My wife and I are expecting our first child. We are still a young couple at just 26 and know we need to trade our Mini in for something more practical but do not want something too dull. We want to avoid old-fashioned estates and are not convinced by MPVs. What can you suggest?
Charles Cutting
Answer
Charles, if estates and MPVs are out you really need to think about the pseudo 4x4s. Put another way, something that looks like a 4x4 but is actually a chunky estate car.
Take a look at the Nissan Qashqai, Toyota Rav-4, Honda CR-V and HR-V or Land Rover Freelander. They either are or can be run in 2-wheel drive mode.
If buying used, then the Land Rovers will be best value as the Japanese models tend to hold their value for a lot longer. The older Freelander petrol engine can have problems, so make sure you download a checklist from http://www.usedcarexpert.co.uk/cars.aspx?numModel=255
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