord and the Corolla, good reliable dependable and cheap apart from the Accord, as no one loves em:p

Personally I'd go for an Accord Estate in Exec trim.
 
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