Which used automatic estate car should I buy?

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Which used automatic estate car should I buy?

We bought a 2019 Astra Sport Tourer 1.0 with 12,000 miles on it for £10,000. It was a great car for the first three months - comfy, quick enough, economical. Then a plethora of issues manifested (all fixed under warranty) including a new engine and gearbox. The car has been in the garage for best part of four months. Once we get it back, we're thinking to get rid of it immediately but what to replace it with?

The courtesy car we have been given is an automatic and now my wife would prefer an auto box.

We might be lucky to offload the Astra for £9,000. A similarly specced Skoda Octavia estate auto would be around £16,000 which is another £7,000 on top of the Astra and so I'm not sure it represents value for money.

We like the Hyundai i30 estate but petrol models seem to be like hen's teeth.

We use the car for our dog walking business and mainly do short journeys.

Asked on 15 December 2021 by mark Goodman

Answered by Russell Campbell

Prices on cars have soared since the first quarter of this year so your money won't go as far as it did at the start of the year. To get a car to your specification – a 2019 automatic estate – a budget of £15,000 is realistic.

Nothing wrong with the Hyundai i30 or the Skoda Octavia. The Skoda has slightly more room, feels nicer inside and is better designed, however the Hyundai has a five-year warranty also take a look at the Kia Ceed or Optima both are around £15,000 and have a seven-year warranty.

For a budget option, the Dacia Logan is well worth considering – you'll get a 2019 model for less than £10,000, although it isn't available with an auto. The Dacia is fairly basic but represents unbeatable value. We doubt the dogs will complain.

Tags: buying a used car buying an estate automatic cars

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