Car choice: 'I need a small vehicle – with a big boot'

When you're crying out for a big boot in the rear and lots of headroom, you need an adapted van

Anne Lutyens-Humfrey needs to replace her L-reg Corsa hatchback with something rather newer, with air conditioning and a good pollen filter to deal with hayfever and sinusitis. She expects power steering, tinted windows and the largest, flattest, boot space available in the class. Anne says she prefers to sit upright and that her back is long for a woman, so good headroom and seat adjustment are required. Most of her journeys are local, with the occasional longer motorway adventure to visit relatives. She wants to be as green as it's possible to be while looking for a three- to five-year-old car for £5,000. It should last her five years.

It's clear that Anne has been out of the car-buying market for a while, because one of her supplementary questions was: "Are power steering and tinted glass standard these days?"

In the past decade, power steering has become pretty much universal. As for tinted windows, it depends on the model. Most expensive cars have some element of tint, but there are different grades. If Anne needs it, there are after-market companies that specialise in darkening windows. The legal limits for visibility are 75 per cent light through the windscreen and 70 per cent on the front side windows for vehicles built after 1 April 1985. It will cost a minimum of £200, depending on how many windows are tinted.

Anne's long back means it is always important that she test-drive cars before buying to ensure that there is enough adjustment within the seat mechanism.

Also, as Anne works in a museum, she needs a big, flat boot for picture frames and other precious items.

A car for the head

It's very hard to think beyond French adapted vans for Anne. The Peugeot Partner Combi, Renault Kangoo and Citroën Berlingo Multispace are broadly similar.

The Peugeot stands out as a bit more appropriate because the driving position is regarded as rather more upright. That can take getting used too, but at least Anne won't bang her head as this is a high-roof vehicle. What should also please Anne is that, once she opens the rear tailgate, there is a wide, flat load area that can be enlarged by tumbling the rear seats forward.

The smaller petrol engines should be good enough to return just under 40mpg overall. Air conditioning was usually a cost option, but it should not be difficult to find a model with it fitted.

For £4,694, at a dealer, I came across a 2003 1.6 Escapade model that had covered just over 14,000 miles. It had two previous owners and a full service history, and seemed to be in very clean condition.

A car for the heart

If Anne is still fond of her old Corsa, perhaps a more up-to-date Vauxhall will do in the shape of the Meriva. It's a small car that is supremely practical.

The inspired FlexSpace seating system allows you to move all three rear seats independently of each other, and all three fold flat into the floor to provide a maximum load capacity of 1,410 litres. Wide, low and flat, it's everyone's idea of what a good boot should be.

Although power steering is always part of the specification, the Meriva is not the best equipped at the lower levels. Anne will have to pick her vehicle carefully. Either the 1.4-litre or 1.6 petrol engine will be fine, delivering just over 40mpg.

These cars are quite expensive to buy new, but they are much better value on the used market. I found a top-of-the-range 2003 Design model that had covered just 35,000 miles. It had tinted glass and air conditioning, and at £4,795 it's great value for money.