Best used family cars for less than £20,000

This latest Toyota Corolla is a great all-rounder and a wonderful used choice. 

It's a self-charging hybrid rather than a plug-in hybrid. And it seems to work, because the 1.8 version racked up a True MPG figure in our tests of 60.6mpg, making it really economical.

It's good to drive, comfortable inside, well-equipped and spacious. On top of that, you can expect top-notch reliability. Toyota always finish at or near the top of the brands in our What Car? Reliability Survey, and if you take your Corolla to be serviced every year at a main dealer, you'll get another year's worth of warranty, which you can keep doing until the car is 10 years old. 

Used prices look really good, too; it's much cheaper like-for-like than the equivalent Honda Civic, for example. You’ll need £10,000 to get behind the wheel of a late-2018 or early 2019 car. Spend £11,000 to £15,000 on a 2019 or 2020 car, between £15,000 and £18,000 on a 2021 or 2022 car, and £18,000 to £22,000 on a 2023 car. 

You can also choose between a regular family hatchback or an impressive estate version known as the Touring Sports, if you want even more practicality. 

"It's incredibly close between this and the Civic. It's not as much fun to drive as the Civic, but because it's been on sale longer, you can buy them cheaper. You'd be more than happy with one of these on your driveway." - George Hill, used cars writer

We found: 2023 Toyota Corolla 1.8 Hybrid Icon tech, 26,000 miles, £18,995

Read our used Toyota Corolla review

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The Honda Civic is a wonderfully efficient hatchback, easily capable of returning 49mpg in ordinary driving.

Sure, the Toyota Corolla is even more frugal, but the Honda more than compensates in other areas. Performance is strong; the Civic can dash from 0-60mph in 6.8sec. Good grip and precise steering help make the Civic fun to drive.

It's classy inside, practical and proving reliable, too, according to our reliability survey. It scored an impressive 97.3% and finished above the Corolla in the family car class, and Honda as a brand finished in first place out of 30 manufacturers. 

Used prices are beginning to look especially tempting, with prices now starting from around £18,000, although the Corolla just has it beaten for age-for-age value, hence its victory here. 

"This is one of the most impressive cars here and, to be honest, it'd be my favourite if it wasn't for a little bit too much road noise. Still great, though." - Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2022 Honda Civic 2.0 h i-MMD Elegance, 30,000 miles, £19,995

Read our used Honda Civic review

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Fancy the quality, image and exciting driving style of a BMW but in a family hatchback package?

That’s where this third-generation version of the BMW 1 Series comes in. It's based on BMW's own Mini, and if it isn’t quite as spacious as some rivals the payback is a high level of driver involvement combined with all the quality and kudos of a BMW.

It's extremely reliable, too, more so than most of its rivals in this class. The current generation of 1 Series finished in third place out of 25 cars in the family car class in our most recent What Car? Reliability Survey, with a great overall score of 98.6%.

And used prices are really competitive. Pricing for an entry-level 118i starts at around £10,000. Spend around £12,000 for a good 2020 or 2021 car and £15,000 for a 2022 model. Newer 2023 and 2024 cars start from around £17,000, while facelift 2024 models cost upwards of £22,000. 

"There's something really appealing about this 1 Series. I think it's sharp to look at and to drive. That infotainment system's really good, too." - George Hill, used cars writer

We found 2022 BMW 1 Series 118i Sport, 28,000 miles, £20,000

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Small, but mighty – that’s exactly what the Audi A3 is. Choose our favourite TFSIe plug-in hybrid version and it’s one of the smallest PHEVs you can buy – both new and used – but this doesn’t make it any less capable than its larger competition.

It’s great to drive, with a comfortable ride and strong performance, while a 40-mile official electric-only range is competitive with the VW Golf eHybrid and larger alternatives, like the Hyundai Tucson PHEV.

