Expert answer

Hi Hazel,

What you need is something that will be reliable, has low mileage, has a full service history from a SIMI dealer and that will be a little bit fun to drive. I had a look for you and there are several that match your criteria on sale at the moment. We found a great little Kia Picanto: it has only 30,000km on the clock and is a smashing wee thing that would cost you very little to run.

We really like the Fiat Panda too, as it is a straightforward car that is chic, charming and fun and you could get one with really low mileage that is within your budget. You can never really go wrong with a Ford Fiesta: this would be a super car to own although the mileage on is a little higher.

If you want something that is a little bigger, then this Nissan Primera would be a good car and this is a low-mileage example.

Out of all of these, that Picanto could be a super little buy.

Expert answer

Hi John,

Yes, that is a good price and very much at the lower end of the scale of how much you might expect to pay. Is it too cheap though? Is it from an SIMI dealer? Has it a full service history and have you done a Motorcheck report on it?

Here is one from around that price that meets the criteria.

Expert answer

Hi Liam,

If you planning on selling it privately you should ask around €6,000 as your starting point leaving you room to negotiate. As a trade-in from a garage, you are likely to be offered around €4,000 - €5,000 at best, obviously depending on what you are trading in against.

I hope this helps!

Expert answer

Hi Gerry,

As the Peugeot 508 is brand new there is no way to gauge how reliable it will be. Its predecessor, the 407 saloon, suffered from relatively minor niggles all its life, but first impressions suggest the 508 is of higher quality. The Passat CC, though sold in smaller numbers than the four-door saloon version, has an exemplary reliability record.

In terms of fuel economy and emissions, the 2.0-litre HDi versions of the Peugeot 508 saloon with a manual gearbox emit 125g/km (Band B) and use 4.8 litres/100km (58.9mpg) on the combined cycle. The 1.6-litre HDi models are more efficient, though slower obviously.

In comparison, the VW Passat CC 2.0 TDI (with a manual gearbox again) uses 4.7 litres/100km (60.1mpg) and emits the same 125g/km, so there's virtually nothing to choose between them.

Hope that helps.

Expert answer

Hi Sidney,

Changing body work on cars is always fiddly. Without seeing the car in front of us we couldn't give you a detailed set-by-step guide, but generally you'll need to get access from underneath the car to start with. It's possible that there will be several unusual fixings that require special tools so make sure you have a good look at what's holding it on before you start work.

Taking a quick look at a picture of the 2001 Mégane, make sure you pop the bonnet when you're doing the work, as there may be fixings hidden under there, as there may be behind the headlights.

Systematically remove each of the fixings from underneath first and don't forget to disconnect wiring from the fog lights - if fitted.

Obviously do not leave the keys in the ignition when carrying out this work and, as always, we recommend that this kind of job is only carried out by an experienced person.

Good luck!

Expert answer

Hi Kevin,

Yes I recently had a conversation with the guys from Kia Ireland about this. There simply aren't enough of them being made and they can't make them quick enough. It is a problem that Kia have with the Sportage and Hyundai have with the ix35. Apparently they are going to add a new run on a different plant and this will help relieve the backlog, but we are being told that the delays are 'significant' and obviously with such a demand for them in right hand drive markets, especially in the UK, this is making the situation worse.

Kia Sportage - delays

There are a couple of unregistered ones around - so maybe these would be suitable if you are looking for one?

Kia Sportage - Naas Road, Dublin

Kia Sportage - Demo Model - Wicklow

Expert answer

Hi Brendan,

I think the Golf is your best bet here. The 1.2-litre petrol engine tends to freak out a lot of people because they think it will be way too small and meagre for their needs, but this just simply isn't the case. We have tried this engine in a number of body styles and have always found it to be more than capable. The Auris isn't a bad car as such, but it is simply not better than the Golf in any way so if it is a straight choice between these two, for me anyway, the Golf would win every time.

Expert answer

Hi Ciaran,

Thank you for your query. The Kia pro_cee'd is a good car, but thankfully the only thing negative about it is the silly name. We really rate the car and it would make a great second-hand buy. It has been a while since we drove a pro_cee'd so we called Kia Ireland to get a reminder on the engines. We were told that very few 1.4-litre petrol models were sold in 2008 and practically none in 2009 after the road tax laws based on emissions were introduced.

The first thing to note then is that the petrol models are scarce, but quite a bit cheaper than the diesels. A petrol model will cost you €9,945 while a diesel from the same year could cost you €12,950 - more than €2,000 more. You certainly won't save €2,000 in fuel and road tax in a hurry, so it depends on how long you intend to keep your car. If you change your car quite often and residual values are a concern then you probably need to get the diesel, but if you will be keeping the car for a long time then you should get the petrol, especially given the relatively low mileage that you do.

In terms of what to look out for, there is nothing. There have been no recalls that we know of and the car has few real faults apart from the fact that visbility isn't great out of the small rear window, but then you can expect that with any coupé-like hatchback.

Anyway, I hope this helps and doesn't actually make it more confusing! If there is anything else don't hesitate to come back to us.

Expert answer

Hi Sandra,

That really is an infuriating problem. It's amazing how many modern cars suffer from it and it's not always easy to trace the reason for it. We'd advise you bring it to a car alarm specialist for a check-up.

Hopefully that'll sort it out.

Expert answer

Hi Anne,

Firstly, congratulations on choosing the BMW 520d, which is a really excellent car. The latest model comes with a decent level of standard equipment. When it comes to options, you really must consider that these really are a treat to yourself and they probably won't affect the resale price of the car in the future so you are unlikely to regain the cost of these back when you trade-in later down the line.

Obviously metallic paint is an essential and you must go for that. I wouldn't really bother with the variable dampers if it were me, nor would I have the sunroof either. Given that the car has air conditioning, I wouldn't bother with it. The 18-inch wheels will look nice, but they will make the ride of the car quite firm, so bear this in mind. The reversing camera is also a nice addition, but there are already parking sensors on the car, which will prevent rear parking bumps anyway.

I hope this helps. Feel free to come back to us if you have more questions before you order the car.