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Buying a used estate car for £10-12k

My partner is changing job in January and will need a car to replace her company 3 Series Estate.

She's got £10-12k to spend, is looking for something around Focus up to Mondeo size that will accommodate her (hybrid style) bicycle in the boot, and will provide reliable service for a 13k annual commute. So far, she's looked at everything from a Dacia Logan to a Volvo V60.

I think she's borderline mileage for buying a diesel but I'm not keen on a used diesel due to reliability issues as they age and think she's better with petrol. She'd also like an Automatic (though it's not essential) but it would have to be a conventional torque convertor type auto for reliability.

Can you recommend a couple of suitable contenders?

Asked on 11 November 2014 by romford4

Answered by Honest John
The only torque converter auto would be a used Kia Cee'd 1.6CRDI SW auto or the same Hyundai i30. The Logan MCV is the cheap option, no Dacia autos in the UK. Maybe if she could find a used Nissan Qashqai (old shape) 1.6DCI 130 (manual) that would do the job.
Dear Honest John,

Please help me choose my next car. I would like it to have:
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