Hi John, 

Thanks for all those details - makes our search for you much more useful.

First up, with that mileage on those roads, you're probably better off with diesel. That means you have a vast range of options to consider, even with the need for a large boot to accommodate the kids' bits and pieces. Keep a close eye on rear legroom and seat space, too, as the child seats are, as you know, bulky, so they eat into that room.

A scan of the Carzone classifieds brought up hundreds of potential cars that would do the job. Here are a few we'd recommend, based on what you've told us:

Ford Kuga - comfortable, big in the back, many about, including nearly-new within budget

Honda CR-V - reliable, big in the back, huge boot, one we'd seriously consider in this list

Hyundai Tucson - loads to choose from, many nearly-new within budget, good warranty (you could get into an older Santa Fe, too, but it doesn't sound like you need the space, and it comes with higher running costs)

Kia Sportage - same as the Tucson underneath, longer warranty

Renault Kadjar - based on Qashqai, but is a little more spacious, very well-specified for the price

SEAT Ateca - one of our favourite cars of this type, decent boot, smooth to drive

Skoda Karoq - similar to the Ateca, with a larger boot

Toyota RAV4 - the last of the diesel models are well within budget, should be dependable and has a massive boot

Volkswagen Tiguan - lots of choice, big boot, wide back seat, well worth considering

That's just on the SUV side of things. If you're not committed to buying an SUV, I'd suggest you'll get a more efficient and nicer-to-drive car if you go for an estate instead. There are loads of cars such as the Passat Estate or Skoda Superb Combi about and they have cavernous boots with spacious rear seating. 

Come back to us if you want us to help you narrow your search.