Used Car Hunter: mile-munching saloons for £13,000
Our car hunter has £13,000 to spend on a saloon that’ll provide a comfortable commute
“Dear Auto Express, I want a modern, economical saloon with a decent boot for £13,000 or less. What’s best for my daily commute?” - Kevin Roberts, E-mail
Plenty of commuters and company car drivers are making the switch to electric cars due to their low running costs, better green credentials, and the potentially huge tax savings on new models. However, if you’d prefer to buy used and stick with traditional combustion for now, there are plenty of liquid-fuelled saloons to be found, and many carry some very tempting price tags.
Naturally, if you’re spending a lot of time in your car, you’ll want it to be comfortable, but our car hunter picks also offer a generous helping of kit and are practical for family car duties, too. The Volkswagen Passat is a firm favourite with minicab firms due to its durability or, if you fancy something a bit more unique, the Kia Optima is a bargain that’s often overlooked. Alternatively, if you want to have a bit of fun on your daily commute, the Mazda 6 is surprisingly engaging to drive.
Here's our expert pick of the three best used commuter saloons available for a budget of £13,000, together with links to buy one through our Find a Car service…
Mazda 6 - the driver’s choice
- For: Direct steering, smooth powertrains, strong interior
- Against: Not the most economical, smallest boot
The Mazda 6 is a handsome saloon with a good blend of driver involvement and comfort. Its suspension minimises body roll without crashing over potholes, while the steering is direct, and the diesel engines are frugal. The slick manual and smooth automatic gearboxes also impressed us during testing. You can pick up a 68-plate 2.0-litre petrol with 52,000 miles in Sport Nav+ trim for under £13,000.
Inside the Mazda 6 is solid and well made, with high-quality materials on show throughout the cabin, and a sleek, distinctive design. A seven-inch infotainment system sits proud of the dashboard, and while it’s not as slick as the VW’s unit, it’s simple and intuitive to use. Rear legroom is pretty good, although headroom is tight for taller passengers. Boot capacity is the smallest here at 480 litres, but fold the back seats down and this increases to a more impressive 1,632 litres.
Volkswagen Passat - the practical choice
- For: Spacious rear seats and boot, refined, comfortable
- Against: Steering lacks feedback, cabin short of flair
Although the Passat is pleasant to drive, it doesn’t reward as much as the Mazda 6. Its steering, for example, is perfectly accurate yet lacking a little in feedback, while the gearboxes are strong, but lack the finesse of the units in its Japanese rival. Ride quality is a big win for the Passat, though, and its overall refinement and the lack of road noise are also impressive.
For £13,000, you can get a 70-plate Passat 2.0-litre TDI with 60,000 miles and in SE Nav trim. What the Passat’s interior lacks in flair, it makes up for with a clean design, and it’s made from high-quality materials. The ergonomics are sound, too, while the neatly integrated touchscreen is both rich in features and easy to use. Legroom in the back isn’t the best in class, but it’s still impressive, and rear headroom is good as long as the car doesn’t have the optional panoramic sunroof fitted. You also get an impressive 585 litres of boot space, which rises to 1,152 with the rear seats folded flat.
See our used Volkswagen Passat deals
Kia Optima - the economical choice
- For: Solid interior, great infotainment, excellent economy
- Against: Uninspiring to drive, lack of storage
The Kia Optima is by no means unpleasant to drive, but it’s not memorable. There’s plenty of grip and the steering is accurate enough, but it’s lacking in feedback, while body lean is more prominent than in the Volkswagen and Mazda. The Optima is well suited to a motorway commute, though, thanks to its soft suspension. It’s not as refined as the Passat, but it’s good enough.
For well under £10,000, you’ll get your hands on a 16-plate Optima 1.7-litre CRDi automatic with 75,000 miles and in 3 trim, which gives you a Harman Kardon stereo and a reversing camera, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Given that it’s sturdy and good quality, if a bit bland, the Optima’s interior is similar to that of the Passat. One highlight is the touchscreen infotainment system – Kia regularly scores well in this area in our Driver Power surveys, and the Optima’s strong set-up is no exception. The rear seats in the Optima are impressive as well: there’s enough legroom and headroom for two tall adults to sit comfortably.
The Kia’s 505-litre boot capacity sits between the Mazda’s and Volkswagen’s, but when the rear seats are folded down, they don’t lie as flat as they do in the Optima’s two rivals here.
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