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Best 14k cars

With the average price of a new car £14,000, we try five very different top buys for the money...

Best cars for £14000

Photos: Pete Gibson July 2010

The average price of new cars sold in the UK is around the £14,000 mark... but there’s nothing ‘average’ about the cars we’ve picked here for that budget.

They all meet very different objectives, but enjoy a common link: they’re brilliant new car buys – at the right price! So, whether you want something fast and fun or big and practical, our five new vehicles will fit the bill. Taking care of the thrill seekers is a low-slung two-seater from Caterham in the form of a 1.6 Classic. For 4x4 lovers, we’ve brought along the Fiat Panda Cross – a hugely popular car in the Auto Express office. It’s a common sight in the Alps, where fans of winter sports love its go-anywhere ability, so it should make easy work of anything the UK can throw at it.

Everyday drivers who need something safe, practical, entertaining and attractive can afford the excellent Mazda 3, tested here in 1.6-litre petrol guise. And if space is the name of the game, it’s hard to beat the Skoda Octavia estate. In 1.2-litre TSI trim, it’s a real surprise package.

The final car in our line-up combines incredible capacity with MPV versatility... the Citroen Berlingo Multispace needs no introduction, and comfortably falls
within our £14k budget. Plus, at this price, you can even afford a practical a seven-seat version, making it something of a bargain.

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4 Comments

And the winner is???

Well done AE, this is an excellent article. Who'd have thought so much fun and practicality could be had for so little outlay?

By sgtgrash on 29 July, 2010, 1:32pm

Pointless!

By Focus_your_mind on 2 August, 2010, 4:12pm

14k for a Berlingo? Is that really a good buy?

Can you try harder next time, it looks like you have just done a random review on the line-up outside of a drive-thru.

By gregfarn on 4 August, 2010, 6:10pm

Great article. It’s good to see really capable non mainstream cars getting a look in! £14K for a Berlingo is a steal when you consider the space and equipment for the money. The Panda Cross is just a great hidden star!

By adeinbucks on 6 August, 2010, 12:10pm

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Citroen Berlingo Multispace front

Citroen Berlingo Multispace 1.6 HDi VTR

Seven-seater diesel MPV is the ace of space in our £14,000 pack
Skoda Octavia Estate front

Skoda Octavia Estate 1.2 TSI S

When it comes to supreme practicality at a sensible price, this load-carrier is hard to beat
Mazda 3 front

Mazda 3 1.6 S

Hatchback mixes quality, versatility and fun in top-value package
Fiat Panda Cross 4x4 front

Fiat Panda Cross 4x4

Go-anywhere version of city car serves up a massive dose of fun, both on road and off.
Caterham 1.6 Classic front

Caterham 1.6 Classic

Famous stripped-out thriller delivers uncompromising performance
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