Having read plenty of sense in your Telegraph column over the years, could we ask for a bit for us, too?

What would you recommend to replace a Focus Estate please? We’re very pleased with our 2002 1.6-litre Petrol C trim model and find it just right for family holidays and trips to relatives on the near Continent. We’re hoping for the same or greater cockpit and eh vast boot space without going up in overall size. Well laden, the Focus returns nearly 50mpg on a good run at 70mph and has more than enough oomph.

It is also used for 2-3 mile shopping trips during the week, so a diesel is probably not a sensible option, although I could take it on the 6 mile trip to work a couple of times each week. What 3-4 year old model could we get with a budget of £6000 including the value of the Focus?