Car Choice: What next after a Polo?

Jasmine Nair loves her Volkswagen Polo but her family is growing. She has a budget of about £7,000, so what would we recommend?

(VW)

A car for the head

It seems a bit ambitious to go from a relatively small two-door car to a full-blown people carrier, but children do come with an awful lot of baggage. So more space will be definitely be needed especially if friends and relatives want to come along too. I do think that a full people carrier could be a model too far. One possibility would be a Golf Plus (a model no longer made). It is not just a giant Polo, it is a slightly larger Golf. A 2010 1.6 TDI S with 33,000 miles for just £6,490 is a bargain.

(Evans Halshaw)

A car for the heart

There are several more small people carriers that Jasmine might consider. The Citroen Grand C4 Picasso is a well thought-out and very comfortable 7-seater. The rear seats are individual and all slide so getting the kiddies sorted out is not a problem at all and is effectively future-proofed. On the road it is very smooth and not sporty, which for a family is actually quite a good thing. A one-owner, full service history, 2011 eHDi VTR+ with 50,000-mile example is £7,000. An automatic gearbox makes family life easier.

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