looking for a decent estate (possibly at auction)

sweetie

With the arrival of our child in december the time has come to buy a bigger car. I'm leaning towards an estate so that I can comfortably fit a lot of gear and passengers if necessary. I have been pointed towards the mondeo, volvo v70 and am wondering does anyone have any other suggestions. Isofix is preferable and a good safety record too and the roomier the better. Would be edging towards diesel also unless thats a bad idea? Have been told that there can be good deals gotten at wilsons and merlins auctions but is there anything I should look out for at there. Budget of about 10k unless I can get a great deal for a bit more. thanks in advance.

voxpop

Wouldnt buy at an auction unless you know cars and how to spot a dodgy one.

sweetie

voxpop wrote: »

Wouldnt buy at an auction unless you know cars and how to spot a dodgy one.

I think they have a return policy (at Merlin's) and I would hope to bring a mechanic or knowledgeable person with me. Same risks as buying privately really, no?

tom traubert

2 Things. Joe or Josephine Punter will rarely get a bargain at auction as they will almost always be bidding against a pro or a semi pro who will let the vehicle go once it's been bid up too far for them.

Joe or Josephine will be more likely than the pro / semi pro to inflate the hammer price of the vehicle as (s)he is more likely to let emotion interfere with the business of the purchase.

These are only my opinions though. With regard to the estate car itself I've had an '02 Audi A4 Avant for the last three years now. I'm quite happy with it overall as it suits my reasons for having it, but I wouldn't buy it for it's overall space in the rear. Rear seat leg and headroom is far from best in class.

Anan1

sweetie wrote: »

I think they have a return policy (at Merlin's) and I would hope to bring a mechanic or knowledgeable person with me. Same risks as buying privately really, no?

No - you don't get to meet the seller at an auction, and AFAIK you don't get to examine the car prior to bidding. For the reasons tom traubert gave, auctions are really only suitable for experts. I've bought and sold quite a few cars and I worked in the trade for a while, and i'd far sooner buy privately than at auction.:)

SouperComputer

You should be able to look at the car in the lot before it goes under the hammer. Risky business though if you arent seasoned or have someone who is seasoned with auctions (not just a mechanic) with you. No quite the same risks as buying privately, many cars are at auctions for a reason Now I'm not one for FUD, so ill wrap up by saying: yes you can get a good deal at an auction, but you better be prepared!

My vote is a Volvo V70T5, but I'm not sure what the newer ones are like. I have a 98 so cant really compare LOL. One thing about Volvo is they can be expensive to fix if you don't plan DIY'ing it.

If you are going diesel, BMW 3 or 5 series estate might be a nice option. Passat, A4 or Octavia. Go drive some, see what you like and don't like about them would be my advice.

RobAMerc

I'd also suggest not buying at auction - way too dodgy if you don't know what your at.

I've seen some of the prices paid at auctions too, and clearly Joe Public is there paying over the odds. From what I can see people are paying silly money for stuff they could buy off a forecourt cheaper.

As far as an estate is concerned - Only buy an estate that gives you a clear advantage over a saloon if your paying more than a saloon ( you will be loosing out on choice either way ).
For example - I swapped my 3 series saloon for a 3 series touring. I've since learned that the touring in reality gives me very little extra space. Remember with child seats in you won't be able to drop the rear seats. And you'll also not use the extra height it gives you for fear you'll brake hard and what ever is above the rear seats will fall onto little Johnny's noggin.

That said - the Mondeo estate is fairly big and as far as I am concerned is about as much car as anyone would ever need across a most areas.

V70 is sizeable too.

GTE

I dont know about auctions but for the big estate the Mondeos are great.

They are a new type of diesel when they were around so you could face some engine trouble. In terms of VAG I'd say only the Passat would be the best one. Some problems with the engine there too but they can be avoided by getting a generation older or sourcing a well taken care of newer one.







EDIT:
Just saw your budget. My suggestions may be on the lower scale of things budget wise.

tomcollins97

I have a 2005 laguna estate I wsnt to sell. 1.8 dci Expression. 47k miles on the clock. Airbus and isofix. Pm if interested