Which reliable car do you recommend for a school run and the occasional 300-mile round trip?

I need to buy a car for my wife and daughter to commute eight miles each way, via rural roads, to school each day. Occasionally we will drive from our farm to Edinburgh and back again, which is a 300-mile round trip including motorways. My key criteria are safety, reliability and low running costs, whilst my wife doesn’t want to drive a ‘plastic’ box. I have a budget of £7500. What car would you recommend?

Asked on 15 June 2013 by DB, Stranraer

Answered by Honest John

That's just enough for a new Dacia Sandero TCe 90 Ambiance: www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/dacia/dacia-sander.../. The sweet 3-cylinder chain-cam TCe 90 engine suits the car better than the alternative 1.5 dCI or 1.2 litre 75PS engine.

Tags: short journeys commuting safety reliability

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