Life is full of landmarks: birthdays, new relationships, new jobs, a growing family, each celebrated differently depending on your age and means at the time. Once you become a driver, these notable periods in your life can also warrant a change in car as your needs and budget vary.

No matter what stage of life you are at, there are a raft of vehicular alternatives that will no doubt suit you. We’ve taken a look at just a few of the critical points in life that we think might require a new car, and picked out some of the best cars to get you through to the next highlight.

 

Very First Vehicle

Reliable, manoeuvrable, cheap to run and relatively inexpensive to insure, the Skoda Citigo has to be one of the best choices for a first car. Though it might look small, a deceptively spacious interior is roomy enough to fit a few friends and their associated paraphernalia on your trips to work or college.

Of course, being one of the more reasonably priced cars in the supermini group, the Citigo is pretty basic, but its Electronic Stability Programming (ESP) to minimise skidding, 6 airbags and optional autobrake mean that it doesn’t skimp on safety. Capable of clocking up to 68mpg, with low or zero-rated road tax and an insurance group of 1 or 2, the Citigo is as economical as they come.

 

Its high quality interior belies the low price and unusually, the CItigo is available in various stylish versions capable of boosting your car cred without affecting the insurance premium.

 

Reckless Years

While you are keeping your head down at work, you might want to look at more exciting alternatives on the car front. With no family responsibilities, you should be selfish with your car choice while you can. For an enjoyable ride that will impress old friends and possibly gain you many new ones, take a look at the BMW 1 Series Sport.

Its fantastic infotainment system, iDrive, is one of the best on the market providing a veritable drivable disco. Cheaper to run than many of its competitors, the BMW 1 Series is also the only rear-wheel drive in its class, making it appealing to those who prefer a real driving experience, especially since it goes from 0 to 62mph in 8.5 seconds.

Looking cool in the car doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice too much on space. Although the rear seats might provide a challenge for those with long legs, the 360 litre boot space is comparable with other cars of the same size.

 

Couple Up

If and when you find that perfect someone,  it might be time to reassess your life. Perhaps you’ll decide to trade in both of your cars and share a new one, after all there are more important things in life than cars, aren’t there? At least until you’ve saved up enough money for that deposit on a house.

Even though you’re sharing a car, you needn’t skimp on it - the Audi A4 is a perfect choice. With a roomier interior than its closest BMW and Mercedes rivals, you’ll be surprised to hear that many of the newer models benefit from low or zero road tax.

Adaptive suspension and Audi’s usual solid feel in the cabin makes for a very comfortable ride. Engine sizes range from a 1.4 litre petrol to a 3 litre V6 so just because you are spoken for doesn’t mean you won’t get the opportunity to show off!

 

Kids Rule

You might as well give up all hope of a grown up ride once children come along! Well this is not strictly true, but the pressure to provide a safe and convenient car is formidable when youngsters are on board. The Citroen Grand C4 Picasso provides a stylish, yet safe and economical option to transport up to 7 people.

With excellent visibility and rear parking sensors, manoeuvring and parking are no problem for this MPV which can comfortably accommodate 3 adults or children in the middle row of seating and a further 2 children in the rear. Access is made easy with wide opening doors both to the front and rear seats.

The low boot opening with no lip allows for easy loading and unloading of pushchairs and other children’s equipment, especially if the rear seats are not in use. A plethora of storage is a godsend to keep necessities within adult reach yet away from tiny inquisitive fingers and the 5 star NCAP rating will keep your mind at rest.

 

Older Kids

There’s nothing like a mouthy teenager to let you know when your ride is right. They might not appreciate the safety features of the Volvo XC60 but they certainly won’t mind being seen in this subtly-styled SUV. 

The diesel engine offers good fuel economy and low road tax, a great bonus for a large car. At the top of the range, automatic parking, auto-folding mirrors and leather interior might actually persuade your teen to spend more time with you, although the powerful sound system might mean that conversation is minimal.

While the kids are busy, you get to enjoy the typically comfortable driving position of a Volvo with plenty of adjustments to both the roomy seat and steering wheel.

 

Gift A Car

You’ve probably scrimped and saved for your own first car so you understand how difficult it can be to get a foot on the vehicle ladder. That’s why you’ve decided to lend a hand to your son or daughter by gifting their first car.

Try a Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 diesel. Firmly planted in insurance group 4 and with up to 66mpg, it’s one of the cheaper cars to insure and easy on fuel too.   

You’ll be looking for all of the same properties in this first vehicle as you no doubt did in your own first car…and then some. This is, after all, the car in which your offspring will be spending their initial years of driving. 

Safety has to be the foremost concern, closely followed by reliability and running costs. Even though you’ll be able to resign as taxi driver, you don’t want to be footing the bill for repairs and petrol forever.

 

Empty Nest

You’ve raised the kids and they’ve left home, time to put your resources back into finding a car for your your own motoring pleasure. The Mercedes E Class Coupé could fit the bill nicely.  With leather trim, climate control and 17-inch alloys as standard it feels as good to drive as it looks.

There’s enough room in the rear to give a couple of passengers a ride, if you really have to, and automatic parking will no doubt impress your neighbours in the keeping-up-with-the-Joneses stakes.

Mercedes’ Attention Assist will keep you awake if the car detects that you might be dozing off, a must with such a comfortable ride. And with a choice of engines, you can be as economical or as frivolous as you like.

 

Retirement

As a pensioner, you may not be spending as much time in the car as you did in your youth but you’ll still be looking for an enjoyable motoring experience. As well as a height adjustable seat, the Ford Kuga offers an adjustable steering wheel, tiltable headrest and excellent support.

Clear all-round visibility from the higher seating position of an SUV makes for safer driving as well as avoiding the effort to hoist yourself out of a low-sitting car, while easy handling and automatic gearbox option provides a relatively effortless drive.

The Kuga has bucket loads of space up front and enough room to easily fit a good few grandchildren (and some golf clubs) in the rear while the 2-wheel drive versions still maintain decent running economy.

Whatever your stage of life, you’ll find a motor to suit your needs and budget at Motor Range’s new Liverpool showroom. With 1000 vehicles on site, from first cars to a vehicle for your twilight years, the perfect drive is waiting for you.