Family cars don’t have to be dull. There are a small number of funky family cars that can be found on the used market for little money. The best thing about them is that while they look a bit crazy they are actually very practical.
In the current car market, while everyone else is buying safe cars to protect their residuals, you can take advantage of the soft prices and snap up a fun car for very little. If you drive low or average mileage then you should definitely look at the petrol engine version as they are now better value. Here are three different family cars with a difference:
Fiat Multipla
Looks different and certainly different inside. Brave design that works well in practice. Scary looks frighten car dealers and has meant some very soft prices.
Most economical: JTD 44.1 mpg
Best used buy:1.6 ELX is cheap and well equipped.
UsedCarExpert.com fault checks:11
Used Car Expert magazine guide price: A 2004 JTD with 43,000 average miles is £6,000, while a 1.6 petrol is just £5,2000 with 23,000 average miles. So while it does 10 mpg less, it’s the better move for most.
Chrysler PT Cruiser
Stylish and very practical. It will seat five in comfort but also it will convert into a van so it’s very versatile. Prices starting to fall now now it is a few years old.
Most economical: 2.2 CRD 40.9 mpg
Best used buy: 2.0 Touring has reasonable specification.
UsedCarExpert.com fault checks: 6
Used Car Expert magazine guide price: A 2004 2.0 Touring with 26,000 average miles will be just £4,723. But the 2.2 diesel equivalent will have 45,000 miles and be £5,900.
Daihatsu Materia
A practical mini-MPV, that is much more capable and versatile than its looks suggest. Not as cheap as you might expect, but it will hold its value well and has an impressive equipment list as standard.
Most economical: 1.5, 39.2
Best used buy: 1.5
UsedCarExpert.com fault checks: 0
Used Car Expert magazine guide price: Only launched in 2007, it is already an exciting used buy. 1 year old cars with 18,000 miles are already down at £6,495