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Hi Thomas,

If you get €500 I'd say you'd be doing well.

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Hi Jim,

Basically, it's the same as buying an ex-rental. The good news is that all the scheduled servicing and maintenance should have been carried out in full and on time, but the bad news is that you just don't know who's been driving it previously and what kind of driving they've been doing. Generally speaking, someone being given a loan car by their insurer will probably just have had a shunt and will likely be in a careful mood, but you just never know. Check everything very carefully, from the cabin for unexpected wear and tear to the suspension for alignment issues or other damage. This could be a good one to break out the AA inspection on, just to be on the safe side.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Brendan,

Good choices, all of those, if you're looking for a more affordable 3 Series alternative. The new-shape Mazda3 (the one that's only just been launched) seem to be especially excellent, and with Mazda's reliability you won't be spending too much on repairs or maintenance down the line. The Golf is always a safe bet too, although if you're used to the saloon shape it may be worth having a look at the little-seen Jetta - an underrated gem, that car. Or, alternatively, you could try the Audi A3 Saloon, which I reckon is the best compact sports saloon around at the moment.

See how you get on and let us know which one you go for.

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Hi Ashasan,

I'm presuming you mean the 407 Solaire. They're better made than you might think. There are some issues with the 1.6 HDi engine though, including a sticking exhaust gas recirculation valve, sticky throttles and faulty injectors. Blown turbos have been known as well, but they're rarer. Cabins are better made than the French car norm, so if it's a bag of rattles, suspect that it's been in an impact. Many 407s will be ex-fleet cars, which is a good thing - it means that they will have been serviced on the button for the first few years.

Hope that helps

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Hi Colm,

It doesn’t really stand for anything, it’s just a trim level. In the dim and distant past, SE stood for Special Equipment, but from an Audi perspective it generally means the most affordable model in the range.

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Hi Alan,

Electric Ireland charges a standard 19.28 cent per kWh as of Jan 20th 2014, according to moneyguideireland.ie. Other suppliers charge more or less the same although there can be a variation of up to 3c per kWh. 

In terms of what is charged to charge an electric car, the energy companies make no distinction. The plug points are downstream of your electricity meter so it's counted as the same juice that goes into your fridge, dishwasher or vacuum cleaner.

The total amount of tax charged on your kWh amounts to about 11 per cent, including both VAT and Carbon Tax, according to Sustainable Energy Ireland. 

So, why is this so much lower in tax terms than the 50-odd per cent levied by various charges on pump fuel? Simple: expediency. On the one hand, the Government must be seen to be encouraging the use and development of electric motoring. On the other, there is currently no simple and reliable way to distinguish between electricity being pumped into your car's batteries and what's being used to light, heat and wash.

That said, you can sadly and safely expect that to change, rapidly, if electric car sales ever take off in a big way. The Government has been very careful and canny about making sure that improving vehicle economy hasn't eroded it's annual €1 billion+ tax take from petrol and diesel sales, so if battery cars start eating significantly into that, expect some form of battery levy or electron tax to be enabled tout suite.

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Hi Paul,

I presume you're talking about the 'new' 9-5 - the last car Saab launched before everything went pear-shaped? It's a little hard to tell on the reliability front how good or bad they are, simply because there are so few on the ground. That said, all of the mechanical and chassis parts are shared with the Opel Insignia, and that's a car that has proved very reliable, bar the occasional electrical niggle. 

I know what you mean about the shape and style - you're talking to a long-term Saab fan here, and the 9-5 was an especially nice car, massive for the money (practically Mercedes-Benz S-Class sized for the price of a BMW 3 Series) and, in the fine Saab tradition, had a huge and comfy interior. It's also pretty decent to drive, not BMW good perhaps, but nice all the same and the 1.9-litre turbodiesel engine should prove very frugal.

It is a bit risky, I suppose, but a risk I reckon might just be worth taking. Might be worth taking out an aftermarket warranty mind, just in case...

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Hi Vittorio,

You've got it all answered yourself there. The BMW's overall residual value will indeed be slightly better, but, long term, the Mazda should prove to be much more reliable and rugged. Both are excellent to drive. The BMW's classic rear-drive chassis is slightly the superior, but the Mazda's muscular steering feel and firmly sprung chassis makes it one of the best front-drive saloon chassis around. 

Nothing major to watch for on either - just make sure there's a fully stamped up service history and check the BMW carefully to make sure that all the electrical bits work and that it's been topped up with high grade oil at each service. Both cars may have been driven hard by previous owners (many will be ex-fleet) so check carefully for thinks like uneven tyre wear or noises from underneath that indicate worn or out-askew suspension.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Olivia,

I'm afraid a timing belt change is not something that the average person can do on their own. It's a skilled job that really should be left to a trained mechanic. It's not simply a case of unbolting something sliding the belt off, sliding a new one on and bolting it all back together I'm afraid.

Please get it done professionally. Even if you do a lot of work on your own car, getting the timing belt wrong can have catastrophic consequences for the engine.

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Hi there,

Generally speaking SsangYongs are very reliable, not least because the older models tend towards the crude and simple end of the scale. On the Actyon just keep an eye out for sticking transmissions (or lumpy changes if it's an auto) and fragile cabin trim. Oh, and for a diesel car it's not very fuel efficient - you'll be lucky to break 30mpg in daily driving.