Hi there everybody, I would like a little advice from actual car owners who could provide me with useful and practical advice for my new car purchase.

I've now been without a car for 2 years (my previous cars were R and X reg Ford Fiesta's, so small cheap and practical runabouts for my first car), but now is the time for me to buy one again. Sadly it is because I live a long way away from my family and the prices of train tickets combined with the fact that now I have just become too old for a young person's railcard, means that DRIVING is the cheaper option.

I have also just started a new, far more serious job than I had before, which will potentially involve a lot of driving, so comfort while driving is hugely important, and image is part of the consideration here, so an old Fiesta won't do the job anymore.

So, I have some to the conclusion that something in the medium hatchback sector would be appropriate for my needs, but can't pinpoint which car. I'm looking at 2007-2010 models based on what I can afford (I don't really want finance, I'd rather buy it outright straight away). My shortlist is essentially:

• Ford Focus
• Audi A3
• BMW 1 Series

Has anyone got any other suggestions (please don't say Golf)? For some reason, I've also set my heart on having cruise control. Bad idea?