Hi there,
I'm a couple of months from taking my test, and now I'm starting to look for the type of car best suited to our needs. I'm completely unsure as to what the best option is, as I'm only looking to get 2 years out of the car before we move out of the UK (I'll be working abroad).
We have 3 small kids, so it needs to fit 5 people with good boot space, and we have a projected budget of <£2k (I know, not much!). I've been looking at a few cars, namely Skoda Octavia, Nissan X-Trail, and Mazda 5, (all about 10-12 years old), but I'm worried that I may buy into a car that's going to cost me so much more in servicing/repairs over the 2 years we're here. What's the best advice for this situation? Are there any cars that are a safer bet than others, within my requirements? I imagine we will probably need to get about 8k-10k miles out of it over the 2 years.
I'd be grateful for any advice!
Kind regards,
Karl
Edit - I suppose one thing I have been thinking, is whether it would be better to buy a dead-cheap older car, which may only last me a year before it needs hefty work done, and then just get another old cheap car; or whether it would be best to get a more expensive, and likely more reliable car that could go the 2 years, and then sell it on? Which option would potentially work out as being financially more economical? I know probably lots of this will depend on the car, how long since it last service, its history, etc, but just a rough guide on what people think would be fantastic.
I'm a couple of months from taking my test, and now I'm starting to look for the type of car best suited to our needs. I'm completely unsure as to what the best option is, as I'm only looking to get 2 years out of the car before we move out of the UK (I'll be working abroad).
We have 3 small kids, so it needs to fit 5 people with good boot space, and we have a projected budget of <£2k (I know, not much!). I've been looking at a few cars, namely Skoda Octavia, Nissan X-Trail, and Mazda 5, (all about 10-12 years old), but I'm worried that I may buy into a car that's going to cost me so much more in servicing/repairs over the 2 years we're here. What's the best advice for this situation? Are there any cars that are a safer bet than others, within my requirements? I imagine we will probably need to get about 8k-10k miles out of it over the 2 years.
I'd be grateful for any advice!
Kind regards,
Karl
Edit - I suppose one thing I have been thinking, is whether it would be better to buy a dead-cheap older car, which may only last me a year before it needs hefty work done, and then just get another old cheap car; or whether it would be best to get a more expensive, and likely more reliable car that could go the 2 years, and then sell it on? Which option would potentially work out as being financially more economical? I know probably lots of this will depend on the car, how long since it last service, its history, etc, but just a rough guide on what people think would be fantastic.