Good on you Keith.I decided not to offer my 2 pence worth because I know diddely about cars.All I know is that the most important thing is getting someone who is good at servicing-remember you dont have to get them serviced at the selling dealer.
My second car was a Datsun 1600.Was a nothing car doing 27mpg until i took it to a dealer who raced them at bathurst.Acceleration and braking improved dramatically and got 40mpg.
My most economical car-believe it or not a Mercedes-240D.Ended up keeping it for 29 years and it became my son's first car.Again found a diesel fanatic mechanic and it rarely skipped a beat.At the end had 750000km on the odometer which didnt work for 6 years though.
Car i fell in love with-Peugeot 604.Again serviced by a notable rally driver who drove peugeots.Problem was nothing standard and always had to wait for parts.
May your love affair begin