5-star cars for less than £30,000
A £30k budget will get you some of the best cars on sale – but there are also 5-star cars available for a lot less than that...
In typical Ford fashion, the Mondeo Estate handles better than every rival (with the exception of the smaller and more expensive BMW 3 Series Touring. It's very competitively priced, too, both for private and company car buyers, and its 1.5-litre diesel engine offers impressive real-world fuel economy. Finally, the Mondeo Estate is easy to live with, thanks to a big boot, spacious interior and good refinement.
Read the full Ford Mondeo Estate review
Find a great deal on a Ford Mondeo Estate
Skoda Superb Estate
Price from: £23,755 Our pick: 2.0 TDI SE Technology
Like the hatchback on which it's based, the Skoda Superb Estate is incredibly spacious. However, it's far more than just a massive box on wheels: the Superb Estate is also luxurious, very comfortable and comes with a range of strong and economical engines.
Not only does the Volkswagen Golf do all the estate tricks buyers expect these days, but it also does the stuff that makes your day-to-day motoring life more enjoyable. Boot space is suitably vast, fit and finish are typically Volkswagen, and there's loads of kit, with DAB, Bluetooth and air-con all standard.
Read the full Volkswagen Golf Estate review
Find a great deal on a Volkswagen Golf Estate
MPV
VW Touran
Price from: £22,270 Our pick: 1.6 TDI 105 Bluemotion Tech SE
The new Volkswagen Touran doesn't really have any major weaknesses. It's very practical and comfortable, with a high quality interior. Plus, its third row of seats are spacious enough to accommodate even tall adults, and they stow easily into the boot floor when not in use. All this comes at a reasonable price with decent running costs. In fact, our favourite 1.6-litre diesel model returned an impressive 51.5mpg in our real-world fuel economy tests.
Best sports cars 2024 – plus the one to avoid
If you want ultimate driving thrills, you need a sports car, but the best can do more than simply go fast
