TH E H I G H PR I E ST O F BA N G E R N O M I CS
James Ruppert
like questions and I’m
always super-happy totake a run at them, even
if the details are a bit
patchy. But hey, that gives loads more
space to feature four-wheel solutions
to straightforward enquiries such as
this one: “I’m looking for an estate
car for about £6000 pounds.” Let’s
get stuck in.
O n t he f a c e of it t h at i s a pr e t t y
straightforward scenario, and the
e s t at e c a r for m at i s v e r y u nde r r at e d
as a load lugger. You really don’t need
a van with windows when a compact
rear seat-folding estate answers all
the practical issues you could ever
want to pose. Our £6k budget is a
reasonable amount, and there’s a ton
of options with an automatic gearbox.
The Mercedes-Benz C180 Blue
E f f ic ie nc y i n Sp or t s p e c i s i nt e r e s t i n g
b e c au s e it w i l l do a r ou nd 39 mp g
and a 90,000-miles 2010 example
is within budget, plus I think it still
looks very contemporary. It’s a posh
way to shift stuff, too.
When it comes to a compact hardworker then a Ford Focus makes all
sorts of sense, and they can be great
value, like the high-specification
1.6 Titanium Navigator I stumbled
across at a car supermarket. It was
a 2014, so relatively recent, and had
ju s t ov e r 6 0, 0 0 0 m i le s. S o y e s , a l l
the toys you would need, including
climate, sat-nav, Bluetooth and
cruise, and only £5500. There are
bits and bobs to add because it is a
supermarket, but what a great buy.
The classy alternative to a Focus
would be a Volkswagen Golf, and
for the same money you would
h av e t o d i a l ba c k t o 2 01 2 a nd f i nd
a 1.6 TDI with 73,000 miles. Same
money as the Focus, but it has a DSGdual-clutch auto ’box which isn’t
everyone’s favourite.
Something bigger? It has to be a
Volvo V70, and a 2.4 D R-Design SE
with a full service history from 2010
and just over 100,000 miles is the
perfect combination of practicality,
s t y le a nd v a lue. It w i l l do 4 0 mp g, i f
not a lot more, and has a decent turn
of a c c e le r at ion a s lon g a s it ’s u n l a de n.
Back to Ford for a huge estate
option, and that’s the Ford Mondeo.
T he y a r e a b s olut e l y m a s si v e. Gr e at
value, too. A 2013 2.0 TDCi Zetecwith 73k miles, not to mention a
f u l l MO T, a 1 2-mont h w a r r a nt y a nd
even a rescue service membership
all included. That’s all in for £5700,
unless you can negotiate lower.
We’ve barely scratched the surface
of suitable automatic estates. I have
a lot of time for the Audi A6 Avant,
Skoda Octavias and anything that’s
a Touring with a BMW badge on it.
There are so many other options and
I would urge you to hurry while the
models still last. SUVs are essentially
great, but there are sensible and
better-value alternatives. That’s the
b e aut y of bu y i n g u s e d – a nd t r y i n g t o
answer your brilliant questions.
Want a second-hand wagon for £6k? You’re spoiled for choice
ESTATE BANQUET
A Focus estate
in Titanium spec
is full of equipment
Merc C180 wagon is
a posh way to carry
things for £6000
`
A Volvo V70 is the
perfect combination
of style and value
a
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HONDA CIVIC
2.0 i-VTEC TYPE S
Someone beat us to our chosen
Civic Type S so here’s another,
a 2 0 0 3 w i th 1 0 3 , 0 0 0 m i l e s. I t ’s
like a semi-skimmed Type R with
158bhp and capable of 0-62mph
in 8.5sec. You get some Type R
trimmings – part-leather, climate
control, mesh grille, rear spoiler
– minus the extreme handling
and the insurance costs.
WHA
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