THEY'RE getting a little long in the tooth now, but if you're looking for a secondhand seven seat people carrier, the Hyundai Trajet looks a good buy.

It went out of production in 2006, so even the latest models are ten years old, but owners rate them highly for reliability and that means they could be a cheaper alternative to the Ford Galaxy or VW Sharan.

But this age of any vehicle needs care. Don't buy without full service history and try and find one with a low number of owners and, of course, low mileage.

Trajets were cheaper than the rest of the big people carriers when new and they came with a five year warranty, so the company knows they're tough.

They are well-built, comfortable, quiet, reasonably powerful and hugely practical, - almost up to most of the more expensive opposition.

There are 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engines and, obviously, the diesel is the one to go for if you can, because of its 38mpg economy.

Performance can best be described as adequate but, if you need a large people carrier, that's not too important.

Suffice it to say that they can keep up with motorway traffic no problem and they are very easy to drive, with a reasonably car-like feel.

The high driving position gives a great view all around but the height adjustment for the driver's seat doesn't help shorter drivers much.