I like the 75 but the boot is too shallow.

Avensis

I've read about too many HDi Peugeot Citroen expensive engine faults.

C5 is as ugly as sin, has an HDi engine and too many electronic malfunctions.

And with regards to an Avensis achieving 160,000 miles, I am looking for a car capable of a high mileage.

Thanks for the A2 towbar comment. I'll look into that.

Just about every single car I've owned has been a so called 'dog' being sub £2000 cars. Generally the cheaper the car the more reliable it is in my experience. My Octavia cost £2000 at 94,000 miles. Now nearly 6 years later has covered nearly 199,000 and apart from the VAG fault of failed window lifters and a broken engine mounting and gearbox linkage, has just had clutch, cambelt and servicing. My Micra was just £600, Fiesta £1400 and was taked up to 92,000 miles and was the most reliable car I've ever owned. Generally the more expensive the car, the more expensive it is to run. I suggest you look at bangernomics website which is run by James Ruppert.

off by minor inconveniences (like a high boot sill). This comment really takes the biscuit. Please read further back in this thread regarding Avant, I get the feeling neither you, nor woodbines, realises or understands that lifting heavy objects over a high sill is awkward and can be a b***** pain. I'm conscious that lifting heavy object over a high sill could do my back serious injury! I've stated a low sill as a requirement for good reason.

BTW a Laguna/Stilo/156 would fit your criteria to a great extent and and more so woodbines recommendations. I wouldn't have thought any would be a wise buy sub £4,000.

NB I always focus on good, well not good, excellent condition and good value. In 28 years of motoring I've covered around 700,000 mile,s with a total loss of just over £13,000 in depreciation. A friend's mother bought a petrol Focus for £14,500 and did just under 60,000 miles in 5 years. During that time she had a bill for £1500 at one time. I've never had a bill over £500. In the end she got £3500 at trade in. That's extremely expensive motoring.

Thanks for all the advice. I nearly ended up with a Peugeot 406. Anyway my 205,000 mile Octavia TDi is going the kept for winter use, when I can live with a high loading sill. It's only worth about £400, so will I fit it with all weather Vredestein tyres, with the intention of keeping it indefinitely. I'm picking up my summer estate car this week.

Nothing wrong with a 406. Wont have a bad word said about it i will not!

I thought a summer car was meant to be low, red and sporty, and the winter car be old, grey and German?

My father had a Granada Scorpio Estate back in 1995 i think and the rear of that was so big it was like a f***ing van.

In fact i used to drive a van which had less room in it than that. Is it me or can you not fit so much in estates these days? Seem big on the outside but we used to fit a whole house worth of stuff in the old estates my parents had. These days most would run a mile at a fridge.