First thing I'd say is that both your choices are likely to be very reliable, especially so for the Toyota. Second thing though, is re the high driving position, as neither are particularly tall cars, being about 20cm lower than a RR Sport.

Also, the C-HR has a particularly 'sporty' roofline, and will feel quite claustrophobic, especially in the back due to the small shallow windows. The Kona much less so, but will still have a much less commanding position and view than your RR.

Out of your two choices, assuming you find the driving position and view acceptable, I'd go with the Toyota, but I'd actually suggest a slightly different tack and look at the current Honda Jazz. It is barely any less tall than either C-HR or Kona, especially the slightly SUV-ish Crosstar version with its raised ride height. More than enough space for 4 adults (cabin is a bit narrow for 3 on the rear seat) and the car is an absolute masterclass in packaging. With the rear seats folded there is a huge flat load area, much bigger than you'd expect for the size of the car, or you can leave the rear seat backs in place and flip up the rear seat bases to make another 'boot' capable of carrying tall items. Being a Honda, it will of course offer impeccable reliability, the hybrid system will give you fantastic efficiency, and going by what I read, they are surprisingly nippy!. In addition, at around 1.7m wide, you will find it much more comfortable negotiating narrow country lanes.

Edited by badbusdriver on 13/08/2021 at 11:02

Maybe at 2k a year you would be better hiring for when you do a trip. No motoring costs so you would probably be better off.

Edited by SLO76 on 13/08/2021 at 12:43

Hi Prichard, my wife is the happy owner of a Toyota CHR hybrid which she is over the moon with. Ours is a Dynamic model which rolls on 18 inch wheels and tyres. Running at 31psi tyre pressure instead of the 33 as given in the manual, we find the ride quality to be excellent. Icon trims come with 17” wheels, this may be even better suited if your typical journeys are on ‘less than smooth’ roads and lanes, provided you wouldn’t miss the features of higher spec trims.

In my opinion, whilst the hybrid might not save you money given your low annual mileage, it is by far the nicer to live with versus the manual. Life with a hybrid is very easy and relaxed without having to row the box*, and given the phasing out of pure petrol/diesel cars in the near future, it will be worth more when you come to pass it on again.

No clutches (just a single set of gears) in the hybrid transmission (is more like a differential than a gearbox) makes it extremely durable over the long term. Toyotas warranty stretches now to 10 years (15 for the battery IIRC).

If these anything in particular you’d like to know our experience with these, please feel free to ask below.

*Note whilst my personal driving preference is a manual box with a NA engine, for commuting and congested school runs, the auto makes a strong case for itself.

I have cut and pasted my answer to a similar question not so long ago...........

....We are still very pleased with our nearly two year old Peugeot 2008 for the following reasons, not necessarily in order of importance.......

1. Excellent powertrain. Now they have sorted early cambelt problems, the 1.2 puretech engine promises to be a powerful (ours is the 130hp) and economical delight for many years to come and the Japanese Aisin EAT6 autobox is superb. The long term computer is currently reading 43mpg (to nearest 1mpg).

2. Because it is not designed for 4WD variants (it has an advanced snow/mud grip feature), the rear load platform is nice and low with no lip (like an estate - easy to run a mower or load a fridge into it). And there is a proper spare wheel under it.

3. Ours has no heated seats but thanks to the innovative design of the engine's exhaust/cooling system, the heater works almost instantaneously - a high priority for me!

4. Peugeot has always portrayed itself as a cut above its French rivals and the quality of the interior (admittedly ours is the top-of-the-range Allure Premium) bears this out.

If you are only doing a tiny mileage a year, it makes no financial sense to spend a lot of money on a car, or worry too much about tiny differences in running costs. As there is now a new model for the 2008, there should be plenty of bargains to be had for a post 2017 model which at 2,000 miles a year should last you a lifetime! The Vauxhall Crossland is very similar.