My brother has been living abroad for some time now but coming back next month and he will need a family car and asked me for some ideas. I couldnt think of much as family cars is not my forte. The car is for himself, wife and 2 young kids under the age of 10.

So criteria is as follows in no particular order:

4 doors
Reliable
Not too old
Reasonable maintanance/running costs
Budget 3-6k but 5k is optimum.

Mnay thanks for an input.

Cheers, M

Bravo
Punto Abarth
Volvo c30
Mazda 3

All a bit left field and not your usual astra / focus. I wouldn't get a French car, meganes fall apart faster than you can repair them and there isn't a really a good pug / cit model about atm.

I was going to say, contenders so far, just for some ideas, would be mazda 3 but 6 would suit better but not sure that fits in the budget or Renault Laguna look quite nice and good size.

Any ford c max or the like??

Verso
C Max
Pug 3008

All can be had for under £6k and around 5 years old.

If he's "into" cars...

Alfa Giulietta
Citroen DS3
Seat Leon FR

otherwise:

Golf Mk5
Focus

I've never driven them, but my brother (2 kids under 10), who lives in Perth, WA, swears by Hyundais. I should add that he has also owned a Prius and believes that a car is exclusively a tool to get from A to B as cheaply, comfortably and reliably as possible. But they seem to be effective.

How about what's in my sig picture, Volvo V50? Mine (06) was roughly in the middle of that budget 18 months ago so he could either get a newer one or be down at the bottom of the budget. Not massive (bear in mind I came from a cavernous Saab 95 estate) but enough for a couple of wee ones. Fairly standard 1.8 Ford unit so nothing scary on the running front. I'd go for a bigger engine if I did longer trips more frequently but it's fine for a couple of long trips yearly and 35mpg most of the time pootling round town and my 35 mile round trip commute.

Honestly, proberbly get a kia soul.

Gets decent writeups. Decent spec, likely still under warranty for 5kish. Mpg ok on the diesel. Decent all rounder for the money

A quick look at Autotrader throws up a lot of Astra Estates and Zafiras that are not too old and don't have high mileage. Not exciting but good. It should be easy to locate some to see/drive.

6k will get a 2011/2012 car, e.g.:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201506054075751?radius=1500&price-from=4500&sort=ageasc&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&postcode=st72pd&maximum-age=up_to_6_years_old&page=1&minimum-seats=5&model=zafira&engine-size-cars=1-7l_to_1-9l&price-to=6500&body-type=mpv&search-target=usedcars&make=vauxhall&channel=cars&quantity-of-doors=5&maximum-mileage=up_to_60000_miles&logcode=p

Slightly OT - but I drove an Astra SRI hire car the other day. Unless you absolutely caned it, it was the most gutless car I've ever driven - to the point where it was almost dangerous (bear in mind we have a 1.2 Fiat 500 at home). I driven a few Astras in the last couple of years and I wouldn't suggest anybody buy one.

^^ I agree with the Astra thing, hired a new 1.6 for the two weeks while we were in Devon, had to open the bonnet to see if there was an actual engine in there!! 1st gear all the way up any large hill, it was truly awful.

I third the Astra opinion. Hired a 1.6 SRI GTC to go from Cirencester to Sheffield and back and it was dreadful. The DAB radio was the only positive.

Sh!t, are they so bad? They look OK from the outside, seem well screwed together and appear to do their job. Opels don't seem to get too bad a write up from the German car mags either. Most seem to be more powerful than our 115 bhp Impreza and that is certainly not dangerously slow. Nor is it real sports car fast though

However, I guess there is usually a good reason for cars that are cheap used.

I think people get confused about the "SRi" badge on Vauxhalls now. IIRC it used to mean a bit of performance, but since the 1990s it has meant a trim level like the SLine of Audi.

When I had my Astra Mk 4, you could get an Astra 1.8 sport or the 1.8 SRi, but apart from cosmetic differences they were the same performance.

Since then, the VXR badge came out, and that is where the performance is.

I like the new Astra, and so long as you read up on the engine specs, you'd be fine. The 1.6 engine is the base level and is known to be a bit sluggish.

The 1.4 turbo is above the 1.6 in the performance stakes and probably a better buy. The diesels are also a better prospect than the 1.6 petrol.

Other options :

Mk 2 Leon TDi
Skoda Octavia ...

Honda Civic FN2
VW Golf/Jetta
Audi A3
Seat Ibiza

Great spec plus the more desirable diesel engine

We've a Touran for the family bus and there's lots to recommend it. Practical and drives nicely; not like an old van.
Beware all VAG 2.0L Turbo diesels - the VNT clogs up after around 50K miles (if frequently driven sensibly) and in the case of Tourans the body panels can be eager to rot.

I can see a way to solve that issue....

As a matter of fact, our 2 litre Variable turbo did start sticking, but only after 100k miles. I seem to have fixed it by cleaning it. It's been fine for the last 20k.

The missus has a 1.6 petrol Mazda3 and it has been fantastic so far. (3 years)
Based on the focus chassis but with a mazda engine it's quite nippy and averages 36 mpg (mostly town)
Much better than the C-max she had previously!

5K would see a 09/10 reg low mileage example easily.