Car choice: A comfy car that can cope with a rough road

Jim Cobb wants a four-year-old car that can cope with potholes and also provide some relief for his bad back

A car for the head

The best value four-year-old cars are always Ford Mondeos and Vauxhall Insignias, you get a lot of car for your money. They are relatively long and that means they ride better and are more likely to soak up bumps; what you have to avoid are low profile tyres and alloys which make the ride truly awful and crashy. I’ll pick the Insignia here and go for a low-mileage 2.0 Design CDTI. I found an 11,000-mile 2015 example which had just one owner and pretty thick tyres and automatic gearbox, for £9,990.

A car for the heart

It is essential for Jim to to drive each car, of course, as that is the only way to really know whether it does the job and is truly comfy. I think that an automatic gearbox is a huge help to stop extra back stress. Saab used to have the best seats and the more expensive cars usually do. The nearest we can get is Volvo, which has pretty decent seats, and the S60 is worth a closer look. A 2014 D2 Business Edition saloon with a 1.6 diesel is available at a car supermarket for £9,498.

If you would like James Ruppert to help with your car choice, email james@freecarmag.com. For more motoring views visit freecarmag.com