Expert answer

Hi Paddy,

I have a bit of a soft spot for Saabs in general, but would advise some caution here. That generation 9-3 suffered from a chassis that aged very badly relative to the competition and to be blunt, a Ford Mondeo will drive rings around it. There's also not a lot of space in the back seats. 

On the upside, the 1.9 diesel (a Fiat-General Motors unit) is a good 'un - noisy but very economical and, being a Saab, it's both refreshingly different to other cars, superbly comfy and well able to deal with the rigours of an Irish winter.

Hope that's of some help

Expert answer

Hi Peter,

You're really comparing two quite different cars here. The Auris is a larger car than the Jazz, which is really more of a rival to the Ford Fiesta. Which means that the Auris is going to be more comfy and refined over a long distance, but if you're sticking mostly around town, go for the Jazz. There are no reports of the Auris' stop-start system causing any issues, but the Auris has been generating reports of problems with squeaky front brakes, slipping handbrakes and noisy gearboxes.

The Jazz, by contrast has generated no repeating fault reports and Hondas are usually incredibly reliable. Yes, parts can be a bit pricey for them (the Toyota would be cheaper to service and repair), but so few things go wrong that you probably won't need to spend much. Go for the Jazz so - it's sweeter to drive, has a cleverer interior and will probably prove more reliable.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Victor,

I assume you mean the 'City' button found in Fiat Group cars. This increases the power assistance for the steering at low speeds, lessening the effort requires to turn the steering wheel. It makes parking in town (and city!) particularly easy.

Hope that helps!

Expert answer

Hi Jimmy,

Try a Skoda Octavia 1.2 TSI petrol. It's massive inside and has a huge boot, and it can easily reach 50mpg in daily driving, with around 900km to a tank possible.

Expert answer

Hi Donagh,

All of the cars you've listed there will be both a lot more reliable and much more economical than your 407, but potentially your best bet is to stay within the Peugeot dealer network where you'll most likely get the best deal on your trade-in. The new 308 is looking pretty impressive, comes with a five-year warranty and Peugeot's build quality has come on a long way since the 407...

Let us know which way you go

Expert answer

Hi Peter,

Yes, it's reliable and no, there are no major issues to watch out for. Just bear in mind a couple of things. Automatic cars can be a little harder on brakes than their manual cousins, and they can of course be more thirsty. More significant still, the smaller-engined versions of the Polo 55- and 65hp 1.2 petrols are pretty sluggish at the best of times and with an auto 'box both drawing power and adding weight, you could be looking at really slow-motion driving.

Expert answer

Hi Dan,

Yes, UK cars often have higher spec levels than Irish models (although base spec is essentially the same), but you will of course pay extra at VRT time for any toys. Beware the N47 diesel engine timing chain issues though  — don’t buy a car that hasn’t got a full BMW service history.

Expert answer

Hi Morgan,

Honestly, there is just nothing to look for on these cars, beyond the usual making sure the service history is complete and up to date, and checking underneath for signs of, ahem, over-enthusiastic off-roading. It is worth bearing in mind that these cars are bred for hard work and can get abused by former owners, but as long as you're happy with the history, all should be well. As for long or short wheelbase, it depends what you want it for. If you're planing on carrying kids or other rear seat passengers, then get the long wheelbase model, as the shortie is just a bit pointless in the back. And definitely go for automatic, it'll pay off come resale time.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Stephen,

Yes, they're pretty good actually. Mechanically, just keep an eye on the usual diesel particulate filter and make sure that the clutch engages and disengages cleanly and easily. The only other worry is over electrics. There were repeated wiring loom problems with early cars, so if any that you're looking at display even the slightest electrical gremlin, walk away.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Andrew,

Whether it's a case of giving us the poor mouth or not I'm not sure but Irish dealers by and large operate on a margin of between 8 and 12 per cent. That can vary wildly between brands, of course. Dacia dealers for instance will probably tell you they work on a margin closer to five per cent, so don't go asking for discounts. Premium brand dealers will obviously have broader margins so there is a little more scope for discounting there. 

The UK market has a number of advantages over us when it comes to seeking out bargains. For a start, there's no VRT to pay, whereas anything from 30 to 50 per cent of every Irish dealer's sale goes straight into the tax man's pocket. Competition in the UK is also much more cut-throat and the big dealers have to compete with the likes of car supermarkets, so they're keener to offer discounts.

If you're looking for bargains at the moment in Ireland, the best thing to do is watch for pre-registrations. To meet their market share targets, many importers are pressuring their dealers to register cars that will then be sold as 'nearly new' or 'demo model' at a significant price cut. The best thing to do is shop at the start of the month, as most pre-registering will be done on the last working day of the previous month and dealers will be keen to off-load pre-registered stock.

Hope all that helps