We have loved our 2007 Honda Civic 1.8 SE 5 door since our baby’s birth, but now that we're expecting our second child, and second set of requirements of boot space (and increasing desperation to reduce running costs etc), we're looking to buy a bigger car. However, we're not really sure where to start. Realistically, we're looking to buy in June 2014, so we may well be planning a little far in advance, but we'd like to have a heads up on where to begin looking if you're able to help.

We've been happy with Japanese - Toyota, Honda and a Hyundai rented while in the States, and would contemplate an SUV if it didn't equate to gas guzzling, so are assuming we should be looking at people carriers. However, as well as prioritising fuel economy / tax band economy / reliability / safety, we do like to have a bit of street cred from our car. People carriers aren't exactly winners in the style stakes. Recent uninitiated research has plumped for the Volkswagen Touran as a starting point, but do let us know if we're flogging a dead horse. We also consider the move to SUV/people carrier sensible as I have a back problem, so in theory it should ease the business of crouching over small children and stooping to get in and out.