Expert answer

Hi Denis,

Yes it most certainly is. The i30 is a vastly underrated car and having tested it on a number of occasions we would conclude that it is more than a match to more established rivals such as the Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf. We really like the build quality and the high levels of standard equipment included.

If you'd like to know more, please get back in touch.

Expert answer

Hi Andres,

In terms of the amount of metal that you get for your money then it is really hard to look beyond the Peugeot 5008 because it is a massive car and really nice to put together. It is much bigger than the two other models that you mentioned. However the Grand C-Max is simply the best to drive in its class and if you don't need your MPV to be massive then this could be the way to go. The Verso is good too, but doesn't really have the class of either the Ford or the Peugeot. Twins can take lots of stuff with them I imagine, so you might want the bigger vehicle, but for me right now, I'd pick the C-Max. 

Expert answer

Hi Caroline,

Paddy here. Given your budget, I would say that you need something that is going to be easy to live with, cheap to run and reliable. 

The Suzuki Swift is a really easy car to own. It is reliable, spacious, cheap to run (tax, fuel, insurance) and good value too. This one I have picked out because it has really low miles (10,000km) and is about half way up your budget: Suzuki Swift

Another decent buy would be a Ford Focus 1.4 - which is a really good larger family hatchback with a big boot. This one we found has just 34,000km on the clock, comes from a good dealership and the price is good: Ford Focus

At the upper end of your budget would be a Volkswagen Golf. They are really good investments because they hold their value well. This one again has really low mileage: Volkswagen Golf

I hope some of these are of interest. I think the Swift would be a super choice for you guys though. 

Come back to us if you need more advice though.

Expert answer

Hi Padraig,

As a private sale you should probably ask about €9,000 and be prepared to accept about €8,500 for it and as a trade-in I would expect about €9,000 against another car. As we always say though, the best advice is to look at the cost to change when it comes to a trade-in and don't be too focussed on how much you are being offered for your car. 

I hope this helps!

Expert answer

Hi there Kevin,

I am not sure whether you are choosing a new or used car. There is a brand new Jetta just gone on sale and it is absolutely massive - quite close to the Passat. This would probably be the better of the two at the moment, but then there is a new Focus arriving in April.

The new Focus is really good too and that comes with a 1.6-litre diesel engine, while the Jetta also comes with a 1.6-litre diesel. I haven't driven the new Jetta yet personally here in Ireland, but we have driven it and I have driven the new Focus, which is brilliant. 

Out of the two, if I was doing lots of mileage, then the Jetta would probably be the better of the two, but without totally sitting on the fence the best thing to do is to try them both for yourself.

Let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Ronan,

I reckon a Volkswagen Golf Van would do a brilliant job for you. You told us by e-mail that you have another €2,000 to spend on top of the value of your Toyota Avensis so I reckon this one could be a good option. 

The Ford Focus van is good too, but I don't imagine you want to be a two Focus family! If I was having a car-van I'd have a Golf. 

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi John,

This one took a little bit of research, but according to Peugeot, it was the first to market a car with a diesel particulate filter in Ireland with the 607 saloon. Then in 2002 Peugeot introduced the DPF on its 307 2.0-litre HDi model. They came into general use around 2005 onwards. Ford told us that its cars came with DPFs from then on. 

I am not sure of your budget, but perhaps a Ford Focus C-Max diesel would make sense? This car would be a top choice for you. 

Ford Focus C-Max

I hope this helps, but come back to us for more information if needed

Expert answer

Hi Donal,

If you were to sell the car privately it would be wise to advertise it at about €6,800 and be prepared to take about €6,500. You may get perhaps a little more than this if you trade in the car against a new car or newer used car at a dealership.

This is an approximate figure, but it will give you a ballpark I hope.

Expert answer

Hi Pete,

You don't mention the mileage or condition of your Focus, but the value to a dealer could be anything from €1,000 - €2,000 depending on those factors and what you are trading the car in against.

I think that with your 100km a day you are probably better off with a diesel car in terms of saving money on fuel. There are a few options in your price range. The Volkswagen Golf Diesel is one option. We like this 2006 model with really small mileage on it for €13,750.

But down in Cork there is probably a better buy in this 2007 Ford Focus 1.6-litre diesel (which is a better engine than the 1.8-litre unit) and this car has just 16,000 miles on the clock and is within your budget we would hope. If you liked your Focus before then I am sure you would love this newer model and at the price and mileage it would be hard to ignore.

Expert answer

Hi Fergal,

An all-new Focus should be here early in 2011. More information was released this week (click here for the news story). The updated Mondeo will be on sale in Ireland before the end of 2010 (click here for our news story). I'm afraid we don't as yet know anything about a new Fiesta.

Prices are never released very far ahead of a car's launch unfortunately, but you can expect them to be in the same ballpark as the outgoing models'.

Hope that helps