Expert answer

Hi Martina,

You can expect to pay from around €9,250 to €14,950 for a Corolla of varying mileage. Wipe about €800-€1,000 off this for a cash deal if you push hard. 

You will pay €8,945 for a high mileage Avensis diesel at one end or as much as €17,000 for a low mileage example. These prices are all from SIMI dealers. You might pay less for a private car or from an independent dealer. These prices are at extreme ends of condition and mileage too. 

Again, perhaps take €800 - €1,000 off these for cash buying. There is always the chance a dealer hasn't a lot of 'value' in a car so might offer less, so shop around!

Expert answer

SIMI are the Society of the Irish Motor Industry and as such, buying from one of its members is the closest you can get to total security when buying a used car. Of course there are no guarantees when buying a used car but at least here you are getting a car that has gone through a thorough car history check, and the dealers also have signed up to SIMIs code of conduct so they are answerable to a higher power. 

A spokesperson for SIMI outlined some of the benefits of buying from a SIMI dealer. "SIMI have high membership standards. To become a member of SIMI the garage must pass an audit and inspection. The dealer must submit among other documentation a tax clearance certificate, proof of planning permission, and be nominated by 3 existing members. Should a dispute arise we have a standards department that will investigate the consumers complaint. The first step is mediation between the customer and the garage. If that does not resolve the issue we have an independent tribunal that is headed up by a former rights commissioner and also a consumer group. The tribunal decision is binding on the SIMI garage."

Cars from SIMI dealers tend to be better, but this is not to say that there are not good independent dealers who choose not to become members of the SIMI and pay their fees. There are good independent car history check websites around such as Cartell.ie and Motorcheck.ie and for a fee there are several layers of check you can do on these cars. So, no, we wouldn't say to avoid non-SIMI dealers, but SIMI dealers do come with some security as-standard. 

If you want to come back to us with an idea of your budget and needs, feel free and we will guide you a litte bit more.

Expert answer

Hi Fiona,

With a car of that age and high mileage you really have to be prepared for a lot to go wrong. Toyotas of that age have an excellent reliability record, but depending on how the car was used and maintained up to now there are still likely to be things that require replacing. Obviously normal items like brakes, clutch and filters will require regular checks, but with a car of that age you need to watch out for CV joints, suspension bushings, ball joints, gear linkages, engine mountings, etc. That engine is quite robust, but make sure it has had its timing belt regularly changed if possible before buying the car. Also watch out for oil leaks and high coolant temperatures.

In summary, you really need to be ready for anything to go wrong in a car of that age and mileage.

Expert answer

Hi Donal,

We got a little more information from you and we now know that your budget is around €20,000 with scrappage. The Corolla has grown in size as a saloon so I guess you aren't after something of that size. My first thought had been a Skoda Octavia diesel, which starts at €19,340, but this is also quite a big car so might not appeal.

Another excellent choice would be the new revised Mazda3. This comes with a good diesel engine and is available as a saloon, but isn't overly bulky. We drove this car recently and found it really competent. The four-door saloon version starts at €22,525, though there is €3,530 off in the scrappage deal so it would cost you €18,995, which is well under budget.

Another option would be the Renault Fluence. This is a substantial car and you get so much for the money. We had the top spec TomTom edition and although the sticker price is €23,500 it drops to €19,000 under scrappage. Read our review of the car here. However, if you think the new Corolla is too big, you may find that the Fluence is as well.

It is very hard to look beyond the Ford Focus too. The saloon might be just over your budget, but there is an excellent offer on the hatchback, which is €21,015. With scrappage this would be under budget.

In answer to your question, best for comfort, economy and reliability (and not too big), the Mazda seems to suit you best out of this lot, especially when it comes to the price. They are pretty good at holding their value too.

I hope this helps. Please feel free to come back to us if you have more questions. Just drop them into the comment box below.

Expert answer

Hi Bernadette,

That is a very good question. Your car is now worth around about €7,000. That is a rough approximation going on what you've said and it is what you would be offered as a trade-in, so it would depend on what you wanted to spend on top of this.

