Car & estate: a budget of €49k gets you into some big, luxurious saloons, but only just — the likes of the Volvo S90 saloon and V90 estate, or the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, are right up there at the top of the pile. Two of the best cars you can buy regardless of budget as it happens. €48k will only get you a fairly basic model of either, though, so it might be wise to drop down a size and get something with a few more toys. A Mercedes C-Class, especially in estate form, makes for a terrific car — classy, comfortable, practical and good to drive. Or, if you fancy going for something a little more high-tech, you could consider a BMW 330e plugin hybrid (not available as an estate, sadly), which mixes enjoyable driving dynamics with zero-emission electric running in town. Or how about the slightly simpler, but still enjoyable, Lexus IS 300h hybrid? Or, for a bit of excitement, you could consider the Alfa Romeo Giulia, which is good to drive and gorgeous with it.

 

SUV. For that kind of money, you can get into one of our absolute favourite SUVs, the Kia Sorento. It's big and bluff, with seven seats and a massive cabin, it’s a brilliant way to knock a long journey out of the way. €48k will squeeze you into some premium SUVs, such as the Land Rover Discovery Sport or Range Rover Evoque, Volvo XC60, or the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, but again you’re going to be getting a pretty basic one, so the Kia is definitely the better choice here. Also well worth a look are the Skoda Kodiaq, VW Tiguan Allspace, Peugeot 5008, or Hyundai Santa Fe — all of those will give you plenty of change from €48k.

 

Of course, if you want to be really sensible, just buy a Skoda Superb Combi and spend the change on a nice holiday!