We are just looking for our first car in the UK and have our first child on the way. As such, we are on a pretty tight budget (£2500-£3000), so will definitely be looking for used cars. We're from New Zealand, so aren't really sure of the ins and outs of buying the UK market, and have a few questions:

1. What should we expect to get in terms of age/mileage on our budget, and what brands/models should we be looking at?

2. Is it better to look into a private sale, or should we go through a dealer? We're not terribly knowledgeable about cars so wondered if a dealer might be better.

3. I've heard that insurance is pretty expensive over here - what models should we look at for lower insurance premiums, and what's the best way to find out?