Best family car under £10k in 2024
Narrow down your search for the best family car under £10k with our top picks for 2024
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Picking a family car under £10k doesn’t have to be a daunting task. There are plenty of affordable family cars that will tick your boxes.
Your budget doesn’t have to be through the roof because there are some excellent used family cars for under £10,000.
This list comprises city cars, hatchbacks of all sizes, and even a crossover – proving how many different options are out there.
Take a look at our picks for the best used family cars that fit within your budget.
Best affordable family car
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Best car for small families - Renault Clio
Available in many different flavours, the Renault Clio is as familiar as a small hatchback can be.
It comes with either three or five doors and is the perfect size for a new family or one with up to five people (though four people would be more comfortable – especially in the back).
The Clio has always been an economical car, but some of the newer mild hybrid variants take care of any worries you may have regarding fuel efficiency – plus, you benefit from cheaper running costs, which is always a welcome bonus.
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Best mid-sized family cars - Kia Ceed
A sensible marque that everyone will tell you to consider when you’re buying a car is South Korea’s Kia.
The mid-sized Ceed hatchback is ideal for smaller families who often lug around lots of bags, as its 395-litre boot makes it a breeze.
It’s sensible because it offers reliability no matter the engine. Speaking of which, you can have your Ceed with either a petrol or diesel engine, both of which are reliable and hard-wearing.
Prices are impressive for a used Kia Ceed, so you can get a bargain if you're sticking to a budget.
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Best family SUV - Nissan Juke
It would be hard to compile this list without including the ever-popular Nissan Juke, as this crossover took the UK by storm when it first hit our roads in 2010.
This car is also suitable for not only couples but also families because its increased height, when compared to a hatchback, makes it easier to get children in and out of car seats.
There’s a range of models on offer including the Nissan Juke Visia, Acenta, and the range-topping Tekna+ – all are excellent in their own right.
You might also be able to secure one of the flashier trim levels at a cheaper price if you opt for a used Nissan Juke.
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Best family hatchback - Honda Civic
A used Honda Civic in any form is one of the best choices a family can make for their next hatchback. Not only is it reliable, but it’s also practical and cheap to run.
Its looks have drastically changed over the past few years, with newer models featuring a sharper exterior that looks really impressive.
It isn’t always easy to find a good used Civic for less than £10,000, but it’s sometimes worth paying that little bit more to get the right car for you.
Don’t forget there are some great car finance options out there, too.
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Versatile family car - Ford Focus
If you’re after a more rewarding overall driving experience, then we can’t recommend the Ford Focus highly enough.
Sharing many of its characteristics with its smaller Fiesta sibling, it’s incredibly fun driving on country roads but can also be serious if it wants to be.
Thankfully, there are plenty of used examples floating around the used market – and they’re not all base models, either.
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Low running costs family car - Vauxhall Astra
If you walk down any road in this country, you will no doubt stumble across an Astra of some description – they’re everywhere.
Not only is it reasonable with regards to purchasing cost, but it also offers low running costs and practicality.
This Vauxhall hatchback is available with both manual or automatic transmissions and in three- or five-door configurations, so there’s really something for everyone.
There’s no doubt that this little hatchback will make a great addition to the family.
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Best family car for city streets - Hyundai i10
While it may not be the largest car on the streets, the i10 isn’t far from the mightiest. Hyundai, being the sister brand of Kia, also makes very reliable cars – especially city cars.
The little i10 won’t be overly suitable for the largest of families, but it would suit a new family or those with one or two children.
But just because it’s made for driving around towns and cities doesn’t mean it can't cruise on the motorway and tackle longer journeys with ease.
Both the manual and automatic gearboxes are a dream in this respect.
Fast family cars under £10k
We know that not everyone wants a strictly practical family car, with fast cars still having their appeal.
There are plenty of fast cars under £10k that are suitable for families but are still fun to drive. You might want to see if you can grab a sporty variant of a tried-and-tested classic like a Ford Focus RS or Focus ST model. These are nippier options of the familiar Focus that can be more exciting on the roads.
Other great options for a fast family car under £10k include the Renault Megane RenaultSport, Honda Civic Type R, and the Mini Cooper S.
What to look for in a used family car
Shopping for a used family car under £10k will differ depending on what you need for your daily life. While some families will be fine with a roomy hatchback, others need a chunky seven-seater with plenty of boot space.
There are some general areas we recommend looking at, like the Euro NCAP safety rating of your potential picks. A high Euro NCAP rating indicates a safe and reliable car – ideal for families.
You might also want to look at the fuel efficiency of the car or the mile range. This will help you decide if your budget will cover the running costs.
The same goes for insurance costs and car tax – look at these before you purchase to see how much you're likely to be paying.
You know how much space your family needs, but you might also want to consider how easy it is to get in and out of the car, as well as the boot space. Wide door openings are ideal if you have small children, and cars with rear doors might be easier to live with than three-door models.
If you have passengers with limited mobility, cars with sliding doors are also a good option when it comes to getting in and out with ease.