Thanks for the reply.

I do around 10000 miles a year, so probably petrol would be way to go?

That would probably be best, but I wouldn't completely rule out diesel. It would depend on the type of journeys you do, if you do regular longer runs, a diesel could work. But if mainly shorter stuff, best not to chance it!.

Top of my list for reliability would probably be the Toyota Verso.

I'd have no problem recommending the Golf SV as a manual, but not as an auto. The DSG (DCT, dual clutch transmission) auto can be reliable (even the less robust 'dry clutch' version you'd get in the petrol), but that is going to depend on how previous owners have driven it. How would you find that out?

AFAIK the BMW also uses a DCT and again, I wouldn't have an awful lot of faith in it as a long term prospect. On top of that, they just aren't that reliable in general.

Other possibles?, depending on how much space you need, I'd actually be considering a Kia Venga/Hyundai ix20 (same car barring minor styling and trim differences). Quite a small car physically, but very spacious for its size. Boot volume not far off the Golf SV despite being almost a foot shorter. Your budget would get you into the youngest of either on Autotrader (2019). The Venga came with a 7 year warranty (the ix20's was 5 years), so it could have as much as 3 years remaining (if it has full main dealer history).

I'd also consider the Vauxhall Zafira 1.4t auto. It uses a reliable t/c (torque converter) auto. Budget is enough to get into the youngest example on Autotrader (2018).

Unfortunately with MPV's very much having been left behind by most manufacturers, victims of the SUV's popularity (and replacement as the 'higher seating position' choice), there are not many other options (with a reliable auto box).

Are there no SUV's which could suit?. That would open up much more options for your search.

Not sure you can get one in your budget but the Vauxhall combo life / Peugeot Rifter / Citroen Berlingo MPV all come with a 1.2 turbo petrol with a 8 speed torque converter automatic made by aisin

Not a chance!. I know from looking previously that the cheapest auto versions of these are all diesel. On Autotrader there is one Peugeot and three Vauxhalls up to £14k.

For petrol, cheapest Vauxhall is £17.5k, cheapest Citroen is just under £24 and cheapest Peugeot is £26.5k!

Thanks for all the replies, appreciate your opinion ant and time.

I was kind of thinking MPV because they feel spacious and have lots of headroom and I'm 6'5.

If I wasn't going to get mpv what would you recommend?

I'd like something with comfortable seats as I have bit of a back problem.

Was maybe thinking volvo?

Swedish cars historically did have very good (egonomical) seats, but it appears that both many other car manufacturers have improved greatly on that score and Volvo (owned by the Chinese nowadays) perhaps aren't quite a hot on that score as they used to be.

I was looking for a replacement for my 2006 Mazda3 about 6 years ago and one of the cars I looked at was the Volvo V40 (hatchback). The seat was ok, but no better than the updated version of my own car, or most others I looked at. One thing it didn't have was a left foot rest, which was surprising as it it an ergonomic feature and one I find (for me, anyway) is a 'must have' on any car.

As regards the comfort, the firmness of the suspension and what wheels and tyres (especially sidewall height) is used can make a LOT of difference to ride comfort, especially for those susceptible to back backs (as I am as well).

Add to that how adjustable the steering wheel, seating position and lumbar support (if it has any) is makes a big difference, as does how offset (from dead centre) the steerting wheel and pedals are. I found that the Nissan Pulsar has quite an offset (to the left as you'd hold it) steering wheel, which means you'd be putting more pressure on one side than the other, twisting your spine a bit as you drive.

In the past, I had back problems with my previous car because my seating position was one notch too far back (1/2 inch).

As reagrds the headroom, it isn't always the case that a high-up car has more headroom than a lower one (though it may have a more upright driving position, which may or may not suit some people more) because (especially on SUVs) the floorpan of the car starts higher up anyway, which is why they mostly don't handle as well as 'standard' car equivalents (as detailed before).

Other Backroomsers here may well be able to give you more information from their own diverse experiences in a whole range of different cars as to which may suit someone who's very tall like yourself. I've only got a brief (1hr test drive) driving experience with the 3rd gen Mazda3, CX-3 (too small for you - it's based on the Fiesta-sized Mazda2) and VW Scirocco for 'recent' cars (back from 2017). Best to make use of the Reviews section, inlcuding test drive reports and owners' reviews when doing your research as that will help you narrow your choices down as much as advice from other forum members.

In the end, you'll likely have to have a try out for yourself as you'd do well to fullfill all your criteria. To that end, I would thoroughly recommend when you've narrowed your group to (say) a top 5, go on an extended test drive (preferably an hour) on a wide variety of road types and speeds (including poorly surfaced roads, winding country lanes, ones with speed humps, etc, etc) to get a good representative sample of what the driving experience would be.

Not doing so (e.g. just a quick run around the block at 30-40mph max on smooth roads), especially when a car is shod on low profile tyres and/or has a firm or very soft suspension) won't give you much information and is often the main reason why many people offload a 'new' (to them) car within a year of buying it - often suffering a large loss to change.

You may also want to do a search of the forum for 'cars for tall people' or something similar as I remember others have asked similar questions in the past.

Best of luck.