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Car Choice: Heavens above! A Micra could be the answer to your prayers

Sandy Williams is 60, and from September her new, part-time post as a Methodist minister means she will be responsible for several rural chapels in south Gloucestershire. She will use her car to go round the churches, visit people in homes and hospitals, and sometimes return in the evenings for meetings. Sandy wants the least expensive, but most reliable car, which is cheap to insure and run. Oh yes, it must also be as green as possible and she has a budget of about £2,000.

Inside Comment

Car Choice: Scrap that Metro, Gloria, and get your hands on a Hyundai

Sunday, 28 June 2009

Gloria Johnson wants a replacement for her much-loved Rover Metro. She wants something small but powerful, nippy, easy to park and surprisingly roomy. Gloria would be even happier if it had power steering and air-con. She has £10,000 cash and will be taking advantage of the £2,000 scrappage scheme.

Car Choice: Commuting? Perhaps it's time to think outside the hatch

Sunday, 21 June 2009

Jennifer Arkell's first car, a Fiat Seicento, was written off after an accident. She wants a replacement that is a bit larger, but in an equally low insurance bracket. Jennifer, 27, has £4,000 to spend, though she could stretch this to £5,000 for the right car. She wants decent back-seat space for occasional passengers. She covers about 5,000 to 6,000 miles a year, mostly commuting, with a few motorway trips.

Car Choice: The Ka's a star for any student on a tight budget

Sunday, 14 June 2009

Nabela Shaheen is a student and needs a car just to get her between university and home, which means about 50 miles per week. She would like a hatchback and needs it to be reliable and economical – and she wants a diesel. Nabela has a budget of £3,000 to £5,000. She will listen to all sensible suggestions, apparently.

Car Choice: A vehicle that's fit for teenagers ... and their cellos

Sunday, 7 June 2009

Robin Thomas wants to replace a dependable, but rusty, Mercedes E Class estate. The car is used for commuting but goes on holiday – sometimes camping – and transports several teenagers with cellos. Ideally he wants another Mercedes but has not been very impressed with the quality of the build – or indeed the reproduction from the music system, which is very important to Robin. So with a budget of £10,000 he is looking for a vehicle that is capable of shifting the Thomas clan in style.

Car Choice: No need to borrow when there are bargain bangers about

Sunday, 31 May 2009

Andrew is budgeting on £250 per month for total purchase and running costs. He needs a reliable and safe hatchback.

Car Choice: What's comfy, cheap to run, and has room for the dogs?

Sunday, 24 May 2009

Jane Laws suffers from a lower-back problem and currently owns a Peugeot 305 Hdi 2 litre diesel estate, which is both uncomfortable and about to expire. Jane is looking for something which has a more upright seating position, and she insists that her next car should have steering-wheel adjustment, up and down as well as in and out.

Car Choice: A company car quest – fun and nippy but not too flash

Sunday, 17 May 2009

Karl Heasman is 42 and is looking for something which is going to be nippy and fun to drive. Karl would like a nearly-new car, with no more than 20,000 miles on the clock. His budget is £18,000 to £25,000 and he plans on covering up to 8,000 miles a year. As this is a company car, Karl is mindful of image, so nothing too flash.

Car Choice: Now the children have gone, it's time to shrink the car

Sunday, 10 May 2009

Bryan Cadman is 58, and now that the children are away at university he can get rid of the Renault Sc�nic, and is looking to downsize to a smaller family hatchback. Bryan has a 30-mile daily commute, so is looking for an economical car, although he likes the idea of an automatic gearbox. His budget for the car, which he expects to last for at least the next five years, is about £8,000.

Car Choice: What's small and cheap, with a touch of class?

Sunday, 3 May 2009

David Crawford fondly remembers the Mini Clubman he learnt to drive in. He now has a family (some of whom are of driving age) and needs to replace their Skoda Favorit. He has up to £2,500 for a car that's cheap to run, fix and insure, and can carry four. Good for in town, plus the odd motorway trip. A bit of style, like the old Mini, would be a bonus.

Car Choice: In search of an economical people (and big dog) carrier

Sunday, 26 April 2009

Jane Foote wonders whether she is asking too much now that her Peugeot 307 can no longer cope with an alsatian, one baby and another on the way, and all the pushchair nonsense that comes with that. So, is there a car out there which is not just spacious but is economical too? Jane has £5,000 to spend and is thinking along the lines of an estate car. However, she is completely open to all ideas and suggestions – which is just how we like it.

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