First car for a family

[sweet_left_foot]

Don't stress it. Any car is better than no car so find a car you can live with that has the fewest miles on that you can afford with the lowest number of registered keepers. Keep a grand aside rather than blowing all your budget then when something breaks you can afford to get it fixed.

 

[xxlshirts_fit_all]

Try motorpoint and set a search criteria for your upper limit along side newest car with lowest mileage then pick a colour…

 

[Jonny Ingbar]

Pretty much anything these days is bullet proof reliable, so don't worry about that part.

Skodas are VW/Seat/Audi rebadged and excellent value for that reason.

The only thing I'd add is check the spec levels eg do you want heated seats, Apple carplay etc, so check what trim level you want before picking.

 

[Richyboro]

Seat Leon's cheaper than a Golf but same chassis etc well worth it.

 

[NoloBoro]

Drive a bluemotion VW Polo. Bit on the small side but return of 81 mpg. Worth considering, depends how big the kids are

 

[Chutney]

Decide if you want 4 or 5 doors. Sounds like your family may be at the stage where from time to time you need to be able to fit something massive in the back, which isn't as easy with a saloon, so maybe an Octavia isn't the best option (unless there's a 5 door version).

My last car was a Qashqai, current one a CR-V, both perfect if you couldn't give a toss about cars really.

 

[ThatFragranceGuy]

if things do go wrong you cant get much cheaper than a ford for parts. Focus a good bet for a tall lad in the back.
Seat is also VW/Audi Group. 1.4L polo/golf equivalents are significantly cheaper than a VW badged job. Less likely to have been ragged as they are not desirable to the ute.

I bought a 2011 Ibiza with 25K on it just before lockdown for 5 grand. 1 owner old lady shopping trolley. Exhaust went last week. clutch will be next but I've doubled the mileage and it's still a little gem runabout.

I've had a Ford Focus since 2008 when I bought it a year old, last 2-3 years it currently costs us about £500 a year in mot or parts etc but other than that very reliable

Big space inside, comfortable drive and massive boot, Seats fold down and we have used it to transport all sorts including about 5 chopped up trees of a very large size

It's still going strong and overall on a per-year basis it's cost us very little

 

[BorrisiaTeeth]

When we had a kid I managed to pick up a 320i estate BMW with 52k in the clock for 3 grand privately. 56 plate.

Haven’t had most of the other cars mentioned above, but can’t fault the 320i - massive boot obviously. More than quick enough.

Lots of bargains to be had if you look more at the mileage than the reg plate

 

[Duffman]

If your buying something under 7 years old I would always look at Kia. Brilliant warranty for first 7 years and incredibly reliable. We have had a Sportage from new - loads of car for the money, incredibly comfortable and great drive.

 

[lostinyorkshire]

Just got my daughter a Nissan Juke and its cracking

 

[Sammysmiths]

Had anyone mentioned the NCAP rating? Safety is surely a very important factor if you’re travelling with family. I had a Citroen c4 cactus and it was faultless. £20 tax and cheap to insure . A lot of car for the money. My advice would be to go to a dealership like motorpoint and try before you buy. There are literally hundreds of manufacturers and models and everyone will have a bit of brand loyalty. Only you know what you like

 

[Boro in Devon]

As it is your first car, the main priority is to now learn to drive on your own. This will probably result in a knock or two, probably car park/manoeuvring related. This is shy first few years insurance is so expensive.
Dont spend too much and get something small and manageable. Then look to upgrade after a couple of years.
My family got Honda Jazz, my parents had them and my daughter started off in one. Easy to drive, reliable and an incredible amount of space in side.

 

[wilkos_perm]

Thank you everyone, that's gave me a few starting points.

That's really helpful, thank you. We initially looked at the Skoda Octavia, we do want a fairly big boot as she often goes to Doncaster to see her family with about 2 massive suitcases and other bags. Usually a nightmare when changing trains at Darlington/York.

We did look at the Skoda Octavia first as taxi drivers usually use the we know there's a lot of room and we assumed they'd be good on fuel. But someone did say they were probably too big and suggested a Skoda Fabia. We'll have a look at the Nissan and Honda. If we can get a reliable and safe one for £5000 then that is a lot better than either of us expected.

I wouldn't say an Octavia is too big. Estates are 9bviously longer but the standard is just average size.
Take a look at Seat Leons also, nice cars to drive and quite compact considering the have good interior space

 

[Transitarmy]

You need a four door car with kids.

 

[Wez68]

Seat Leon's cheaper than a Golf but same chassis etc well worth it.

I have a Seat Leon FR184 , brilliant car , £30 road tax , done 40000 miles in this one with no issues at all

 

[Teesside_Steel]

General rule of thumb in our family has always been to avoid French cars.

Just bought out first ever second car as we have a 6 month old who will soon have to be taken to Montisori when the wife goes back to work. Tough decision to make but we agreed it would be a lot less hassle than trying to work out timings etc. with one car. Pick it up a week on Monday.

 

[Malaguena]

General rule of thumb in our family has always been to avoid French cars.

And the basis for this is what ?

 

[Teesside_Steel]

And the basis for this is what ?

Just the rule, from as long as I remember, in my family. Not sure on its basis.

 

[SmallTown]

Go for a Juke
My Mrs is on her 3rd and loves them. Bit of a tardis. Good on the juice and very reliable.

Would disagree with this. My OH had one and was amazed how small it was I side given the size of the car

 

[SmallTown]

And the basis for this is what ?

They famously have really bad electronics