Used Car Hunter: child-proof, premium estate cars for £15,000
Our Car Hunter has a budget of £15,000 for a safe, reliable and comfortable estate, so here are three options
Dear Auto Express, I’m looking to replace my 2012 Audi A4 Avant with a used estate of similar size and quality. What can I get for £10k-£15k? - Name withheld on request, via E-mail
Although an SUV is so often the first choice for those needing a safe, practical family car, there are several other feasible options, one of which is an estate car. This week, we’ve been asked to hunt out a replacement for a reader’s 200,000-mile, 2012 Audi A4 Avant, because he has a baby on the way.
With a budget of between £10,000 and £15,000, the most obvious choice would simply be to follow the mantra of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and purchase a newer, lower-mileage A4 Avant – after all, he’d know what he’d be getting.
Of course, the Audi has numerous desirable premium rivals, one of which is the BMW 3 Series Touring, so there’s a choice to be made between these two well matched competitors.
The Kia Optima Sportswagon, meanwhile, isn’t as premium as the Audi or BMW, but with strong reliability and a long warranty, it could be a smart choice.
Audi A4 Avant - the obvious choice
- For: Comfortable and refined, spacious rear seats
- Against: Not as sporty as 3 Series, top end of budget
The Audi A4 Avant is set up more for comfort and refinement than it is for sportiness, but despite this the steering is accurate, if a little lacking in feel compared with the BMW. There’s not much lean in corners, either.
The A4 may not be as exciting to drive as the 3 Series, but its ride is excellent as long as you avoid S line models, or those with large wheels. For just shy of £15,000, you can purchase a 16-plate A4 Avant 2.0 TDI automatic (190bhp, 61.4mpg, 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds) in Quattro S line trim and with just over 59,000 miles on the clock.
The A4 Avant’s interior is finished to a very good standard, with the materials used throughout the cabin being of noticeably high quality. The touchscreen infotainment system is clear and easy to use, while the front seats come with plenty of adjustment.
The rear seats are also very much up to scratch, offering plenty of headroom and legroom. There’s a number of handy interior storage spaces dotted about the cabin, while the boot capacity is more than adequate: you get 495 litres with the rear seats in place and 1,495 litres with them folded down flat, which is virtually identical to the BMW.
BMW 3 Series Touring - the sporty choice
- For: Sporty drive, comfortable, good driving position
- Against: Rear-seat space isn’t the best in this company
The BMW 3 Series Touring is sportier than its rivals here; it’s direct and agile, without going too far. The brakes feel particularly powerful and the 3 Series is also a master of motorway cruising.
It doesn’t just handle well, though; its ride is as smooth as that of the A4 Avant, making the BMW an impressive family car. An automatic BMW 320d xDrive Touring (184bhp, 55.4mpg, 0-62mph in 7.7 seconds) on a 14 plate and with 59,402 miles racked up, will set you back £13,995.
The 3 Series Touring’s cabin is impeccably designed. All the controls are logically laid out and the driving position is excellent. Not only is it nice and easy to get comfortable behind the wheel, but the iDrive infotainment control is very intuitive and the system itself is great, too.
Although the front seats of the 3 Series Touring are hard to fault, rear-seat space isn’t quite as ample as it is in the A4, so while two people can get comfortable, three would be a bit of a push. Boot capacity is par for the course at 495 litres, expanding to a fairly impressive total of 1,500 litres if the rear seats are folded flat.
Used BMW 3 Series Touring deals
Kia Optima Sportswagon - the bargain choice
- For: Affordable, long warranty, comfortable, well made
- Against: Not as sharp to drive as the BMW or Audi
With two premium options on the table, it’s worth noting the attributes of a more affordable alternative. The Kia Optima Sportswagon isn’t as engaging to drive as the BMW or even the Audi, but it’s still very well made, refined and comfortable. Crucially, this car came with a seven-year warranty when new, so you can realistically get a used example with three or four years of cover still left.
An Optima Sportswagon 2.0 GDi PHEV automatic (202bhp, 201.8mpg, 0-62mph in 9.4 seconds) in standard trim, on an 18 plate and with just over 42,000 miles, can be bought for £13,288. The Optima’s interior is the least plush here, but it’s far from spartan. The dashboard is nicely laid out and everything feels well put together. It’s also worth noting that Kia’s infotainment system is a gem, because it looks smart and couldn’t be easier to use.
Practicality is a particularly strong area for the Optima Sportswagon. However, while there’s easily space in the rear seats for two passengers, a raised middle seat means a third likely wouldn’t be happy on a long trip.
Given this is the PHEV model, the Optima’s boot space is slightly smaller than is provided in either the Audi and BMW, at 440 litres with the rear seats in place. If you fold them down, this expands to 1,574 litres, but given the potential economy quoted, this trade-off in space may prove to be worth the cost.
Used Kia Optima Sportwagen deals
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