What Car? Personal Shopper: most comfortable car for £25,000

Want a new car but don't know where to start? Just send us your criteria and we'll give our new and used car choices, and tell you how much we can save you.....

Used Peugeot 5008 2017-present front cornering

Buying used

  • Our recommended choice: 2018 Peugeot 5008 1.6 BlueHDi Allure auto
  • Price: £24,995
  • Mileage: 376

Since Terry has expressed an interest in potentially going for an SUV instead of an MPV, he might want to try out the Peugeot 5008. It has been an award-winning large SUV for a few years now at the What Car? Awards, and now that used examples are trickling onto dealer forecourts, you can find some tasty bargains. We found a barely used 2018 example with less than 400 miles on it for £7000 less than its new list price. 

Just like Terry's current Citroën Grand C4 Picasso, the 5008 has seven seats and a high driving position. The door sills are nice and shallow, too, so access is just as good as it is in an MPV. Unlike an MPV, however, you get a very stylish interior with the very latest in digital dashboard displays. The 5008's ride and handling are pretty decent, even at low speeds, making this a very agreeable family vehicle.

Read our full used Peugeot 5008 review


  • Also consider: 2017 Volvo V90 Cross Country D5 auto
  • Price: £24,980
  • Mileage: 34,885
Volvo V90 Cross Country

If Terry is prepared to go for something with a few more miles on it, he should consider the Volvo V90 Cross Country. It drives in a very similar fashion to the normal V90 estate, but it has an extra few inches of ground clearance for tackling tricky farm tracks and some light off-roading, along with the benefit of four-wheel drive. Safety is a big plus point, especially if you can find one with the Intellisafe Pro pack, which adds blindspot monitoring, cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control and rear collision warning. Also, being a Volvo, the V90 Cross Country has some of the most comfortable seats available in any car. 

Read our full used Volvo V90 review


  • Also consider: 2018 Volkswagen Touran 1.6 TDI SE Family auto 
  • Price: £21,880
  • Mileage: 3812
Volkswagen Touran 2019 front cornering shot

If the other two aren't quite to Terry's liking and he'd like to stick with a more traditional MPV, there's always the Volkswagen Touran. It won't set your pulse racing, but it was never intended to do so. What it does do is provide comfortable motoring with excellent practicality and lots of equipment for not an awful lot of money. In fact, the Touran is the least expensive used car choice here, with plenty of examples available for less than £22,000.