Small diesel 60 mile a day commute....

[Burrito]

Civic? Needs a bit of negotiating to bring into budget but looks good.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

[Clivey]

Divvyboy said:

I'm starting to belive that 60 mpg was a bit optimistic.50 ish is more realistic.starting to like the golfs now but they all seem to be 100k + in our price range.will keep hunting something ideal will turn up ...

The Civic above looks like a great choice. - TBH you mention French build quality & reliability but in my experience, German isn't necessarily any better (we're not badge snobs and have lots of different makes of car in the family). Personally, if I could find a good one, I'd have another C4 if I found myself in your situation. Whatever you choose to do, at this price one of the best places to look is the "for sale" section on an owners' club forum (people who take the time to participate in the club usually look after their car).