Best used family cars for less than £2,000 (and the ones to avoid)
Lacking cash to splash on a used family car? Here are our top ten best used family hatches for less than £2000...
Family cars do not live a glamorous lifestyle, but they do have an important role to fill. Even with a limited budget, you should still expect to find a car that can do it all without costing you the earth to fix; something that will start every time and swallow all your paraphernalia.
Finding a family car for under two grand is easy; you’re spoilt for choice. But picking the right one needs a bit more consideration, which is why we’ve produced this top ten guide of the ones you should shortlist to help you out.
Best used hatchbacks for less than £2000
A lot of people believe the 1 Series was BMW’s first attempt at a hatchback. Not so. The 3 Series Compact might have odd looks, but it was one of the best-handling hatchbacks of its time and it could also be had with some supremely smooth six-cylinder engines. For this money, you may have to simply settle for the lower-power four-cylinder options, but the excellent build quality and rear-wheel-drive chassis mark the Compact as one of the more interesting used hatchback choices.
We found: 2002 316TI SE 56,000 miles £1050
Read the used BMW 3-series Compact review
Find a used BMW 3-series in the What Car? Classifieds
9. Nissan Almera
Interesting is not a word you can use to describe the Nissan Almera, but reliable most definitely is. You also can’t argue with an impressive amount of standard kit, a four-star Euro NCAP rating and a big boot. The Almera is the sort of car you can buy with low mileage, run it for a few years with next to no trouble and then easily flog it to your local takeaway delivery driver. Perhaps it could even be their tip.
We found: 2005 1.5 S 5dr, 52,000 miles, £1250
Read the used Nissan Almera review
Find a used Nissan Almera in the What Car? Classifieds
8. Vauxhall Astra
The Luton-made (and rather well, actually) Vauxhall Astra has a classy – if dull – interior, plenty of space inside and a five-star NCAP safety rating. There will be lots of examples for you to choose from and, because of the ubiquity of it, parts are easy to source. It doesn’t drive as well as a Ford Focus but, then again, few do.
We found: 2007 1.6 SXI Twinport 5dr, 70,000 miles, £1990
Read the used Vauxhall Astra review
Find a used Vauxhall Astra in the What Car? Classifieds
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Best family SUVs 2023
Want practicality, class and an elevated driving position in a relatively compact package? Then these are the top 10 cars you should be looking at – and the ones that are best avoided
