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Hi Arthur,

Potentially, yes. There are some isolated reports of camshafts physically snapping and causing damage to the valve gear, but it seems to be relatively rare and only affects cars with mileages above 200,000 miles. There is also a somewhat more common issue of the timing chain breaking and causing similar damage, but the cure for that seems simply to make sure that the chain is replaced once the car nears or has passed the 150,000-mile mark.

Hope that helps

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Hi Patrick,

We have a lot of experience with this car actually. Both Neil and I ran Exeo saloons as long term test cars for a while, and I also had the ST estate for nearly a year.

I definitely preferred the estate in terms of looks and though it had more space in the boot, the Exeo saloon isn't bad at all in that regard. You probably know that it's essentially a previous generation Audi A4, down to the interior switchgear and engines. That's no bad thing of course, as the Audi was a premium model at the time, though it does mean that the Exeo feels dated in places.

Nonetheless, it is solidly built and everything works well. The TDI diesel engines are well-proven and particularly satisfying when specified in conjunction with the CVT automatic gearbox. They're not the most refined engines on the market, but good performers and pretty economical too.

Note that rear legroom isn't all that great, though it was improved in the latest versions.

Overall, if you can get the Exeo for a good price then you're buying a dependable car that is below most people's radar.

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Hi Mike,

That's because there is a severe lack of good quality used cars on the Irish market, especially for model years 2008 - 2011, due to low new car sales here during that period.

Dealers are resorting to importing cars for customers.

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Hi Brian,

Generally I'm a bit of a MINI fan, and have actually bought one. Love it. A 2003 though is the first generation car, with the Chrysler-built engine, and you have to watch those for electrical issues and early MINI models had problems with leaking fuel tanks. They're pretty robust cars though, as long as you avoid ones that have been obviously abused. Don't forget that they may be small, but they are still made by BMW so make sure the service record and history is on the button. They do hold their value very well, but any 10 -year old car isn't going to have much value left to hold. Fuel consumption won't be great though. That 1.6 engine wasn't the most sophisticated thing, so expect high 30s, low 40s mpg on average.

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Hi Deirdre,

Well, if you're not actually pulling anything, you shouldn't really need actual four-wheel drive, so I suggest either a Skoda Yeti Greenline or, if you fancy something a little larger, a Mazda CX-5 150hp Sport. Both have CO₂ emissions of 119g/km so cost just the €200 a year to tax. By comparison, a MINI Cooper diesel costs €190. 

If you really need the four-wheel drive, there are all-wheel drive versions of both cars but you're into higher purchase prices and tax bands in both cases.

Come back to us if you'd like more help

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Hi Joan,

We highly recommend the Hyundai i40 Tourer. It has a huge boot (though the Passat's is larger again) and is very comfortable. It's not easy to choose between the i40 and Passat at a fixed budget, so see what you can get for your money. The Hyundai, for instance, comes with a great five-year warranty from new and a high level of standard equipment. Its 1.7-litre diesel engine is also better than Volkswagen's 1.6-litre TDI equivalent, though the Volkswagen 2.0 TDI engine is better again if that's within reach.

Either way you're making a good choice and we'd recommend you test drive both cars to see which you like best.

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Hi Sean,

As far as the gearbox is concerned, more is always better, so a six-speeder should help keep your fuel consumption down a bit, especially if you do lots of cruising in top gear. 

As for engines, the 100hp one you refer to is a 1.6 petrol, while the 130hp unit is a 1.9 diesel. Obviously the diesel will be more economical, as the 1.6 struggles with the weight of the Passat and also suffers from problems with its driveshafts. 

Buy carefully though, as Passats of that age have often been abused by careless owners. There's plenty about however, so you can afford to be picky.

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Hi Nikki,

Bit of a funny one this. Normally, we would suggest that Lexus cars are peerless when it comes to quality and reliability, but there is some chatter out there on the owners' forums about some problems. OK, so this is not necessarily the most reliable source, but it's interesting that the same issues (injectors, coolant leaks, gearbox problems) keep cropping up. 

Certainly the gearbox was an issue and sufficiently so that Lexus changed some components on it during the car's lifetime, apparently to smooth out the shift action. Even so, the IS has a clunkier gearbox to use than an equivalent BMW or Audi. It also won't be as economical overall - the Toyota-derived 2.2 just can't keep up with the Germans in terms of economy. 

That said, it's a really good car to drive, has a lovely interior and, notwithstanding the Internet chatter, we'd still say it's a better bet for reliability than anything from Europe. Just check history and condition carefully before buying.

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Hi Noreen,

By and large, the Touareg is built to impressively high standards and you only need to look at the fact that the Porsche Cayenne uses the same basic mechanical package to realise that it's going to be of high quality. 

That said, there were some glitches with the early-build cars, and while a 2005 model should be over these wobbles, you need to make sure that all the various complex electronic systems are working properly. Watch for things like electric seat adjusters failing and be wary of glitchy infotainment systems.

Mechanically, the electronic control of the turbocharger can go awry leading to an inconsistent loss of power and get a mechanic (or the AA) to check the propshafts for potential wear and failure. 

Just as an aside though, enjoy it if you buy it. That generation of Touareg has one of the nicest cabins of any car of the past decade. A cracking car, and actually superior to its replacement, I reckon. 

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Hi Gary,

The surprising answer is, kinda, yes. If you're talking about the first and second generation Puntos, they are actually surprisingly robust. As with any Italian cars, watch all the electrical items like a hawk, but these cars pre-date the massive explosion in in-car gadgetry, so there are fewer things to go wrong. Engines, especially the 1.2 FIRE, are almost unburstable (just make sure the timing belt is changed regularly) and the bodies are strong and not prone to rust.