![2004 Ford Focus C-Max](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/images/2023/06/13/TELEMMGLPICT000339198587_16866599912070_trans_NvBQzQNjv4Bqs8IZ_V9oD5x3QbumDAeEqDpsnpEV2LKMt9rzIRe_umo.jpeg?imwidth=680)
![2004 Ford Focus C-Max](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/images/2023/06/13/TELEMMGLPICT000339198587_16866599912070_trans_NvBQzQNjv4Bqs8IZ_V9oD5x3QbumDAeEqDpsnpEV2LKMt9rzIRe_umo.jpeg?imwidth=680)
Dear Alex,
We have four cars, including those of our two children, all of which have recently been off the road for different reasons, leaving us without a car. So I wondered about buying a cheap car as a spare.
Our budget would be up to £2,000 and it would need to be cheap to tax and insure, have five doors and a relatively high driving position. Is that a good idea and, if so, what would you suggest?
– LW
Dear LW,
A caveat, before we proceed: I’m probably not the person to advise on the necessity for a spare car, given that I own three, as well as having the use of press demonstrators.
My immediate reaction was to wonder how unreliable your fleet must be to have all four off the road at the same time. Might it be more sensible, rather than buying a fifth car, to simply replace one or other of your quartet with one that’s more dependable?
Now is not the best time to be shopping at the cheap end of the market, because lots of people are doing the same thing, what with the cost of living being so high. Many buyers are looking for cheap transport, either as a stopgap between PCP deals while interest rates are high, or on a more permanent basis, and that’s pushing prices up. As a result, your money doesn’t go as far as it used to.
Still, £2,000 is more than enough to get something reliable and usable. My advice is not to look for specific types of car at this end of the market, but instead to be open to anything and to look for something with a long MOT, as much service history as you can find, a recent timing belt change (if one is required) and good tyres (in the absence of a full history, high-quality tyres, matched across the axles, are an indication that a previous owner has spent money where it mattered).
A few specific models fit the bill, starting with the first-generation Ford Focus C-Max (2003-2011). These five-seat compact MPVs are ubiquitous, cheap to run and good to drive, while Ghia or Titanium trims provide plenty of equipment. And, of course, they feature the high driving position you seek.
If you can find one, a Mazda 5 is also worth a look. It’s a seven-seater, so immensely flexible, and surprisingly fun to drive for what it is, although the ride is quite firm. Reliability is pretty good, as you’d expect from a Mazda, but because the 5 is pretty rare you’ll do well to find one locally within your budget.
If you’d prefer an SUV, look at the Toyota RAV4. The second-generation model (2000-2005) is within your budget, as long as you can live with a high mileage of 100,000-plus, although that shouldn’t be an issue if it’s been well maintained.
Diesel engines are more common, and while the RAV4 isn’t the last word in refinement or handling it’s better on the road than most other 4x4s for this sort of cash.
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