Best used family cars for less than £20,000

Our top choice is this petrol-electric hybrid version of the Toyota Corolla. The Corolla’s 1.8-litre hybrid system is one of the best in the business, and when we subjected it to a real-world fuel economy test it averaged 50.5mpg. The rest of it's really good, too - it's incredibly reliable, there’s plenty of room and the Corolla has a cosseting ride. It's also good to drive and decently refined. Entry-level Icon trim is our pick of the range, and comes with a long list of standard equipment, including adaptive cruise control, heated front seats and sat-nav.

We found 2022 Toyota Corolla 1.8 Icon, 12,000 miles, £19,995

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Fancy the quality, image and exciting driving style of a BMW but in a family hatchback package? That’s where this third-generation version of the BMW 1 Series comes in. It's based on BMW's own Mini, and if it isn’t quite as spacious as some rivals the payback is a high level of driver involvement combined with all the quality and kudos of a BMW. It's extremely reliable, too, more so than most of its rivals in this class, and used prices are really competitive. 

We found 2022 BMW 1 Series 118i Sport, 28,000 miles, £20,000

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The Ford Focus is Britain’s most popular family hatchback, and it isn’t hard to see why. First up, it’s cheap both to buy and to run. It’s also great to drive, with a lively chassis and responsive steering. Ford's excellent range of petrol engines are peppy enough for most people, too. What’s more, there are loads of examples out there to choose from, so finding a good one shouldn’t be hard. Reliability is good, too. 

We found: 2023 Ford Focus 1.5 Ecoboost 150 Active, 10,000 miles, £19,500

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You can find some excellent examples of the latest Seat Leon on the forecourts for well below our £20k budget. Sharp styling makes it an instant eye-catcher, but its beauty isn’t just skin-deep. It’s great fun to drive, too, with a taut chassis that makes it responsive and involving. Yet it's also comfortable, and it's endowed with a spacious interior full of tactile materials. Reliability is a little below par, however, with issues mostly centred on the infotainment system. 

We found 2023 Seat Leon 1.5 TSI SE Dynamic, 26,000 miles, £19,995

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This latest version of the classy Audi A3 Sportback is one of the best family hatchbacks around. We think it's great as a used buy, too. It's a premium product with a spacious and practical high-quality interior, superb ride and handling and an excellent range of engines, of which we'd seek out one of the smooth petrols. The only fly in the ointment is a rather poor reliability record, with a number of non-engine electrical issues.  

We found 2022 Audi A3 Sportback 35 TFSI SE Technik, 14,000 miles, £19,850

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A strong combination of comfort, equipment and space have all combined to make the latest Skoda Octavia a real favourite with family car buyers. It offers a vast boot and loads of room for rear-seat passengers. What’s more, it drives really well, with composed handling and a comfortable ride, and it’s great value. Reliability is a bit mixed, alas, with problems reported with the infotainment and sat-nav systems.

We found 2023 Skoda Octavia 1.5 TSI SE L, 12,000 miles, £19,995

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The Volkswagen Golf is a fantastic all-rounder, combining excellent comfort, enjoyable handling, enough space for most families, a high-quality interior and quiet road manners. Of course, the smart styling and VW badge make it a desirable car, and it's now possible to find used versions of this latest Mk8 car for our budget. Reliability is only average, though, otherwise it might have finished even higher. 

We found 2023 Volkswagen Golf 1.5 TSI Evo Life, 15,000 miles, £19,995

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The Hyundai i30 is softer than most of its rivals, giving a reasonably comfortable ride without being too floaty. Its turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine dishes out decent rather than Earth-shattering performance but it shouldn’t drain your wallet. Also, the nearly new example we've picked out here should still have most of its five-year warranty coverage left, which is comforting.

We found 2023 Hyundai i30 1.4 GDi N-Line, 2500 miles, £19,000

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If reliability is a big concern, you won't have any worries with this just recently superseded version of the Honda Civic. It has a great record, with owners reporting a low number of faults. What’s more, the stylish Civic is good to drive, decently refined, surprisingly economical and has a huge boot, too. Our money buys one of the last of this generation, too.

We found 2021 Honda Civic 1.0 Turbo 126 SR, 9000 miles, £18,995

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Want lots of car for your cash? Well, the Vauxhall Astra offers just that, because it’s cheap as chips. Our money buys one of the latest versions with the uprated engines and tech. We’d suggest going for the sprightly petrol engines over the noisy diesels, but on the whole, the Astra is comfortable, spacious and good to drive.

We found 2023 Vauxhall Astra 1.2T GS Europe, 8000 miles, £18,900

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