Hi

I have a 9 yr old Corolla Diesel..I'm aware it could go on for years, but I'm very car dependent and also aware, the original exhaust and other bits and pieces may start to fail soon. It's hard to schedule garage appointments if things go wrong too with work.

Also wish avoid previous mistakes of spending lots on wear and tear, then deciding to change anyway. So it seems elective change is the way to go...but, there is little to temp me in my budget, which is about 12K cash plus trade in.

The 2 cars which I fancy most are ASX 1.6 Attivo list price c £16000 K with metalic, and Mazda 3..The petrol is cheaper, around the same price as the ASX, the Diesel a bit more, but obviously better economy ( I do 10-12K/year)

Ideally I would like the ASX, as I do a bit of work in the countryside, so parking a bit off road would suite the clearance of the ASX etc

My 2 choices are also driven by my main desires in a buy and keep car..Reliability, safety features both excellent in these, need to carry a bit of stuff with 4 adults occaisionally ( which the mazda will just manage)

I have little experience negotiating with dealers, as I tend to keep cars, is my budget likely to land me one of these...is there a better time of year to try....any better suggestions for a vehicle..?

Many thanks