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Hi Bridie,

I’d be tempted to go with the Insignia. It’s an older design than the current Mondeo but it has good build quality, is very smooth and good to drive and, crucially for those of us getting on in life a bit, has really excellent seats.

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Hi Chris,

You’re going to need something comfortable as well, doing that kind of mileage, so I’d suggest a MINI One D. There are a few around at your budget,  they’re exceptionally frugal, have good seats and are fun to drive into the bargain.

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Hi Asier,

It would of course depend on the year, which you haven’t given us I’m afraid, but the ballpark runs from €1,400 for a 2004 model to around €6,000 for a 2008 model. 

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Hi F D,

Short answer? We don't know yet. Theoretically, petrol engines heat up much more quickly than diesel engines (mostly because they're less thermally efficient) and therefore shorter journeys are less of an issue in that respect. It just depends on how much heat you need to generate to clean the filter and for how long. I'm sure that car makers will claim, as they did with diesel, that the filters are designed to be maintenance free, but then we've heard that before haven't we?

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Hi Siobhan,

We've blanked out the reg in your question for the owner's privacy. A quick and free check with Cartell.ie reveals that the car is a 2004 Volkswagen Passat Saloon, powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine (1,595cc), producing 102hp. We can also find out that it costs €514 a year to tax. For a detailed history check go to Cartell.ie and sign up for one of its paid products.

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Hi Mary,

Have you considered a Ford Focus? I’m not sure what the situation is in your area with dealers etc, but a Focus has terrific steering – firmly weighted, direct and full of feedback and feel, and it’s also comfortable and well made (although, as a bad-back sufferer myself I would always suggest as lengthy a test drive as possible to make sure you find the seats a good shape). Quality and reliability are also good, if not quite up to Toyota levels. Your budget should get you into a year-old, maybe 18-month-old model and the 1.0-litre turbocharged EcoBoost petrol engine should make for an ideal option for you.

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Hi Barry,

We've blanked out the registration for the owner's privacy, but using the quick free check on Cartell.ie I can tell you it's a 2010 Citroen C5 VTR+ powered by the 1.6-litre (1,560cc) HDi diesel engine making 110hp. This car costs €280 a year to tax.

If you need to know the history of the car then you'll need to pay Cartell.ie for one of their more in depth reports.

Hope that's of help.

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Hi Niall,

Because each dealer’s business is different. Most, if not all, used cars on a dealer’s forecourt will have come in as a trade-in, so the price that the dealer needs to ask (in order to cover their costs and turn a profit) will be different. The amount that they offered the previous owner for that trade-in will be based not just on the intrinsic value of the car itself, but on a number of other factors, especially how many of that make and model the dealer might already have in stock and has to sell before that one moves on. Plus, each dealer has differing overheads such as ground rent, investments in showrooms, staffing levels etc. Beyond that, some dealers offer comprehensive and proper warranties on their used stock, the cost of which has to be factored into the price of each car.

Which is not to excuse dealers from random pricing. One of the great limitations of the Irish used car market is that, unlike the UK where we have access to thinhs such as the CAP Guide and Glass’ to give solid indications for second hand trade values, in Ireland it’s a much more suck-it-and-see, sure-it’ll-be-grand approach.

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Hi Denis,

It depends which model you mean. The X3 18d has 150hp, while the X3 20d (using the same basic engine) has 190hp. It’s a grand engine (and seems to have gotten over its tendency to throw the timing chain) and really nice to drive, but a touch noisy at times. The same goes for the Merc alternative, which comes in 140hp, 170hp and 204hp forms. Good and frugal, but noisy. Right now, Audi has the best engine in the class, with its updated 150hp and 190hp 2.0-litre TDI unit, with Volvo’s D4 190hp in a very close second.

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Hi Nick,

A genuinely remarkable vehicle. Seats for seven (and seven fully grown adults at that) and with the sort of on-road refinement and comfort you'd need a Mercedes-Benz E-Class to better. Yet it can get into and out of remote, rocky, boggy, muddy, snowy places in a manner that occasionally boggles the mind. Yes it's big, heavy and thirsty and it rolls a lot in corners, but it's a truly great car. Reliability is the only Achilles'  heel. It's much better now than it used to be, but older models still suffer from gearbox, electrical  and suspension issues.