our second car is my Vw polo 1.4tdi its got power and torque its great for fuel consumption was getting 80mpg yesterday, only thing i would recommend is go for a newer one as u have stated maye a 58 or 09 as the road tax is only £35 a year!! I have a 53 plate and i fall into the slightly higher tax band!
There are lots of options out there there is some nissans out there too offering cheap tax