Richard Yarrow’s opinion for www.startrescue.co.uk, providing low cost Breakdown Cover

I have been a motoring journalist for 13 years, and my wife has been part of my life for every one of them. I can count the number of times she has commented on the various vehicles that have decorated our driveway during that time on two hands. She has no interest in cars, other than the desire to get in one and have it start first time when she needs it to. I think the last time she expressed anything like an opinion was when she needed to use her car breakdown cover, and modesty prevents me repeating what she said.

Which is why it came as a bit of a surprise when – completely out of the blue, as we were driving along, me behind the wheel, her next to me, kids in the back – she said: “I really like this car.”

Our chariot of choice has been nothing particularly special. It was the new SEAT Alhambra people carrier, a seven-seater MPV that’s rarely bought for any reason other than necessity.

I asked her to expand on her thoughts, and she said she liked the fact that the third row of seats folded flat (the kids used them when grandparents came to stay). She thought the built-in booster seat for our five-year-old daughter was clever. She said the sliding rear doors were handy because it’s easy to get in and out in a busy car park. The fact that they and the tailgate are powered was branded a bit of a gimmick. She added that it was very roomy, comfortable and quiet in the cabin, smooth to drive and had an inoffensive interior design. In short, it ticked all the boxes for her.

The irony is we were only going a mile up the road, to a friend’s house for a BBQ. As we pulled up outside, he shouted down from the upstairs window: “Is that an MPV? Would you mind parking it further down the street, it’s lowered the tone!”