I am looking to change cars and hope you can help. Specifically, the car needs to be an automatic with a large boot but not an estate. A large saloon or hatchback would probably fit the bill as might an SUV/4x4.

I cover about 8000-9000 miles a year, the vast majority in and around Greater London using the North Circular and local roads plus some motorway journeys (maybe 1500 miles on the North Circular, 6000 miles on local roads and 1500 motorway miles).

I am looking to buy from new to three years old depending on price. I can spend up to £20,000 plus whatever I can get for my W-reg Honda Accord 2.0l auto. As with most people, I would like to keep the cost of motoring down with regards to fuel consumption, VED and Insurance rates but would like a car that is good to drive, safe and reliable.

From an initial look around of cars available I am looking at cars such as the VW Passat CC or perhaps a Skoda Superb with regards to hatchbacks/saloons. Or, in terms of SUV's, the Audi Q5 or Volvo XC60 (I've also considered the Toyota Prius but feel the boot will be too small).

The plethora of engines and trim levels is hugely confusing and I would really appreciate your input. From what you've written in the past, am I right in presuming I should be looking for a petrol rather than a diesel engine given my type and amount of miles per year?

In terms of spec, again it gets pretty confusing with models changing over time, etc. However, I currently have leather seats, climate control aircon and cruise control (very useful along routes with average speed cameras!) and would like to retain these if possible. The only other thought is the number and variety of speed humps I negotiate on a daily basis here in London. Would a certain type of car be best for these?