All three are cracking motors although with your annual mileage, you're probably better off going for a petrol rather than a diesel. If boot space is your primary concern, then the Octavia shades it as it's the largest of the three. If you're buying in the new year, then a 1.2-litre TSI model should be available. Sounds pathetically small, doesn't it? It's actually turbocharged and has similar power to a normally-aspirated 1.6-litre. The benefit is that you get performance and economy. It's already fitted to the sportiest Polo, as well as the latest Golf.

The Hyundai i30 is a great car and comes with an unlimited mileage five-year warranty. That's ideal if running costs are an issue. Residual value will be similar for all three. Have you taken a look to see what we say about all three in our reviews? We have full specs and data there too:

www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/ford/focus-2008/ www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/skoda/octavia-2004 www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/hyundai/i30-2007