He has £3k to spend on a car. Does about 10k miles per year (diesel or petrol the best option??), needs to use it for commuting to work, putting the bike on (tow bar would be required), Boot needs to be big enough for baby paraphernalia including a big "off road type" pram.

What would you lot recommend for £3k and why?

Volvo S40 diesel – good chance of it coming with a tow bar, boot's big enough for most things, quite cheap, reliable and you can relax into the beige leather interior like a big old pensioner.

pug 807/7, citroen synergie, fiat ulysse/

Fiat Multipla

3k doesnt stretch far IMO

However Focus?

If he can stretch abit more- Subaru Legacy tourer? Mines lush 😀

MkI Renault Scenic for <£1k.

Then keep the rest for repairs.

Had mine about 2 years now and spent about £500 more than I paid getting stuff sorted. But she has always started 😀

Avoid anything with a tow bar (my parents advice). They cost £100 to fit and if they get used for anything heavy do multiples of that in wear to the transmission, suspension and hub bearings etc. Much better to buy one without and fit it yourself. You dont know if the car your lookign at wit 70k on the clock has done 69.9k on the motorway with 1 person in it, or 69.9k towing an overloaded caravan on stop/start A and B roads.

If your thinking of a Ford, look at Mazda, same mechanicals through a lot of the range, but less value in the badge.

Anoyingly, sproty mazda 6's can be 4wd, but not mondeo's. Why cant we have another Sierra Cosworth Mr Ford?

Mazda bongo diesel?

Bongos are a bit edgy at £3000
Good ones tend to be 4k upwards

Something Japanese. Older Civic?