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What's the best family car for £12,000?

I'm looking at buying a used car for a young family, so ideally a five-door with ample boot space for a pram, plus extra for holidaying at home. It must be petrol as mileage will be around 8000/year and budget is around £12,000. Looking at running costs and reliability leads me to the Fabia Estate, but I'm not sure I could live with how dull it is. My partner doesn't want anything huge, which probably rules out Mondeo/Superb unless it has parking sensors/reverse camera. I'm scared of high mileage petrol cars, but should I be? Is a Peugeot 308 SW a good choice or is there something obvious I'm missing that would be reliable/cheap to run at higher mileage?

Asked on 19 July 2023 by Andrew

Answered by Andrew Brady
A Skoda Fabia is a functional if unexciting choice - although you might be surprised how quickly you'll grow out of it as a family! It's quite a small car, even as an estate. We rate the Peugeot 308 (and 308 SW) - it'd be a good purchase and practical enough for your needs. Alternatively, a Honda Civic would be a very reliable and practical used car, especially if you can find a 2017 model within budget. We'd also recommend a Skoda Octavia - it's a very practical family car that represents excellent value for money. With regards to mileage, there's no need to be too concerned about high mileage, provided it's got evidence of regular servicing (and, obviously, the price reflects the higher mileage).
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