Agree with madf about 406, also look at Chevvy Lacetti, bargainous, Toyota Avensis, Honda Accord, all petrols.

Edited by gordonbennet on 24/02/2015 at 18:18

Either, most likely find a much lower mileage petrol for the budget.

Have a poke nose round Gumtree and the Bay.

Volvo V40 estate. Tough, reliable, cheap, medium sized. The bodywork lasts well for their age, so still smart looking.

If you find it hard to find a 406, which would also be my first choice, you might find it easier to pick up a 307 estate.

If you do, make sure you get the 90bhp engined model as that won't have a dual mass flywheel clutch or diesel particulate filter, and will be generally more reliable from my experience on the Peugeot forums.

At a maximum of £1,000 I wouldn't be buying a Saab/Volvo. These cars can be real money pits, with parts prices to make your eyes water.

N.B. There have been 3 Saabs in the family over last 20 years, so do have experience.

My father had a 2002 Avenis which was fantastic. it was a 1.8vvti petrol - oil changes and wear items only for around 13 years of ownership. If I was in sub £1k territory for a decent wagon I'd def have an Avensis on the shortlist.

Agree, Avensis of that era is a great car. Local taxi company used to buy petrol versions of these at 100,000 miles and keep them to 400,000 miles. They found them more reliable and cheaper to run than Peugeot/Citroen diesels.