A beautiful, sports car that has a practical side? Now that’s just being silly. And quite frankly when I actually first set eyes on the extraordinary Peugeot RCZ, any thoughts of a practical nature went straight out of the window. Except that is, what could I do to own one!

Often photos can give a false impression, so that you end up being slightly disappointed and let down when you see the real thing. But although the RCZ looks stunning in the press photos it doesn’t flatter to deceive: it’s even better looking in the flesh, trust me.

It is gorgeous, and while I wasn’t quite as taken with the interior as I was with the 308 CC (they’re very similar so perhaps it just looked slightly familiar) it couldn’t fail to impress.

I did eventually get to see the boot and realised that you could get a family in there should you want to, and if not, you could fill it with all manner of shopping, and even a bike should the urge take you.

Sitting in the RCZ felt fantastic; I felt as if my legs had elongated as I got comfortable in the low driving position with my legs stretched out to connect with the shiny alloy pedals. I suppose I’m so used to sitting up high in a rigid, tense position in the family car full of kids, that I had got to the point where I thought that was the only driving position possible. The large sculpted rear window allows great visibility and lets in a lot of light, so that driving becomes a more relaxed experience.

So not only is the RCZ a joy to drive, but it’s also very frugal. Peugeot, like all manufacturers, have the health of the planet on their conscience and are constantly making strides towards reducing the carbon footprint of their products. And Peugeot’s diesel engines (the petrol engines aren’t that far behind either) are famously good.

But surely the most satisfying feeling is being in a car that really turns heads. Another RCZ came hurtling towards us as we were driving along and it made you realise what an impression they make. It may be shallow, but this car really does have rather a lot of road presence, and by default, as a driver you can’t help but feel some of it rubbing off on you.

Trouble is, they’re not making many of these so I’m going to have to be quick trying to persuade the family that the RCZ would be an ideal replacement for our ancient Corsa as a second car…

So back to clambering into a Ford Ranger and my first thoughts being, who would buy such a monster, and my finishing thoughts were…rather nice if you have the matching lifestyle – and off my mind went yet again into fairy tale world of living another life. Or maybe I’m just fickle. Show me a bit of nice paint work and a pleasant car to drive and I can convince myself it’s what my life is missing. Mind you, husband would love it, not for any adventurous activities that he takes part in (because he doesn’t), but for the maleness of it all.

Once you’ve banished thoughts of those dusty trucks so prevalent in the Mid-West, with supped up wheels and men in cow boy hats, and actually driven one, I can understand the need for such a vehicle for certain businesses and lifestyles. And what makes it all the more appealing, setting it worlds apart from other 4 x 4s, is the fact that you can’t label this car as having kerb appeal or as a status symbol.

This is a true work horse, a dressed up truck with no illusions of grandeur, yet with a fair amount of comfort and one that’s easy to drive and manoeuvre, to the point where I kept forgetting I was driving a truck apart from when glimpsed in the huge wing mirrors!

But step inside the passenger version of the new Fiat Doblo, and the image changes to family outings and adventures done in comfort and a certain amount of style. With no worries about the car being ruined with muddy wellies and bikes, due to it’s van-like utilitarian interior, children can be returned home filthy after a secret seven-type of adventure.

Fiat describe it as an honest, credible car with great driving characteristics. Despite the name, this is a brand new car. No up-gardes, no facelift and no collaboration – it’s all Fiat. It has a new Chassis, engine, suspension and transmission and while five seats come as standard, for those adventures, seven seats are available.

So why might you be tempted by this not so little number? It’s spacious, actually quite good fun to drive being amazingly agile despite its shape, very well priced (cheapest one comes in at £12,295), low CO2 emissions, great fuel economy thanks in part to its Start & Stop technology and can cope with a car load of messy kids, not to mention adults. But for me, any car that has sliding doors is a must. I will grow out of this phase one day – according to my mother, my life has been full of phases -  but for now, with kids that can’t be trusted to open car doors with care, sliding doors are essential for my mental health.

While it’s boxy looks might be off-putting to more fussy people, this new Doblo has a certain charm to its appearance, once you get over the fact that you are driving a van-like vehicle. It stands out from the crowd, and is perfect for an active family who put practicality before snobbery.

