I want a big Bangernomics estate.
My list of candidates in no particular order is:
E-Class
V70
Mondeo
Mazda 6
Passat
Berlingo
Multipla
Doblo
Budget is flexible, but I'm assuming 10yo plus and about £3k isn't going to be far off. I appreciate if I didn't need/want an Estate the price and age would drop significantly.
What have I forgotten.
I'm interested in any models that should be avoided, but I'm not really fussed about which is 'best' since I'm gonna buy the best example of any of the above that's available right now rather than waiting for a decent example of the perfect model to come up IYSWIM.
Thanks in advance.
Recommend an Accord..
Honda Accord
Damn beaten to it!!!
A6 / 5 Series? Values drop off a cliff at the sort of age don't they?
Was also going to mention Accord.
Ive got a focus estate but i really regret not going to look at the Accord round the corner before buying it. The ford has not been the best reliability wise.
We've since got a Civic with the same 2.2 diesel and its a great engine. Nice car to to drive. Just need to sort the leaky boot now!
Lancer
Avensis
Primera
Tough finding a Bimmer 530d touring without monster miles but might be possible (soap bar shape)
I saw an immaculate A6 when i was looking. one owner. Full audi servce history. Was a high ish mileage 3.2 petrol. Was a lovely car if not for the massive tax bill!
Depends what the 'big' requirement is - mondeo and Belingo are pretty different cars.
If rear seat space (as in comfortable space for adults in the back) isn't too important and its the big boot you're after then you can get a lot of Astra estate for your money and cheap parts and servicing there after. The 1.7cdti will give you around 60mpg too.
Galaxy
Smax
Sharan
Alhambra
If you’re gonna go big, go big
Hang on a minute. This is STW and nobody has yet said Skoda Octavia vRS
This place has gone to the dogs
How about an A4 estate? My 2007 TDI 170 hp is still going at 273,000.
Citroen c5
How about an A4 estate? My 2007 TDI 170 hp is still going at 273,000.
He wanted big, not "actually smaller than a Golf Estate" 😉
(I've got the same thing, sorta)
Vectra C (02-08) would be on my list. 1.9cdti with the 150bhp. Enormaboot plus long distance cruise credentials
Standards are dropping. Where is the Skoda Superb on the list?
Does depend what the OP means by big estates, I wouldn't class the Octavia as a big estate (that's the Superb) but then the Passat and Mazda 6 are on the OP's list and I wouldn't class those as big either.
People carriers give you a lot more height which is often usefull, no point being able to get a full bike in if you have to take the seat post off.
£3k is nowhere near Bangernomics territory. Plus I reckon you’d be better with a sub £1k Honda (pick any, Accord petrol will be amazing, just find a nice one) and saving your money for fuel and any work that needs doing. Spending £2k more won’t get you a more reliable one.
Thanks to all some superb suggestions that I'd completely overlooked.
Depends what the ‘big’ requirement is – mondeo and Belingo are pretty different cars.
Good question. Big as in Wife + 2 kids, plus four bikes and two kayaks on the roofrack plus all our camping gear in the back. No trailer. I've done it three times in the V40 and it was *just* possible but a bigger Estate would be better. So yeah, it's got to have room for four people + kit rather than being cavernous with the seats out, but little space with seats in. Good question, useful distinction.
Hang on a minute. This is STW and nobody has yet said Skoda Octavia vRS
This place has gone to the dogs
Owned one. Too small - about the same size as my current (poorly) V40.
Chrysler 300c Estate? It's big. Really big.
£3k is not bangernomics!
.
Mondeo estate for £500 would be bangernomics, would recommend Mondeo
Vectra/Insignia
Peugeot 307/308 estate is surprisingly big in the back. 407 estate is ok
Pretty much all manufacturers have a big estate to be honest! Whether you want it or not is a good question
Mondeo and vectra will often give you most car for least money
Mondeo estate for £500 would be bangernomics, would recommend Mondeo
£3k is nowhere near Bangernomics territory. Plus I reckon you’d be better with a sub £1k Honda (pick any, Accord petrol will be amazing, just find a nice one) and saving your money for fuel and any work that needs doing. Spending £2k more won’t get you a more reliable one.
Agree about the 3k budget being a bit silly. Clearly a 1k car is preferable, but big estates seem to bottom out at the best part of 3k in the same way that vans seem to bottom out at 4k.
If I was looking for a saloon I wouldn't dream of spending 3k, which as you say is right in the danger zone - doesn't get you a better car, does give you more risk.
Renault Grand Espace - more room than small vans, and removable seats.
V70 diesel gets my vote
On account of them being ugly.... the Chevy Orlando can be had relatively new for cheap - its actually vauxhall zafira under the skin. Looks less people-carrier-y but has the same sort of flexible interior as the Zafira and similar load carry capacity to a Berlingo.
If its kids rather than adults in the back... although you probably wouldn't use the fold-down back row in a Zafira what you can do is slide the 'middle' row forwards when you've got smaller back seat passengers and increase the boot space.
Keep in mind that although the boot on a Berlingo type car is big.. its sort of short and tall rather than long and low like a mondeo so theres the question as to what you have in there travels well like that (and anything above seatback height in't going to take everyones heads off in a crash). If you make use of roof racks then that rack is also a lot higher up with a berlingo and getting kit on / off / secured can be a bit tiresome.
