I currently own a Toyota Auris T180 with the 2.2 D-Cat diesel. It is a great engine but the cabin is disappointing and, having recently become a grandfather, I need more boot/closed hatch space. I am tempted by the Ford Mondeo and Mazda 6, both of which receive good press - but there may be an issues with the diesel particulate filters.

I only do about 7000 miles a year and most of that is short journeys on suburban roads. My concern is that the DPF will soon become clogged and it's off to the motorway for an unnecessary journey to burn off the soot. One option is obviously petrol but I like the low speed pulling power of diesels. I could go with the Avensis, which uses the same engine as the Auris and I don't think has a DPF, but it's a bit uninspiring. The Volkswagen group engines are an option but the A4 and Passat are too expensive and I don't know which of their engines have DPF's anyway. Can anyone make some suggestions or am I being a bit alarmist about the DPF thing?