Best used crossover: Nissan Qashqai
From £4,300
Such was the British public’s love for the original Nissan Qashqai that when Nissan announced that the car was going out of production, there was a waiting list for the run-out models.
The pioneering crossover was built for the European market at the company’s UK manufacturing facility in Wearside, and was even more of a British achievement than people may realise. Much of the exterior and interior design was carried out at Nissan’s European design headquarters near Paddington in London, while significant amounts of engineering work were completed at the technical centre in Cranfield, Beds.
It’s quite fitting, then, that the car was a regular fixture in the UK new car sales charts top 10. And that’s absolutely brilliant news for second-hand buyers, as it means there are loads of used examples to choose from, with prices ranging from as low as £4,300 for one of the earliest 2007 examples to around £18,500 for a high-spec late model.
Such is demand on the used market for Qashqais that the arrival early this year of an all-new model has had a negligible impact on residual values – a second-hand Qashqai of any trim or engine variation is hot property.
And it’s easy to see why. With distinctive, purposeful looks, a flexible, spacious interior and surprisingly agile dynamics, this is the perfect family runaround. Throw in good residuals and low running costs, and you have a great, practical car that won’t cost you the earth to run, either.
Our pick – from a running costs standpoint alone – would be one of the diesels. Nissan offered a 1.5-litre dCi at launch, with a smoother, cleaner and more refined 1.6 dCi following later. Both combine good performance and proven reliability with excellent fuel economy and low emissions, which mean cheap tax bills. Family cars don’t get much better than this…
Toyota RAV4
Fair price: £1,600
Toyota could claim to have invented the crossover with the original RAV4, which combined tough 4x4 looks with road car dynamics. The MkII, from 2001, was better all round, not least in its performance on the road, especially with the D-4D diesel engine.
Skoda Yeti
Fair price: £11,500
Skoda has just revised its groundbreaking Yeti, so dealers will be keen to shift any cars they have in stock – and now’s the time to bag a bargain. You’ll be getting a practical, capable crossover, especially if it’s a 1.6 TDI diesel, which is our pick of the range.