Hi Adam,

OK, if you need seven seats and reliability, then the Toyota Verso is your best bet – it's nicer to drive than you might think, has plenty of space and the only issue might be that most of the used ones will have a 2.0-litre D-4D engine. Also, an automatic version will be hard to find. You could go for a Citroen C4 Picasso with the 1.6 HDi diesel and the EGS automatic gearbox, but after the Renault you might be a bit worried about going French again. The Ford C-Max might be another good option, but the automatic gearbox only came as an option, again, on the 2.0-litre diesel. So, overall, your best choice might be to find a Volkswagen Touran (or it’s van-based cousin, the Caddy Maxi Life) with the optional DSG gearbox attached to the 1.6 TDI engine. A good choice, either one.