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Hi Colin,

Yup, first world problem right enough, and actually not a new phenomenon at all. The old left-hand-drive-right-hand-drive swapover has been done better and worse by various car makers down the years, and it varies hugely from model to model. Anyone who’s driven a Mazda RX-8, and found the handbrake digging into their left thigh, for example, will have no doubts that even the Japanese, in spite of their right-hand-drive home market, often design cars for left-hand drive and then switch things around on the cheap.

Generally speaking, there should be no safety issues from the switch (wipers, as you point out, should really be swapped across and I can’t think of a model in recent years that hasn’t had that) although there was the old issue with the second generation Renault Megane that used a rod to switch the brakes across and which could still be activated by a passenger poking their shoes into the footwell…

As you point out, some buttons, switches, etc are often left the same and it’s all down to the investment needed to swap them around and the likely return on sales from right-hand-drive markets. Car makers do the maths very carefully, and while you’re right that it might only be €100 a car, that’s a multi-million up front investment, and one with no guaranteed return.

Incidentally, if you think it’s bad now, wait until after Brexit — if the UK car market slips, then the business case for right-hand-drive cars will fall further still.

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Hi Marlen,

It's impossible for us to accurately assess a car that we haven't seen, but for a small premium such as that it could well be worth having the newer car. That said, one should never buy on age and mileage, but on condition and history, so go for whichever one is in better condition and which has the more complete service history.

As for potential mileage, if you keep a car properly serviced and cared for (Toyotas especially so) the sky's the limit...

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Hi Gavin,

Well the obvious answer for the first part is that there’s a 27hp difference — the 177hp 2.0-litre TDI engine has significantly more power and torque, but to be honest the 150hp version is pretty sufficient. S line and SE Tecknik are pretty similar in overall equipment levels, but the S line will have slightly lower, firmer suspension so may not be ideal for you depending on where you mostly drive. The knob below the gear stick is the MMI system, which controls the car’s setting and infotainment. If it doesn’t have that then it’s a pretty basic model, on which the original owner hasn’t spent any money on extras. 

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Hi John,

OK, lots and lots of options. How about a Fiat 500? Great looking, fun to drive, well made and that 1.2-litre petrol engine is willing enough to tackle motorway work from time to time.

Late 2000s MINIs fall into your budget too, and they're great fun to drive, roomier than the 500 (well, a bit) and solid on longer journeys.

You could be dead sensible and go for an Audi A3 1.6 petrol and there'd be nothing wrong with that - ticks all the boxes.

Or maybe something a bit more left-field? How about a Volkswagen Beetle? An original Mini (we did find one in your budget) or even a Smart ForTwo Brabus?

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Hi Kev,

Yes, it's a tricky combination of things you need. Normally we'd say go for the Lexus and just enjoy the ultimate in reliability, but as you rightly point out, there's an issue with luggage space. With that in mind, I think the best bet is the Audi A8, which has masses of space in the cabin and boot and which should be, aside from the Lexus, the most overall reliable car in your list. 

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Hi Simon,

If you want the ultimate performance car driving course then I think that the Porsche Centre in Silverstone is the best one to go for. They’ve expanded the track there in recent years, so there’s more room to play, and it’s impossible to beat the appeal of a Porsche when it comes to honing your driving skills. Closer to home, the BMW course at Mondello is excellent, and obviously far more convenient, and it’s well worth checking out Rally School Ireland up in Monaghan, too.

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Hi Martin,

We haven’t actually done that, as yet, but here’s a quick rundown of our favourites:

1. Skoda Superb Combi: massive, roomy, cavernous, spacious, replete with space — whatever way you want to put it, the Superb is the best estate around simply because you can fit the most amount of stuff into one. Looks good too, and is exceptionally comfortable. Not the sharpest thing to drive, but you won’t really care.

2. Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate: really good looking, massive boot, staggeringly high quality cabin, comfortable, smooth 2.0-litre diesel and surprisingly good to drive.

3. Volvo V90: another one that’s surprisingly good to drive, with sharper steering than you’d expect. Gorgeous interior, exceptionally comfy seats and the only problem is that the boot isn’t quite as big as it should be. Exterior styling does kind of make up for that, a little.

4. Volkswagen Golf Estate: not the obvious choice perhaps, but adds extra space (lots of it — a 605-litre boot) to the Golf’s usual other qualities of quality and classiness. An ideal family car and more affordable to buy and run than an average SUV.

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Hi Ryan,

Your Carens is going to be worth in the region of €16,000 to €18,000 as a trade in, and the cheapest new Carens is €28,000, so you’re looking at finding or financing €10-12k to trade up.

Generally speaking, all seven-seaters hold their value pretty well, not least because we’re still going through something of a baby boom at the moment and families are keen to trade-up to cars that can handle multiple child car seats. The best for resale are the Volkswagen Touran, Toyota Verso, Citroen C4 Picasso and your Carens.

If you like it, I’d stick with it for your new car — the Carens is one of the best compact seven-seaters around.

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Hi Derek,

OK, you haven’t told us the year of your Mazda so that makes it a little hard to value, but seeing as it’s the 1.8 petrol I’m going to guess that it’s around 2006-2007. If so, then I’d say that the €4,400 trade-in offer is actually pretty good.

As to what car to get, if you’re looking for a small hatch then it’s very hard indeed to look past the Volkswagen Golf. It’s one of the world’s best-selling cars for a reason, and as long as you buy one with a full service history and keep it looked after, you should get plenty of years of reliable service out of one yet.

Ditto for the mechanically identical SEAT Leon and Skoda Octavia. The Opel Astra GTC is a fine car in many ways — handsome, good to drive, decent quality, but it was hamstrung by poor diesel engines (other than the range-topping 2.0-litre) and unless you’re looking at the 1.4 petrol turbo model, it’s possibly not the best purchase.

The Focus is definitely a good buy, and that TDCi diesel is frugal to run, but you just have to be slightly cautious about diesel power right now. If you’re not doing big miles, you’d be better off with a petrol car.

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Hi Steve,

Generally speaking, no you shouldn’t avoid, but of course it’s not that simple. You’re quite right, Volkswagen does claim, and presumably would claim, that its updates do nothing to alter engine performance. There is some back up to this claim, though, as the fixes had to be approved and signed off on by the German federal transport authority, which at least gives some independent oversight to the process.

Now, there have been some reports in the press about issues with the updates, such as higher CO₂ emissions and a degradation in fuel economy, but those are as yet unverified. I think, in general, you should be fine buying a Volkswagen car that has to be recalled, though, if it turns out there are any issues, they will simply have to be brought back in again and fixed, but fixed better this time.