THE five and seven seat SEAT Altea has been available in standard and long wheelbase XL forms and a four wheel drive version was marketed for a couple of years.

It's a great choice for family transport and a smooth shape plus a lower stance make it stand out from the crowd of mid-size people carriers.

Production of the last model finished n 2015 and it was available with 1.2, 1.4, 1.6 and 2.0-litre petrol engines, plus 1.6, 1.9 and 2.0-litre diesels.

Obviously, the diesels are the best to go for secondhand because of their excellent economy, although they will cost more because they are more sought after.

If you don't need to do big mileages, the petrols will make a good - sized saving, and quite often, they will have done less miles for a given year than the diesels.

The ideal for most people would be the 1.6 or 1.9 diesel turbos, which have decent performance and excellent economy of over 50mpg in real driving with a light right foot.

The older petrol 1.6, which has 100bhp, takes 12.4 seconds to reach 60 miles an hour and should do 30+mpg, while the later 1.2 and 1.4 TSi turbo models accelerate to 60 in under 11 seconds, and will do 49 and 43mpg on the official average.

They are all good to drive, with the excellent VW group power steering and a comfortable ride in all but the sporty FR versions.

The handling and roadholding are right up there with the best giving excellent balance and safety even when pressed unmercifully.

Inside they are spacious and versatile. When the rear seats are folded, the squabs fold down into the floor as the back is pulled forward, making a completely flat load area in seconds.

From 2013 the range was simplified, with four trim levels - S, S Copa, SE and SE Copa. Copa essentially adds extra equipment.

The S has air con, CD stereo, electric front windows, remote locking and driver's seat height and lumbar adjustment.

S Copa adds 16-inch alloys, Bluetooth, cruise and front fog lights, while the SE has traction control, audio remote and heated electric mirrors, SE Copa adds sat-nav, DAB radio, parking sensors and automatic wipers.

Ecomotive models are the best for economy and low emissions and come with a good level of kit.

Pay about £4,900 for a '13 13-reg ‘S' 1.2 TSi petrol, or £7,700 for a '15 15-reg Ecomotive 1.6 TDi diesel.