What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
Which automatic family car for my Dad?
My Dad needs an automatic and was looking at a KIA Sportage 2wd diesel auto because of its 7-year warranty, which is about £18,000 new. Then he saw a Mercedes-Benz 56 plate C-Class estate Kompressor locally with under 40,000 miles, with all the bells and whistles, but I am worried about high running costs. Still, at £13000, it could do, but I have a Renault Scenic for my family and these seem cheap when new from the car supermarkets. So, basically, do you have any advice on a 5-seat automatic car, estate or MPV for a man of 69, his new wife and their teenage son for the school run, ferrying other kids around and a boot for doing DIY jobs?
Asked on 18 July 2010 by Steve Watkins
Answered by
Honest John
The KIA Sportage gets replaced next month with an all-new model that is better in every respect apart from the rear seat folding mechanism. It isn't very economical either. The KIA Soul 1.6 diesel auto works quite well, but isn't very big inside. The C-Class you have seen must be the old model, so it's not a bargain at £14,000. Maybe a KIA Carens diesel auto - this has the same engine and transmission as the Sportage, but is a more practical car with occasional seven seats.
Choosing a child seat can be a quite baffling experience – there are so many sizes, types, brands and price points available that you might not know where to start.
How to choose the right child seatSimilar questions
I have narrowed my search for what is possibly my last car to the Ford Kuga Zetec, Hyundai ix35 or Kia Sportage. I know that the Hyundai and Kia have long warranty periods but found the Kuga seemingly...
We are looking for an automatic 7-seater for under £7000. Any type of vehicle will be considered, ideally not larger than a Galaxy, which is reasonably cheap to run and reliable without being too old....
I'm currently driving a Ford Focus (old style) 1.6 from 2005 but would like to change to a newer car with more boot space as I'm expecting our first child. I want a family car with lots of boot space and...
Related models
.jpg?width=115&height=75&rmode=crop)
Option of seven usable seats, all rear seats fold into the boot floor, spacious interior, five-year warranty on models sold since September 2006.
.jpg?width=115&height=75&rmode=crop)
.jpg?width=115&height=75&rmode=crop)
Enjoyable drive, especially in diesel form. Plenty of kit. Rear seats recline and fold flat easily. Roomy and practical.
Far better than the previous model. The Grand model seats seven. Practical and versatile. Excellent crash test rating.
Elsewhere on 
.jpg)
