I have been asked by my in-laws to sort out what will probably be their last vehicle, to replace their trusty Nissan Almera, which they now find a bit low and awkward to get in and out of as their mobility is now restricted. The criteria of five doors, good accessibility, an automatic gearbox and parking sensors are their highest priorities. They drive only around 5000 miles per year so ultimate fuel economy and the problems with DPF filters when driven over short distances ought to rule out a small diesel engine. I have a budget of up to £20,000 including their own vehicle, which is worth around £1500 as a trade in (28,000 miles on an 04 plate).

So far we have narrowed the most suitable cars down to the Skoda Roomster 1.2TSI DSG, Honda Jazz 1.4 CVT, new Toyota Yaris, Toyota Verso S, and the Golf Plus 1.4 SE DSG. I wondered if you had any advice on which would be your pick, or indeed if any other models might be worth considering. We were particularly impressed with the automatic parallel parking aid on the Golf as a standard, however the Honda agent wanted £900 for parking sensors front and rear, while the Skoda looks to offer tremendous space and flexibility for the money.