With permission from Mrs Slim to take the plunge on a car that we can finally feel happy to own, I have the potential to spend circa 8k on a roomy family car that will double as a weekend bike lugging machine.
Ideally no more than 4 or 5 years old, economical as possible (1.9TD VAG previously owned & enjoyed).
A few toys and creature comforts would be appreciated, as would something easy on the eye.
The perfect car in my eyes would be able to swallow at least one bike in the boot with minimal fuss, as i'd like to avoid using roof bars/racks if possible.
Reliability and running costs are an important consideration.
After a bit of research my shortlist is as follows (all turbo diesel):
Passat Estate
Mondeo Estate
Mazda 6 Estate
Avensis Estate
Octavia Estate
VW Touran
Other 'possibles':
Fiat Multipla
Golf Estate
Focus Estate
Corolla Verso
We visited a VW dealership today and sat in a brand new Passat Estate and I was very impressed with the quality feel throughout, and the toys /cubby holes etc. If previous models were as well fitted as this then its a strong contender. A quick browse looks as though i could get something like an 07/08 plate with around 50k-60k on the clock in a fairly good spec.
Is the Octavia better all round? (ive read that the boot is much more roomy than a Passat), Is the superb folding rear seat on a Mazda6 a deal sealer?
Any other obvious contenders ive missed?
you do get around 600 miles out of it though.
