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Hiya Alan,

In a word, no we wouldn't recommend a used one. While the RX-8 is a great car and was super when it came out new, it has been a total disaster in terms of reliability. It drinks oil and fuel and there is a list of problems with it. There is a fair amount of evidence that the engines on these cars aren't lasting much more than 80,000- to 100,000 kilometres and there have been problems with starting the engines too. 

We would love to recommend the RX-8 as a second-hand buy but there is a strong chance you would be heart broken and given the fact that you have had grief before then I reckon you don't want that to happen again.

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Hi Trish,

In general, the later Saabs are pretty solid. They are generally based on General Motors platforms and the engines are tried and trusted. As they get older they can become a little expensive to repair but since you are looking at 2007 models or newer then these should be good. It is true that there have been some reports of failed turbos in the past, but they are quite rare. 

There was a recall in 2007 for a problem with the handbrake but in general this car has been good. Depending on your needs, we would say you should get the cabrio, because this has brilliant resale value. This example is nice and comes from a SIMI dealer. 

Otherwise, I would probably go for this 150hp diesel, which has low mileage and would have good fuel economy. 

I hope this helps. 

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Hi Zoe,

We spoke to Shane Teskey from Motorcheck.ie as he is a bit of an expert in this area and he told us that the rules state that the car "needs to be complete", but the thing is that the car doesn't need to get there under its own steam. I would say that if you spoke to your local authorised scrap yard then they might be of assistance on the matter. I would imagine that if you swapped the engines there would be no issue. They just won't allow parts of cars to be used to claim the discount on the scheme.

We will check out this a little more for you.  

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Hi there,

Well the obvious choice would be to go and get the latest Renault Laguna Sports Tourer, which could cost you as little as €23,090 under the scrappage scheme with a 2.0-litre diesel engine. This might be a bit over budget though. 

You are almost certainly going to get the best deal from a Renault dealership. The Grand Mégane is another option, but this only comes with a 1.5-litre diesel or 1.6-litre petrol. I am not sure why you would need it to be over 1.6-litre because the modern smaller engines are really good and the 1.5-litre diesel in the Mégane is really very competent. 

Hope that helps - if you need further advice please drop us a line in the comment box below

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Hi Patrick,

I believe that the 1.3-litre turbodiesel Astra has about the same maximum power as your 1.4-litre petrol model, but it has signficantly more torque so it would be faster overall. Also, being six years younger won't hurt it.

The biggest difference between the two will be the manner in which the power is delivered. Petrol engines without turbocharging produce all their power when being revved, while the turbodiesel engine is better in the mid-range.

As with all car purchases, we recommend you drive the car you're considering for as long as possible on a variety of roads to make sure it suits you.

Let us know if you need anything else and tell us how you get on.

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Hi Gerard,

Sorry for taking so long to come back to you, but we wanted to investigate this a little. I've asked several independent and franchised garages about this and nobody has come across this problem with the VW Group TDI engines.

How did you determine what actually happened? Just add a comment below this question.

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Hi Marie,

We had a chat on the phone to get more information and now know that you would prefer to sell the L200 privately and use the cash to buy your next vehicle, so your budget is about €10,000 - €12,000.

The difficulty in getting something with height is that the SUVs going back a few years tended to be diesel with fairly large engines, so before 2008 these engines were in some cases cheaper to tax than they are now. Emissions were higher, but you were charged - as you are probably aware - for the size of your engine. I'm sure you don't want to get landed with a high road tax bill per year, but we will explore some options. 

The first is a 2004 Toyota RAV4. There is a model in a dealership in Louth, which I realise is quite far from you, but this diesel model is a beaut and is at a SIMI dealer so this brings with its some safeguards. This RAV4 is under €10,000 and has low mileage, though is going to cost €823 to tax each year. 

The Kia Sportage fiesel would be a great little buy for you. This small SUV has proven to be very reliable and very well liked by owners. This one in Cork is a little over your budget, but as a cash buyer I would think you could bargain down the asking price of €13,900. 

A car that you might not have thought of, but I have always rated as a good little car, is the Fiat Sedici. This small SUV has four-wheel drive, a diesel engine and is cheap to buy and run. We found a 2009 model in Laois with just 23,000 miles on the clock and the asking price is just €11,750. This would be a nice little runabout and it still retains some of the height of the SUV. This will cost you €447 per year to tax. 

Another good choice, although the annual tax will be the same as the RAV4's, is the Nissan X-Trail. This is a really nice example from 2005 that has a 2.2-litre diesel engine and would be a nice vehicle to own. Again, if you couldn't cope with the high annual road tax then it might not be the best option for you. 

I'd be inclined, if it were me, to buy that RAV4, as it would be a nice vehicle to own. 

I hope this helps!

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Hi Patricia,

It's true that diesel engines are not as well suited to life spent in town and short journeys. Many of the components can become gummed up, reducing performance and increasing fuel consumption. Diesel versions of many cars are more expensive to buy in the first place too, and it's no point paying that premium unless you're going to make it back over longer annual mileages. Finally, petrol cars are generally quieter, making them more relaxed in town.

Hope that helps

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Hi Fergal,

I have just spent a week in a TDCi Mondeo. It was an automatic and I really liked it. The gearbox is a little lazy at times, but overall the car is a joy to drive. There is a new Mondeo coming later this year though so you might want to hang on for that as it features new engines as well.

Expert answer

Hi Henry,

It's not often we get asked about the second-generation Fiat Croma. It didn't sell all that well as buyers didn't really know whether it was an MPV or an estate. However, it sounds like it could be an ideal candidate for your partner's needs.

The Croma majors on space, practicality, comfort, safety and equipment. The version you found has very few kilometres on the clock, which is always a bonus. Make sure you check that every switch and control is working though, as Croma owners have reported niggling electrical faults.

Our other piece of advice, if you like the Croma, is to look for a diesel version. The MultiJet diesel engines are strong and economical so would be better than the 1.8-litre petrol version over long distances. That said, the petrol engine is quieter.

Hope that helps.