Choose a car for my mum and dad!

divorcingjack

Hi all,

I'm after some suggestions for a car that might suit my mum and dad. I've been drooling over Autotrader, but I'm sure I've missed some sensible options!

Current car: Toyota Yaris 3 door petrol, dinky engine.

Priorities:

4 doors (to make the theoretical grandchildren child seat easier)
Fuel economy
Reliability
Low running costs (they are aware that few cars will be as cheap as the yaris!)
Manual
Comfortable
Reasonably new - not more than about 2-3 years old.
Mum would like diesel for the economy, but DSF issues??

Driving styles: Mum - fuel efficiently. Dad - not.

Mileage - mostly tootling, with a half hour blast up to town twice a week and occasional trips from Northern Ireland to mainland UK on motorways.

Budget - flexible, but my mum being a true MSE'r - as little as possible. Probably somewhere between 12-16 ish, but a bit either side.

Soo .. suggestions welcome!

PS: mum likes the prius, but I've told her she's not parking outside my house in it. Bleeurgh. :eek:

thanks all - dj (and parents)

gilbert_and_sullivan

Nothing wrong with Prius, have you or they driven one...automatic only but...
Smoothest gearbox and drive train by a country mile, seamless transition from electric drive to powered drive, uncanny quiet and a roomy comfortable car to boot (which is also large).
Remarkably economical for a decent sized car with a very quiet engine unless pressing on at high speed...which to be fair is not it's forte but the new model having a 1.8 engine is better for high speed cruising.
Don't knock them till you've tried one, quiet refined capability.

Other than that you could do worse than a Kia Ceed 1.6 Diesel, no DPF or DMF and a warranty to die for.

LandyAndy

Mazda2. Plenty of room for four. 5 doors. Nippy enough. 50 mpg.

Hintza

Honda Jazz

Indout96

If they were happy with the Yaris, how about the Toyota Auris, not the biggest boot in the world but plenty of room for the car seat