Used cars of the week: Sub-7k estates

* Value-for-money estate cars * Real-world examples * What Car?'s Approved Used scheme offers peace of mind...

Used cars of the week: Sub-7k estates

You can now buy a brand-new Dacia Logan MCV for less than £7000. For that you get a 573-litre boot that extends to a massive 1518 litres with the rear seats folded. Those stats mean that the Logan MCV wins the prize for the cheapest loadlugger on the market.

This has got us thinking: which estate cars can you buy on the used market for less than the price of the new Dacia?

We've looked through our own Trusted Dealer classified listings and found some great examples. Here are our picks.

Ford Focus Estate 1.6 TDCi Zetec

The Ford Focus Estate is practical, spacious and cheap to run. It's also good to drive and comfortable, making it a great family estate car. We've found this 2008 1.6 TDCi Zetec model that's done less than 41,000 miles and is on offer at just £7000. That's the top of our budget but still great value.

Find more used Ford Focus Estates at What Car? Approved Used

Skoda Octavia Estate 1.6 FSI Elegance

The Skoda Octavia Estate boasts a 540-litre boot that extends to 1620 litres – over 100 litres more than the Logan MCV. This 2007 example is in Elegance trim which comes with loads of kit, including climate control, rear parking sensors and alloy wheels. At under £6000 this is a fantastic budget loadlugger.

Find more used Skoda Octavia Estates at What Car? Approved Used

Volkswagen Golf Estate 1.9 TDI Bluemotion

Estate versions of the ever-popular Volkswagen Golf offer more practicality than the hatchback but maintain the premium interior and smooth ride. This 1.9 TDI Bluemotion is on sale for £6988 and averages a claimed 61.4mpg, so it's not only cheap to buy, it should also prove to be cheap to run.

Find more used Volkswagen Golf Estates at What Car? Approved Used

Volkswagen Passat Estate 2.0 TDI SE

One of our favourite used estate cars is the Volkswagen Passat. It's stylish, comfortable and performs its loadlugging duties with ease. Our pick from the classifieds is a 2.0 TDI in SE trim. It comes with cruise control, air-conditioning and plenty of safety equipment. It also undercuts the Dacia at just £6988.

Find more used Volkswagen Passat Estates at What Car? Approved Used

Volvo built its name on making estate cars. The Volvo V50 might not be the biggest but it's still a good buy. The smart looking interior, good engines and abundance of safety gear make it a very good family estate. This model has air-conditioning, folding rear seats and alloy wheels. It's also done just 35,000 miles. Combine that with an asking price of £6479 and you've got a real bargain.

Find more used Volvo V50s at What Car? Approved Used

The Approved Used Scheme in conjunction with Trusted Dealers offers real peace of mind, thanks to our '10 Points of Difference'. Every car sold through the scheme comes with checks to make sure it hasn't been stolen or written-off, and that all finance has been settled. It also includes a mechanical inspection, a mileage confirmation, a minimum of three months' MoT, the option of a test drive, finance offers, a full valet and a warranty.

Visit our Approved Used Cars finder to uncover hundreds of other choices from Trusted Dealers.