A change is often good, and certainly exchanging my husband John’s battered old Micra for my parent’s redundant Vauxhall Corsa a year ago was a very welcome one.

It had spent most of its life in the garage, had very low milage, was always spotlessly clean both inside and out and was serviced with alarming regularity. It came at a great time, just when John’s car, which he used every day, came to a standstill.

Now the poor thing has to cope with all weathers, its mileage has doubled within a year, it’s filthy outside and the inside is a health hazard, but worst of all I have to drive it. The cars of today are just such a joy to drive (with the odd exception), whereas this is just awkward by comparison.

Even my mum commented that it must be a shock having to drive it. I protested with rather too much vigour – she saw right through my white lie. I always feel as if I’m driving with my bum inches from the ground and while I’m fighting with gravity and increasing my sessions at the gym I’m only just winning…

The seats are hard to adjust, the steering is heavy, it looks old-fashioned and I just don’t want to drive it any more, unlike Vauxhall’s latest Corsa which feels light-years away from ours. I had the chance to whizz around in a new Corsa 1.3 CDTI Ecoflex, a car my father would really appreciate for its incredible economy (85.6 mpg on an urban fuel cycle and CO2 emissions a mere 105g/km), let alone its looks. And as for the drive…nippy, powerful, responsive and so easy to manoeuvre – unlike the muscle-building qualities of my father’s pride and joy! How our expectations change!

We live in London in a resident’s parking area, and now we have to buy a parking permit for the old Corsa as John seems to be at home with alarming regularity and is using up all the guest passes (he’s previously worked up north and based the car there). Can’t blame him for wanting to feel that he and the car belong, rather than being a guest who occasionally comes to stay but it’s galling to have to spend money on the thing!

Change is good, but it does depend on what you’re changing…