Natural yogurt.

The new car.

The wife and I decided not to take any risks in running our Skoda Felicia 1.3 Popular after the clutch failure. We did our research and made a shortlist of suitable cars. We knew what we wanted, value for money and no unwanted extras. There is plenty of choice in the new car market with each model offering something extra. We looked at 6 cars on our shortlist with an open mind and then discussed the merits of each over lunch before deciding which model to go for. We then slept on the decision and felt the same the day after, so we decided to buy a Citroen C3 1.1 L.

We are very happy with our purchase. This car represents excellent value for money with Citroen giving a part exchange of £800 on your old car in addition to any discounts you can obtain from your dealer. The value of this price to change could not be beaten by any other manufacturer.

There has been a lot of thought gone into the design of this car. The car users are the focus of the desgn with it's tall seating positions allowing easy access for the less able bodied. The seats give good posture and the ride height good visibility. There are plenty of storage pockets which is great for the way people actually use their cars.

The bonnet is very small with little space not being used. This and the lack of a rear overhang makes the car very easy to park. The cabin space for driver and passengers is generous but there is no wasted space back and front. The whole body style is curvy, a classic jelly mould.

Driving the car is easy with all the controls light to use. Oil level is checked on the dashboard before you start the engine. The power steering is very light and was a big surprise from the Skoda's unassisted steering. The engine is very free revving and although it does not have the low down torque that the Skoda had, it spins so freely that without checking the rev counter you do not notice any difference in power. The gearchange is lighter than the Skoda but just as direct. Electric windows and remote central locking are a nice upgrade on our previous equipment level. Servicing intervals are longer with a welcome 20,000 miles or 2 years between routine services. Petrol consumption is 3 miles per gallon better and insurance 4 groups lower.

We are very pleased with our new car, it is very easy to live with. I will always wonder just why some people pay a lot more than us for a new car. You can pay a lot more money than we did for a new car and what do you get? Why pay more for a cramped interior cabin, a long bonnet with lots of unused space in it and extra luggage space that you will not normally use? We now have a car that we can use fully and that has no unused extras to be paid for.