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Hi Anais,

All diesel engines available in the 2014 Avensis used timing chains.

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Hi Fergal,

That's actually becoming a bit of a challenge as regular cars such as the Mondeo have fallen out of favour with buyers, so the carmakers are slowly doing away with them. At the same time, demand for diesel engines is waning. Nonetheless, here are a few possibilities:

- Audi A5 'Saloon' (it's actually a five-door hatch)
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class saloon
- Skoda Superb (another hatchback and the closest match to the Mondeo today)

That's pretty much it. A leftfield alternative could be the Peugeot 508 SW, which is the estate model. It can be had with a diesel engine still, but the five-door 508 fastback cannot. We reckon it looks stunning.

How do these strike you?

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Hi Conor, 

The information you've provided suggests that the Premium SV model emits 81-100g/km, while the SV emits 121-130g/km. It sounds to us like you're comparing cars with different engines completely.

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Hi Frank,

It's the timing belt itself that you've heard about most likely as, on some versions of the 1.0-litre Ford EcoBoost engine, it is what's called a “wet belt”. That means the timing belt actually runs in oil, where most timing belts do not.

Ford isn't alone in having problems with them. The rubber in the belts can degrade due to many issues including use of the wrong engine oil and impurities in the oil as it gets older.

The good news for you is that, while earlier examples of the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine did use this setup (though not all), and Ford dropped it from 2022 on, the MHEV engines always used timing chains instead and they should therefore be more robust.

However, even those later engines use a rubber belt to drive the oil pump and that still runs in oil so potentially has all the same issues. It is too new for those problems to have come to light and Ford believes it is designed for the life of the engine because it is under far less stress than the timing belt was.

All we can advise is that you carry out oil changes a little sooner than recommended and that you always use the correct specification of oil.

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Hi Jordan,

The two different 1.6-litre petrol engines available in the Astra J of 2011 used timing belts.

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Hi Teresa,

There's no definitive answer to that, but let's talk through some of it.

First up, while three-cylinder engines might be less balanced and more susceptible to stress when pushed than their four-cylinder counterparts, that's entirely unimportant if you generally pootle around and don't extend the engine to its fullest. And you service it properly.

If you like your car and you don't have to change it, why bother? The more you change your car, the more it costs you in the long run after all.

Nonetheless, if you've got it in your head that you don't trust the three-cylinder engine for some reason, then both the 1.5 Golf and the Corolla are good options.

If all that matters to you is reliability, then it's hard to ignore the Toyota as it has such a strong reputation on that front. We wouldn't expect the Golf to be unreliable as such, but the Corolla is bombproof.

But there's a lot more to a car than dependability and if you already like the Golf, you may well prefer another one over the Corolla. The drive very differently and feel very different, too.

Our advice would be to go and test drive the cars for yourself to see which you prefer, but don't hurry into a decision if there's nothing wrong with your current car.

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Hi Chevalier,

We have no way of knowing which setup your car's engine has remotely, but you are correct in that some of the engines from that year use a chain for the high-pressure fuel pump drive while others use a belt - alongside the main timing belt.

It doesn't really matter which your engine has, unfortunately, as the chain must be replaced just as often as the timing belt - at least every 200,000km or 10 years, whichever comes first.

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Hi Michael,

If the car suits you now then there's no reason to change it. Sounds like it's barely broken in. Saying that, low mileage at low speeds does not suit diesel engines and their exhaust systems so make sure you take it for a good spin at higher engine speeds regularly to keep it in good condition.

The latest petrol engines are quite efficient, though, so you should go test one out to see what you think of it.

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Hi Ann,

The issue with early PureTech petrol engines is well documented. They use what's called a “wet belt”, which means the timing belt actually runs in oil. Most timing belts do not. Unfortunately, many of these engines have reportedly suffered from premature timing belt degradation. This can lead to lots of other engine issues caused by the presence of bits of the timing belt in the oil system. This did not affect every example of the engine, though.

In an attempt to fix the issue, there was a change to the material used in the timing belt from about 2021.

Aside from that, using the correct oil at service time is key, and perhaps shortening the time between oil services is to be advised. Likewise, we'd urge owners to change the timing belt a little earlier than the official interval.

Expert answer

Hi Kevin,

Looking at the facts first of all, the Grandland Electric and Scenic E-Tech electric start at roughly the same asking price, below €40,000 once all incentives are taken into consideration. However, for that price, the Grandland gets a 73kWh battery pack and an official range of up to 523 kilometres, while the Scenic's 60kWh battery means a range of 430km. The Grandland is more powerful as well, featuring a 213hp motor while a 170hp motor comes with the Scenic's smaller battery.

Nonetheless, that Scenic is a massive 300kg lighter than the Opel so it's actually faster accelerating, better to drive and a little more efficient.

The Scenic can be had with an 87kWh battery to extend the range to an official 625km, though that's more expensive again. On a three-year finance package that may not be an issue of course.

The Scenic is a bit smaller overall, with a length 200mm shy of the Grandland's, but it seems to be better packaged, as the interior is just as spacious and the boot, at 535 litres, is only 15 litres down on the Opel's. The better packaging is likely to do with the fact the Grandland underpinnings were developed to accept engines as well an electric powertrain, while the Scenic is only offered as an EV.

Both feel of good quality inside, though we much rather the infotainment and dashboard layout of the Renault. On the road, we also prefer how the Scenic drives.

Hopefully all that is of help, but don't hesitate to come back to us if you need more.

The best advice we can give you is to go and test drive the cars before you make any decision.