Expert answer

Hi Alan,

Generally speaking a 2006 Fiesta should be worth between €4,500 to €6,000 depending on mileage and condition, but if, as you say, there is light cosmetic damage to this one, you may have to knock off another €500 depending on how much the damage would cost to fix.

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Hi Peter,

You're really comparing two quite different cars here. The Auris is a larger car than the Jazz, which is really more of a rival to the Ford Fiesta. Which means that the Auris is going to be more comfy and refined over a long distance, but if you're sticking mostly around town, go for the Jazz. There are no reports of the Auris' stop-start system causing any issues, but the Auris has been generating reports of problems with squeaky front brakes, slipping handbrakes and noisy gearboxes.

The Jazz, by contrast has generated no repeating fault reports and Hondas are usually incredibly reliable. Yes, parts can be a bit pricey for them (the Toyota would be cheaper to service and repair), but so few things go wrong that you probably won't need to spend much. Go for the Jazz so - it's sweeter to drive, has a cleverer interior and will probably prove more reliable.

Hope that helps

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Hi Amanda,

Yes it will - the new S-Max will have two down-sized engines compared to the current model. A development of the current 1.5 TDCi, as seen in the Fiesta and B-Max, probably developing around 115- to 120hp and a new three-cylinder petrol turbo 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine. Both of those should significantly bring down the running costs of the car, and we'd be very surprised if both don't sneak into Bands A1-A4 for tax.

Quite whether their day-to-day fuel economy will match up to their expected quoted figures is another thing; small engines in big cars tend not to do so well when it comes to real-world economy, but we look forward to finding out. The current S-Max is one of our favourite cars and the new one looks likely to pick up where the outgoing one is leaving off.

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Hi Pat,

Hmmm. That generation of Corolla doesn't seem to be keeping Toyota's usual reliability standard up. There have been reported issued with brakes (squealing, not failing), troubles with the automatic gearbox, clutch failures, slipping handbrakes and noisy gearboxes. If your potential purchase isn't displaying any of those symptoms, then it might be just fine, but be prepared to raise merry hell with your nearest Toyota dealer if it starts to develop problems. After all, if you're selling your cars on the basis of their reliability, then you'd better be prepared to back that up...

In terms of efficiency, well, it's a quite a small engine in quite a large car, so no, I wouldn't reckon it would be more economical than a 1.2 Fiesta - quite the reverse in fact, unless most of your mileage is on the motorway, in which case the Toyota's extra torque and power should make it more frugal than an over-stretched 1.2.

That price sounds pretty good - maybe even a touch low. Have you done a thorough history check on the car with Cartell.ie?

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Hi Stan,

OK, well currently (as of the end of September), the best selling cars in Ireland are, in descending order, the Hyundai Tucson, the Nissan Qashqai, the Volkswagen Golf, the Skoda Octavia, the Ford Focus, the Ford Fiesta, the Kia Sportage, the Toyota Yaris, the Toyota Corolla and the Volkswagen Tiguan. The biggest-selling market segment is the SUV/H1 segment (that’s the Qashqai-Tucson-Sportage mid-size SUVs) all of which cost between €24,000 and €40,000 depending on spec.

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Hi Jonny,

Right, there's a couple of easy answers to this question and they are Volkswagen Polo, Toyota Yaris and Ford Fiesta. There are tonnes of them around, they're all safe and the Yaris can be had with a 1.0-litre engine so low tax and insurance rates are assured.

But... But there are a couple of possibilities that are a bit more fun and a little more interesting. How about a Suzuki Swift? Not as spacious as the above trio, but as your child is only one that's not really an issue for now. Besides it's way more fun to drive than any of the others and Suzukis are super reliable.

Or you could go for something a bit more trendy and exciting. €5,000 is the absolute bottom end price for a Fiat 500 but you might be able to track one down, and it's fun and funky as well as safe and cheap to run. Or there's the mother of all fun hatches, the MINI. €5,000 gets you lots of choice but we'd go for a MINI One (it avoids the extra insurance loading of a Cooper) and have a good shop around to find one with decent equipment. Fun, just about spacious enough (if you juggle the seats around), safe and with a great chassis and great all-round visibility, it's ideal for a learner.

Come back to us if need help to narrow things down further.

Expert answer

Right, tough combination this as I'm assuming you want to be able to carry the bike inside the car, rather than on a boot-mounted carrier. If you're going down the carrier route, then you won't go wrong with one of the old favourites like a Fiesta, Corsa or Punto.

If, however, it's space inside you need then you need to go a little left-field. How about a 2006 Renault Modus 1.2 Dynamique? True, Renaults of that age aren't the most reliable of cars, but the 1.2 petrol engine is a well-proven unit and the space inside the Modus is not to be sniffed at. Plus it's one of the safest cars you can buy. All that and we found one listed at only €3,950 from a dealer.

What do you think?

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Hi Fred,

Ford has two main dealers in Kerry itself — Killarney Autos Limited on Park Road in Killarney, and Kerry Motor Works at Mileheight in Tralee. There’s also Kelleher’s of Macroom, O’Brien’s in Mallow and Cavanaghs of Charleville if you’re willing to cross the border into Cork.

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Hi William,

I'm afraid that engine is getting on now so it's not as economical as the latest generation of low capacity, turbocharged units. Our data shows the official combined consumption at 5.8 litres/100km (48.7mpg) so you're doing quite well really.

Usual tips to help improve further apply:

- remove unwanted junk from the boot

- check your tyre pressures and wheel alignment

- make sure the air filter is clean

- ensure it's well serviced

- don't use air conditioning or rear window demister unless needed

Hope that all helps in some way

Expert answer

Hi Sean,

I don't think you're asking for too much actually, so long as you don't mind a car that's a few years old. There's plenty of choice at that price point. You've not told us how big a car you need or how far you drive each year so we're keeping an open mind there, but only shortlisting diesel saloons and hatchbacks. Options include:

- Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi

- Ford Focus 1.8 TDCi

- Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi

- Nissan Note 1.5 dCi

- Peugeot 407 1.6 HDi (only if it has a full service history)

- Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI

Come back to us if you need help narrowing things down further.