Toyota Corolla Verso 1.8 VVTi

Bottoms up! That was the toast to the Toyota Corolla Verso after it proved the ideal companion on a booze cruise to France a couple of weeks ago. The car's remit was simple... to deliver plenty of space for the vast quantities of alcohol I intended buying in Calais, as well as provide comfortable accommodation for myself and my two helpers. I couldn't have picked a better vehicle for the job.

With the rearmost seats and two of the centre row folded flat, there was more than enough room for the crates of beer, champagne and wine needed for a wedding later this year. And the versatile layout meant that carrying two passengers didn't impinge too much on the load space.

The Corolla also showed its worth on the road. Despite being laden down with Calais bargains, it proved as effective a motorway cruiser as ever on the long journey home, gobbling up the miles with ease. The in-car DVD player was a real hit with my middle-row passenger, keeping her quiet after a hard day shifting crates and boxes around - and ensuring that she didn't succumb to temptation with all that champagne close by.

Niggles? Well, the length of plastic that fixes the filler cap to the car has become detached and ended up on the ground at the petrol station - but if that's all that goes wrong with the Verso, we'll be well pleased. I'll certainly raise a glass to it as one of the most practical vehicles on our fleet!