How about something fun as well as practical as a runabout. Suzuki Swift Sport or Fiesta ST for example?

How small.?...Aygo/Yaris.?

How many miles does she expect to be doing annually? I only ask because a close relly spent £800 getting their ancient car through the MOT this year, that does less than 1K/year. Add that to the tax and insurance?

I found out they drove it a mile to the local Tesco a couple of times a week, around a mile away. I suggested they walk there and call a taxi to take them home. Alternatively, buy a mobility scooter....................................................They're not talking to me now!

Perhaps there will soon be a sea change in car ownership for low mileage drivers. As a rough estimate, my forty years of tax, Mot (37yrs), insurance, repairs and initial cost for my TR7 works out at around 40p for each of the fewer than 65,000 miles I have driven it. Plus fuel -another 20p at today's price. Soon, an electric 'uber' or, in future, a self-driving car might appear within minutes of a request.

But if you suggest I sell it, I might not talk to you either!

2018 Suzuki Swift 1.0 Boosterjet - Fun to drive and robust but space is limited in the back and in the boot.

Out of curiosity SLO, have you actually been in the back of a current Swift?.

I have, just last year. Went from the local Ford dealer where I sat in a new Fiesta. Had the drivers seat set for me (5'9"), then sat in the back. I was OK, I fitted and all, but I felt a bit hemmed in and there wasn't an awful lot of space for my feet. Then I went to the local Suzuki dealer and did the same in a new Swift. Believe me, the Swift felt noticeably more roomy in the back, with a taller set rear seat allowing your lower legs a more vertical angle and a huge well under the front seat for your feet. Given the size of the Swift (20cm shorter than a Fiesta) I thought it had a remarkably spacious rear seat area and was much better designed (for rear passengers) than a Fiesta, with a much better utilisation of space. Given the choice between doing a long run in the back of either, it would be the Swift all day long I'd choose. In fact, out of that list of 5, the only car which would equal or better the rear space of the Swift is the Yaris. In addition, while the boot is smaller than the Fiesta's, it is bigger than the Mazda's and the Hyundai's.

By 2017 you will be into the 1.5 Yaris. Ours is four years old, we've done 15,000 in that time, mostly school run, commuting etc and its averaged 40mpg.

Only money spent over and above servicing MOT etc are two tyres thanks to punctures and new wiper blades.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. Mileage I expect to be in the low thousands. Any make or model was considered but the models mentioned here all seem to offer reliability. Room in the back is not a deal breaker, 99% of the time it will one or two people in it. Just as a matter of interest would I be better going to the dealerships or looking privately. At least the dealers offer some sort of security in case of problems.

Cheers Concrete

Buy private for this budget. I would spend less than this and keep money in reserve. Cars around 5 to 6 year are good value and a lot are only £20 or £30 road tax I would not discount any thing cat N as these are often lower mileage and largely ignored by a lot of buyers. I would consider Ka fiesta 206 My favourite is the Mini there are lots to choose from and they have been around for some 20years

I know a couple of people who have run Fiestas and liked them a lot - but as SLO says, only the Yamaha engines. The 1.0 seems less durable. I think the 1.25 comes in two power outputs so make sure you get the one that meets your usage best. With so many Fiestas around you can afford to be fussy, only do a deal on the best.

When I was an instructor in the UK I had few returner pupils as they were known.

Returning from driving LHD overseas, or not having access to a vehicle in the UK for some years, or having given up driving after an accident - (the worst thing you can do is give up driving after an accident) [If you fall off the horse, get straight back on it]

The majority of them were female, with lack of confidence issues, most of which seemed to originate from partner/husband/parents.

It's not really instructing, it's coaching.

It's mainly highlighting observational skills - IE always know what is going on around you 360 degrees at all times, how to achieve this, and how to deal with or react to what you see.