Best Used Family Car
The current Ford Mondeo is a real class-leader, and its price just keeps coming down, making it a steal in the classifieds.
Winner: Ford Mondeo
(2007 to date) Prices: £7,000-£20,000
Britain’s best used family car just keeps getting cheaper! Last year, the latest Ford Mondeo knocked its predecessor off the top spot, thanks to its superior dynamics, huge interior and increasing availability.
That doesn’t mean the old Mondeo is a bad second-hand buy, as it’s incredibly cheap and widely available. But the latest version is becoming more affordable and easier to find by the day. A forthcoming facelift can only make it more attractive as a used model.
Prices are now as low as £7,000, and although these examples are likely to have a higher than average mileage, that’s nothing to be afraid of, as long as the model has been well maintained.
As the Mondeo is only three years old, many good cars can still be found within Ford’s dealer network. These will be covered by the company’s used approved scheme, which offers a two-year, unlimited mileage warranty and two years of pan-European breakdown cover – both a year longer than is the norm with rival used schemes.
Non-dealer examples under three years old with less than 60,000 miles on the clock will still be covered by Ford’s original factory warranty, too. The punchy TDCi diesel engines are the cream of the Mondeo crop. The 1.8-litre unit is the budget option and returns 50.4mpg, while the 2.0-litre engine with 113bhp has the best blend of economy and performance.
A 2.2-litre TDCi with 173bhp was introduced in 2008. It’s no longer sold new due to high emissions, but is extremely refined and powerful – and well worth buying if you can find and afford one.
Nearly New: Skoda Superb
(2008 to date) Prices: £12,000-£22,000
While it’s barely been on sale for two years, and prices are still high, the Superb is a great buy as it’s comfortable, well built and excellent value. The majority are still on Skoda forecourts, and the firm is renowned for top customer service.
Value Choice: VW Passat
(2006 to date) Prices: £5,000-£20,000
Depreciation has hit the Passat hard, but that’s great news as early examples are now seriously cheap. Superb diesels, a spacious cabin and fine build quality set saloon apart. Car supermarkets will have plenty of well maintained ex-fleet models.
