To ask for a suitable car for 2 kids?

Avoid Qashqais at all costs, they truly are utter dog shit.

VAG cars are mediocre at best.

Japanese cars are where it’s at for reliability, with the exception of Nissan.

I'd have a look at Séat Leons, they're just a slightly cheaper VW Golf but just as good. We've got the estate version and it's really spacious. We've had ours for 7 years now and it's been supremely reliable, the only repairs it's needed in that time have been a coil spring (less than £100) and an oil pressure sensor. Ours is 10 years old now and just about to hit 100k miles, and it's a 2.0 diesel.

You really need to check out the cost of insurance for new drivers for any car you are thinking about. PP has linked to a useful site to help with that.

So I would narrow down based on that and then go and look at a few once you are ready to make a decision. Financing depends on mostly personal preferences, we use PCP now so can regularly upgrade to a new car, others much prefer to buy outright. If I was buying outright I would look at something 2 or 3 years old if affordable.

I also look at the safety ratings on NCAP site
https://www.euroncap.com/home/

we have a Mazda 3 with a 6yo and 1yo plenty of boot space for our giant pram - although moving to my push chair soonish. And it fits our extended rear facing car seat nicely which thr big one was in until she was 5.

You haven't said what your budget is? I would heavily advise you not to get into debt for a car and to buy what you can afford outright.

Zafira. Ugly but it has been a great workhorse for me with twins (large pram!) and two dogs. It’s not an SUV but higher up than eg my mums golf and when the kids were small one of the best things was its a flat loop into the boot so could easily sit kids there to change wellies / shoes add extra clothes etc.

By the time your dp has learnt to drive and passed test could be another six to twelve months so five year old would be in high back booster and the baby would be in a seat which stays put. Plus the pram/buggy could be smaller so you have a wider choice.

My friend has just bought one a couple of years old for 15k. It’s a lovely car.

SUV boot space is crap relative to the size of the car.

Getting car that is higher up is not as great as it sounds. Once a car seat is in then it can stay there. When your little one can walk they will be able to climb themself into a hatchback, saloon or estate. Whereas they will need you to lift them into an SUV.

Personally I would decide if you wanted to buy outright, use a loan, PCP or lease your car first. Each option will mean different cars will be open to you.

I lease my car as 1) the requirements of my car have changed every few years - started with a SmartForFour up to a Velar and back down to a Renualt Symboiz with alot inbetween. 2) I'm not fussed about owning my own car 3) sometimes it works out cheaper if you need a bigger car short term than to have a loan etc.

Don't forget to look at what cars your car seats fit from the manuals (online sometimes). You'd be surprised that some car seats don't actually fit in some cars you think they would. Usually manufacturers have a guide so you can discount things quickly that way.

Go somewhere that has alot of cars to look at. Take the pram and kids and see how they feel. Sometimes something you have discounted on paper can actually be what you want.

We had a QQ and hated it for a variety of reasons, but one of the main ones was lack of space. It was just a really odd shape - very little fitted in the boot, and two teens were really squashed in the back. A fifth passenger was only possible for very short trips.
Now have a Seat Ateca which is like a TARDIS. love it!

We found the best car for money, reliability and boot space is the Skoda rapid space back. Doesn't look big on outside and easy to drive and park, but like an absolute tardis on the inside. We are still driving a 2014 model we bought when DD1 was a baby as only one which fitted her bulky buggy in it, never had to do anything to it apart from usual tire changes, brake pads etc. It also has really low car tax -£30 a year.
Skoda's are made by VW, but at much lower cost.

this might be useful for you
Car Insurance Groups UK | Motor car insurance groups advice

Ford Puma is one of the most popular cars in the UK. I have one and it’s great! Decent size boot, 5doors and great fuel economy either way being a mild hybrid.

And don't forget to factor in the lovely ulez type restrictions which occur in so many cities nowadays.

100% recommend doing something like this! Other car supermarket places exist elsewhere too, I went to one and made it quite clear I wasn't going to be buying a car that day but wanted to scope out some options and see what things were like inside. It also opened my eyes to a couple of options I hadn't previously considered.
The key for the OP here is going to be budget and insurance group. I recommend you do some research on the later before setting your heart on anything!

If you're in London or South east, can you go to somewhere like Car Giant which will have virtually every make and model and you can get the keys and sit in the cars?
Just be aware that they are quite pricey to buy from in my opinion.

I’d avoid a ford focus now, they used to be great cars - I drove one for many years. I’ve just replaced mine due to an engine problem that couldn’t be resolved despite multiple tries. I think the new generation engines are sketchy at best. I’ve gone back to Hyundai, which have been reliable for me in the past z

Also don’t know if this is asking for too much but ideally I would love a car which is higher suspension as putting carseats in and out of low cars is a pis stake, and both of our backs are not where they should be for our age to be honest.

you should spend the extra money it would cost to get a fashionable SUV, and spend it on a chiropractor for you both. You’re in your early 20s and your backs should be fine at this age.

It’s ok @JollyBlue to say you want a SUV for fashion reasons. You can say it here.

Nissan Note?

Honda CRV ticks all the boxes in my opinion. Reliable, spacious inside, large boot, high off the ground, and can get 2nd hand for a good price.

Without an idea of budget its hard to say. A Nissan Qashqai would tick your boxes but are usually not that cheap

I used to have a Yaris and a friend had a Jazz, agreed they are great cars.

Absolutely great shouts by PPs for Yaris and Jazz. Both excellent cars.