Better value than its VW Golf and Audi A3 rivals, plus more spacious than the Seat Leon, the previous-generation Skoda Octavia is the best family car we can recommend for less than £10,000. Sure, its interior lacks the level of class found in the VW and (more so) Audi, but the added interior and boot space makes up for that.

Also helping make the Octavia’s case is the fact that it gets plenty of equipment (as standard from new) and that it’s delightfully smooth at high speeds, making it a splendid long-distance cruiser. It’s a terrific all-round car, one that’s comfortable and cost effective to buy and own.

„The Octavia is an extremely capable machine. I really struggled to find anything that would faze its impeccable level of practicality and comfort.” – Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2019 Skoda Octavia 1.0 TSI S, 41,327 miles, £9450

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Again, the previous-gen Seat Leon is a little way off the Golf for interior quality, but it’s still ahead of most other rivals on this list. What’s more, the Leon offers the same great choice of engines as the Golf and even the more premium A3, too. The Leon is also great fun to drive, more so than most alternatives (including those we just mentioned). You’ll also find it’s generally cheaper to buy.

How come it fails to grab the number one spot? Well, that’s mainly down to space and comfort, because, while the Leon fares well in both of those areas, it’s still no match for the mighty Octavia.

„Personally, I don’t need the extra space of the Octavia. Plus, I value a sharp driving experience. So, for me, I’d take the Leon.” – Oliver Young, used cars reporter

We found: 2019 Seat Leon 1.0 TSI SE Dynamic, 49,989 miles, £9199

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The Audi A3 is one of the finest family cars around. For starters, it’s the classiest car in the class with a beautifully designed and built interior, decent amounts of equipment and smart styling. But it’s also comfortable, practical, great to drive, and every engine in the range is impressively efficient.

It compares well for interior room with immediate rivals, too, and in this top 10 it only just gives way to the top two by way of it being generally a bit more costly to buy – you can get the price down by opting for an older model or one with more miles on it, of course.

„The A3 truly defies ‘bigger is better’, because it feels better resolved than some larger Audi models in my view.” – Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2018 Audi A3 1.0 TSI 30 Sport 5dr, 59,389 miles, £9000

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It may not handle like the Leon or have a flash interior like the A3; it’s not quite as spacious as its Octavia sibling either, but the Skoda Scala is still plenty practical, plus it has a smooth ride, punchy engines and affordable prices.

Despite it being one of the more recent generations on this list, having first arrived in 2019, you can fairly easily pick up one within our budget – mileages are surprisingly low, too.

„The Scala isn’t exactly a class leader like our top pick, the Octavia, is. However, it does look and feel more modern and stylish to me.” – Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2021 Skoda Scala 1.5 TSI SE, 59,437 miles, £9899

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We’re huge fans of the seventh-gen VW Golf, but, like the A3, it is a bit expensive. As a result, for this price, you’ll probably have to put up with a slightly older and/or higher mileage example than some of its rivals here. Nevertheless, if you can live with that age, you do get some great benefits: a classy interior (that’s only second to the A3’s), a comfortable ride, sharp handling, a spacious interior and impressive safety standards.

Few cars are as well rounded as the Golf, hence it’s been a popular model for decades now.

„In my opinion, the great thing about the Golf is that it never loses sight of what it is, that being a practical, comfortable, well-built family car. Even the fast versions, those being the GTI and R models, can be described as such.” – Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2018 Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI S 5dr, 60,000 miles, £9750

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The Ford Focus falls short of class leaders in a few areas: the Octavia is more spacious, the Golf is more comfortable and the A3 is much classier inside. However, the Focus stands above all of those cars in regards to handling, even besting the Leon.

It’s sharp, agile, engaging and fun to drive. If you’re a keen driver, this is the family car for you – or better yet, check out the Ford Focus ST hot hatch.

That said, the driving experience isn’t the only thing going for the Focus, because buying and running costs are very reasonable – aided by great fuel economy. You can pick up a good 2020 model within our budget.

„If you really enjoy and value the driving experience, you’ll likely warm to the Focus much more than you will any other family car. It’s one of my favourite cars in the class, if not my top choice.” – Oliver Young, used cars reporter

We found: 2020 Ford Focus 1.0T Ecoboost Zetec, 46,524 miles, £9995

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Low, sleek and blessed with an upmarket interior, this generation of the BMW 1 Series was the hatchback of choice for aspiring family buyers for years. It’s not quite as spacious and affordable to buy and run as its more functional rivals, but it’s got punchy engines, entertaining handling and a fantastic infotainment system. Reliability has proven fantastic, too.

Our money buys a slightly older car, hence it doesn’t finish higher up this chart.

„Rear-wheel drive is rare in the family car class, but the 1 Series has exactly that. As such, the model (particularly six-cylinder versions) almost feels like a sports car to me.” – Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2017 BMW 1 Series 118i Sport, 49,423 miles, £9850

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The Honda Civic’s sharp driving experience, good fuel economy and big boot makes it an enjoyable, affordable and capable family car.

Sure, it’s not quite as polished as class leaders, as evident by its dated and unintuitive infotainment, as well as iffy overall refinement, but it still offers great value at its used price point.

„Through work, I ran a Honda Civic for a few months and loved it. It was fun to drive, good on fuel and practical.” – Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2018 Honda Civic 1.0 VTEC Turbo SR, 61,700 miles, £9500

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The Hyundai i30’s five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty from new isn’t quite as long as the one from Kia. But next to the Kia Ceed, the i30 is similarly reliable, slightly cheaper to buy used and a slightly sharper driving machine, so it’s actually the better deal.

The i30’s a good family car, too, with a spacious, robustly built interior, a comfortable ride and plenty of standard equipment from new.

„A good, safe choice, the i30 didn’t blow me away, but, at the same time, it’s devoid of any major dealbreakers.” – Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2019 Hyundai i30 1.0T GDi SE Nav, 48,500 miles, £9595

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The Kia Ceed may not be a class leader, but it’s certainly not a bad car. It’s a decent all-rounder, with smart interior, a generous list of equipment and some punchy yet economical engines. It should be impressively cheap to run in general, and it comes with the residue of its seven-years-from-new warranty. Oh, and it’s proving reliable, too.

„Like the i30, the Ceed is a very good choice, but there are family cars I would choose over it.” – Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2021 Kia Ceed 1.0 T-GDi 2 NAV, 55,707 miles, £9988

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