Toyota Corolla Verso D-4D T3

It was an explosive start: having joined us in December 2001, the compact MPV version of the Corolla was nearly written off after a disastrous coming together with a BMW 5-Series only days after arriving. It took two months to get everything straight, thanks to a dawdling insurance company and the parts taking forever to arrive. I spent nearly six weeks driving one of the dealer's courtesy cars - an old-shape five-door Corolla.
However, the Verso's enforced absence made me realise what a decent family car it was - and such a big improvement over the outgoing hatchback. The interior has been the compact MPV's big strength. I liked the fact that I could carry three children in the back, buckle each of them with a three-point belt and still have enough room in the boot to store all their rubbish. Although the cabin colours were a bit drab - especially compared with a Fiat Multipla or a Citroen Picasso - complaints about comfort were rare. I also appreciated the integral child seats, which made loading the little ones extremely easy.
Because I had not really sampled a diesel over extended mileage before, I found the Verso's 89bhp unit a bit slow and noisy at first - although I soon adapted my driving style to take into account its ample low-down pulling power. The 43.6mpg fuel consumption was another bonus. As for running costs, the Verso went back with a little more than 9,000 miles on the clock, only 1,000 miles shy of its first service deadline. However, with no outward signs of any problems, I wasn't expecting our first service bill to be much more than the ΂£90 I was quoted by Pinewood Toyota of Streatham, London. Indeed, the only costs were ΂£2,597 for the body repair and ΂£796 in diesel. Discounting the accident damage, I'd say that's decent value for a year's family motoring.