Used prices for the A3 are temptingly low, starting at around £12,000. This will buy you a 2020 or 2021 model – a 30 TFSI or 35 TFSI in Technik trim – in good condition. Expect to pay at least £15,000 for a 2022 A3 or around £20,000 for a 2023 car. 

The 40 TFSIe is cheaper to buy than the Mercedes A250e, and yet it comes just as well equipped. Our favourite Sport trim offers auto lights and wipers, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, part-leather upholstery and dual-zone climate control as standard.

It’s a small premium family car with a competitive price that, if regularly charged up, could be very cheap to run. 

"The A3 might be one of the smallest cars on this list, but as a six-footer-plus, I still managed to fit comfortably in the back." – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

We found 2023 Audi A3 TFSIe 40 Sport, 24,694 miles, £19,490

Read our used Audi A3 review

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The first fully electric car on this list, the Cupra Born is a great drive and a highly practical family car. 

The Born has borrowed the VW ID 3's best bits and added to it in some new and welcome ways. You'll find it has a slightly more upmarket interior and sharper handling.

It comes with a good range too, as well as a pleasingly effortless performance and a comfortable ride. Add in its stylish demeanour and you've got one very desirable electric car.

It seems to be a reliable car. In our latest What Car? Reliability Survey, the Born finished in 10th place out of 20 cars in the electric car class. Its reliability score of 92.5% puts it above the ID 3 and Tesla Model 3 but below the Mini Electric and Nissan Leaf.

Finally, add in its used prices, which are now temptingly low. Around £16,000 is the starting point here, for a 2022 car. Expect to spend upwards of £17,000 on a 2023 model, and more than £19,000 on a 2024 car.

"She is electric, can I be electric too? Well with the Born, anything's possible. It's a great car and if it fits into your lifestyle it's a winner." - George Hill, used cars writer

We found 2024 Cupra Born V1, 26,000 miles, £18,995

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The Skoda Scala is a spacious family car that represents great value for money here because our budget buys a nearly new one.

It's longer than a VW Golf, and offers more interior room. A 2023 facelift sharpened up its looks and improved the interior, with updated tech and other additions, making this easily one of the frontrunners in this class.

If you can stretch to the facelifted models, they are worth it for the step up in interior quality, but even the earlier cars are impressive inside.

Reliability is stronger than other models in the Skoda range, too. The Scala finished in 10th place out of 20 cars in the family car class in the latest What Car? Reliability survey with an excellent overall score of 90.5%.

Used Scalas start at around £10,000 for a 1.0 petrol for an S or (more popular) SE version from 2019 or 2020. The more potent 1.5 can be found from £11,000, while a diesel will set you back a similar amount. Expect to spend between £12,000 to £16,000 on a 2022 or 2023 car. Nearly new 2025 cars will set you back around £20,000 to £25,000.

"So neat, so cute and best of all it's nearly new. The Scala hides its light under a bushel because it does things bigger cars do for half the price." - George Hill, used cars writer

We found 2025 Skoda Scala 1.0 TSI 95 SE, 9000 miles, £19,995

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The Mercedes A-Class initially surprised us with its refinement and snazzy interior. If you can stretch to it, and it fits into your lifestyle, we especially like the plug-in hybrid version, the A250e. For a PHEV of this size, the A250e has a very competitive official range of 44 miles, which is farther than what the contemporary version of the Audi A3 TFSIe can manage.

Along with that, the A250e rides nicely, but it’s not quite as good as the A3 for overall comfort. We prefer the way the Audi drives, too, although the A250e will still please many. It does win back some points for performance – it’s quicker than the A3 from 0-62mph.

Inside, the A250e has a very smart-looking interior, with ambient lighting, metal-effect trim and a crisp infotainment display that easily woos passengers. However, it's not as well-finished as the A3 and one or two other of its rivals. Space is very good for a family car, with just enough head and leg room for two six-footers to sit comfortably in the back.

