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My Dad (aged 66, retired, disabled) is about to take up a car on the Motability scheme. His first ever new car. He is pretty mobile, his disability is around angina and late onset diabetes, but quite a big chap (5 9, 17 stone) and he has narrowed his choice down to: Volvo C30 1.6D Nissan Qashqai 1.5 DCi VW Golf VI 1.6 TDI He needs something easy to drive as to be honest he's not quite as good a driver as he once was. He mainly uses the car for short trips to see his friends, shopping, taking the dog out; but every couple of weeks he will travel the 150 miles round trip to come and see me and my family in the North Wales hills. I would appreciate your advice. I have read your reviews and watched the Golf video and I think he is heading in that direction at the moment. Is there anything else we should look at? I did try Skoda Roomster, but he is old school and still thinks of them as skips.

Asked on 12 June 2010 by TO, via email

Answered by Honest John
If your dad is going for a diesel and takes short trips, he doesn't want one with a diesel particulate filter. That puts the C30 1.6D, Qashqai 1.5D and Golf VI 1.6 TDI out of the picture. But the current KIA Venga 1.6 diesel does not yet have a DPF. Really he should be thinking petrol for low mileage: KIA Venga 1.4 petrol, Nissan Note petrol, Honda Jazz, Toyota Yaris 1.33 petrol: cars like that.
Dear Honest John,

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