To ask you to recommend a family car that needs to do lots of miles

[moredealsplease]

Our family car has just broken again . Looking for a new one but it is a minefield. It needs to do lots of miles as DH uses it for work and travels a lot. Would really appreciate your ideas. Thank you.

[juls1888]

We had a Kia Ceed Stationwagon for a family car which was cheap and cheerful and had a 7 year warranty which was great. We do lots of mega long distance trips which is wasn't comfortable enough for so now have a BMW 535 M Sport which is much comfier but obviously costs a lot more in finance, insurance and diesel.
I have a Saab 9-3 for a commuter car and it's done 175k miles and is still going strong. Great on diesel, looks smart, reasonable for repairs and isn't slow off the mark, I absolutely love it now after I got over the snobbishness of not having a super new fancy car.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Second hand Volvo estate

[Happyandhungry]

Cats - depends on their budget really. A new beemer on finance with a good warranty and service plan etc is fine but an old beemer will never be as reliable as other older cars IMO and experience. Also the rear wheel drive can be an issue in bad weather depending on where you live and how many miles you do i.e is it all year round.

[Fairylea]

Kia cars are wonderful. They have a brilliant 7 year warranty up and are generally very reliable. We have a Kia venga and we absolutely love it.

[Fairylea]

Sorry meant to add I do a horrendous amount of miles driving disabled ds about to long distance appointments etc and it copes amazingly.

[PickAChew]

Toyota avensis. Roomy, reliable and economical to run for such a big car. On our second in 14 years. Had a Mazda 6 in between that was an utter dog in comparison.

[Trills]

I read your title as a car that would be upset or run badly if it didn't do a lot of miles.

Like a dog that needs a lot of walking.

[paddypants13]

We've got a couple of old Astras. Go on forever, cheap and easy to fix.

[BishopBrennansArse]

Don't get a ford with an automatic gearbox though

[Kyyria]

Toyota - we've had 3 that have done well over 100k and never missed a beat. Hubby currently has a Toyota Verso that does 20k+ per year, currently at 115k and is still on original brakes. I've got a Toyota Auris that does an hours commute in bumper to bumper traffic each day and has never had a problem (40k total, averages 7k per year). Both are 61 plates. Both very fuel efficient. Have had Toyotas since 2005 and would honestly not look anywhere else.

[QuestionableMouse]

Honestly most modern cars will do what you need. I have a Zafira that does 600 mile round trips like its nothing. Also had an older Skoda estate that was fab and I'd love to get my hands on another one. Can't fault Skodas though. In my experience, they're built for long motorway cruises.

[CMOTDibbler]

Skoda - we've just got a Superb estate, and taxi drivers tell me that he Octavia is now the go to car as they just go on and on.
The Superb is incredibly comfortable to drive long distances and is very easy to park for a big car. Love the room in the back as well!

[ineedamoreadultieradult]

Peugeot 207 estate diesel just keeps going and going never had a problem with it and we do a lot of miles!

[Rainmaker1]

Definitely something Japanese. Ignore the VAG fanboys, they're decidedly average (not even that in some cases!) Skoda are the most reliable of the group at number 14 out of 38 manufacturers, the rest of the group are in the bottom half. Honda, Toyota, Mazda and Nissan are where it's at although Ford need a special mention for being in the top 10.

[19lottie82]

Rainmaker...... the number of posters telling the OP to go for a VW / Skoda would suggest otherwise!

[Happyandhungry]

Rainmaker is right. VAG are the easy go to option but VWs are massively overpriced. I would always choose jap over VAG but depends on budget and generally jap cars more expensive to buy as models can be rarer and more expensive to fix if needed.

[Rainmaker1]

Rainmaker...... the number of posters telling the OP to go for a VW / Skoda would suggest otherwise!

It's a shame that much larger sample sizes suggest otherwise. German cars used to be genuinely well built and reliable but not these days. Many sheep just keep on believing the hype. We've been through 11 BMWs and a similar number of Jap cars in the immediate family. It really is night and day, one group has had multiple engine failures and tens of £ks worth of warranty work, the other just work. I'll leave you to guess which is which. Love BMWs though but I budget £2-4k per year for repairs outside of normal servicing and wear/tear. If my main priority was reliability I'd be in a Lexus.

[Libitina]

Look at the cars that taxi drivers use. Usually reliable. When living in Italy we bought a Fiat as that's what they all drove. 10 years we had that car for and did very many miles with very few problems.

[OurFlo]

OH works with cars...doesn't buy Peugeots, Citroen's or Renault's that are over a couple of years old so if you're after a car for the longer term or an older model avoid.

Generally agree with previous poster re German cars. BMWs/Minis/VWs mean quite expensive parts if something goes wrong. But are relatively good quality. There is an issue with certain Minis and one of the expensive parts (can't remember which) so only buy new shape Minis.
Skoda's are essentially cheaper VWs.

Japanese and Korean brands come with long manufacturer's warranties for a reason.

Diesel's generally last longer...balance that out with the negative press.

Once you have selected a make and model that you like. Google it and spend a couple of hours reading forums, reviews etc...not really to look for what people like about it but to identify those cars that have known problems (like the mini I mentioned earlier). If your chosen make and model is one of these...avoid like the plague.

Last tip...buy from a dealer not a private seller. You have effectively no comeback with a private seller but a dealer is bound by the Sale of Goods Act etc...you may pay a bit more but if something goes wrong it will be worth every penny. This is where the reviews on the dealership come into play...used cars go wrong; how this is dealt with is the mark of a good dealership. Never buy from anyone who hides their reviews on Facebook and make sure that the overall rating is in excess of 4 on Google and Facebook. Other review sites can be manipulated more than these two or skewed by one or two good/bad reviews.

Good luck!

[curtainphobic]

Diesel Saab or VW would be my recommendation. And keep up with oil changes / oil checking to look after the engine. Some great buys to be had for older cars.

[TheNaze73]

If you can afford it, go for a 5 series. If not, one of the VW's under a different badge like a Seat Altea

[catlover97]

VW Golf, they last for years, take all sorts of abuse (moved house twice/renovated the garden-read lots of trips to tip) and still happily whizz up and down the country. Love them, and they're (relatively) affordable. Check out das velt auto for quality 2nd hand sold direct from dealers. They depreciate a LOT in first 18 months so not worth buying new IMO.

[1StayHomeDad]

Looking at buying a Kia Ceed for the family. Any good or bad experience?