Careful with an accord. My mate's 100k 57-plate was starting to exhibit worrying signs of tinworm in the sills and floor about three years ago. He chopped it in after the LPG conversion started to destroy the engine so not sure how it progressed. 2.4 is THIRSTY and somehow lacked both power and torque.
some out-there suggestions:
X-type estate
Vauxhall Signum/Fiat Croma <shuddders>
MG-ZT Touring <pipe and slippers choice>
SAAB 9-3x Vector
9-5 would be worth a shout.
I agree with others - at that cost look lower, and bank the rest towards repairs.
Saab 9-5 - Massive, reliable (except for suspension components, which mine has got through at an alarming rate), solid engines, and relatively nippy. Plus a lot of parts are shared with Vectras so pretty cheap.
I can easily fit a L enduro bike in mine with the wheels on, back seats down.
I have an 05 plate Peuegot 407 SW 2.0HDi, which I've owned for 10ish years, in that time it's had pads & discs twice, a load of the ABS sensors, rear springs, and front lower ball joints.
It returns some miles to the gallon and is generally a nice place to be as it's a "Zenith" model with all the toys.
The only electrical issues are that the sat nav has stopped working and the auto windscreen wipers sometimes get confused and snap a wiper blade - I could fix both by stripping down the offending motor and giving it a damn good clean, but google maps and a spare wiper blade in the boot are a testament to my lazyness.
At some point the tiptronic porsche gearbox will shit itself though.
X-type estate
a bit of an anti-tardis. Smaller on the inside than out - to create a sense of luxury the interior trim is very bulky - very thick around the door pillars, the headliner seems low the backs of the front seat are very bulky for no reason. Its very 'drivers car' and makes you feel all snug behind the wheel but when I adjusted the drivers seat into a comfy position the back was pretty much touching the rear seat - anyone sat behind me wouldn't be having a nice ride - could be pretty claustrophobic packed up for holidays.
Vauxhall Signum
Perhaps goes too far the other way - the USP of the signum was it was all about rear passenger leg room - a car for 4 reps to go to a conference rather than 2 parents and 2 kids. You pay for that with boot space though
Some cracking choices thanks all - loving the Saab idea, never thought of 'em.
If its kids rather than adults in the back… although you probably wouldn’t use the fold-down back row in a Zafira what you can do is slide the ‘middle’ row forwards when you’ve got smaller back seat passengers and increase the boot space.
Useful feature, thanks for mentioning it. Are Zafiras a bit smaller than, say, the Mondeo?
Keep in mind that although the boot on a Berlingo type car is big.. its sort of short and tall rather than long and low like a mondeo so theres the question as to what you have in there travels well like that (and anything above seatback height in’t going to take everyones heads off in a crash). If you make use of roof racks then that rack is also a lot higher up with a berlingo and getting kit on / off / secured can be a bit tiresome.
TBH the Berlingo was almost off the list for the first reason. Combined with the second I can rule them out. Ta.
Are Zafiras a bit smaller than, say, the Mondeo?
Hard to compare them directly - a one-box and and two-box car. You can maybe make more use of the space in a Zafira even if the Mondeo is physically larger. If guess you still have the high roofline for roofracks though
My Accord experience, I had an EX spec, lots of toys, everything worked perfectly. Interior showed almost zero wear. Car looked great outside and in but underneath was all rust brown... Stupid low profile tyres made it tramline really badly. Plus new clutches and exhausts were _very_ expensive items. I kept it a year and got rid.
Rover 75 estate - all BMW running gear
9-5estat. YES! Nice!
Another truly left-field suggestion:
Meriva VXR - masses of space for such a small thing, interior is properly clever with sliding/folding/disappearing rear seats and outrageously fast, but generally reliable as it's just a jacked up corsa VXR.
subaru outback is massive.
I did a search on auto trader, estates, max 2k. Without trawling too far down the list I found a few good cars, a couple of V70's, a couple of Subarus but the one that stood out was a lovely looking 04 plate Saab 9-5 with 100k on it. Pre-Dame Edna as well. Near Lydney, if you're that way on. Just set a search up like that and see what comes up.
Of course the sensible answer to your question would be Avensis or Mondeo. But that Saab was ruddy nice...
Rover 75 estate – all BMW running gear
Go 2l diesel, avoid some of the petrol models, I recall something about lack of coolant
You could get a Mazda CX-7 for under £3K but it'd be the petrol one. Great to drive, fast, lots of toys, pretty big but expensive on fuel (and road tax) if that's a concern.
If running costs were a significant concern then I'd also be thinking Mondeo or maybe Honda Accord.
Gen4 Legacy/Outback.
You'd get a 3.0 H6 for £3k, cam chain and smooth as butter engine. 20-30mpg however...
As above though, £3k isn't bangernomics.
Big as in Wife + 2 kids, plus four bikes and two kayaks on the roofrack plus all our camping gear in the back. No trailer.
Out of interest, why not go the trailer route?
I spent most of our drive back from camping in France last year eyeing up options for something with more space than an A6 after another epic battle to fit everything in, but am now pretty much settled on getting a trailer instead.
