I think you’ve hit the nail on the head with your choice of the new Avensis. It’s a hugely accomplished car that’s superbly built and incredibly quiet and comfortable. We’re big fans of the Mondeo because it has great all-round abilities, but having had an Avensis previously, I think you’d prefer the newer Avensis. It will suit your needs perfectly and is very reliable, as are all Toyota’s despite the current scare with the braking problem in the US. Both the D4D diesels are excellent too and incredibly refined. The smaller 2.0 D4D with 124bhp has decent power and a claimed economy figure of 54.3mpg. Maybe one other car to consider is the Skoda Superb Estate. It’s similar to the Avensis in that it’s very reliable, comfortable and well built. It’s also great value for money considering the equipment levels offered and comes with the improved 2.0 TDI CR engine, which replaced the rather noisy older 2.0 TDI PD used across the Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and SEAT ranges.