Yaris replacement

You'd have to become religious and pray every morning that nothing goes wrong with that beast.

Out of interest, what about this one?

Myself I would be looking at a VW Golf TDI

Fine as an opening gambit but I might have to move a little on the size.

Paul Giverin wrote: [snip]

No mention of budget makes recommendation more difficult.

I would look at the Fiat 500 if only to be sure you have seen/driven one. it is the best of the small cars IMO, possible exception for the Mini. Both cars are more or less "classless" so you can turn up to social events without being tagged as a Skoda driving pikey.

The 500 is a pleasant package, but don't get the TwinAir. The engine ruins it and I suspect your wife won't be able to drive it. Mine can't.

If money is no object the Alfa Romeo MiTo is worth a look. It's a head turner yet not a large car. An alternative that's very new is the VW Up!

Location: Essex

That says a lot.

BTW is Hitchin a shithole? It's closer to you than it is to me, I've never been there and wondered if you have?

In message , Rob writes

Too big..... almost as big as the Focus she hates to drive. The Polo is a possibility but even that is almost 8" wider than the DS4.

In message , Paul Giverin writes

Sorry, meant to say DS3.

I had a quick look at the MiTo reviews just in case SteveH recommended one. It looks great from the outside, not quite as nice inside IMHO. I'll take a look at the Fiat 500.

Says 'v car' in the advert, deliberately 'hidden' away, so you have no comeback when you realise you've bought a rebuilt written off car...

Dodgy as hell.

Yes.

I worked there for 18 months.

The trouble with the MiTo is that they've not really changed enough of the Grande Punto bits to make it 'special'. Not a fan of them, really.

It's a shame Peugeot stopped their Roland Garros variants - as that is exactly the kind of thing you'd be looking for.

Toyota Auris HSD? - look like they're smaller than a Focus, but I could be wrong.

I searched for the word cat, as in cat C or cat D, but I am not come across the expression V car before. Mean buggers!

Yep, lots of people wouldn't spot that or know the significance.

SteveH wrote: [snip]

... If you wanted to look like a c*ck.

Yep some models of cars started life as a small car then as they progressed became extraordinary large.

Golf - small now doubled in size LxW

Honda Civic

Toyota RAV

Toyota Corolla

and the list goes on.

This seems ideal:

Too small and bearing in mind its Toyota underpinnings, its mutton dressed as lamb if you will excuse the ovine reference ;)