Car choice: X5 or Insignia?

Paul Thompson needs something bigger than his current Mini Clubman for a growing family and labrador. So he needs a bit of a load lugger

(BMW)

A Car for the Head

A 4x4 shouldn’t be out of the question, and Paul did mention a BMW X5 to me. It is an excellent vehicle. It is very car-like to drive, indeed it is in effect a raised BMW 5-Series. As this is a family car which is going to cover plenty of miles Paul should consider a hybrid model, that is with a petrol and electric motor which will help with fuel economy and will not depreciate as quickly. An X5 xDrive40e MSport would make all kinds of sense, and a 2015 model with lots of extras is £36,000 with 45,000 miles.

Vauxhall Insignia estate: practical, stylis (Vauxhall)

A Car for the Heart

Alternatively, Paul can go down the budget route, and keep save some money without much compromise. Paul mentioned a Saab 9-5 estate to me, but as much as I love them I am concerned that these obsolete modes are getting rather old now. Paul needs a modern reliable car that is easy to get parts for. That’s why a Vauxhall Insignia estate is the perfect answer, as it is practical, stylish and widely available. He can also take advantage of the depreciation with a mainstream car and that means he could pay not very much at all for a 2014 2.0 CDTi Elite Nav Auto at £7,995 which returns 50mpg.

If you would like James Ruppert to help with your car choice, email james@freecarmag.com. For more motoring views visit freecarmag.com

Search for used cars