Condition (and in your case the size of car) matters more than make or model. Try to find something with a service history, and don't be tempted by prestige makes.
I'm reluctant to recommend a diesel that's more than a few years old, as things can go expensively wrong. But I can see that your annual mileage might suggest a diesel. The Focus and Octavia as you suggest are good choices: the 1.9 diesel Octavia is more reliable than the 2.0 of the vintage that you'll be looking at.
But if you can find a good petrol Japanese car for less money than Focuses or Octavias of the same age, go for it. Toyotas in particular seem to soldier on forever.
|