Expert answer

Hi Eamonn,

Come back to us with your budget, but cars to consider include the Citroen C3, Ford Fiesta, perhaps the Ford Fusion, Honda Jazz, Mazda2 (also called the Demio as an import), Nissan Micra (called the March as an import), Opel Corsa, SEAT Ibiza, Suzuki Swift, Toyota Yaris and the Volkswagen Polo.

That's a long list, I know! It really depends on your budget. Our pick of all that lot would be the Honda Jazz given your requirement for a big boot that's easy to access.

Hope that helps.

Expert answer

Hi Sean,

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to such things. That looks like a good, desirable car so I wouldn't expect the dealer to have too much difficulty selling it. Hence, they're not likely to discount by very much, perhaps a fraction under €15,000. Still, go in there with an offer of about €14,000 to get the ball rolling. Don't mention you're a cash buyer until the next stage of the negotiation!

Let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Patrick,

It does indeed have full-time four-wheel drive. It's called xDrive and in normal use the power is split 68:32 rear to front but this can be varied to as much as 100% rear-wheel drive.

Larger cars like SUVs are always a little harder on tyres, but the X3 is not unusual in that regards. It has a good reputation for reliability with no known suspension problems.

Hope that helps.

Expert answer

Hi Michael,

It sounds like this choice is down to personal opinion. The Passat has a better reputation for reliability, though the Insignia is not too shabby on that front. The creaking interiors affected early cars and you should be able to quickly check for it on a test drive.

We agree that the Insignia is a better looking car, though the Passat Highline has a great specification. Countering all that the Insignia's 2.0-litre engine is more powerful, if louder and less refined.

In summary, we'd probably go for the Passat, but regret it every time we see a good Insignia!

Best of luck - let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Patrick,

On its own, the RAV4 2.0 D-4D is a fine car, with loads of power. It has plenty of low-down torque for towing too, though how heavy is your caravan? The manual Santa Fe has a higher towing capacity and it's a heavier car too, which will help in certain situations. Added to that, the Hyundai has more power and torque - (assuming you're talking about the newer 2.2-litre model) though obviously you pay for that with fuel consumption and tax.

Both cars have a good reputation for reliability though in fact it's the Toyota that has some history of issues - particularly with RAV4s used as tow cars. Apparently early versions (pre-2003) had transmission problems, though we'd hope the 2005 model is better.

Still, based on what you've said, we reckon the Santa Fe is the better bet in this instance, especially the newer model launched in 2006.

Let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Abdullah,

It's not the usual kind of question we get and obviously you should only do such things on a private piece of land! Assuming you've properly disengaged the traction control (you have to hold down the button for 10 seconds), put the transmission into manual control so you change gears with the paddles behind the steering wheel. Drifting is all about the initiation and without a mechanical handbrake or clutch you'll need a combination of power and momentum (depending on the model you have).

Until you're comfortable with it, it's best to start off slow. Approach the bend, brake so that the weight transfers to the front tyres, release the brakes and start to turn. As soon as you do, get on the throttle and be ready to feather it and add some opposite lock. You will need to be in a low enough gear for the engine's torque to overcome the rear tyres, but not so low that you run out of revs early.

This is only one way of doing it. There's no substitute for practice, so get yourself along to a Mondello Park test day and experiment in a safe environment - and never practise on the public road.

Final word: don't expect to be able to drift for very long if you have a diesel XF. Most diesel cars have a very narrow power band that makes them tricky at the best of times.

Have fun...

Expert answer

Hi Patrick,

That's a lot of questions! Let's start with the Santa Fe. Your budget is likely to limit you to the last of the older generation. It's a tough piece of kit, but not great on the road in terms of comfort. It's reliable, though expensive enough to maintain. Early versions had clutch judder, but this should have been fixed in later versions with a new flywheel. We've not heard about diesel pump and injector trouble.

Given that budget we'd rather the Hyundai Tucson. There are plenty of them about and it's much nicer to drive on the road. Saying that, it's a good deal smaller than the Santa Fe. It's not as expensive to service however. It's the same story with the older Sportage, though we'd prefer the Tucson.

The RAV4 is a fine choice all-round. It's generally reliable and good on the road. I wouldn't be very worried about extra wear and tear in the driveline.

Don't forget about the Nissan X-Trail, Honda CR-V and Suzuki Grand Vitara. All worth a closer look.

Has that helped you create a shortlist?

Expert answer

Hi Rory,

I'm sure you're aware that your budget will get you any number of relatively new regular cars such as the Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Corolla and Ford Focus, along with bigger models like the Ford Mondeo and Toyota Avensis.

However, given your current choice of car I'd suspect that you'd like to retain the elevated driving position and your mileage dictates a diesel engine. Most cars can take a tow bar and you don't have heavy towing needs so that's not a major consideration. Likewise, all SUVs etc. will have room for your golf clubs.

So the logical choices based on all that include:

BMW X3: Good diesel engine, spacious, but your budget may only get you an older example.

Citroen C-Crosser: Great 2.2-litre diesel engine; rest of car built on Mitsubishi mechanicals.

Honda CR-V: Bomb-proof reliability, but again may have to settle for older example.

Hyundai Santa Fe: Big and comfortable, though running costs higher than smaller SUV.

Mitsubishi Outlander: Spacious, well made, ok diesel, if loud.

Nissan X-Trail: Strangely forgotten, but plenty around at this price.

Peugeot 4007: Shares its engine and underpinnings with the Citroen above.

Suzuki Grand Vitara: Very reliable.

Toyota RAV4: Another with impressive reliability. Possibly the choice of the lot at this price.

There are loads of older, bigger SUVs for sale at that price too, but they'll cost you more to run for no real benefit.

If you're willing to change body styles completely it's worth checking out something like a BMW 120d Coupé or a diesel 3 Series Coupé. There are also plenty of great estates on the market for that budget, including the Audi A4 Avant and BMW 3 Series Touring. I know you don't need that space for a family, but it's useful for a lot of other things.

Come back to us with more information and we'll help to narrow your search further.

Expert answer

Hi Barry,

Thanks for confirming via email that the total budget including trade-in is about €15,000.

One car that immediately comes to mind is the Honda Jazz. They're utterly reliable, easy to drive and park and are available with a decent enough CVT (continuously variable transmission) automatic gearbox. Here's an example on Carzone.ie. Emissions are in Band B so annual road tax is €225. The seating position is more upright in the Jazz than in most small cars so it's easier to get in and out of.

Another option is the Nissan Note. The automatic version's engine is 1.6-litre in size so emissions are higher, putting it into Band D for tax - costing €481 per annum. Otherwise it compares well with the Jazz, with easy access and good reliability in a compact package. Here's an example on Carzone.ie.

The Nissan Qashqai may also fit the bill, though it's a larger car overall, which I suspect is not what you're looking for.

If you need help narrowing the search down further come back to us - and let us know what you go for.

Expert answer

Hi Damien,

Both are good cars so you're starting from the right place. They're not too dissimilar as they share so much under the skin, but there are differences. Admittedly these are quite personal. Graeme Lambert works for us, and as he's the only one in the team that has driven both cars he's best placed to comment:

"Forgetting deals, spec and warranties, the Hyundai i40 is probably the one to go for. It is more refined and smoother on the road than the Kia Optima and has a better quality interior. Saying all that I really prefer the look of the Kia..."

Sorry if that confuses things, but the best advice is to go drive them for yourself.

Let us know how you get on.