One for the Road: A spacious automatic

Good to drive: The Ford C-Max is reasonably versatile, economical and spacious

Dave Colliery has £5,000 to spend on a spacious automatic car to use at weekends. Must be reliable and comfy.

A car for the head

A comfy car these days is a people carrier. It has a high driving position that everyone loves, getting in and out is doddle and the vehicles are designed with passenger comfort in mind. Also people carriers don't have to be great big things; they can be the Ford C-Max (pictured above) for instance. Here is a car that is good to drive and is reasonably versatile, economical and spacious. I came across a 2008 2.0 Zetec with just 44,000 miles on sale at a dealer with a warranty for £5,000.

A car for the heart

If you want a great big comfortable automatic car then you might as well enjoy it in some style. I think Dave should get himself a Mercedes. For just rolling around at the weekend an S-Class would be perfect. There are choices here though. A classic 1984 model was famed for its solidity and finish. In the late 1990s the cars were not so good. However, a more recent 2003 S350, when build quality improved, should not let Dave down and will have covered around 140,000 miles.

Looking to buy?

Email James Ruppert at onefortheroad@independent. co.uk, giving your age, address and phone number, details of the type of vehicle in which you are interested, and your budget