Expert answer

Hi Irene,

We're a little surprised that those two cars are being compared, as the Avensis Tourer is quite a bit more expensive than the Grand Mégane. To buy new anyway.

Because of the price gap it should be no surprise that the Avensis is a better car. It feels of higher quality and has a great reputation for reliability.

Still, don't dismiss the Mégane just yet. Although the Renault is technically a smaller class of car, the Grand Mégane is huge inside and the boot is not a lot smaller than the Toyota's (491 litres vs. 543).

The Renault is crammed with equipment as standard too, especially if you opt for the new 'Irish Edition'. It's also cheaper to run than the Toyota and there are Band A versions of the Mégane available so annual road tax could be cheaper.

In summary, if your decision is based on value, running costs and price then the Renault wins, but if those are not your priorities then the Avensis is a better car.

If you need more information please do come back to us.

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Hi Jim,

The combined economy figure for that car is about 50mpg (5.6 litres/100km) and it has CO₂ emissions of 149g/km. I would say that this would be a better buy than a 2005 Passat Estate because there will probably be less wrong with it and it will be easier to put right if it has a few issues. The Passat of that year wasn't VW's finest work, so I'd plump for the Avensis. The usual rules apply in terms of proper history checks.

Hope that helps.

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Hi Dave,

No competition really: the Ssangyong Kyron is a complete dog and I'd be hard pressed to take one if I was handed it for free. Take the slightly rusty Mondeo instead.

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Hi Jonathan,

You should be able to stay with your Mondeo in the UK, from 2005-2006 with a diesel for around that budget. Obviously there is much greater choice in the UK and lots might be high mileage but don't necessarily let that put you off because some of these might be cars that lived on motorways and as such won't have lived very hard lives.

We found a 2006 Mondeo Estate with 112,000 miles in the classifieds for £3,000 and it was a private sale and that could do a very nice job for you.

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Hi Des,

You've identified two great choices there. With our own money we'd buy the Skoda Superb Combi. It's a cracking estate car with a huge amount of room, great quality, good comfort and the 1.6 TDI engine is refined and economical. Unless you intend to tow regularly I wouldn't worry too much about the performance. This engine may not have a lot of power (105hp), but it has plenty of torque low down in the rev range, which is far more useful in everyday driving.

Admittedly, the Opel will feel faster and it's a nice car too, but make sure you test drive as many alternatives as you can. Where as Skoda only appears to offer one version of the Superb Combi that qualifies for the scrappage scheme, Ford has several Mondeo Estates that do - and it's a great car.

Worth paying a little more for is the brand new Volkswagen Passat Estate. It's a fabulous car and there are several Band A and Band B options.

If you need any more assistance come back to us of course.

Expert answer

Hi Lisa,

You don't mention whether your car is petrol or diesel or how many miles it has on it and that makes it difficult to give you an idea of the price on it. Could you come back to us with these details and we will do our best to help you?

Thanks

Expert answer

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

Expert answer

Hi Paul,

I am not sure if you want a new car or a used car. In terms of a new car, there aren't all that many seven seat estates anymore. First up is the Peugeot 308 SW, which is available with a third row of seats. However, it doesn't seem to be offered on Peugeot's online price list anymore - since the 3008 arrived it doesn't really have a large audience. We did contact Peugeot though and if you do want a 308 SW with seven seats the car is available on special order. A 1.6 HDi 308 SW seven seater will cost from €25,725 plus delivery and a 2.0 HDi will cost from €28,150.

But you can have a 2008 307 SW model for very little money. This one is just €9,990 for a 1.6-litre diesel. 

Mercedes-Benz still does a seven-seat option for the E-Class Estate, but the third row is best suited to kids. That range starts at €46,500 before you start putting in optional extras. 

Here is a quite nice 2004 model though: low mileage, a nice 2.7-litre diesel engine and it is a decent price too. 

Add more detail in the comment box below if you'd like to know more.

Thanks a lot.

Expert answer

Hi William,

We'd be only too happy to help you choose a new car if that's the route you want to go down, but one suggestion we'd have that could save you the cost of changing cars is to change the tyres on your Santa Fe to winter tyres.

Many people think that winter tyres are only of use in snow and ice, but that's far from the case. Regular tyres begin to go hard (and hence lose grip) at just seven degrees Celsius. That's regardless of how wet or dry the road surface is. Winter tyres, however, do not go hard at these temperatures and hence retain much higher levels of grip.

It's often said that a two-wheel drive car on winter tyres is better in slippery conditions than a four-wheel drive car on regular tyres.

I have first-hand experience of using winter tyres over the past week and I can confirm that they really make a huge difference. Bear in mind that they help with braking and turning, as well as traction.

You may have heard people say that winter tyres wear out quicker, but actually that's not the case at this time of year. When the temperatures are low, regular tyres wear quicker than winter tyres.

Admittedly, winter tyres wear quicker and their braking performance isn't as impressive as a regular tyre's in warm weather.

There's no doubt that winter tyres are more expensive to buy, but it'd be cheaper than changing your car.

If, however, you want to change your car regardless, come back to us and we'll help you through it.

Expert answer

Hello Pat,

As a trade-in it would probably be accurate enough to assume that your Volvo would be worth about €2,000, although you might get a little more if you sold it privately.

When you say the Skoda Combi I am assuming that you mean the Fabia Combi, which is Skoda's small estate model. It is indeed a nice little car, but perhaps something of an odd-ball and it might not be the best car to choose if you are focusing on resale value. 

There is really only one car that stands head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to residual value in the small car segment and that is the Volkswagen Polo. If you look back at the classifieds you will notice that these command a used price significantly higher than any other car in the class, so if you are buying with a view to the car being worth something in five years, this is where you should be putting your money.

It isn't necessarily the best car in the segment though - for us the Fiesta would claim that particular title. There is no doubt that if your budget is restricted then you won't get a Polo with tons of equipment thrown in and it might be shorter on power than some of its rivals, but I'd go for a 70hp 1.2 Comfortline Polo in a safe colour (silver, black or red) and you will get decent money for this car in five years time.

I hope this helps