Expert answer

Hi Dan,

Easy answer to this… Ford S-Max. Lots of space for you and the kids, not at all bad looking and, crucially, fun and engaging to drive so you’re not having to hand in your youthful driving exuberance at the MPV door. 

Read our Ford S-Max review

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Hi Mike,

Yes, yes, yes and oh, yes. Basically, it’s almost exactly like an A4 (same engines, same platform, same buttons, switches and touch-screen), but much more roomy (space for three child car seats abreast on the back seat and a massive 600-litre boot) and a lot cheaper to buy. Perhaps a touch noisier than the Audi, and maybe a little less precise to the steering, but you won’t feel short-changed.

Read our Skoda Superb Combi review here

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Hi Philip,

Short answer: no, they're not coming back. For a start, they only ever sold in pretty small numbers and so it's tough to justify the investment in creating new ones. Secondly, the folding hard tops themselves are generally significantly heavier than a cloth roof, and with every gramme counting towards the all-important CO₂ figure, don't bet on seeing a return any time soon.

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Hi Richard,

You’re gonna need something big – try a Ford S-Max or SEAT Alhambra.

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Hi Declan,

That's an impossible question for us to answer I'm afraid - it's all down to the leasing company and what it says. You might have more luck with the likes of Volkswage, SEAT or Renault as they use their own in house banks who are more likely to say yes than a high-street financial institution, but if you've got bad credit then that's something you're going to have to work on. 

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Hi F D,

To be honest, we're not really the experts where wheelchair-accessible cars are concerned, so I think you'd be better off asking the experts at Motability Ireland, who you can find here: http://www.motabilityireland.com/advsearchresults.asp

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Hi Barry,

Tough choice - both really good but quite different cars. The CC is arguably more stylish and slightly the sharper to drive, the S60 has that wonderfully reassuring Volvo safety and a really gorgeous cabin. Personally, I'd say the Volvo just shades it but it's a close run thing and you won't go far wrong with either.

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Hi Pat,

This is a question we get asked so often and there's no easy answer. Well, actually there is, but it's an answer that many people don't like - an MPV such as the Volkswagen Touran, Toyota Verso, Citroen C4 Picasso or similar.

There are very, very few (if any) conventional hatchbacks or saloons that will these days take three child car seats across the back. There are some conversion kits available that will allow as many as four child seats to be fitted to a 'normal' saloon, but these tend to be designed around the big rear-facing infant seats and won't take your own seats.

The best I can suggest, if you don't fancy an MPV, is to test drive the biggest, widest saloons you can find and make sure you bring the kids with you to actually try the seating properly so that you know for definite before you buy.

Expert answer

Hi Pat,

It depends on the seats you're using and how old your kids are. I'd suspect you may struggle, but it's worth going down for a test-drive mob-handed, with the kids and their seats, and see if you can all fit. If not, a good idea is to track down a Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate with the pop-up seats in the boot.  Seven seats without the MPV misery. 

Expert answer

Hi Brendan,

Pretty much the entire industry has long since gone over to bucket-style seats, not least because they offer better back support when cornering, but also locate your body mass more centrally, which allows the driver's airbag to work better. Actually, the C4 Cactus' seats are technically bucket-style, but they're just a bit broader and softer than the norm. I don't think you'll have much luck finding a true non-bucket seat these days, but all I can suggest is to try as many as you can and see if you can find one that's comfortable for you.