Can you recommend a car with extremely good ride comfort for under £20,000?

I wish to buy a car that will give me the maximum ride comfort for a budget of up to £20,000. I am retired and do only 2,500 miles per annum, and would prefer to buy secondhand to avoid the initial high depreciation.

Asked on 3 July 2011 by MJ, Bristol

Answered by Honest John
I am currently running a Mazda 5 1.6 diesel TS2 and it has astonishingly compliant suspension that soaks up all the ruts and potholes Britain's badly maintained roads can lay in its path. Extremely comfortable driving position, too. And as easy to get in and out of as the old Ford C-Max was. I've just done 300 miles in the Mazda 5 today without a twinge.
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