As your family grows you may find that your spending power decreases and you have to consider making some budgeting choices. This, however, often coincides with a need to buy a bigger car, but that doesn’t mean that you have to drive you and your family around in an old banger – no, there are some excellent used cars on the market that will give you long and enjoyable service. This week we’ll share our favourite family cars on a budget – and they’ll all leave you with change from £10,000!
Ford Mondeo (hatchback or estate)
Hands down our favourite family car, the Mondeo has been the class leader in driving enjoyment for over a decade now, and it’s no slouch in the other key departments either. Both the hatchback and estate have boots that you could easily lose a football team in, a well-designed seat configuration, and a level and quality of trim that easily matches its rivals. With many engines on offer it’s hard to pick the best, but the 1.8 and 2.0-litre TDCI versions have the best combination of power and fuel economy.
Skoda Superb
Superb by name and definitely superb by nature, this family-friendly beast of a vehicle is as well designed and built as you’d expect from any Volkswagen group car. Again, offering an enormous boot and a level of spec in every model that’s hard to match for the money. The 2.0-litre diesel is the one we’d plump for because it’s refined, powerful and economical – plenty enough to hump a car full of kids and your holiday gear without feeling like it’s struggling.
Mazda 6
Although it’s less popular than some of the big family cars around, that has no bearing on the quality of the Mazda 6. The third generation model is a fantastic driver’s car, and offers the kind of legroom and boot space you’d expect from a vehicle designed to move a family around in comfort and style. Talking of style, we think the 6 is the sleekest looking motor in our list, and if you couple it with the newer cam belt-free 2.2-litre diesel you’ll have the best combination of power, comfort and great looks.
Volkswagen Passat
The Volkswagen badge comes with a price attached, making it more expensive than any other car on this list, but prices hold forever and the Passat feels like a more expensive car. It may not have quite the boot space of the others (unless you go for the estate version), but in the cockpit you’ll feel like a million dollars. Equipped with a state-of-the-art infotainment system and build-quality unsurpassed in this price range, the Passat is a classy addition to any family.
We hope this short list of our favourite family cars on a budget, helps you when it comes to making that key buying decision. We know from our time serving countless cars at Trafalgar Street car park in Leeds that any of these great vehicles will give you long and happy service.