Expert answer

Hi Viji,

As we don't know your budget we'll be general in our advice. Most learners are comfortable in a small car with light controls. It's also good for it to be reliable and ideally safe. Think along the lines of the Toyota Yaris, Nissan Micra, Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo. If you're buying new we'd urge you take a look at the SEAT Mii/Skoda Citigo/Volkswagen up! triplets or even the excellent new Fiat Panda.

Come back to us with more details and we'll talk you through the purchase if you wish.

Expert answer

Hi Sandra,

The Stilo is well known for its electrical gremlins I'm afraid and it's impossible to diagnose from afar. Even a good automotive electrician may not easily trace the source of your woes. In this instance we'd advise you to bring the car to a Fiat main dealer, as they will have seen the symptoms before and should quickly get to the root of the problem.

It's likely that there's an issue with the car's wiring loom, which is difficult to pinpoint.

Sorry not to be of more assistance.

Expert answer

Hi Suzie,

Others to consider include the Citroen C3 and Fiat 500, Mazda2, Nissan Micra, Opel Corsa, Peugeot 207, SEAT Ibiza, Skoda Fabia and Suzuki Swift. They're all good small cars. Given your low mileage you're definitely better off with a petrol model.

I assume you know that you could afford slightly larger cars in the Ford Focus class as well with that budget, but that you don't want one that big? They'd be far more comfortable on the motorway.

With all that in mind, and sticking to your small car demand, we reckon one of the three Volkswagen Group cars makes the most sense - that's the Skoda Fabia, SEAT Ibiza or the Polo. If you'd like help narrowing down your search further come back to us.

Expert answer

Hi Hagen,

There's a lot of choice on the market for that price. Here's a few cars we'd consider good buys for the purpose you've described:

Citroen C3, Fiat Panda, Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Honda Jazz, Mazda3, Nissan Almera, Nissan Micra, Opel Astra, Opel Corsa, Peugeot 207, SEAT Ibiza, SEAT Cordoba, SEAT Leon, Skoda Fabia, Suzuki Swift, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Yaris, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Polo.

I appreciate that's a long list, but we've left out plenty too! If you'd like more in depth help with choosing from the above come back to us.

Expert answer

Hi Ciaran,

You can't go too far wrong with a good Nissan Micra or Volkswagen Polo, even at that price. They are reasonable to insure, pretty reliable and the Micra in particular is great on fuel. We'd stay away from the Daewoo Lanos and though the Fiat Cinquecento is bursting with character they can be troublesome. Others to consider are the Suzuki Swift and Volkswagen Lupo.

Come back to us with a shortlist if you want and we can help further.

Expert answer

Hi Neil,

We're surprised we don't get this one more often to be honest! The simple solution would of course be to go for a car with three rows of seats - or something wide like the Fiat Multipla. I realise that might not suit though. It appears from our research that somebody has sensed a gap in the market and created a solution in the guise of www.multimac.co.uk.

Essentially the system is bolted to you existing car (with your rear seats still in place) and thanks to the narrower child seats can fit up to four children across the rear bench. The system is not cheap, coming in at over €2,000 by the time you add the required accessories, but it is likely to be cheaper than buying a new car.

We hope this helps.

Expert answer

Hi Deb,

There are loads of four-door city cars that would fit in that space that have ISOFIX, but the problem then is fitting a big travel system buggy into them! I myself have two kids so I understand the challenges...

Some good city cars to consider include the funky new SEAT Mii/Skoda Citigo/Volkswagen up! triplets and the Fiat Panda. They're as narrow as you get really.

Just so happens I have a Mii on test this week and our Quinny Buzz buggy folds in - with no space to spare of course.

Hope that helps.

Expert answer

Hi Chris,

There's clearly some issue with an important sensor or the ECU itself. The only way to diagnose this is for you to bring your car to a qualified mechanic with an error code scanner to interrogate the car.

Let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Martina, 

You didn't give us an indication of the condition or the mileage but you will probably be offered around €2,000 - €2,500 for the car against another car. 

I hope this helps?

Expert answer

Hi Mary,

The short answer is that yes it shoud be possible. The scrappage allowance of course would only be allowed on one car and you really do need to move fast to get this sorted because time is against you. Then you could use the Note as part exchange against the same car. You just need to speak to your dealer but they should be able to do this for you.

I hope this helps!