Family car also suitable for short journeys

My wife is a GP, returning to work after maternity leave. She's looking for a small family car suitable for carrying an extended rear-facing child seat (i.e. up to the age of 4) and a buggy, but must also be suitable for her commute to work (less than 5 miles) and daily house visits.

The longest journey it's likely to do will be a fortnightly trip up the motorway to her parents (about an hour's drive).

We've narrowed the search down to the Vauxhall Astra, Citroen C4 or Renault Megane. We're a little concerned around the space in the back on the Renault however. Vauxhall have offered us a pre-reg 1.4 petrol SRI model for £12,995, Citroen have offered a new 1.6 petrol VTR+ for £13,200. Would you recommend either of these deals?

Depreciation is not a concern, but efficiency and economy is. The Citroen dealer assured us that DPF issues are a thing of the past, but I'm currently pushing for petrol rather than diesel. Is this sensible?

Asked on 21 April 2013 by dfulton77

Answered by Honest John
If that Astra is a 1.4T then go for it. Good engine. Quite a nice car. No diesel particulate filter on a petrol engine.
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