My wife has run a 2004 Renault Scenic 1.5dCi since new; as our main family car it has been absolutely brilliant with 65mpg on a run, utterly reliable, very comfortable, a pleasure to be in (with its aircon, big windows, light coloured trim - and a glass roof), easy loading, and space enough in the back seats for an adult to sit between two grandchildren in their safety seats. It will be a hard act to follow, but we’d love to have your advice rather than just buy the latest Scenic.

In addition to the passenger space requirements above, we would prefer to have a car no bigger than our present one and ideally would like one a little smaller. Comfort and reliability are important (ideally with a chain cam engine). We use it for some short runs around the village, but as most runs are 8 to 20 miles single (or more), we could probably consider petrol, diesel, or even a hybrid. We also use the car for long distance family visits and touring. Our budget is fairly flexible, but we don’t want to spend more than necessary, say up to £17,500 or so. We have started to look at some potential candidates. Whilst the Peugeot 3008, Ford C-Max and Nissan Qashqai are likely to have the rear seat space we need, we aren’t sure about the Ford B-Max, Toyota Auris or Volkswagen Golf+.