The A-Class did very well in the family car category of our reliability survey this year. In a class of 29, the petrol-engined cars came in 15th place with a score of 91% while the petrol-electric hybrid model finished in second place with a score of 98.7%.

Used prices are looking more competitive as the car gets older. The earliest A-Class should cost you around £12,000 to £15,000. You’ll need £16,000 for models from 2019. Spend around £20,000 on a 2022 or 2023 car.

"To get the larger 10.3in infotainment screen, I’d be tempted to look for cars with the optional Executive Pack, which was available on Sport and AMG Line cars from new.” – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

We found 2023 Mercedes A250e AMG Line, 32,925 miles, £18,920

Read our used Mercedes A-Class review

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Along with its SUV-like styling, which makes the Renault Megane look very different to its predecessors, it’s also the first to be fully electric (Renault officially calls it the ‘Megane E-Tech’).

This shift means it now competes directly with traditional models such as the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf, and also faces a new set of rivals, including the Cupra Born, MG4, and Volkswagen ID 3.

It meets all of them and performs very well. It’s not the most spacious electric car, but the Megane has a lot going for it in other areas, with a comfortable ride, quiet driving manners and an intuitive infotainment system. 

The Megane finished in eighth place out of 20 electric cars in our latest What Car? Reliability Survey, which is better than the Cupra Born, MG4 and VW ID 3, but worse than the BMW i4.

Prices for a used Renault Megane start from £16,000, which gets you a 2022 or 2023 car in all trims, spanning the entry-level Equilibre to range-topping Iconic. If you raise your budget to £18,000, you’ll bag yourself a 2024 car. Newer 2025 cars don’t cost much more, with figures starting from the £20,000 mark.

"I ran a Megane as a long-term car recently and found it delightful, just right for a family and decently refined. It's a really classy product." - Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found 2024 Renault Megane comfort range 60kWh Techno, 15,000 miles, £19,995

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A strong combination of comfort, equipment and space have all combined to make the latest Skoda Octavia a real favourite with family car buyers.

It offers a vast boot and loads of room for rear-seat passengers. What’s more, it drives really well, with composed handling and a really comfortable and cosseting ride, and it’s great value. 

In our latest What Car? Reliability Survey, the Octavia finished in a disappointing 24th place out of 26 cars in the family car class. This is the reason it doesn't finish up or near the top of this top 10. By contrast, the previous-generation 2013-2020 Octavia finished in first place.

Octavia prices now start at £10,000 for a good, clean car with an average to high mileage for the year. Spend between £11,000 and £14,000 on a 2021 model, depending on trim, and between £14,000 and £18,000 on 2022 and some 2023 cars. You'll need upwards of £19,000 for a 2024 or 2025 car.

"I have had a couple of Octavias as long-term cars, and they both impressed me deeply over six months. Nothing was more spacious and abstemious on a long run we made in one of them to Cornwall. " - Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found 2024 Skoda Octavia 1.5 TSI SE L, 12,000 miles, £19,995

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The Ford Focus falls short of class leaders in a few areas: the Octavia is more spacious, the Golf is more comfortable and the A3 is much classier inside. However, the Focus stands above all of those cars in terms of handling, even besting the Leon. 

It's sharp, agile, engaging and fun to drive. If you're a keen driver, this is the family car for you – or better yet, check out the Ford Focus ST hot hatch. 

That said, the driving experience isn't the only thing going for the Focus, because it's practical and good value, too.

You can pick up a tidy example for around £8000, but just be wary of reliability, because it finished near the bottom of the family car class in our most recent survey. For that reason alone, we can't place it any higher up this list.

"If you really enjoy and value the driving experience, you'll likely warm to the Focus much more than you will any other family car. It's just a shame about reliability, because otherwise it's one of my favourite cars in this class." – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

We found: 2024 Ford Focus 1.5 Ecoboost 150 Active, 10,000 miles, £19,500

Read our used Ford Focus review

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