It depends how fast you want to drive. 1.4i engines are adequate for most people.

Personally I prefer Vauxhalls to Fords but, as mentioned, everyone has their own preferences. If someone prefers yellow cars to red cars, it's ok with me.

If buying a used car, though, how the car has been treated is more important than the make or model. A determined boy racer could wear out any car in a month or two. I reckon that if the seller seems decent and has owned the car for a while, the car is likely to be decent too, but there are plenty of sites giving advice on how to do proper checks.

Thanks for the advice maxsteam. Anyone out there got opinions about F Focus v V Astra? Are 1.4l engines adequate for these cars

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My suggestion would be to buy and sell privately so that you wont lose out if you, for example, buy a car and decide after 6 months to change it. Everyone has a different idea of what car suits them and the only way you are going to find the answer to your question, in my view, is to have a guess at what is right for you and then give it a try.

You might want to consider a trailer if for IKEA and the tip. Some small trailers will fold up or stand on their end in the garage.

Not sure who to send this to at WC so I've sent it to 2 addresses.

We've had an Astra estate 1.4 from 1996 for our family of 4 which has we want to replace. The elder kid is now 16 so the need for lots of journeys with all 4 or with their friends has really reduced. I'm wanting to buy a 2-4 year used car to replace it and am really unsure of whether to go for a same-sized estate, whether to get a hatchback of the same size (e.g Astra, Ford Focus, VW Golf) or to even step down to a Supermini like the VW Polo. Is there any difference between the estate and hatchback version of a car (other than the obvious boot space).

My wife says keep the size car we have (u never know when you need to have 5 people in it), but says we don't need an estate any more (for trips to IKEA or to the dump!). I'm keen on environmental grounds to buy something that is no bigger then we need. Also, the smaller the car, the newer the car u can buy for the same money. Maybe my query is not a question u feel u can answer but I'd appreciate your opinion. One thing in particular that confuses me is the engine size of any range. Our Astra had the smallest engine size in it's range. It seemed to suit us, though I accept it was not the quickest at overtaking. Most reviews I read recommend buying at least the mid-range engines, but I suspect that is because these reviewers, car enthusiasts presumably, naturally enjoy the power a more larger engine gives. Being as unbiased as possible, could you suggest what sized engines will do with the various cars.

If u have any opinions I'd be grateful.