Best used car for £18k - Volvo or Mercedes? | Ask Honest John

What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks

Best used car for £18k - Volvo or Mercedes?

I am looking for a used car family estate with 10-20,000 miles for around £18,000. On the basis that can't afford a BMW 320d and think Audi Avants are looking old, we would like your opinion on a Volvo V60 or Mercedes C-Class estate. Are these the best options and if so which model?

Asked on 23 June 2014 by moodyboy

Answered by Honest John

S60s and V60s are very expensive. BMW 3-Series money without 3-Series residuals. The latest 2.0 litre DriveE diesel engine is good, up to 60mpg in real life use as a manual, but a 320dED does 65mpg. Better to think cheaper: Mazda 6 2.2 Skyactiv D 150 SEL-Nav automatic. 50mpg and a really excellent car to drive.

Tags: buying a used car technical issues

Similar questions

What should I check before buying a Ford S-MAX?

I am about to purchase a 2014 Ford S-Max 2.0 TDCi Powershift with 85,000 miles on the clock for my son (private seller). It appears to have been well looked after and had the PowerShift transmission serviced...

Buying a used Suzuki Grand Vitara - which model would you recommend?

I'm looking to buy a mid-size 4x4 which I will mostly drive in town. I like the look of the Suzuki Grand Vitara and have a budget of £5k-£10k. I would like to change the wheels, add spoilers and other...

Land Rover Defender undersealing - wax or oil?

Is it worth getting a Land Rover Defender that's undersealed? If it is, would you recommend having the underbody coated in wax or oil?

Related models

Volvo S60 (2010 - 2018)

Good to drive. Packed with safety kit including ‘City Safety’ as standard. Geartronic start/stop. New 2.0 Volvo D4 diesel from 2014 under 100g/km CO2.