My sister has just bought an i30 hatch diesel - very well appointed for the money, but like a lot of cheaper diesels money is not spent on sound insulation and as a result it's noisy in the cabin. It also has 17 inch low profile tyres and it wasn't a very comfy ride.

I also noticed on our trip to Ikea that the boot wasn't very large - it's a good job she decided not to buy one of the items she wanted as it wouldn't have gone in the car. The single folding rear seat is behind the front passenger seat - I've found on European designed cars that the double width folding rear seat is often behind the passnger seat and this makes a difference to loading capacity. Capacity won't be a problem in a Roomster.

She had only had it a week when I last saw her and the computer said an average of 41mpg - mainly her urban runs, plus the 40 mile motorway run to see me.

i30

The Kia Cee'd estate is quite big - hired one for a week - but it had a weedy engine and a stop-start system that cuts in when the vehicle is still moving and made me think I was still driving my old Cavalier around which would routinely cut-out at traffic lights. Tad noisy too, but left with the overall impression that it's an honest no-frills car.

Looked at the i30 - but has a much smaller boot than the Kia. The warranty is attractive for higher mileages, however most manufacturers will offer 5 years for a small fee.

Roomster - fun looking car, but like a Fabia inside. No bad thing, but pricey considering what you're getting - by the time you've added toys you're into Yeti territory and that comes with everything as standard.

Surely if you want luggage capacity then the Polo/Corsa/Aygo/Fiesta shouldn't even be on the RADAR, so how much do you actually need?

Had an i30 while my car was in for service. Nice car, plenty of room and equipment.

Had a Cee'd as a hire car when I worked in Spain, very well built (doors shut with a 'thunk' and I thought it was brand new for the first few Km....it actually had 16K on the clock)

Also had a Roomster in Spain....consesus was..... it's a bit of a window-lickers car (for special people, if you get my drift)

How about a Pro C'eed ? Looks much better in 3 door form.