2022 Yaris Cross should be able to travel to the moon and back with no problems given low mileage such as yours. While it's true that cars don't appreciate sitting around not being used, 1000km in four months still suggests it gets a workout now and then and hasn't sat around for that full period of time. Don't forget that cars often sit around for months at dealerships waiting to be sold. That said, demand for the Yaris Cross recently has ruled out that possibility.

Basically, your car should still be well and truly match-fit provided it has had all its maintenance and checks carried out. Don't forget to check the tyre pressures, top up the windscreen fluid and enjoy the journey. Extended road trips are precisely what cars are for. And modern cars, even smaller ones like the Yaris, are better at this than their forebears ever were, especially in terms of comfort, safety and fuel efficiency.

The default purchase for somebody looking for a mid-sized hybrid SUV is the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. But if that’s too big, there’s the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid, C-HR Hybrid and even the Corolla Cross Hybrid which sounds like the marketplace is getting crowded but is really just a reflection of the appetite right now for cars like these. And that’s the catch; the waiting times for a brand-new example of some of these cars is out to many months and even years. So your plan to shop second-hand makes plenty of sense, but don’t expect any bargains in a market currently being dominated by lots of demand and less supply.

Beyond the Toyota brand (which has been doing hybrids longer than just about anybody else) there’s also the Mazda CX-30, Subaru XV Hybrid, Haval Jolion Hybrid, Kia Niro, Subaru Forester Hybrid, Nissan Qashqai e-Power, MG HS, Honda HR-V e and more. For something a bit bigger, try the Kia Sorento or Hyundai Santa Fe hybrids. There are others out there, too, that are probably bigger or more expensive than you need, but it's very much a growing scene in the Australian marketplace.

The Yaris Cross will be more than capable of maintaining a speed of 110km/h on the freeway, Fred. The hybrid driveline, however, is all about saving fuel, not making it the performance leader of the Yaris Cross family. Bear in mind, you have two options with a Yaris Cross Hybrid; two or four-wheel-drive, and the latter is going to be a bit slower to reach cruising speed thanks to the extra mass of that driveline in what is already a relatively hefty (hybrid) hatchback.

Given you’ve nominated some gravel-road use (not to mention shallow water crossings) I reckon the all-wheel-drive Hybrid might just be the one for you (and your wife). The extra grip of all-wheel-drive when it could be of most benefit (which will be relatively often on loose gravel surfaces) buys you an extra safety margin. As for water crossings, even though it has lots of batteries, controllers and an electric motor on board, Toyota tells me that the Hybrid version of the Yaris Cross has been tested to the same standards as any other Yaris Cross version.