What hatchback should I buy and should I stick with a petrol car?

Looking to upgrade my trusty 2000 petrol Toyota Corolla Liftback. I am considering the new model Toyota Auris or Hyundai i30 or a similar hatchback. My annual mileage is 10,000 miles with mostly short runs ranging in distances of between less than 10 miles and 2 miles urban and town driving with longer spins at the weekend. Which engine type should I go for? Also considering that at weekends I will be carrying two adults and two teenagers.

Dan Lyons (Cork)

Feb 2014 Filed under: choosing new car

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Expert answer

Hi Dan,

Hmmm. Generally for your mileage I would recommend a petrol car, but the bad news is that in your size bracket, petrol engines are a little thin on the ground. You could go for either a straight replacement for your Corolla by getting a Toyota Auris 1.4 D-4D, which is a very fine car, or you could, as you suggest, branch out and snap up a Hyundai i30 1.6 diesel - again a very fine car and with that five-year warranty, a very tempting buy. 

But, with your mileage profile, I would suggest taking a good long look at petrol alternatives. The Ford Focus 1.0 EcoBoost is a terrific car with a great engine and well worth a look. That said it's a little tight in the back seats for two teenagers so I'd say the best all round bet is a Skoda Octavia 1.2 TSI. It's more affordable than the diesel version, damn near as economical and has a big boot and lots of space in the back seats for those teenager-filled weekend runs. Great quality and reliability too.

Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Adviser
@neilmbriscoe