Thanks. Definitely only have 2 kids maximum. Will probably keep the car long term too, but we don't do much mileage.

Interesting comments about the Qashqai. But I haven't heard of a Nissan Tino.

The Honda Civic is great if you only have two or three kids. It's like driving a normal car in terms of length, but someone has done some very clever things with the inside so it's got really good legroom and a massive boot. It's a Honda so doesn't break, fuel economy and emissions are pretty good, doesn't cost a fortune to insure, and goes like the clappers (well, ours does!).

That's the newer Civic (since 07, I think). The only downside is that for some reason there's a spoiler across the back windscreen, so visibility can be a bit tricky, but you soon get used to it.

Subaru Legacy. Good sized boot, great fun to drive. Diesel not petrol though (petrol one is very fuel inefficient and doesn't handle as well).

I'd get an estate rather than an MPV - lots of space but feels like driving a normal car not a Scenic-style mum-mobile

I have a diesel Focus and it is fab

Ford Mondeo, is a good option and has a good boot size as does the old style Vauxhall Vectra.

Skoda Octavia has fab reviews if you're not a badge snob

I'm very pleased with my diesel Toyota Corolla Verso, or just Verso as I think the newer models are.

I'd advise against a qashqai. Its a big car on the outside but small on the inside (well the front seats are ok, but the rear has very little room and the boot is a rubbish size for such a big car) We have a Nissan tino (the qashqai was a company car) and its so much more spacious boot-wise and in the rear. (tis a petrol guzzler though)

We were always running out of oil with the quashqai too - probably cos it was a new car? (dont know much about these things)

Whilst the safety aspect is great, it feels mega secure when you're in it - I always felt like I was driving a tank - I couldnt see anything around me so always worried about knocking over small children (bit over the top maybe but its true) The back window is very small. Too small in my opinion to get good vision.

I've forgotten other niggles but there were some...

Depends how many kids you plan on having, and how long you plan to keep the car. If you are sticking at one or two for the time being then there are endless choices, but best to go for an estate because you really will need the space for carting all the stuff about. If you are a car "snob" (which my husband is, so no shame there) then the Audi a4 estate, the volvo estate and the BMW 3 series estate are all good cars. If you are less concerned about the badge, a good choice is a honda (the estate - can't remember what it's called) or the skoda estate (don't laugh - they are built on the same platform as a golf so they are essentially the same car, but at half the price. If you are planning lots of sprogs and want to be the type of mummy who can always take an extra kid home for playdates without using the front seat, then you can't really go wrong with an XC90 (diesel). Cheap to run for a 4 x 4, very very safe and loads of space. One of the only cars (bar 7 seater type vans) that can fit 3 child seats across the back PLUS it has an additional row of 2 seats, so you could actually fit 5 very comfortably. We have gone through loads of cars, including most that I have mentioned, but the XC90 really is my favourite.

I'm not a huge fan of French cars either, having had no end of problems with Clio that I had until 6 years ago.

Has anyone got an opinion on the Merc A Class, Honda Civic and more opinions on the Nissan Qashqai. We test drove a Qashqai at the weekend. It was OK but had some minor irritations (which will eventually probably drive me nuts).

The old Zafira used to have a terrible resale value - I remember Top Gear doing something about it ages ago which involved manure. May have changed since then. Would agree with Shiregirl about avoiding French cars. And BMW 1 series are truly horrid. Our other car is a 1998 BMW 325i which is v. good though. But am also a bit sniffy about Fords. Wasn't hugely keen on the Qashqai when my husband had the CVT gearbox model on roadtest.