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Hi Tom,

How about a Fiat Multipla? OK, not everyone's idea of a good looking car, but it's got an amazing interior, bags of space, is terrific to drive and I found one for €4,500. Yes, I know... OK, on with the sensible stuff though.

There are plenty of Opel Zafiras around for that kind of money, but you will have to search hard to find a diesel one. They are out there though. Plenty of Peugeot 307 SW estates (which came with a seven-seat option) too, but tread carefully and make sure there are no electrical gremlins to deal with. Ditto Renault Scenics. Actually, the more ruggedly reliable Kangoo (or a Citroen Berlingo for that matter) might be a better option.

The most sensible suggestion would be a Toyota Corolla Verso, but they're very, very hard to find with a diesel engine at that price level. Might be worth biting the bullet and going for petrol to get the best.

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Hi Paul,

The good news is that it still looks fresh and funky after all these years, and it's good fun to drive. It's not as classically brilliant as the rival MINI in terms of steering feel and dynamic abilities, but in its bouncy-as-a-pogo-stick way, it's a hoot. The quality of the cars, made in Fiat's factory in Poland, is generally pretty good, but there are one or two things to look for. The diesel engine can fail entirely (thankfully a rare occurrence) and any engine management warning light means an immediate trip to your dealer. Interiors can rattle and squeak a lot too and the paint is a bit on the thin side.

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Hi Gillian,

Yes, it's really good. I've always liked the idea of a six-seat MPV with two rows (I'm also a Fiat Multipla fan) and the FR-V is just excellent. They're really reliable, spacious (even if that front centre seat is a touch cramped) and really quite nice to drive. Nothing major goes wrong with any regularity but just check the cabin for signs of family abuse beyond the call of duty. One downside - there's no compact diesel option, just the 2.2-litre diesel unit. That means you're much more likely to end up with the 1.8 petrol.

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Hi Gerry,

To be honest, I just can't recommend a Cross Polo. The standard Polo is a decent little car, albeit a bit slow and a touch noisy. Those problems just seem to be magnified in the Cross Polo though and then there's the fact that for all the plastic cladding and faux-SUV looks, it's just a more expensive Polo underneath and can't tackle mud any more capably than a basic 1.2 Polo Trendline.

So, my suggestion would be this. Either buy a standard Polo or, if you really need something small but with genuine off-road-snow-ice ability then search out either a Fiat Panda 4x4 or a Suzuki SX4 4x4.

Let us know which way you go.

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Wow, how much detail do you want? Here goes...

Saab 92 - the first Saab on sale. Two-stroke engine made it a bit impractical.

Saab 96 - like a 92 that real people could drive. Sweet V4 engine. Lots of rallying success.

Saab 99 - the first truly modern 'big chin' Saab. Gorgeous outside and in and with tearaway turbo engine. Fab.

Saab 900 - a highly developed 99, stayed in production for ever. Lovely convertible version.

Saab 9000 - some say it's not a proper Saab as it shared a platform with Fiat/Alfa/Lancia. Ignore them, as it's lovely, big, comfy and solidly built.

Saab 9-3 - the first General Motors Saab. Opel Vectra-based. Lovely cabin but flaccid chassis.

Saab 9-5 - bigger Saab but also Vectra-based. Better than you'd think but major reliability issues.

Saab 9-3 - second-gen 9-3 was based on the 2002 Vectra but not actually much better. Handsome estate version though.

Saab 9-5 - massive second-gen 9-5 was based on the Opel Insignia, really rather good and, sadly, the last car Saab ever made.

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Hi Paddy,

I have a bit of a soft spot for Saabs in general, but would advise some caution here. That generation 9-3 suffered from a chassis that aged very badly relative to the competition and to be blunt, a Ford Mondeo will drive rings around it. There's also not a lot of space in the back seats. 

On the upside, the 1.9 diesel (a Fiat-General Motors unit) is a good 'un - noisy but very economical and, being a Saab, it's both refreshingly different to other cars, superbly comfy and well able to deal with the rigours of an Irish winter.

Hope that's of some help

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Hi Victor,

I assume you mean the 'City' button found in Fiat Group cars. This increases the power assistance for the steering at low speeds, lessening the effort requires to turn the steering wheel. It makes parking in town (and city!) particularly easy.

Hope that helps!

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Hi Steve,

The official timing belt replacement interval for a 2009 Doblo is 120,000km or three years, whichever is soonest.

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Hi Annette,

Our very own Shane O' Donoghue has been out driving the new Fiat 500L MPV this past week, which should be just the thing you're looking for. Tall and spacious, sub-1.4 and with very comfortable seats. Well worth trying. If the 500L doesn't float your boat, then it's always worth having a look at something Swedish (although that will inevitably violate your 1.4 limit) or if you're not keen on a Volvo and their truly wonderful seats, try an Opel. All of Opel's seats, dating back to the 2002 Vectra, have been approved by the Aktion Gesunder Rikter, or German bad back association, and their seats are almost uniformly excellent.

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Hi Sarah,

Tricky one this. It's very, very hard to find an MPV of any size that can take lots of people and their cargo at the same time. 

I think you might be best going for either a Fiat Multipla or a Honda FR-V. Their two-rows-of-three seating allows you to seat six (albeit the front centre passenger had better be someone small and/or young) and they still have usefully big boots behind.

Otherwise, you need to go up a size and maybe even think about a compact minibus. A Mercedes-Benz Viano or Volkswagen Caravelle perhaps. There's also the option of a Chrysler Grand Voyager, which has a bit more room than the standard model, but I'd suggest you try it with a full load of people and wheelchair before buying, just to make sure you'll all fit.

Hope that helps