Expert answer

Hi Dave,

There is no simple answer to this - but as a rule of thumb, on a new car (average Ford Focus or Golf) you should expect to get around €700-€1,000 off the new price if buying straight. Much more than this is unlikely unless it is a Renault, or a luxury car! Shop around and don't be afraid to look outside of Dublin for the best deal.

Expert answer

Hi Wayne,

You would probably get offered around €3,800 from a main dealer for your car and you could expect to sell it privately for around €4,300, so you should advertise for around €4,600. Remember if you are trading in then concentrate on the 'cost to change' rather than the value of your car. 

I hope this helps?

Expert answer

Hi Tony,

Given your shortlist, I'd be inclined to go for the new Ford Focus saloon - presumably you mean a 1.6 TDCi version. It's more economical than the BMW and Audi and it'll be four years newer, meaning the security of a manufacturer's warranty. Older BMWs and Audis, as lovely as they are, do start to cost a bit to maintain.

Another car to consider is the relatively new Volkswagen Jetta. It compares well to the Focus.

Come back to us if you need more help deciding.

Expert answer

Hi Annmarie,

Well you aren't expected to know everything! When we talk about 'cost to change' we mean that lots of people go into a dealership and are fixed on how much the dealer is giving them for their car.

When you do this, you are ignoring any potential discount there might be on the car you are buying. In the case of the Honda FR-V you show here, the car is €18,950. Let's say your Jazz is worth €5,000, which is probably about right, if the dealer says it will be €13,950 to change he is not really giving you any discount off the FR-V. 

When pricing a used car, a dealer is trying to figure out how much it will cost him to prep it for sale, which is often around €800. There is no major science to this, all we mean is that if you fixate too much on the price the dealer is offering you for your car you might not see the whole picture. Focus instead on how much it will cost you to get into your next car instead. 

Bear in mind that they do have to make some money, but use this as a guide when you are choosing your next one. If all this is still a mystery to you, come back to me again. 

I hope this helps! 

Expert answer

Hi Steve,

A fair degree depends on your mileage and how much you are prepared to pay per year in motor tax. Bearing in mind that you will be getting an older car, the motor tax can be pricier, but that is just a fact of life. If you want to carry lots of people and stuff then a diesel will be a better choice in an estate because there is more torque but it isn't essential. 

If you weren't afraid of the odd bill, then a BMW 320D Estate would be a super car. I've owned one and they are great, but get expensive the older they get. 

I'd be very tempted by this Nissan X-Trail which has low mileage, is diesel and would be great for the family. 

This Peugeot 407 SW is superb value and lots of car for the money. 

I think out of that lot, I'd probably have the Focus though. 

I hope this helps! 

I'd say something like a 2005 Ford Focus 1.6 Diesel Estate would be a good place to start - something like this one as it would be cheap to run and spacious as well as good to drive too. 

Expert answer

Hi Annemarie, 

We would always say look at the cost to change, but I'd expect that you will be offered around €5,000 for your C-Max, which might translate into €6,000 against a new Peugeot 5008. The 5008 is a good choice too, you can read our review of it here. 

Expert answer

Hi Eoin,

I'm glad you like the site. Firstly, let me congratulate you on choosing a nice car. I had a Golf Edition R recently and it was a really lovely car. The spec is really good on that car and you seem to have chosen a nice few options on the car. 

There are a couple of things that you mention there and it is tricky to answer them. Volkswagen are unlikely to announce anything from their dealer conference until after their dealer conference. I'm not sure where you get your intelligence but we can certainly investigate. In terms of your deal, the usual advice applies - you need to focus on the cost to change and not how much your own car is worth, which you appear to be doing and given that you aren't changing your car until January it can be difficult for the car dealers to price your trade-in. My advice to you would be to put down your deposit, arrange your deal and make sure that your terms are agreed. If there is any change which would favour you then you can renegotiate, but at least if it turns out to be as you suspect, then at least you will have secured the best possible rate. 

The other bit of advice I would give, is if your trade-in came from say, a Peugeot dealer, then go back to the Peugeot dealer and offer him the deal. Most dealers can buy in the car you want and they might offer you a better deal on your trade-in. That would be worth a try. 

I hope this helps. Feel free to come back to us if you need more help, we are always here!!

Expert answer

Hi Teresa,

As with any car exchange - you need to look at the cost to change, not the value of your trade in. At the moment there are lots of Ford Fiesta and Focus models on the used market so the values of them aren't great. The dealers are also pricing your cars as to what they will be worth in February 2012 when the cars arrive. 

You said you are going to shop around and that is exactly what you should do. We could tell you that your cars are worth more, but unless a dealer is offering you this then it is not much use. 

You need to shop around!

Expert answer

Hi Sean,

Out of the three cars here, by far the best value under scrappage is the Hyundai i30. You could have a petrol model for as little as €13,995. The diesel is €15,495, which is quite a bit more. If your annual mileage is small then you should perhaps save some money and buy the petrol model. I know everyone buys diesel cars these days but the petrol alternative will only cost you €52 more than the diesel each year to tax and if your mileage is low then you wouldn't see much of a saving on fuel in the diesel car anyway.

The Peugeot 308 is comfortable and good on fuel.

If you are planning on changing the new car quite soon, then the Focus will be worth the most money as a trade-in, but I think the Hyundai would be the best buy in this case for you.

I hope this helps.

Expert answer

Hi Ally,

That really isn't an easy choice, but what we would say from the start is that you have chosen well. These are three fantastic cars and to be honest, any of them will tick the most basic of boxes for you in that they will be reliable, will be comfortable and look good and offer decent value for money. Mazda offer by far the best value when it comes to the scrappage scheme, so if you are watching your budget then this might be the way to go. You can check out the full details of the Mazda3 scrappage offers here. But the most you will pay is €19,495 for a fully specced Mazda3 under scrappage and that is superb value. 

Mazda3

Ford Focus (left) & Volkswagen Golf (right)

The two cars you see above are the new Ford Focus (left) and the Volkswagen Golf (right) and choosing between these two would be a bit like asking a parent to choose one of their kids. They both have their individual traits and as such it is hard to pick between them. The new Focus is very good, but I have the hatchback this week and had the saloon last week and actually preferred the saloon. The hatchback has poor visibility out the rear and you do have to pay a lot to get some of the fancy extras that are advertised. Having said that, you will get things like alloy wheels and air conditioning in the models you have chosen. The Golf is superb. We are running a long-term Volkswagen Golf Bluemotion and the fuel economy is great. I prefer the seating position in the Golf. I find that I can get more comfortable in the Golf and the fuel economy is outstanding. It isn't as exciting as the Ford inside, but you know that it will hold its value really well.

Really Ally, all of these cars will suit your needs perfectly. If I was tight on bugdet I would probably buy the Mazda3. If you are very concerned about residual value you have to buy the Golf, while the Focus is the newest car and probably feels the most upmarket.

My favourite of these would be the Golf, but whichever one you pick you will have done well. Again I would say that you need to move pretty fast, because if you want a specific new car it can take a few weeks and there aren't many weeks left in the scrappage scheme.