James Ruppert
USED CARS
KICKING TYRES
Passat wagon from the 2000-on era is a smart real-world buy
Used estate cars are arguably the mostpractical and costeffective all-round vehicles known to humankind. That statement would have sounded obvious 20 or more years ago, but since then, the people carrier and SUV phenomenon have happened. So family cars have changed, yet the used estate has never been more, well, useful.
With that in mind, I’m always happy to follow the recommendation of Autocar readers and the Volkswagen Passat is a regular in that regard. The B5.5 generation from 2000 is the standout model from that era. It’s relatively straightforward to fix, racks up massive mileage if looked after and has around 1700 litres of cargo space. A diesel that isn’t emissions-compliant is slightly compromised, but it will be fine for most long-distance requirements. Which makes a 1.9 TDI PD Highline from 2006 with just over 100k miles great value at £2500. It has just the two owners and loads of history so will last another decade with ease. When in any doubt, there is always Toyota, of course, and its petrol models are great. A 2009 Avensis Tourer V-matic TR I spotted was described as “ready to drive away”, and with just over 135k miles and five previous owners, the asking price of £2500 was pretty good. There’s also over 1600 litres of load bay to play with.