Just to prove that the Women and Wheels cameraman has a tough job after all. Our full Peugeot 5008 First Drive Story coming later this week…

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…

I did wonder whether the dark rear windows were just asking for trouble, and as soon as I put the GTI into gear and pressed my right foot down on the shiny chrome accelerator pedal I knew that was precisely the case. Fast and furious – just like my heart-rate. I felt I was in a bumper car (thankfully without the bumps), zooming along, changing direction instantly. But I could never live with a car like this – it would end badly, and probably in court. I know my place: I’m just a Polo-type of girl despite aspirations to the contrary.

Now if the GTI is a boy-racer, then the GTI with the six speed DSG double-clutch is definitely for the ‘man-racer’ out there (5-door £24,905). Almost as much fun, but so effortless. Still fast, furious and thrilling and great for those who no longer feel the need to rev the engine for effect, but zoom on by in a blur of class, quality and style. Yet more money, of course.

The thing is, driving a speedy, beautifully made, high kerb-appeal vehicle just makes you feel so good. It’s very seductive. Perhaps that’s why there will always be those prepared to splash out for a Golf GTI.

I suppose the GTI is the ultimate for a driver of a certain age (I imagine late-twenties), but there are other Golfs of course, and the range offers something for everyone – if you have the cash.

In all fairness, I do believe there are hardly any really bad cars on the market these days. However, we can still be discerning and separate the sheep from the goats – something my old biology teacher used to say in every lesson. Too late, I finally think I understand the meaning, especially when it comes to cars; they all look good and drive well, but which one stands out from the crowd? I still don’t know which one it’s best to be. Sheep are cuddly and cute, tow the line and follow the crowd. Now goats seem rather wicked to me with that slightly malevolent look, rebellious nature and agile manner…

What on earth has this got to do with cars? Well, quite a lot when it comes to driving the all-new Spark with its funky style heralding a new era for Chevrolet, gently started with the Cruze earlier this year. While the Cruze is large and more traditional, the Spark is young, dynamic, cheeky and off the rails – or rather it almost was as a load of journalists were let lose on the streets of Athens for their first taster of this city car.

So when I thought of Greece, goats came to mind. The Spark, out next Spring to UK buyers, is agile and sure-footed. It’s quick, responsive, angular, bold, aggressive and looks altogether a little wicked and helped us hapless journalists cope with the hell of driving in a crazy city, where no one seemed to take notice of other cars, whether they had right of way or not. No point in being hesitant like a sheep – best to leap into the fray and get on with it.

It was rather an amazing scene, a convoy of brightly coloured Sparks disappearing into the distance, easily spotted by their distinctive rear lights. This is a smart city car with an edge. It’s spacious, stylish, fun to drive and different. But it is a city car, and while it does have the benefits of five doors and five seats, you wouldn’t want to travel too far with five adults on board, despite space for legs, heads and shoulders. It is what it is, and none the worse for that.

Rather than being slightly apologetic about driving a cheaper car (starting price £6,945), this is a car you can be proud to be seen in and look forward to driving, its green credentials offsetting the guilt of driving a car in a city. And yes, there are other city cars out there who can do all that this car can do, but do they offer such value for money and still look good?

The Suzuki Alto is full of delights and surprises. My first surprise being that I had to fight to get a look-in, and couldn’t figure out why it was so popular with the men. I should have known it would have been all about engine noise! Boys and their toys…

However, I’m rather pleased I left my normal cutting comments to myself, as once I got behind the wheel I soon understood what all the fuss was about. I have to confess, I soon got hooked on the noise this zippy city car produced. This I’m reliably informed is down to the three cylinder engine – just don’t ask me to explain why, as I zoned out at that point. However, I did recognise that we had heard a similar off-beat thrum before in the form of the Smart, so felt progress was being made in the pub-quiz stakes.

But at first all I felt was embarrassment as I zipped around North West London, wanting to poke my head out of the window and apologise to all those that were being affected by my throaty engine. Except whenever I did have the window down I couldn’t hear it. I soon realised that this lovely noise was all internal and I could enjoy it without feelings of mortification. Isn’t that clever?

So not only was the internal sound a joy, but so was the interior; there was nothing surplus to requirement, yet nothing was lacking. All the storage shelves and cubby holes are there but done in such a way as to appear frugal, but sufficient. It has that holiday cottage feel about it. Plain, simple and clean looking, which somehow makes it easy to live with, to the point where you want to transfer that simple-living feeling into your everyday life. It took me quite a while to forgive my own car for all its clever gadgets, many of which stopped working just after the warranty expired.

