Top 10 used family cars for less than £5000
What's the best used family car for £5000? With so many options to choose from, we've rounded up the top 10...
The family hatchback is the stalwart of Britain’s roads. While SUVs and MPVs have encroached on their territory in recent years, the majority of British families are still transported in hatchbacks such as the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf and Vauxhall Astra.
If you’ve got £5000 to spend on a used one, though, it isn’t easy to work out which is the best family hatchback for you. Not because there aren’t many available; in fact, it's for completely the opposite reason. There are so many options to choose from, it’s a wonder anyone knows where to start.
To give you a helping hand, we’ve scoured the classifieds and separated the wheat from the chaff to find the best cheap family cars out there.
Best used family cars for less than £5000
10. Toyota Auris
It may be as bland as sandpaper, but the Auris is a worthy used car choice. For starters, it's one of the most reliable buys in this price bracket; what's more, it's well built and comfortable, even if it doesn't quite ride as well as its best rivals. It's also great value and there are plenty of petrol-powered examples around with low mileages and good histories that have been looked after by diligent owners. So if you can live without driving excitement, the Auris makes a lot of sense.
We found 2010 1.6 TR, 54,000 miles, £5000
Read the used Toyota Auris review
Find a used Toyota Auris in the What Car? Classifieds
9. Mazda 3
The Mazda 3 suffers from a firm ride and slightly claustrophobic back seats, but it is one of the most enjoyable family cars out there to drive. The body doesn’t lean over in corners and it grips very well, making it rewarding on a twisty road. A good-sized boot, a fairly economical range of engines and a solid reputation for reliability only add to the 3's appeal. Avoid the 1.6-litre diesel, though; it has a higher-than-usual incidence of injector issues.
We found 2010 1.6 Takuya, 83,000 miles, £4950
Find a used Mazda 3 in the What Car? Classifieds
8. Audi A3
The previous Audi A3 isn’t such a class act as the latest model – it’s rather dull to drive, has a slightly fussy interior and costs quite a bit as a used purchase. If you want a practical hatchback with a premium badge, though, it still hits the spot. Diesels are the most popular and offer a great blend of efficiency and power, but petrol models are still reasonably widely available, although for this budget you can't stretch to the best petrol turbos and will have to make do with the 1.6 – although this unit is at least reliable.
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