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Which car to upgrade to for about €13k?
I currently have a 1.4 diesel fiesta 07. Looking to move to something slightly bigger as we start a family but doesn't need to be massive or have too big an engine. Needs to have a good safety rating and be able to handle 100 km travel daily (about 30k km annually i'd say). Would be a used car i am after and I not overly concerned about resale value because it will be held on to for a good few years. Should i stick with diesel given the talks of levies etc. i'm in two minds as i think given that mileage it might be the best option in terms of running and service costs despite how much i would love to go greeen! Budget tops out at about 12-13k and would really appreciate input from those who know! Thanks a mil!
Our answer:
Hello Jacqui,
The obvious step up would be to a used Mk3 Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi, which should be readily available in your budget. There’s also the Skoda Octavia, which is ideal for a family but which you might consider too physically big, once you’ve seen it. Again, the Skoda comes with a 1.6-litre diesel engine. A Toyota Auris D-4D would be utterly dependable. Ditto the rather accomplished Opel Astra 1.6 CDTi. Also consider some talented but often overlooked Asian products, like the Hyundai i30, Kia Cee’d and Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC.
And yes, you are going to have to go diesel, with that amount of annual mileage. The newer an example of any of the cars you can get above, the better, but most of them are Euro 6-compliant and thus should escape any forthcoming diesel-based levies. They’re all also excellent at driving long distances in a fuss-free fashion, which is what you want of a daily commuter.
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