Car Choice: 'We want to replace a Golf that's past its prime'

Roger Letch wants a car to replace his wife's Volkswagen Golf 1.6 SE on a Y-registration plate. Having covered just over 60,000 miles, Roger feels it is time to replace the car. It has to be comfortable and quiet, with a light-coloured interior. Economy is a priority, so a diesel engine would be a good idea. The car can be a bit bigger than their present one and they would both appreciate more luggage space. The budget, including a part-exchanged Golf, is £16,000.

First of all, I can never understand why anyone thinks that a car that has covered 60,000 miles is ready for the scrap heap. It isn't. There may be some bigger bills for components that start to fail, but major expenses won't be an issue until a modern car has covered a huge six-figure mileage.

When to sell is a perennial question and certainly, according to the price guide experts, once the mileage goes much beyond 60,000 miles the selling price starts to plummet. So perhaps this is a good time for Roger to sell, especially as they want a more spacious and comfortable diesel.

The new Golf is larger than the old one and so are its closest rivals, such as the Vauxhall Astra and new Ford Focus. Potentially, Roger can get more hatchback for his money and I don't see why they should trade up to a bigger car.

A car for the head

Here is a way of buying a new Volkswagen Golf, with the same engines, but with a bigger body and, most amazing of all, a much lower price. If Roger is cool with a Skoda badge (owned by VW), and he should be, here is a new car that is roomy, has great diesel engines, good seats and is superb value for money, but without any compromise on quality.

By making the car longer, wider and taller, it is now a class leader for interior space. Despite the fact that the rear seats do not fold flat, the boot is still massive. It has a square opening and by far the largest capacity compared with the Golf, Astra and Focus. The interior is a great place to be because of the high-quality materials that are used. Certainly, drivers feel as though they are sitting in a well-equipped executive car.

The large range of Volkswagen diesel and petrol engines all work well and, as ever, it is the mid-sized petrols and diesel units that deliver the best combination of power and economy. A 1.9Di Ambiente at £13,800 is probably the best value and it returns and impressive 53mpg overall.

A car for the heart

The Honda Civic is a very clever design that fits in passengers and luggage brilliantly, often with plenty of room to spare. There is a good standard of equipment and Honda has an excellent reputation for quality and reliability.

Space is always a priority and the Civic manages to provide a lot of it in a very compact package. Simply repositioning the gear lever on the dashboard creates a big floor area and the high roof adds to that wonderful feeling of spaciousness.

Five can be seated comfortably yet there is still room for luggage in what is a sizeable boot. For Roger and his wife the three-door may have more than enough space for them. The 1.4 petrol engine is adequate although for most purposes the 1.6 petrol and 1.7-litre diesel will be the better choice. Indeed, a 1.7 CTDi SE will cost in the range of £13,100.

Another Civic variant is the 1.4 IMA saloon, which has an economical, partly electric engine. Significantly, however, the diesel delivers similar mpg figures at almost 57 miles to the gallon. It is very, very quiet but expensive for what it is, despite being subsidised by a government grant. The price is just over £15,000.

* CAR CHOICE: Please write to Car Choice, Features, Independent House, 191 Marsh Wall, London E14 9RS, or e-mail James Ruppert at carchoice@independent.co.uk, giving your age, address and contact number, and details of the type of vehicle you are interested in.