Used Car Hunter: dog-friendly, small estate cars for £13,000
Our car hunter has a budget of £13,000 to spend on a small estate car which is dog-friendly
Dear Auto Express, I have £13,000 to spend on a dog-friendly car, but I’m not keen on the SUV style. Would you recommend a small estate? - Jim Hopkirk, Bath
While the SUV and crossover market has been booming over the past few years, not every car buyer appreciates the jacked-up ride height, so-so handling or larger size when compared to a regular family hatchback.
Luckily for drivers, traditional estate cars provide similar levels of practicality to SUVs without some of the bulky drawbacks. Estate cars potentially offer more engaging driving characteristics, thanks to a lower centre of gravity producing less roll in corners. Estates can be more pleasant for rear passengers, too, including the four-legged variety, who’ll also find it easier to jump into, and out of, the boot.
With a budget of £13,000, there are a few decent estate cars to look at, and here we’ve focused on three we would be considering. The Peugeot 308 SW, Ford Focus and Kia Ceed would all do the job well, so there’s no wrong choice here.
Here's our expert pick of the three best dog-suitable used small estate cars for a budget of £13,000, together with links to buy one through the Auto Express Buy a Car service…
Peugeot 308 SW - the practical choice
- For: Large, easily accessible boot, good engines
- Against: Small steering wheel, not much fun to drive
The Peugeot 308 SW is an incredibly practical family car. With a flat and low lip plus seats that fold easily, the 308 SW’s 610-litre load bay should impress the pooches when you pop the tailgate. Its 1.2-litre petrol turbo is a gem, although the handling isn’t as engaging as that of rivals like the Focus. The small steering wheel and odd instrument i-cockpit layout won’t please everyone, so make sure you thoroughly happy with the car before parting with your hard-earned cash.
For the budget of £13,000, you can get behind the wheel of a 2019 Peugeot 308 SW with the 1.2 PureTech 130 with almost 17,000 miles under its belt. If you travel for long distances or plan to rack up the miles, then a 2020 1.5 BlueHDi diesel with 40,000 on the clock is an option for similar money.
The 308 SW is a handsome and well equipped estate car that was sold from 2014 to 2021. Its compact size belies its excellent practicality, which is helped by the fact that Peugeot didn’t try to stuff in an extra row of seats – unlike with this model’s predecessor. Engine options include a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol unit, plus 1.5, 1.6 and 2.0-litre BlueHDi diesels, while trim levels range from Active, Allure and GT-Line though to GT. All specifications boast plenty of kit, and highlights of the 308 SW include Magic Flat seats that fold with one handle to create an impressively flat-floored, 1,660-litre luggage area.
Ford Focus estate - the driver’s choice
- For: Up-to-date tech, engaging drive, plenty of room
- Against: Costlier than its competitors in this test
The fourth-generation Ford Focus estate arrived in 2018 to reset the car’s reputation in one crucial respect. Its predecessor was relatively cramped compared with rivals, but you can’t say that about this version, which has space to match the Peugeot and almost anything else in the class.
With all the agility and fun handling of the hatch, and an attractive, well finished interior, you can’t go wrong. A £13k budget is comfortably enough for a 2019 1.5 EcoBlue diesel in ST-Line X trim with 50,000 miles, or a 2020 45,000-miler with the 1.0T EcoBoost petrol engine.
The Ford Focus estate is available with a wide range of engines; the petrol line-up includes 99bhp and 123bhp versions of the three-cylinder 1.0 EcoBoost, a 1.5-litre with 148bhp or 180bhp, and even a 276bhp 2.3-litre ST model. Meanwhile, 1.5 and 2.0-litre diesels offer 118bhp or 148bhp respectively. Trim levels range from the basic Style through Active, Zetec and Titanium. Even the entry-model features air-conditioning and all-round electric windows, and Titanium has most of the equipment anyone could really need. The ‘posh’ Vignale trim name is the height of Focus luxury.
Kia Ceed Sportswagon - the sensible choice
- For: Well built, refined, spacious, huge warranty
- Against: Relative rarity, pricier than Kias of old, a bit dull
The Kia Ceed Sportswagon followed the third-generation hatch into showrooms late in 2018, but the once-budget brand’s inexorable move towards the mainstream means it’s not such a bargain as its predecessors. However, it is comfortable and refined, with admirable build quality and a high spec, plus has a fantastic seven-year warranty that’s very appealing on the used market. It all but matches both rivals here for boot space, too.
The Kia Ceed Sportwagon isn’t as common on the road as the 308 SW or Focus estate, yet you can get a 2020 car with a 1.0T petrol and 45,000 miles on the clock, or a 2019 1.6 CRDi diesel with 52,000 miles for well within the £13,000 budget.
As with its competitors here, the Ceed boasts a low load height and a large boot. Added features include underfloor storage, while the higher trim levels have a 40:20:40-split rear seat instead of the standard 60:40 version. Our favourite petrol engine is the 118bhp 1.0-litre T-GDi, but there is a punchier 1.4 model, too, as well as a 1.6-litre CRDi diesel. All of the cars drive satisfactorily, but without the sparkle of the Focus when it comes to ride and handling. Every variant features roof rails and a tailgate spoiler, as well as LED lighting. Entry-level trim 2 includes a seven-inch touchscreen, reversing camera, air-conditioning, cruise control and AEB, while 3 trim gets 17-inch alloy wheels and an eight-inch touchscreen.
Used Kia Ceed Sportswagon deals
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