I live in North London, and my current VW Golf 1.6 TDI will soon fall foul of the extended ULEZ. As I cross the north circular regularly, this means it's time for change. However, I’m totally confused as to what to buy.

My situation;

· Family man with a 5yr and 3 yr old, and no plans to grow family - buggies are on their way out thankfully, but will continue to have kids clobber to ferry around for many yrs to come.

· Low-mid mileage driver (10-12K per yr) – not used for daily business commute, but used regularly for around town driving, weekend getaways and family holidays.

Must-have’s / preferences

· Gearbox – Must be automatic

· Practicality - Decent passenger and boot space to cope with demands of family-life, and clobber for family holidays.

· Low running costs - Reasonable fuel economy, insurance, road tax and service/maintenance costs i.e. we can rule out the supercars!

· Body type - Five door hatchback/saloon/estate as I’m not convinced by SUV’s in terms of cost, space or ride quality, and not keen on MPVs.

· Safety - Five star EURO NCAP

· Style – This will be used for both family as well as business occasionally, so something that looks good (even sporty) is important i.e. not a Citroen Berlingo!

· Longevity – I’d like to make the next car the one we drive for the next 8-10yrs as I’m not a fan of changing and switching regularly. However, concerns of whether this is wise/possible (concerns/worries below)

Budget

· MAX £20K, but hoping I could spend a lot less to get what I need!

· I’m hoping to part exchange/sell my VW Golf TDI 1.6 (61 Reg), so hoping this will give me 3-4K towards cost)

Worries/concerns

· Do I buy used – always felt if you have the budget this offers the better deal, however big concerns over spending too much on Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles, with regulations changing as well as emergence for electric and hybrid

· Do I got for a PCP/HP to future proof myself – i.e. an ICE vehicle for the next 3yrs, before switching to electric/hybrid once new models emerge, price lowers and better infrastructure in place for long journeys home and abroad.

· Do I buy nearly new (2-3yrs old) which will be more future proofed, or go for something older/cheaper (i.e. 5-6yrs old) and save money for a change in 4-5 yrs time.

· Fuel type – If going for ICE, I’m minded to go for Petrol versus Diesel, as they offer decent MPG and aren’t being overly targeted currently in terms of regulations (i.e. ULEZ). If I go Diesel, fear the future is now looking bright and I'm likely to be in the same situation I’m in now, in another 4-5yrs?

Current cars I'm considering (all 2-3 yrs old);

· USED Skoda Superb TSI 1.5 or 2.0 (S E L Executive or Sport line) –

o Pro: Passenger and boot space enormous, good standard kit, like the Sportline look;

o Con; Rare to find 1.5 Sportline used, top of budget for nearly new model, will I be mistaken for a taxi driver!

· USED Audi A4 Avant TFSI 1.4 or 2.0 (S Line)

o Pro: refined, well built and good looking vehicles, budget friendly due to popularity

o Con; Boot space could be better – will this cope with demands of family-life

· VW Passat Estate 1.5 TSI (SE Business or GT)

o Pro - Passenger and boot space generous

o Con – Questionable reliability

· Mazda 6 Tourer

o Pro – Good looking, and decent passenger and boot space

o Con – Rare to find used

· BMW 3 Series touring

o Pro – Ride quality and driving experience, and ticks the snob box

o Con – Lowest boot space so question practicality