Three-car garage: used Nissan Qashqai, Volkswagen ID.3 and Lexus IS for under £35k
If you’re not willing to try something new from China don’t worry, we have some great alternatives for you
We’ve just tested a fresh car from an all-new brand here in the UK called the Aion V and while it impressed us with its levels of equipment and pricing, spending around £35,000 on a car from an unknown brand might not suit everyone.
So what can you get for the same money that covers the same bases as the Aion V, but comes with the reassurance of an established badge on the front? Well, being an all-electric family SUV, we need a pure-electric model in the mix, along with something with plenty of space inside. There’s a decent amount of premium appeal in the Aion V too, so we’ll need something that has real quality inside as well.
Thankfully, the Auto Express Buy a Car service has used models that offer all these attributes and much more.
Nissan Qashqai - £9,699
The car that defined the family SUV market is undoubtedly the Nissan Qashqai and for less than £10,000 you can grab a facelifted example of the second-generation model with just 46,000 miles on the clock.
There are a few diesel-powered models available at this price, but we’ve opted for the manual petrol. A 45mpg combined figure is pretty impressive considering there’s no hybridisation at play here, and the six-speed gearbox is easygoing. In fact, the Qashqai as a whole is designed to make life as simple as possible, which is why it’s so popular with families.
The rear doors, for instance, open at a 90-degree angle (a feat proudly replicated by the new Aion V), which any parent will appreciate. There’s also dual-zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, ambient lighting and some nice touches, such as leather surrounds on the gearlever, steering wheel and around the centre console.
If this Nissan Qashqai was snatched up too quickly for you, there are several more Nissan Qashqai's avaliable through our Buy a Car service...
Lexus IS - £12,994
So the Qashqai has the family covered and you want something with real premium appeal and a posh badge on the grille. Enter the Lexus IS.
We found a 2018 model, meaning it’s the facelifted variant of the Mk3, with a new grille, headlights and bumpers for a look that remains sharp almost a decade on. The IS also received suspension tweaks to make it more engaging to drive, along with some ergonomic revisions to the interior, such as a smartphone holder within the cup-holder and an enter button on the funky multimedia controller pad.
As you'd expect, the cabin has a high-quality finish throughout, with smart executive touches, such as the classy analogue clock and chrome accents.
Our car is in the suitably named ‘Executive Edition’ trim, so it has heated leather seats and a rear-view camera. More importantly, under the bonnet there’s an excellent 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that’s supported by an electric motor, helping keep fuel usage and CO2 emissions to a minimum. Expect mpg figures in the mid-60s and when you’re gunning it, there’s 223bhp going to the rear wheels for a sprightly 8.1-second 0-60mph time.
If this Lexus IS has already found its new home, you can find plenty more available through the Auto Express Buy a Car service...
Volkswagen ID.3 - £12,195
Aion claims a 317-mile range for its new, all-electric V, which is up there with most rivals - but amazingly you can get even more range for around a third of the price with the Volkswagen ID.3.
In the Tour Pro S variant we found there’s up to 340 miles of range and while its 125kW maximum charge rate can’t quite match the Aion’s 180kW, a five to 80 per cent top-up taking 38 minutes isn’t too bad.
Aside from the extra distance between charges, though, you also get plenty of standard kit. Keyless entry, dual-zone air-con, a rear-view camera, Matrix LED headlights, and electric adjustment on the front seats all feature, plus this ID.3 gets the larger 19-inch wheels.
Don't fancy this Volkswagen ID.3? Check out the Auto Express Buy a Car service for more VW ID.3 examples in stock...
Head to the Auto Express Buy A Car service and let us know which cars you’d park in your dream three-car garage in the comments section below…
