Expert answer

Hi Noel,

A few of suggestions here.

€5,500 gets you into a nice 2005 Audi A3 1.6 petrol Attraction three-door, from a dealer. Albeit it does have quite high mileage. Not necessarily a problem, but you would want to check and make sure all the paperwork is in order and the service record is complete.

Or, you could be really daring and go for a 2007 Daihatsu Copen two-seat cabriolet, with its zany combination of turbocharged 700cc motor and folding steel roof. Oddball but oddly appealing and we found one for €5,750 with 31,000 miles (about 50,000 kilometres) and a six-month warranty.

Going down the much more sensible route, how about a Fiat Panda 1.1 Eco? €5,950 (and you could probably argue that down a little), still fun to drive but very practical and more reliable than the reputation would have you believe.

Finally, and this is possibly the most sensible solution, a Honda Jazz 1.2 Sport, from a main Honda dealer, for €5,490. Spacious, comfy and as reliable as it's possible for a car to be.

If none of those work for you come back to us and we'll have another think.

Expert answer

Hi Frank,

You can get adaptors that will add Bluetooth both for calls and for music streaming to a 2007 Audi A4. They cost around €130 a go, but we’d recommend getting a professional to fit it, which will obviously drive up the cost a bit. Alternatively, you could replace the entire stereo unit with an aftermarket one, such as from Pioneer, which will also have a proper touchscreen and Apple CarPlay, but you’re looking at around €400 for the unit alone then.

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Hi John,

At 10k miles a year, to be honest, you’d be better off going for a petrol model as you’re just not going to get the fuel savings out of a diesel to justify the extra cost, plus you might be running into issues with exhaust filters. Of the two cars, the BMW is without question the nicer to drive, and it has a fractionally more spacious interior than that of the Audi. The Audi is seriously well-made though, so from a reliability point of view, we’d probably give that one the nod. Just make sure you buy one with a full, preferably main dealer, service history.

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Hi Bryan,

Trendline is a the most basic VW trim level, so it’ll be pretty bare inside, and lacking for ‘toys.’ Comfortline is a step up, and on a model of that age should include such things as climate control and cruise control, amongst other niceties.

Beware though — that 1.6 FSI engine was not the most reliable thing that VW ever made, so make sure it comes with a full and complete service history. As for servicing, generally a VW will indeed be more affordable to service than one of the premium brands, but if you’re interested in buying a BMW or Audi then you can bring your servicing costs down a lot by going for a good independent specialist rather than a main dealer.

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Hi Siobhan,

The Audi should be pretty solid, but make sure you buy with a full service history. Ditto the BMW, but they do occasionally have turbo issues, so watch for that. The Land Cruiser is basically indestructible, and if it’s reliability you’re looking for is definitely the best of the three.

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Hi Paul,

I’m tempted to say get another 520d — for the budget, they’re hard to beat. Well worth looking at an Audi A6 2.0 TDI as an alternative, though, and a Mercedes E 220d. Or a Jaguar XF if you’re feeling like a bigger change. Of course, what you could do is take that budget and spend it on a two-year-old Skoda Superb and get a fully-loaded version...

Expert answer

Hi Michael,

Your Lexus is probably going to be worth around €5-7,000 as a trade-in, depending on the condition and service history. The Q5 has a 540-litre boot, so it’ll be a touch smaller than what you’re used to, but still pretty roomy.

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Hi Adam,

Short answers — no and yes, maybe. No, that kind of mileage is pretty low. It works out at 7,500 miles per year which is staggeringly low. If it’s been well cared for and fully serviced, it should be just fine. On the petrol front, it’ll be pretty thirsty, depending on the model. The 1.8 turbo is really thirsty (think circa 30mpg) or if it’s the V6 model then think more like 20mpg.

Expert answer

Hi Shane,

The manual version uses 8.4 litres/100km (33.6mpg) and the automatic 8.5 litres/100km (33.2mpg).

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Jakub,

Right, here’s what we’ve gleaned with a little help from Nissan and a dive into its archives…

There were basically two specifications of Primera from 2002 to 2008. The entry model was an SE, which came with a full colour display in the centre of the dash, trip computer, colour reversing camera (one of the first cars to deploy this tech, as I recall), climate control, power steering, front and rear electric windows, electric mirrors, height-and-lumbar adjustable driver's seat, CD player stereo with six speakers, ABS with EBD and brake assist, six airbags, front pretensioners for the seatbelts, remote central locking, alarm, 16-inch alloy wheels, front fogs, chrome door handles and body coloured mirrors.

The T-Spec model got all of that and added auto dimming rear view mirrors, auto wipers, leather trim, power and heated seats, steering wheel audio controls, premium audio system, active headrests, cruise control (for the 1.8 petrol model) and 17-inch alloys.