Recommend me a car!

[AllGoodDogs]

Our current car is an 05 plate, we've had it since 2008 and are looking to part ex against something newer (but not brand new). It'll be my car, I do a short commute to work plus ferrying around the 2 kids (6 & 10). Don't need anything huge, but don't want a matchbox either. Boot needs to be big enough for 2 stunt scooters (will get a tow bar fitted for the bike rack if necessary).

Current front runners are a Ford Kuga or Focus. Ideally I'd like an automatic, so the 2l versions as apparently the smaller EcoBoost engines are sluggish in auto (if anyone has this I'd love to hear what you think).

VW out of price range for age I'm looking at I think.

What car do you have, and what do you love / hate about it?

Just got a 5 year old Toyota Auris . Love Toyotas
Loving the arse our of this one
It breezed down the 6 hour journey from N Yorks to Cardiff yesterday

£8500 40,000 miles on clock
Automatic

Couldn’t be happier
I’ve had it 3 weeks

Recently bought a three year old Skoda Yeti. Love it.

This is my 8 th Toyota
Never had a bad one and we keep them donkey years

I love the fact it's a DSG automatic
It has the BMW bits you want but an affordable price tag
Drives like it's on air
Roomy yet easy to drive
Reliable
Has some poke when needed
Stylish interior compared to so many we saw
Great VFM

Sorry meant VW bits you want!

My mum has an automatic focus that I sometimes drive, I really like it.

We have two auto Focuses and love them. No problem at all.

I've recently got an automatic focus with ecoboost. I previously had a manual fiesta zetec and I found that really gutless up hills (we have a lot of very steep hills here). The focus, despite a smaller engine, zips up them just fine, and so far I am very happy with it.

Not sure you need a 2l???
The 1l 125 petrol version goes very nicely in a manual focus. I'm not sure you'll need to double the engine size to account for the auto-gearbox, especially given the type of driving you talk about doing.

@HandsOffMyRights we have a Skoda ATM and love it. Will look at the Yeti

@Rockbird & @longearedbat what engines do you have in your Focus? Smaller engine would be great if it still performs well as an auto.

Skoda Karoq. Automatic, large boot fits bags of shopping, my yoga mat, gym bag, picnic blanket and loads of stuff. The back seats fold down, but can be completely removed too. DSG gearbox, massive satnav screen, just all round excellent.

It’s the most comfortable car in both front and back. Seats have a memory of the most used positions, plenty of leg room. Love it!

Skoda Roomster.

Ugly fugly (because the big rear passenger windows were made low and big so that children could see out), but lives up to its name.

The biggest boot space for an average sized car. The back seats have 2 positions, making the boot bigger or the passenger space roomier, each seat individually moveable. Seats can be folded down, folded up flat against the front seats, or easily removed.

It's a good usable cubic boot with height.

Economical to run, very reliable.

I would buy a new one when this one conks out except stupidly Skoda have discontinued them.

Every time when I am unloading tons of bulky stuff someone asks me about the car and how good it is for carrying stuff about.

It actually has more boot space than the Yeti.

Found a lovely Karoq, the only one within my price range BUT its previously been written off (category S) .. All repaired now, comes from a garage with a warranty etc but does anyone know would I pay more insurance etc because of that? The price makes it tempting but don't want to buy myself more trouble!

I have a DSG Golf estate, a 10 yo and a 7 yo. It’s fabulous but not cheap, and probably bigger than you need. I used to have a Skoda Fabia estate; if you can get a dsg version of that, I’d get that.

In case it helps, Which has published a car guide (The UK's Best and Worst Cars) along with its September magazine. Covers the gamut and includes reliability, petrol/diesel consumption, comfort, layout, boot capacity etc.

I've got a Ford Grand C-Max (same size as a Focus but has two pop up seats to make it a 7 seater when needed) Love it! Thd3 regular 5 seater Ford C-Maxs are lovely and spacious too - proper tardis cars.

OP, my Focus is 999cc, which is smaller than the engine in the Fiesta Zetec, at 1242cc. The performance is much better though.

I have a VW Touareg. But I have to tow my horse with it. Lovely car but you probably don't want anything as big as that.

It's in the garage at the moment and they have given me a new polo as a courtesy vehicle. It's such a nice little car. And costs half as much as mine to fill up! But I don't know if they'd be big enough for you??

I have an automatic mini 5 door. It is fabulous.