Expert answer

Hi Lurdes,

OK, lots to deal with here. Let’s go through it piece by piece. Theoretically, you will always get better value buying second hand than buying new. 'Buy at three, sell at five' (years old) is the rule of thumb to maximise your value and minimise your exposure to depreciation. But, you’ve been burned in the past by unreliable cars (been there, I feel your pain) so I would say that buying new is actually the best thing for you this time around, especially as you want to hold on to the car for an extended period.

Of the two cars you’ve mentioned, the Toyota Verso should be the most reliable. Nothing much wrong with the Ford, but if reliability is your priority then always buy Japanese. Happily, a manual 1.6 diesel Verso seven-seater is just inside your budget, at €29,100 and there is currently a €3,000 trade-in offer on that model, which means you’ll get a lot more for your old Scenic than you would if you traded it in normally.

There is only one hybrid people carrier so far, and that’s the Toyota Prius+, but to be honest, we couldn’t recommend it. For a start, a new one will bust through your €30k budget barrier, but beyond that it’s a disappointing car – far too thirsty unless all of your mileage is done in town at low speeds. The Verso is a far more versatile car.

Expert answer

Hi Iain,

It should be, but check it with your finance company first. You’ll probably need to keep your Sterling bank account active and transfer money to it from whatever Euro account you’re being paid into when you’re working in the Republic.

Expert answer

Hi Fergal,

The new Ka+ will be here in June and will cost from €13,050. You can find out much, much more about it in our Ford Ka+ news item. The new Fiesta is a bit more of an unknown and we certainly don’t have prices for it yet. It’s due to launch in Europe in the first quarter of 2017, but Ford Ireland may decide to keep its powder dry and launch it here closer to the 172 registration change in July of next year. It’s likely to be a little larger than the current car (although not by much, as the same basic structure is being retained) and the engine line up will be entirely the new-generation three-cylinder EcoBoost petrol and the four-cylinder 1.5-litre TDCi diesels. It’s likely to also be more expensive than the current car – the fact that Ford is launching a five-door Ka at a cheap-ish price, and the continuing efforts to push the Ford brand upmarket (Vignale, Mustang, GT, Edge etc.) means that the next Fiesta will probably be more sophisticated but more expensive too.

Expert answer

Hi Jim,

I think unless you’re going to go for a full-size SUV, such as a Land Rover Discovery, Audi Q7 or Volvo XC90, you’re going to struggle to find an SUV with three Isofix points in the back. Even the family-friendly Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe only have two outer seat Isofix mounts in the middle row. I’d suggest having a look at the Ford S-Max or Galaxy, or a SEAT Alhambra. These would seem to be the only cars that have the necessary Isofix points and the boot volume you’re looking for. 

Expert answer

Hi Karen,

Try 'double turning' the key in the actual door lock to see if it opens the boot. Sounds weird, I know, but works for some Fords. Failing that, bring the car to a Ford dealer for some advice. 

There are no specific tests that the boot opens in a car in the NCT, but there is mention of ensuring that the catches are operating properly, to prevent fumes etc. Technically speaking the boot would have to be opened and closed to check that. I'd guess that you may get away with it, but there's a chance you won't as well.

Let us know how you get on

Expert answer

Hi James,

The big draw for the updated Kuga will be the availability of Ford’s 1.5 TDCi diesel engine, which will bring the Kuga’s running costs down significantly, not least because it will have a 115g/km CO₂ emissions rating. It’ll be here in the autumn, once Ford has finished launching the new Edge SUV, but given the nature of the Irish car market, supply will probably be a bit restricted until January 2017.

Expert answer

Hi Donncha,

Yes, it’s the same – Ford recommends a change at 125,000 miles (or 200,000km) or every ten years, but as with any cam belt, we’d suggest having it replaced more frequently than that.

Expert answer

Hi Pauline,

A really tough question to answer. Normally the price for a Fiesta of that age ranges from as little as €500 to as much as €1,500 so with the incredibly low mileage you should be looking at the upper end of that range. 

Expert answer

Hi Ben,

That sounds like a pretty decent deal, and the 3008 – although it’s due for replacement later this year by an all-new model – is still a better than decent car.

As for the timing belt change, officially Peugeot says that the belt should last 10 years, or almost 250,000km, but to be honest we’ve always felt that that sounds way too long. I’d insist on a belt change every 100,000km at the most. Your car should be fine for now, but start thinking about it well ahead of the official schedule and beware – if the oil pump leaks on that engine it leaks onto the belt, potentially damaging it or causing it to slip.

Expert answer

Hi James,

Nope, it's all down to how well it's been cared for. If it has a high mileage but a thick sheaf of service stamps, receipts and paperwork then it's fine. A lower mileage car without history would be far more worrying.