What seven-seater for our new arrival?
We need to get a seven-seater when our fourth child arrives soon, so we're looking at a SEAT Alhambra, VW Sharan or Ford Galaxy.
We have a 2003 Focus Ghia saloon plus a budget of around €10,000 to add to it. Do you have any other similarly-sized car suggestions that we've missed and is it a concern if a second-hand car that is five or six years old has three or more owners if the mileage is less than 60,000?
Tonya Kirwan (Wicklow)
May 2010 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Well firstly, congratulations on your impending arrival. I am going to be conservative and say that you might get around €4,000 for your Focus, but let's say that you have a budget of around €14,000.
You could indeed have a Ford Galaxy for this price, with a 2005 model with 79,000 miles (1.9 110hp diesel) costing you €12,950.
It seems to be hard enough to find examples of the Alhambra around that are on sale from official SIMI dealers, which is something we would recommend, but you would pay very similar money for an equivalent Alhambra.
The Sharan is pretty much identical to the Alhambra, but they tend to end up a little bit more expensive because of the VW badge on the front, so I think these should probably be avoided, as there is no major benefit for quite a lot of extra money.
In terms of alternatives, there are a few you could look at. Have you considered the Opel Zafira? The rear seats might not be as big as you would like, but they are fine for small ones and it is a nicer car to drive than the ones you have mentioned.
If you wanted something a lot newer, you could have a petrol Renault Grand Scenic. We found a 2008 example with low mileage for under €14,000. I know you might prefer a diesel, but if your mileage is low then this could be a good buy.
In terms of your query on mileage on older cars, it isn't unusual for cars like this to have low mileage, because they tend to do things like short school runs and are often second cars in families. However, you can always be as sure as possible by buying from an SIMI dealer.
Complete Car Adviser