But what I would say is that your car is low mileage for the year, so you would get more for it now as a trade-in than if you waited a year or so when the mileage will start to go against it.

This year is proving a very good one to do a deal, especially with all the discounting that is underway, so you could decide to capitalise on that. If finances allow then you probably should go for it now.

Conversely, you could get another five years service out of your Corolla without it missing a beat.

Expert answer

Hi Anthony,

Well we can't quite say exactly what you are likely to get offered for your Corolla, but let's presume that it is likely to be about €2,500 - €3,000 when traded in against something new. With a budget of €25,000 on top of this then there is a lot of choice available to you. You could have a wide variety of new cars and an even greater choice of used models.

In answer to your first question, with you doing 18,000 miles per year, you could do with a diesel engine to keep your fuel bills down.

Your choices in terms of a new car are massive, including a brand new Toyota Avensis, which would probably add up to the best deal in terms of your trade-in. The new Avensis is remarkably comfortable and for a car that you are likely to spend so long in, this would make a nice place to sit. The diesel engine in the Avensis is very good, and it will be cheap to run and Toyota residuals are superb.

A sum of €26,735 will get you the 125hp Avensis Strata saloon. Another great choice for comfort and residual value would be the Volkswagen Passat. You could have the 1.6 TDI Comfortline BlueMotion for €27,375 and that has the feel of an executive car and would be great for the high mileage you do.

Almost impossible to ignore is the Skoda Superb. It really is great. You could have a 2.0-litre 170hp Comfort model for €27,805. Granted you might not need all that rear space, but there are few more comfortable cars on the road.

A car we have just spent a few days in is the updated Mazda6. The new model has a much better diesel engine than before, and there are some changes to the spec of the car. This offers a good blend between comfort and sportiness. It is a good-looking car too and comes as a hatchback.

A car I really like is the Subaru Legacy diesel. This is one of the most underrated cars around and it is lovely to drive. A 2009 model would cost you about €23,000 so it would be under your budget by quite a degree:

http://tiny.cc/43787

However, the car I'd think about with your budget is the VW Passat CC, the more coupé-like version of the Passat. There is a stunning 2.0-litre TDI model on sale in Dublin for €29,950 and it is absolutely stunning:

http://tiny.cc/4j2hf

Expert answer

Hi Ray

I understand that your Corolla saloon has 68,000 km (42,000 miles) on it. Prices seem to be fairly consistent for them and you should probably expect about €8,000 - €9,000 as a trade-in, which isn't bad because your mileage is quite low.

Your budget is €4,000 and you need a seven-seater and you want something that is going to be reliable, comfortable and safe. I understand that you are being asked to spend €3,000 with your own car for a 2005 model and €4,500 for a 2006 model Scenic. This seems a little steep to me and steep to our Renault advisor. Also the Scenic, as it ages doesn't always stand up in terms of reliability. 

However, if money is an issue, I would be inclined to go for a petrol version of the Scenic, which can be picked up for half the price of the petrol models.

However if you want something reliable I would think you might stick with Toyota and get a Verso. 

Something like this 1.6-litre petrol model would be a super buy and it is from an SIMI dealer.

http://tiny.cc/47qyu

Expert answer

Hi Alice

It isn't totally unusual for someone to trade in two cars against one. Car dealers are a little short on good used cars and the two you have to trade are likely to be quite welcome. 

You could try and sell one privately and use the cash as a deposit against your newer car, but selling privately can be a headache and you might be waiting a while for the car to sell. I would suggest that you try your local Toyota dealer initially, as they're likely to offer better deals on your Toyotas. 

You mention scrappage in your question. Unfortunately neither of your cars qualify for the scrappage scheme as they are not yet ten years old. So it would be a case of trading in both cars against a new car as normal. 

Without knowing details of your two trade-in cars in terms of mileage and condition we wouldn't be keen to give you an estimate of the price of these, but it would seem logical that you would stick with Toyota and get another Avensis (a diesel) as you are likely to be most welcome by the Toyota dealer. 

Feel free to come back to us with more details on your cars and we will see how we can help further.

Paddy