Expert answer

Hi Cindy,

I would go for either the Skoda or the Opel. The Skoda 1.9 TDI is very economical (50mpg should be pretty easy) and Skodas are well built and reliable. 

The only downside is that if it's pre-2008, it'll have a high rate of tax. That's something that the Opel with the 1.3 CDTi engine avoids, and it's still very economical, albeit slightly less so as you'll have to work the smaller engine a bit harder to keep up with the flow of traffic.

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Hi Marietta,

I wouldn't like to pronounce absolutely on whether the Kuga is suitable for an elderly driver with arthritis.  Generally, Ford is very good at designing cars for elderly drivers, and was one of the first car companies to take limited joint mobility into account when designing the interior and access points. It would of course depend on which parts of the body your dad has the arthritis in, and how much it's restricting his mobility. I wouldn't be medically qualified to pass judgement on that.

Off the top of my head though, I would suggest that the Kuga might actually be a bit too tall, and require an up-and-in motion that may not be any easier than the down-and-in of the S40. I would have throught that a Ford C-Max, which is more between the heights of the Focus and the Kuga, would be a better bet. Easier to slide straight into. Worth a look anyway.

If you're trading in the S40, I'd reckon you should be getting offers of around €9,000 to €10,000, depending on the condition, history and which engine it's got.

Come back to us if you need more help.

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Hi Gareth,

Go for the Skoda. Dave Humphreys (also of this parish) and I recently drove the latest Octavia RS diesel from Goodwood to Dublin and frankly, you'd be hard pressed to find a car with a broader spread of talents. Go for the estate to get the best looking (as well as most useful) version.

Let us know what you do

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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 Margaret,

I'd say circa €4,500 to €5,900 depending on condition but 1.4s are hard to find. You might have to go for a 1.6 or a diesel.

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Hi Andrew,

There are no major recurrent problems to report on the Focus 1.6 TDCi. The nice thing is that the same basic engine design is also used by Peugeot, Citroen, Volvo and some MINIs so any potential issues tend to come to light pretty quickly. 

Just with that high mileage, make sure it's been serviced properly and on schedule, make sure the timing belt has been replaced and check for any electronic issues.

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Hi Christopher,

The labour rate will vary from garage to garage, but it should take less than an hour to complete the job. Likewise, the price of the alternator will vary whether you are buying it from Ford direct, a local motor factors or an online car parts site, such as MicksGarage.com - we saw one there for about €165.

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Hi Catherine,

Of the two, I'd go for the Focus. Bigger, much better to drive and barely any less economical in day-to-day driving. That generation Corsa was pretty crude, really - noisy and not especially nice to drive.

They're both pretty robust though, which is good, although you should check the Focus carefully for underbody rust as some early cars had very poor weather sealing.

Let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Nial,

On a trade in I'd say you'll get about €1,500 for it, but you might manage slightly better selling it yourself if you invest in a good valet and get it looking properly smart.

Best of luck

Expert answer

Hi Ian,

There are a couple of alternatives to the Q7 alright. The Land Rover Discovery is probably the best all-round seven-seat SUV on the market and easily matches the Q7 for driver appeal, cabin space and premium image. The only problem is that Land Rover is still working its way up from a low point in terms of reliability, and while the current Disco is certainly very well built, we'd reckon that a Q7 would be a little bit better in terms of reliability when you're talking about a car that's already a few years old.

In fact, we know of only two issues with the Q7. One, it's apparently quite hard on tyres and two, if it's got an electric tailgate, it can open or close with a mind of its own sometimes, although that should have been fixed in a recall by now.

You could go for a BMW X5 with seven seats, but there's not as much space in the third row in the BMW, so it depends on what you need those extra chairs for. If it's only for occasional use, for kids etc, then the X5 is well worth a look and is a fantastic car to drive. If you need to put adults back there, stick with the Audi. You could downsize to a Hyundai Santa Fe seven-seater of course, which is a reliable, affordable choice but lacking both third row space and the cachet of the Audi.

Or you could steer away from the SUV world altogether and get a Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate with the extra rear-facing seats in the boot. Bit of an unsung hero that one, and much cheaper to run than a big 4x4. Or, of course, you could do the whole off-roader thing properly and get a long wheelbase Land Rover Defender, but you'll need ear plugs for long journeys.

Choosing between a 2007 or a 2008 Audi Q7 is all down to the price and the individual car. There was a facelift in 2009 that brought some engine updates and cabin and styling changes, but if you can find a good 2007 one, with a full Audi service history, you could be looking at paying as little as €20k. A Q7 for the price of a new Ford Focus? Not bad...

Let us know which way you go