Cars...A to B or driving in style?

This year is the year that I believe I will need to invest in a new set of wheels as with the miles I do each week (around 400) there can't be much longer left on Mr P's tardis car. For a Corsa, which by it's own admission is a small car, it is amazing what you can fit in it. Band equipment like drums, speakers, multiple guitars are no problem. Neither was moving all my possessions from my old flat into Mr P's house. It really is quite astonishing how much crams inside!!

But the time is coming for her to be retired and a new P-mobile will be sought out. But what are the key requirements we each need from the new car? And are they the same? Is there one vehicle that can satisfy both wish lists?

First up - Me. I need the following:

1) Easy to park - I need a car that is highly manoeuvrable for parallel parking while I'm at work. I'm not going to lie, I'm not great at parking. I accept my flaws in this area willingly. I know that if I can see someone is watching me I am guaranteed to completely balls up any parking attempt so this means no estate cars, no car without power steering or heavy suspension. It needs to be a nifty little number preferably with rear parking sensors for just in case.

2) Acceleration - I drive along a lot of country roads and dual carriage ways on my way to anywhere from our house. There are lots of roundabouts too. And I miss having a sports injection for that bit of oomph while at a roundabout to be able to nip out easily without that sluggish pull away. Admittedly is may be more the way I drive than the car itself but psychologically a sports injection car does make me go faster...

3) Dark colour - as Mr P will testify I'm not a big one for washing cars (isn't that what the rain is for?) so no white or red cars please. I'd like a nice dark one to hide the dirt...can you get mud brown coloured cars? Or slef cleaning ones, like the non iron shirts Marks and Spencer now sell? Maybe this is a gap in the market - Dragon's Den here I come!!

4) Safety first - again with the miles and type of roads I drive along and having witnessed the aftermath of lots of crashes recently the element of having a safe, durable car is becoming ever more important. Maybe one kind of like a bumper car with a bounce off bumper all the way round perhaps?

5) Storage - I do tend to end up with several pairs of shoes, the odd jacket, scarf, brolly and spare bag in the car much to Mr P's chagrin. He really isn't impressed when I turn his car into a wardrobe on wheels but with the weather in Weymouth often being at complete odds with that in Bournemouth I've learnt that being prepared pays huge dividends to avoid getting wet!

So what requirements does Mr P have? Well to be honest I'm not entirely sure but what I reckon could be important to him would be:

1) Cool car. He misses his old car, a Vauxhall Vectra a lot. Like loads. Masses. Not that he ever mentions it (ha! I knew more about that car than I did about his family until I met them!) It suffered an untimely demise at the hands of a mutant ninja deer that attacked it one night rendering her inoperable and unrepairable. The loss still haunts him to this day. So the next car that takes up residence on his drive needs to be a far cooler replacement than the current P-mobile. An Audi would be I think the car of choice. A3 if I'm lucky, A4 preferably. (Eek!)

2) Spacious part 1. Unlike myself who is a tad on the vertically challenged side Mr P is a healthy boy height of 6" so something roomy and spacious would be preferable. This has ruled out having a mini which I'd love as he'd be all squished up inside (apparently)

3) Spacious part 2. As I mentioned earlier the current P-mobile is like a tardis with the amount of stuff it can hold. This is a requirement of the new motor too as there is still the band equipment issue to consider! Squashed guitars are not an option! And contrary to any beliefs you may have there are no foldable versions yet available (ooh second Dragon's Den idea of the day - I'm on fire!!)

4) Durability is also a key one for him. Not for safety aspects for me while driving so much but more for the car and the way that I drive. I believe he thinks I'm a little "heavy handed" or "heavy footed" so any new motor needs to be a toughie to handle it! Charming eh!

5) iPod dock/connection. Mr P gets highly annoyed with the amount of CDs I have rattling around the car (mainly in the passenger side door pocket) both because they get in the way but also because of my choice of music in the car. A fan of Britney and Take That he is not. So being able to easily plug in his iPhone and choose the music selection would be a definite winner for him.

So anyone got any bright ideas on what type of car could fit both of our requirements other than an Ikea wardrobe fitted with speakers and a jet pack on a skateboard? Does anyone else have these type of issues or is it just us?

Lx