This car gave me thrills with its engine noise, to the point that I kept imagining myself in a little sports car, only to be faintly shocked back to reality when I stepped out. The engine note is only intrusive when accelerating fast, which just means you do it more often. The Alto’s rather funny, easy to park, fun to drive, has low running costs and emissions and is a cheeky looking number to boot. A perfect city car.

What a day full of surprises. Firstly my childen actually behave despite my usual manic behaviour when a trip is imminent. Secondly, I actually arrive on time to the launch of Peugeot’s new 3008, which isn’t a MPV, SUV or a hatch, but seems to have all their good qualities, such as space without being a tank, rugged looks without being offensive and yet still drives like a Peugeot should. This, I’m reliably informed is a ‘crossover’, which I thought was something else entirely…

But the surprises didn’t end there. I was determined not to get carried away with this Peugeot, as I feel I’m too easily seduced by their gorgeous looks. But I needn’t have worried. At first I thought maybe the French had lost their ‘je ne sais quoi’, especially as the last Peugeot we drove was the elegant 308CC. But as every plain Jane knows, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.

Stepping into their top level trim ‘Exclusive’ HDi 150 with an amazing panoramic sunroof, luxuriating in the feel of the leather and enjoying the power of the 2-litre diesel engine, I had to admit that this car was quite something. And over the course of the day, the exterior grew on me too. Bit of plain Jane bonding going on there.

While I didn’t get to experience the car’s impressive-sounding grip control, its pulling-power was very entertainingly demonstrated using the strength of the car to launch a glider. While you wouldn’t necessarily need this particular attribute in your day-to-day life, it just shows how great this car would be at towing a caravan or a trailer full of quad bikes.

But what really sold this car to me was the ‘grip control’ giving you a helping hand in snow, sand, mud or wet grass where the car has the ability to apply torque to a single wheel that needs the grip, and limit it to those that don’t. Here is a 2-wheel-drive that has the ability to get you out of difficulties that, lets face it, we only encounter once in a while and without the added cost, weight and fuel consumption of a 4×4. Love it!

And just when I’d grown accustomed to its glide-like ride, ease of drive, power and comfort I had to glide for real. No car sickness in the 3008 with its dynamic roll control, but my did I feel slightly green around the gills after being flung 2000 feet above the earth……until, I was enveloped by peace, calm and sheer joy at the spectacle of the landscape gently moving past and the most amazing views of the world below.

After feeling so calm and inspired by the gliding experience, I was quite unprepared for the final surprise of the day. A huge Scalextric set and a very serious organiser who had us competing against one another. Needless to say, I was as resourceful as ever and came second. And the prize? Sadly not a lovely new 3008 to drive home, but instead a Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Scalextric car! Now how do I get that past the kids without a fight breaking out?

While I do drive a rather large car, it’s too big and cumbersome to be looked upon as fashionable and chic. More like a white elephant that we will have to endure until it falls apart at the seams.

I could quite happily see myself in Peugeot’s rather magnificent 4007 which would make me feel rather at home with all the yummy mummys in their large, expensive vehicles. We have quite a few where we live which is a very pleasant, normal area. But come the weekend it becomes transformed into yummy parent land. The weekly farmers market seems to bring them out in droves.

Goodness knows where they actually live as you never see them wandering the streets during the week, or walking their little darlings to school. They’re all off in their enormous gas guzzling cars polluting the air and blocking the roads on their way to the private schools.

I feel our local school is a rather well kept secret. It might be a huge ugly Victorian building and normally receives a dreadful Ofsted report, but the kids love it as much as the parents that send them there. I was in our local Starbucks not long ago and overheard a conversation between the staff. Apparently they like to do things for our local school as they perceive it to be poor and deprived. Nearly choked on my latte. On the other hand let them think that – all the more resources for us, and I can do a good poor and deprived!

Anyway, after grabbing my coffee I jumped into the car to do some household shopping, only to be faced by a yummy daddy – obviously had the day off work or ‘in between’ jobs – blocking the exit to our road with his huge, black 4×4, door open, drinking his coffee and chatting on the phone.

He completely ignored me and carried on chatting. I had an irrisistable urge to peep my horn very loudly in the hope that he would jump and spill his coffee all down his nicely pressed Jermyn Street shirt. However, my mother brought me up to say ‘excuse me’ politely, which is what I did. It went unheard and I sat there patiently until he was ready to move on. I’ll never change, and by the looks of things nor will he.

Now maybe if I had been in a 4007 with its bold, delicious looks bejeweled with chrome he might have taken notice. But there again maybe it just doesn’t produce enough CO2 to compete….