I can only now fully appreciate the sheer space provided by Kia’s new mini MPV, the Venga, after watching it being driven away and me getting into our next test car (it’s a tough life). Lovely though the new one is, it felt rather dark and claustrophobic inside in comparison to the high ceiling of the Kia with its amazing panoramic roof and enough head room for a gorilla – or indeed my husband!

Watching Doctor Who with the kids, I saw the similarities to his faithful Tardis. Rather innocent but intriguing on the outside, and surprisingly spacious on the inside with delightful nooks and crannies, sliding seats, hidden compartments and space, space, space! Has the Tardis got sliding seats? Oh well…

It’s not a luxurious car like its also-recently-launched big brother the Sorento (video review coming soon), but has many redeeming features. One of the models (the diesel, the one on test here) proudly displays the Ecodynamics badge which it has earned through its low fuel consumption (over 62 mpg on a combine cycle) with CO2 emissions of only 117g/km. This model doesn’t come cheap however, but the gains over the course of its life would soon add up. This, together with the seven year warranty offered by Kia do make it a very attractive proposition.

But what I might be inclined to do is to wait a bit until a few second hand ones come on the market, so that I could take advantage of Kia’s used car programme. This tops the depleted warranty back up to seven years if the car is less that 18 months old or with less that 18,000 miles on the clock. Then a Kia Venga would really be excellent value. Or you could take the view that this makes buying a new one less of a risk because you wouldn’t have much trouble selling it after 18,000 miles?

Either way Kia seem hell-bent on taking the worry out of buying a new car, and with products coming along so much better than their predecessors they’re starting to appeal to our hearts as well.

I had a very draining experience down on Brighton’s seafront at a Mini gathering.

Why I allowed my family to be battered all day by wind and rain I’m not sure, but it was sold to me as a great day out. And I suppose it was, helped tremendously by bacon butties, copious amounts of coffee and biscuits, burgers and chips, all topped off with a stick of rock. Felt disgusting by the end of this feast and then had to contend with very active kids on the way home.There’s always a price. However, my daughter did me proud as I used her as a prop once more to bolster my confidence. It’s normally with the in-laws, but it just shows how versatile they can be. I had to hand out leaflets, one for a mini product and the other for my own project of which I am so obsessed I fear that soon all my family and friends will leave me. My daughter is cute (what six year old isn’t?) and so greatly helped the cause…

There were many sights to behold once the rain had stopped – and not just the cars! I do love Minis and think back with great affection to a hand-painted yellow one, jointly owned with distant boyfriend. He got custody when we inevitably went our separate ways.

Then there was the lovely metallic blue one owned with husband, pre-marriage, pre-children, when all we had to worry about was our lovely black cat Polly, sadly deceased, who refused to travel in her basket and would sit draped around my shoulders whenever we travelled. She was spoilt and vicious.

I learnt a lot from her and vowed never to spoil my kids – however they’re vicious too, so something’s gone wrong. I still want a Mini and husband constantly promises, but it’s all wearing rather thin these days along with my looks. I know the Mini has benefitted from many facelifts, redesigns, upgrades, improved technology and indeed a complete transplant a few years ago, but the essential looks and character remain: It just seems to get better with ag

When I’m 50 (not too many years to go sadly) I’ll need so much plastic surgery to look good that I’d be unrecognisable, whereas the Mini still looks like a Mini. I’ve always consoled myself that with age would come more money with which I could make the most of myself with fabulous clothes and weekly facials. I hadn’t factored in the sheer cost of raising three kid

While I do manage to give my legs a shave now and then, I still shop at Gap and M&S and find designer stores intimidating. Unlike me, the Mini is celebrating its five decades looking better than ever. For me, elegance with age is a distant dream, rather like my hopes of a Mini. I shall have to content myself with being extremely wise instead…