Which two cars will we buy?

Myself and my wife need to upgrade to 2 cars that are both economical, family-friendly and suitable for a daily round trip of 90km on primary roads with some motorway. At the moment, we both drive 13 year old Toyota Avensis (hatchback and saloon versions). We do some urban driving at weekends and a 200km round trip for 1 car every month or so. We have a budget of around €15k (combined) for both cars and the annual mileage would be around 25,000kms on both. I have seating requirements for 3 children aged 2 and 4 years with 1 baby on the way so the cars would need to be able to accommodate child seats. I’ve no preference on the type i.e. estate or MPV so all considered. My opinion would be to spend the majority of our budget on 1 car that has plenty of space and most of our requirements and the minimum on the second which just has to accommodate 3 child seats which is safe and reliable. Any advice would be great.

26.04.2018

Our answer:

Hi Frank,

I think the best thing is to go for a mid-size MPV for the primary car and a smaller, but still roomy, hatchback for the second car. What I’ve done, notionally, is to devote €10,000 of your budget to the MPV and €5,000 to the hatch. Within those budgets, you could get a 2011 Toyota Verso seven-seat MPV, which will easily swallow the three child seats in the centre row (leaving two spare seats in the boot for occasional use) and which is safe, reliable and, in 2.0 D-4D diesel form, very economical. Another good option would be a Volkswagen Touran, and a €10k budget should get you into a 2011-2012 model.

For the hatchback I think the best bet might be a Honda Civic. A €5k budget gets you into a 2008-2009 car, with either the 2.2 i-CDTi diesel engine, or the 1.4 petrol and both are very good options. The petrol model would probably be best, given that this is probably going to be a low-mileage car. Endlessly reliable, good to drive and with a cavernous interior and boot, it should fit the bill perfectly. Other good options are a MkII Ford Focus (2005 to 2011) or a Skoda Octavia (your budget would get you a 2009 model).

Answered by Shane O'Donoghue
30.04.2018

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