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Hi Robert,

It's best not to leave the ignition fully on for long periods of time, but almost all cars/vans have an 'Accessory' setting on the ignition that allows you listen to the radio without actually turning the key all the way to 'ignition'. A radio uses very little battery power so we wouldn't worry about that so long as your battery is in good working order.

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Hi John,

OK, lots and lots of options. How about a Fiat 500? Great looking, fun to drive, well made and that 1.2-litre petrol engine is willing enough to tackle motorway work from time to time.

Late 2000s MINIs fall into your budget too, and they're great fun to drive, roomier than the 500 (well, a bit) and solid on longer journeys.

You could be dead sensible and go for an Audi A3 1.6 petrol and there'd be nothing wrong with that - ticks all the boxes.

Or maybe something a bit more left-field? How about a Volkswagen Beetle? An original Mini (we did find one in your budget) or even a Smart ForTwo Brabus?

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Hi Gerry,

Not the most sophisticated car around, the Grande Punto, but it’s roomy, spacious and not bad to drive. Actually pretty reliable too — watch for electrical gremlins all over the place, but the only major mechanical issues are making sure that the cam belt has been changed at least every six years, and keeping an eye on the cooling system and head gasket. 

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Hi Tim,

Yes, it is actually. Certainly not the prettiest vehicle out there, nor the most dynamic to drive, but it’s reliable, well made and absolutely massive inside. As far as space-per-Euro goes, it’s pretty hard to beat.

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Hi Jerome,

We don’t have a definite answer for you as yet but it looks unlikely – the UK market, which doesn’t like saloons very much, isn’t as yet taking the four-door Tipo, so it’s unlikely that Fiat will invest the money to tool up for right-hand drive.

If the UK reverses that decision, then we might see the saloon here too. 

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Hi Katie,

Scrappage is a bit tricky in this instance – all of the current ‘scrappage’ schemes being offered by car makers and dealers aren’t actually scrappage at all, but are just trade-in boosters. Most, if not all, of them usually require the car being traded in to be taxed and insured and drive onto the forecourt under its own power. If you could patch it up and get it running long enough to do that, you could get as much as €4,500 off the price of a new car, depending on which model and which brand you went for.

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Hi Gerry,

Well you won’t have to pay VAT as it’s too old for that, but as for VRT it’s very hard for us to say. There are very few Doblo-based campers on the market for us to be able to try and work out a rough value, and none that we can find in Ireland so quite what view Revenue might take of its value is totally up in the air. Our best guess is that its Irish Open Market Selling Price will be around €7,000, which, with a VRT rate of 13.3 per cent, would suggest a VRT charge of around €800 to €1,000.

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Hi Neil,

Generally a car has to be driven on to the forecourt, and be taxed and insured, to get a scrappage deal, but as this isn't government-backed scrappage and is really just a dealer promotion, there may be some wiggle room. Try dropping in a new battery (they're not expensive) and see if that works and if not have a word with the salesman who gave you the deal and see what he says. 

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Hi Rob,

Well, as far as discounts go, most dealers operate on about an eight per cent margin, so if you're asking for more than a seven per cent discount you're asking for a below cost price. You should get a decent discount for cash right enough, but explore the credit options too - dealers often get bonuses for selling a credit plan so if you can get a good one (at zero per cent interest obviously) and pay it off from your lump sum, it may give the dealer a bit more wiggle room for a discount.

As for the model, with a starter car and the current cost of insurance you need to be looking at no more than a 1.0-litre engine. Happily your budget will easily get you into a Volkswagen up! 1.0, one of the best small cars around (or equally you could go for a mechanically identical SEAT Mii or Skoda Citigo). Can't go wrong really, although if you're looking for other options you could try an Opel Karl (plain but decent), a Renault Twingo (fun but not as well made as the up!) or the Fiat 500 TwinAir (fabulous car, but get an insurance quote first).

Here are reviews of all of those to help you decide:

Volkswagen up! review

SEAT Mii review

Skoda Citigo review

Opel Karl review

Renault Twingo review

Fiat 500 TwinAir review

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Hi Vera,

We’ve never actually road-tested a Panda Dualogic, but there is a recurring fault on the gearboxes, which involved the actuator mechanism. Basically, if the gear change feels anything less than prompt and swift, especially on up-shifts, then the actuator is on the way out and it can be a very expensive part to replace.

As for the rest of it, the Panda’s a fantastic little car – surprisingly roomy inside, fun to drive and actually really quite well built and reliable. The TwinAir engine is a delight to drive, but actually you’d be better off, overall, with the older 1.2 petrol when it comes to economy.