Three car garage: £30k for a Mercedes E-Class, Abarth 595 and Dacia Duster

A budget of £30,000 isn’t enough to get you into a base BMW 1 Series these days, but scour the used car classifieds on Auto Express and you’ll find a host of excellent options. With this £30k in mind, I wanted a big estate car to cover miles with ease, a fun B-road blaster for the weekend and something that I wouldn’t mind my dogs getting all muddy… 

Mercedes E-Class Estate – £12,990 

To the untrained eye, this 2017 E-Class Estate looks like it’d cost the bulk of our £30k budget by itself. AMG Line trim comes standard on the E-Class, and its five-spoke alloy wheels and sporty bodykit still look fantastic eight years on. It looks the part inside, too, with plenty of quality materials throughout, although the central screen looks comically small against the current car’s gigantic ‘Superscreen’ layout. The E 220 d’s 2.0-litre diesel engine also provides a great combination of torque and efficiency – this big German estate can chomp up those motorway miles with ease.

If this Mercedes E-Class Estate was snatched up too quickly for you, check out hundreds of listings of practical estate cars available now from Auto Express’s network of trusted dealers. 

Abarth 595 - £6,995

Something that is less well suited to motorway driving is the Abarth 595. It’s a perfect complement to the Mercedes estate, however, because on the days where you want to tackle some twisty roads, the Abarth will show you a great time. If Ferrari had ever decided to make a supermini-sized hot hatch, it might have resembled the 595. It’s the right colour, slightly impractical and makes some fruity noises – what’s not to love? 

If this Abarth has already found its new home, click here to find more used Abarths available through Auto Express.

Dacia Duster - £9,995

If you’re worried about your driveway looking a bit flash at this point, let us guide you in the direction of the humble Dacia Duster. It’s the newest car of the bunch, but you wouldn’t know it when you’re inside it. Still, if you’re not a fan of modern touchscreens, the chunky physical switches and buttons inside will feel like a breath of fresh air. That’s really all part of the Duster charm as a rough-and-ready family SUV that will surprise you with its off-road ability.

If this Dacia Duster has already found its new home, take a look at these budget SUVs available through Auto Express.

Head to the Auto Express used car search page and let us know which cars you’d park in your £30k three-car garage in the comments section below…