I've been thinking about changing cars for some time now but I needed to make sure any <a href="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/bluesmartcar.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-3808" src="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/bluesmartcar-200x127.jpg" alt="bluesmartcar" width="200" height="127" /></a>decision that I made wasn't clouded by the trauma of the last 7 months. I also needed to make my mind up about whether to keep Jane's car or not. She loved her Smart Car however I don't need it and therefore I've decided that when I change the Skoda Yeti the Smart will go with it. A fresh start...

The next car will be another 4x4 with everything the Skoda has. If given a choice I would simply buy a new Yeti however the higher powered Yeti (185 bhp) is no longer on offer and I do like a bit of acceleration - having owned an Audi TT and a Porsche Boxster there is still a need for speed even if it's in the shape of an SUV.

So the range of cars available is significant and I've whittled it down to six:

[gallery type="rectangular" link="file" ids="3801,3803,3802,3804,3800,3799"]

They all look very similar but the "On The Road" price varies considerably from the VW Tiguan at £36k to the Mitsubishi ASX at £26k. The sales people all claim their vehicle as the "best in its class" but I'm guessing this is a class of one and not a direct comparison with their competitors. For those who know me well will assume that my approach is calculated and involves a spreadsheet of my requirements. My current favourites are the Kia Sportage (excellent leg room, great value for money and 7 year warranty) and the Mazda CX5 (looks good and reputation). Over the next few weeks my selection becomes serious as I've booked test drives in most of them. I'll give regular updates on how I get on.