Used Car Hunter: automatic diesel premium saloons for £12,000
Our Car Hunter has a budget of £12,000 to spend on a premium-badged family saloon
Dear Auto Express, I have £12,000 to spend on a premium diesel saloon car with an automatic transmission. What should I buy? - Firaz Ali, Coventry
In the new-car market, diesel models are dwindling. In 2024 diesel cars accounted for around five per cent of the market, down from a high of about 50 per cent a decade ago.
Yet despite the reduction in new diesel sales, the modern diesel engine offers decent fuel economy, along with plenty of muscle and good refinement.
Whatsmore, if you purchase a Euro 6-compliant model, it will also be ULEZ-friendly. In fact, all diesel cars sold in the UK from September 2015 should meet Euro 6 emissions regulations.
Saloon cars aren’t quite as popular as they once were thanks to the rise in popularity of the SUV, but the appetite for a premium-badged saloon remains strong. So when you add this to the need for an automatic transmission, there are a few key contenders like the Volkswagen Passat, Jaguar XF and Mercedes C-Class.
VW Passat - the value choice
- For: Roomy cabin, user-friendly dash, high-quality interior
- Against: Dynamically so-so, anonymous exterior design
The Volkswagen Passat is an ideal family car that’s capable of swallowing huge distances with ease. Prices are fair too, but while there are hundreds of used Passats for sale, when we narrowed it down to an automatic saloon with TDI power, we found just half a dozen within the £12,000 budget.
Most are ULEZ-friendly and have the 2.0 TDI engine, but there is the odd 1.6 TDI available as well. The bigger engine is noticeably more muscular (148bhp vs 119bhp), and with £12k, you can afford to buy a 2017 Passat 2.0 TDI SE Business, with just over 88,000 miles on the clock.
If you’re looking for a car that will stir your soul, the Passat isn’t it, but it should be on your shortlist if you want something that’s easy to live with.
There are first-rate materials throughout the cabin, plenty of standard equipment across the range, plus lots of head and legroom for rear-seat passengers. Boot capacity is also impressive, at 586 litres, and if you buy an SE model or higher, there will also be a load-through facility for the rear seat.
If carrying capacity is important, there are twice as many Passat estates on the used market as saloons, so if you’re prepared to buy one of these instead, you’ll have much more choice.
Jaguar XF - the stylish choice
- For: Stylish design, good value, roomy cabin and boot
- Against: Disappointing sat-nav, high servicing costs
The Mk2 Jaguar XF arrived in 2015 and while it looked very similar to the facelifted Mk1, it came with a new 2.0-litre diesel engine in 161bhp and 177bhp forms.
Both of these are within reach, and £12,000 is enough to secure a 2017 XF R-Sport 2.0d 180 with around 51,000 miles.
Either car will provide relaxed cruising, but a tempting alternative is an XF Mk1 with the 3.0d V6 engine, which will cost more to run but offers 237bhp, along with mountains of torque. We found a 2014 3.0d V6 Portfolio with 57,000 miles within the £12,000 budget.
Whereas the Volkswagen and Mercedes here have cabins designed with typical Germanic efficiency, the XF’s interior has a very different look and feel. The styling blends elements of modern and traditional design, but importantly, the dashboard is intuitive to operate, despite being crammed with buttons.
The good news continues when it comes to cabin space because there’s plenty of it. There’s 540-litres worth of boot space, with its usability boosted even further courtesy of the standard-fit folding rear seat. Overall, apart from Jaguar’s outdated infotainment system, there’s really very little to dislike inside the XF.
Mercedes C-Class - the solid choice
- For: Well made, strong image, inviting cabin design
- Against: Gruff engine, costly, tight rear headroom
If you’re leaning towards buying a Mercedes C-Class, you might have to settle for an older or higher-mileage car as it’s the costliest of the three here, but that’s not necessarily a problem, because they wear well.
For £12,000, you could buy a Euro 6-compliant 2015 C220d Sport Premium with almost 68,000 miles on the clock.
You can’t accuse the C-Class’s cabin of being drab, with its appealing design, intuitive ergonomics and high-quality materials. All C-Classes came packed with equipment, and as a result, the dash is very busy, so it can take some getting used to. As you’d expect from a Mercedes, there’s plenty of safety kit, too, either fitted as standard or available as an option.
In fact, lots of extra-cost options were offered when it was a new car, so be sure to check the full specification of any potential purchase. One thing worth finding is a car that has the optional 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats, while the 455-litre boot capacity is par for the class, it’s always handy to have the ability to slot in longer loads.
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