Regardless of the upward push of the mini-MPV, in terms of transporting the proverbial -element-4 youngsters, a pesar de todo lo contrario al uso small household hatchback continues to be the nation’s widely used option. And that ought to in reality come as no substantial shock. Those types are inclined to present todav triumphing combination of practicality, area, compact measurement, excellent riding dynamics and inoffensive seems.

As general as they’re, then, you’d think it wouldn’t be simple to locate a few 2d-hand examples of small household hatchbacks that may be had for part the cost of their brand-new equivalents. But you’d be wrong. Choose carefully, and you can drive home in a model that looks showroom fresh – but doesn’t cost a showroom price. Don’t believe us? Well, have a browse through the selections we’ve picked from our classifieds – and you’ll see there are plenty of family hatchback bargains to be had!

Vauxhall Astra – New £17,345 / Half-Price Hero £8,500

While it might not ultimately excel in any one area, the Vauxhall Astra is still an excellent all-rounder, offering a strong suit of talents that make it an appealing choice. It’s pretty decent to drive, with tidy handling and a comfortable ride that are more than adequate for most drivers, and it’s extremely spacious inside. Equipment levels are perfectly acceptable, too, and a good range of engines completes the picture.

Of those engines, we’d pick the 1.6-litre petrol unit as a latest choice, purely because it’s a refined unit that feels good to drive and it’s well-priced. We’d also go for Tech Line trim, which gives cruise control, alloy wheels, and satellite navigation – more than enough kit without having to reach into the more extravagantly-priced end of the Astra range.

Sadly, Tech Line trim is too new for us to pick as our Half-Price Hero, but that’s no big deal as the SRi trim is firmly within reach. You lose the satellite navigation, but gain sports front seats, front fog lights, and the very appealing interior ambient lighting package. This particular example also comes with the added benefit of two years’ free servicing, and it’s done below-average mileage, too.

Renault Megane – New £19,445 / Half-Price Hero £9,717

Renault’s Megane is about to be replaced by a facelifted version, but the previous model is still good enough that it doesn’t feel too dated. It’s a comfortable thing to drive, and features excellent levels of equipment. Diesel engines are also very cheap to run, and while it’s hardly the best-built car in the class, its interior feels rather better-quality than you might expect from a Renault.

Our pick of the engine range would be the 1.5 dCi 110, which emits just 90g/km, putting it in the lowest, zero-charge tax band. It still offers a decent amount of poke for everyday driving, though. Teamed with the mid-range Expression+ trim, which offers a respectable amount of kit, it makes for a cheap-to-run but very usable family car.

Our Half-Price Hero isn’t quite as cheap to run, as it uses the pre-facelift version of this engine which emits 109g/km – but that just means your road tax will cost you £20 a year, instead of being free. However, the upside is that we’ve managed to find a Dynamique TomTom specification car for the half-price budget, which means you get a slew of extra equipment, including dual-zone climate control, automatic headlamps, automatic wipers, keyless entry, LED daytime running lights, and of course, TomTom satellite navigation. With just 14,368 miles on the clock, it’s barely been used, too!

Toyota Prius – New £21,845 / Half-Price Hero £10,450

Famous as the first-ever production hybrid model, its excellent fuel economy around town and zero-cost road tax are arguably the Toyota Prius’s biggest draws. Yet the Prius also makes a compelling case for itself as a family hatchback. Its clever engineering delivers a silky-smooth driving experience, albeit one that isn’t exactly sizzling. And of course, when it’s running in electric-only ‘EV’ mode, it’s blissfully quiet in the cabin, where a futuristic dashboard lends a sense of occasion to every journey. An airy, reasonably spacious interior means the Prius performs well on a pragmatic level, too.

The range is pretty limited, with only one hybrid powertrain option available, but you do at least get to choose between a few trim levels. We’d pick the entry-level T3 as a new purchase, as it offers a decent level of trim and mitigates the Prius’s rather high purchase price.

However, as our Half-Price Hero shows, buying one that’s just a few years old can result in something of an eco-friendly bargain. Their free tax rate makes the Prius a popular company car choice, so many have done quite high mileages – but £10,450 is enough to get you this privately-owned example with a below-average 32,500 miles on the clock. A full service history and a long MOT also appeal, but the best news is that this is a T4-specification car, which means it gets 17” alloy wheels, a full keyless entry, rain-sensing wipers, an upgraded sound system, and cruise control, among other extra refinements.

Seat Altea XL – New £20,465 / Half-Price Hero £9,295

Its high roofline might put you in mind of a mini-MPV, but like Volkswagen’s Golf Plus, the Seat Altea is really more of a tall hatchback – and in XL form, it gains a big boot, too. All of which means this is one of the most spacious and practical family hatches around, and while that does mean some sacrifice in terms of the way it looks, it’s certainly no ugly duckling. A plain interior and poor visibility are its main downsides, but payoffs include a pleasurable driving experience, decent ride quality, and plenty of equipment.

As it’s in the final stages of its time with us, there’s only one Altea XL trim level in the range now – the iTech. However, which you can choose between 1.6- and 2.0-litre diesels, of which we’d choose the former, in manual form.

iTech’s a relatively new trim level, so it’s impossible to find one for our Half-Price Hero budget – but it is easy enough to find a broadly equivalent SE trim. That said, you do have to do without some of the iTech’s toys – notably satellite navigation and a rear-seat TFT screen, among other bits and bobs – but you do at least get a proper family car bargain, such as this 60-plate example we found. With just 35,000 miles on the clock, its mileage is below average, and with cruise control, climate control, plenty of airbags, and an MP3-capable stereo, it’s still very well-equipped.

Chevrolet Cruze – New £17,130 / Half-Price Hero £8,221

If none of these options seems to give you quite as much as you’d like for your cash, though, never fear – we have a solution! The Chevrolet Cruze feels rather crude in places by comparison with some of the other cars here, but that’s as you might expect given its budget pricing. Brand new, it’s one of the cheapest cars of this size out there, and while that’s reflected in its unexciting handling, noisy engines and sometimes cheap-feeling trim, it still offers space for five, a sizeable boot, a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating and quirky styling.

Now that the 2.0-litre diesel has been retired in favour of the grumbly 1.7, we’d opt for the 1.8-litre petrol as our engine of choice. Surprisingly, it’s more economical and less polluting than the smaller 1.6, which also manages to be thrashier and more tiring to power. Unfortuna pesar de todo lo contrario al usotely, the 1.8 is now available only in top-spec LTZ trim, which pushes its price up – yet comp agregarred with riva pesar de todo lo contrario al usols, it still offers various kit for the cash.

All the more so if you’re buying our Part-Fee Hero. Barely a year old, it’ll nonetheless htodavve around four years of its manufacturer warranty left, and it’s covered a scant 6,000 miles. Resale-friendly black also happens to make it look more beautiful tha pesar de todo lo contrario al uson other Cruzes, a pesar de todo lo contrario al usos do the LTZ trim’s sta pesar de todo lo contrario al usonda pesar de todo lo contrario al usord 17” alloys. Also standard is a plethora of kit, including cruise keep an eye on, iPod and Bluetooth compatibility, climate control, automatic lighting todavnd wipers, a pesar de todo lo contrario al usond an auto-dimming rear-view mirror. Not bad for the low-cost est automobile here!

By AGREGARlex Robbins