One for the road: An automatic with more room than a Civic 2.2

Mark Tennant wants to change his Honda Civic 2.2, ideally for an automatic petrol car with more room and better fuel consumption. He has £10,000 to spend.

A Car for the Head

I believe Mark needs a different type of car. One with a small but efficient petrol engine that can also work well with an automatic gearbox. The days of the responsive Honda engine which delivers almost hot-hatch levels of performance are over if he wants more room and ease of use. For that reason he should look at the Skoda Octavia (below). Here is a very well-built car which has a quite massive boot area. So it can easily be loaded up for the frequent Continental trips Mark takes. Although there are some excellent diesel-engine options, Mark has requested petrol and the smallest 1.4TSi is available with an automatic gearbox and should return more than 40mpg, which is good for a small automatic. A 2009 example in comprehensive SE specification would cost about £9,500.

A Car for the Heart

Mark tells me that he has been to his excellent local Honda dealer but has not seen a model that suits his needs. Well, I say, did he take a close look at the Honda Insight and, indeed, was one in the showroom when he visited? I mention this because the boot is actually bigger than you will find in a Ford Focus, so in practical terms Mark should be happy. This is also a hybrid fuel car, with an electric motor helping the petrol engine and boosting the overall mpg reading to a claimed 64.2mpg combined. The one downside is that it won't set the pulse racing and compared with the 2.2 Civic it will feel quite lethargic. It does, though, deliver the automatic gearbox, efficiency and Honda build quality that Mark desires; £9,500 will buy a 2009 example with 12,000 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.