Pack up with these mdern car things and get one of these www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/road-bikes?cm_re=Si...d

It is perfectly possible to get a 'decent car that is reliable and comfortable' - I have had one for several years. But you can never be certain of getting one: you have to rely on luck plus your own skill and judgment. Don't read too much into the complainers' reports, as satisfied customers don't complain.

I no longer believe I can get a decent car that is reliable and comfortable for a reasonable price....

I think you must be very young. Second hand cars are amazingly cheap and surprisingly reliable. A Top Gear episode showed you can buy an old car resilient enough to drive across Africa for around the price of a day out at Alton towers for a family of four or a fortnight in Benidorm.

When I was a lad........

And my Focus is 15yrs and 100,000+ miles old and has never let us down apart from when the battery failed. But it has been v carefully maintained with oil changes at least every 2yrs;-)

"I no longer believe I can get a decent car that is reliable and comfortable for a reasonable price after reading too much on the internet."

Therein lies your problem. Inevitably, people with bad experiences post on the internet, to try and get help or just to relieve their feelings. Those who are perfectly happy with their cars don't bother, unless they are keen motorists like us who are members of forums like this one.

So there are lots of good cars out there. The advantage of Fords is that as well as being good to drive, there are lots to choose from (yes, really). For the best chance of reliability go for something Japanese and petrol-powered: the Toyota Auris is the size you seem to be looking for.

We don't know what your price range is, but remember that the lower your budget, the more important condition is compared with make and model.

Edited by Avant on 25/10/2015 at 18:08

It can be very depressing, you just have to aim for the least worst car you can (sorry, terrible grammar). My last car was £1200 and did 87,000 miles in my ownership over five years. The one time it let me down was really my fault as I ignored the signs of a failing battery. Other than that and a couple of calipers it was service parts only (including admittedly expensive big ones like exhaust and discs). So it can be done, but shortlist carefully before you even start kicking tyres.