What's the lifetime of a Mazda RX-8 engine?
What's the realistic lifetime of a Mazda RX-8 engine?
John Whelan (Dublin)Jul 2013 Filed under: reliability
Expert answer
Hi John,
To say that the RX-8 is a bit of a mixed bag is to venture into the grassy uplands of dramatic understatement. Brilliant to drive, sexy to look at and surprisingly practical, if you love rotary engines, then it's a must-buy at some stage.
But boy does it have its problems. In the RX-8's defence most of the engine's problems are down to maintenance, but the problem is that we've become accustomed to cars working faultlessly without us checking on them like spoiled kids every few minutes. An RX-8 isn't like that; it needs constant care and attention. Mostly this is to do with the oil. Rotarys get through a lot of it, so you've got to check it regularly (like, every week) and keep it topped up with high-grade stuff. No cheap oil here. Failure to do so will mean the early wear of the rotor tips and that's when the engine is on the slippery road to oblivion. Cared for properly, an RX-8 engine can rack up massive mileage mostly faultlessly. But let it slip and we've heard of engines having to be replaced after as little as 40,000 miles.
Tread carefully.
Is this Touran good value and likely to be reliable?
2008 Volkswagen Touran with DSG for €8,500: is it good value and is it reliable?
Peter Evans (Castlemaine)Jun 2013 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi Peter,
Generally Tourans are pretty well made and the cabin in particular is very rugged indeed, a major consideration if you're going to be hauling kids around in the back of it. There are some reports swirling around on t'internet of gearbox issues, with some owners reporting that the DSG gearbox has failed when driving at speed, with literally explosive results. Other than that, it's the usual electrical niggles and some issues with the fuel injectors and pumps on the diesel engines. As for value, if it's a petrol version, you might pick a 2008 model up for around €7,000-8,000, but if it's a diesel, expect to pay more like €11,000-12,000.
Let us know how you get on.
Help me buy a BMW 8 Series
Hi there, I am looking at a BMW 8 Series 4.4-litre with 206,000km on the clock and three owners. It's a UK car with no duty paid. How much is it worth and what should I be on the look out for?
Thanks
Liam Tully (Dublin)Jun 2013 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Liam,
OK, the value is a hard thing to put an absolute figure on as the 8 Series is now of an age where it's all about the condition and history of the car. If it's in good nick and there's a full set of BMW or independent BMW specialist stamps in the service book, then you should be looking at a value of around €6,000-7,000, maybe a touch less considering that this car has pretty high mileage.
Thankfully, that mileage is nothing to worry about, with one major caveat and that caveat is engine failure. Some 840ci models used engines with a cylinder bore lined in an alloy called Alusil, which is prone to wear and can cause the engine to go expensively pop. If your car has the other type of cylinder liner, Nikasil, then you should be fine, and by and large the 8 Series is an astonishingly robust car, with very few reported common faults.
Just make sure you check that everything electrical is working correctly, as the 8 Series was kind of on that cusp between the simpler pre-electronic age and the arrival of all the complex modern gadgets.
If you buy it, let us know how you get on and give us as flash of your cool pop-up headlamps!
Why does the DSG gearbox cost double in Skoda's Superb?
Ever wonder why the DSG gearbox in the Skoda Superb is double the price of the Octavia's? I've asked the people in Skoda to explain why, but they ignored me...
Ben Dolan (Galway)Jun 2013 Filed under: automatic
Expert answer
Hi Ben,
The only way to look at this like-for-like at the moment is the compare the Superb (pre-facelift that goes on sale next month) and the new Octavia, both with 2.0 TDI 140 engines. The DSG option costs €4,865 in the Superb and just €2,300 in the Octavia and it should be the same six-speed unit in each.
However, adding a DSG transmission to that Superb moves it from tax Band B1 to Band C, or, more pertinently, from a situation where the car is subject to 18 per cent VRT to one where it attracts 23 per cent VRT. In comparison, the Octavia moves from Band A3 to A4, adding a single per cent increase in VRT (rising from 17- to 18 per cent).
Nonetheless, we did a quick calculation to get the prices before VRT of each car and subtract the manual price from the DSG and it still works out that Skoda charges considerably more for the DSG transmission.
We contacted Skoda Ireland and it agreed and has changed this in the new Superb. Here's the official response:
"The Superb DSG premium on average was €4,300; this will be reduced to €3,000 with the introduction of the Superb facelift in July. This represents a customer saving of €1,300 compared to the outgoing model. This is a slightly higher premium than the Octavia model; however, it is not as simple as pricing the transmission as a single unit and then applying it to the various models. There are many factors taken into consideration when pricing vehicles as a whole. Previously the Superb DSG was a big seller for Skoda. With improved prices we are confident we will see even more customer moving to DSG from manual transmission."
Which is the best diesel engine in the Opel Astra?
Opel Astra 1.3-1.7 diesel engines: which is the best one?
John Delaney (Mountmellick)Jun 2013 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi John,
I'd go for the 1.3. True, it's not as grunty as the 1.7, but the 1.7 is a truly ancient engine, able to trace its roots all the way back to the early nineties when Isuzu first designed it and no-one in General Motors knew what the heck this de-hee-zel stuff was and they sure weren't going to put it in a car. The 1.3 by contrast was co-developed with Fiat in the early 2000s so is a much fresher, more high-tech design and it's a better engine all-round.
Both are a touch noisy compared with the best latest-gen diesels, but again the 1.7 is far worse in this regard and also has an annoying tendency to stall when pulling out of junctions. So go for the 1.3. A cracking little engine.
