You are just entering the stage of life where you will need to be carting around vast quantities of Stuff inc car seats and later boosters, prams, pushchairs, bags of clobber etc etc. Therefore estate car.

50 a week plus some local suggests only about 5K miles per annum. Therefore petrol not diesel, and consumption is probably not critical.

The world is your mollusc.

Ok, I'm not fancying an estate just yet (maybe when we have a dog too) but definitely a largish family car....was thinking a vectra or mondeo, but I'm not hearing good reports on the vectra and the only mondeos I can find for the money are diesel with lots of mileage. Any ideas?

Mazda 6 - Mondeo chassis, much cheaper to buy. You can fit an entire bed in the car with the seats folded down! There's a fair bit of choice for £4-5k; Honda Accord or a Civic, Toyota Avensis, Skoda Octavia....all large and roomy even when in hatchback form rather than estate. The common suggestion is a Ford B-Max or C-Max but that puts you in people carrier mode which is probably a bit saddo. Having said this, my parents put me, my sister, a dog and all our bits and bobs in an early 80s Mini.

Ok budgets:

£5k nets you:

2007/07 plate Skoda Octavia with about 35k on the clock

2005 (average!) Toyota Avensis with average miles

2007/56-07 Honda Civic with slightly over average mileage (not too much)

2005/6 Honda Accord about average mileage

2007/57 Mazda 6 with low-average mileage on the clock

based on Autotrader - all petrol manuals.

Thank you very much for this information - that's great! Really like the Mazda 6, seen one relatively close to us a 57 plate, 58k mile, 2.0 TS....for £4490...

Are you opting for an extended rear facing child seat at any point?

I have to say I have a mondeo 2007 1.8tdci and I average around 600-700 miles a tank of diesel. I am happy with this. It's a fine spacious car, and I do believe that that fiel consumption is better than a petrol mazda. I will stand to be corrected though.

There's plenty of room in the mondeos, actually not bad to drive for a large car - very comfortable, 6 speed gearbox and a huge boot.

I have an extended rear facing child seat and there is tons of room. Hoping to keep my wee one in it and rear facing until at least 5, or til weight permits.

Vauxhall Zafira? Loads around, cheap as chips and stay away from the diesels and they're pretty reliable. I've owned/driven several and they're not exactly class leading but you get masses of space for your money.