Hope that helps
How good and reliable is the Ssangyong Rexton?
How good and how reliable is the Ssangyong Rexton? I'm looking at a 2005-2007 models. And do they give much trouble?
Ronnie Carr (Limerick)Jun 2013 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Ronnie,
It's a bit of a mixed bag, apparently. While the Rexton is a pretty simple beast, there are plenty of tales of electrical issues and minor glitches and we know of one owner who blew two Rexton engines in quick succession - after which he was advised to have it serviced every 10,000km! Other than that, keep a keen eye out for signs of abuse. Rextons are often seen as a cheap alternative to other 4x4s and so tend to be bought for hard work and heavy lifting. If it's been used off-road or on building sites a lot (a common fate for many Rextons) there could be some bodywork damage to deal with.
As for just being a car, they're not much cop to be honest. Noisy, slow and with spectacularly bad handling. You'd be much better off in a Toyota Land Cruiser, even if you have to go for an older model within your budget.
Hope that helps
How economical is the BMW X3?
Can you tell me how economical the BMW X3 is in diesel, four-wheel drive (xDrive) guise?
Patsy Whelan (Carlow)Expert answer
Hi Patsy,
BMW offers three different diesel engines with xDrive four-wheel drive in the X3, the xDrive20d, xDrive30d and xDrive35d. The xDrive20d can be had with a manual or automatic gearbox and the official figure is 50.4mpg (5.6 litres/100km) no matter which transmission is fitted. The xDrive30d and xDrive35d are only available with automatic gearboxes and the official fuel economy figures are 47.1mpg and 46.3mpg respectively (6.0- and 6.1 litres/100km).
Those figures won't be obtainable in the real-world, obviously! We spent time with the xDrive20d during snowy conditions a few years back (read the full review here) and averaged 34mpg (8.3 litres/100km), though in normal conditions it should do a lot better than that. We also tested the xDrive30d (read that full review here), though apologies, but I didn't record the average fuel consumption figure at the time...
Audi Q5, BMW X3 or Range Rover Evoque?
I'm thinking of buying a mid-sized SUV and have narrowed my choice down to a BMW X3, Audi Q5 and the Range Rover Evoque. The Range Rover has the pedigree, but to be honest, I'm not going to do serious off-roading, I just want to cope with difficult weather conditions that sometimes crop up down the country and drive on the odd muddy track. Also, I understand the mpg figures quoted for the Evoque are a bit optimistic and to be honest, I can't but feel that the Evoque looks a bit girly!
The BMW ticks a lot of boxes, but seems a bit dated. I'm leaning to the Q5; it looks the part, has a decent engine, recent upgrade and seems to be a good all-rounder. Can you give any advice on choosing between the three? Also, I'm thinking of going automatic and again I was wondering if you had any advice in that department?
Martin Moroney (Dublin)May 2013 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Martin,
You're in an enviable position and, before going into more detail, we'd be very happy with any of those cars as an ownership proposition.
Personally, I'd be sorely tempted by the Evoque. There are plenty of colour and wheel options to change its appearance to your liking, it's much more of an occasion inside and it drives like a hot hatch (the chassis is very much road-biased, though it does well enough off-road when needed). Admittedly, certain versions of the BMW and Audi may be more economical, but I'd look at it very closely.
When the current BMW X3 came out it really took a leap forward from its predecessor in terms of comfort, quality and refinement, but between that and the Audi Q5 I may too be swayed by the fact that the Audi has had a more recent update. I also prefer how the Q5 looks. There's very little between them depending on which engines you're looking at.
The best advice is to go test drive each car for as long as possible, paying close attention to the specifications of the test cars.
In terms of automatic gearboxes, unless you're looking at a petrol Q5 (which I doubt!) or the high-performance SQ5 TDI model (fantastic) then the only option is the dual-clutch S-Tronic unit. This helps with efficiency and allows the driver more control when he wants it, but is not as smooth as a traditional torque converter gearbox, as fitted to the Evoque and BMW. They're both smooth systems, but the eight-speed item in the BMW is the most impressive, managing to minimise fuel consumption increases.
Hopefully that's of help, but come back to us if you need more
Would a BMW 520d suit me for low mileage?
Would the new shape 2010 BMW 520d with 100,000 miles on the clock be a bad buy? I do very small mileage.
Frank Cronin (Dublin)May 2013 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Frank,
The new-shape BMW 5 Series is a fabulous car, especially if it has the right equipment, such as a leather interior, etc. The 520d is nothing short of fantastic when new, though we've heard reports that this 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine can have expensive problems as it gets older - especially if oil maintenance is not adhered to strictly. If the one you're looking at has a detailed service history then there's less worry.
However, if you do very small mileage we'd question why you're going for a diesel car at all. The fuel economy might be tempting, but you should look around and see what petrol models you can get for your money too, as modern petrol engines are improving in terms of fuel economy and emissions - and they're generally cheaper to buy and maintain. They're also quieter and far better suited to low mileage use.
Let us know how you get on
What are Skodas like?
Could you give me an assessment of Skoda's cars for reliability, comfort and economy?
Celsus Fennell (Dublin)May 2013 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Celsus,
As an overview, Skoda's cars are all reliable, quite comfortable and generally economical. Bigger wheels reduce comfort and the Yeti is less 'soft' on the road than say the Octavia and Superb. Most people stick with the diesel engines, which are very efficient.
If you'd like us to comment on something specific please come back to us.