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Hi John,

Well, it depends of course on what Revenue decides the Open Market Selling Price is (and there's usually no predicting on that score...),  but they seem to be worth around €15,000 on the Irish market, so with 98g/km and 15 per cent VRT, that suggests a payment of around €2,250. 

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Hi Valerie,

The problem is that you’re going to struggle in a premium-brand car to find the sort of rear-seat width that you need. The sad fact is that most sporty, expensive estates are designed around four passengers and the middle rear seat is usually an uncomfortable perch that’s often too narrow to comfortabley fit a car seat into.

So, I’d suggest you broaden your remit a little. Of the premium cars, realistically only the Volvo V70 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class are going to offer the kind of cabin space you need. If those are too expensive, look instead to the more workaday brands – Ford  Mondeo, Volkswagen Passat, Toyota Avensis, Mazda6 and Peugeot 508. You may not get the premium badge you crave, but you’ll get the interior room you need and at a much lower cost.

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Hi Sheila,

Both should be reliable, with the Hyundai just edging it in that regard. As you say, neither will be cheap to run, but with your mileage your only major cost is going to be motor tax and at least you can budget for that. Do plan to take at least one longish spin a week though to allow the diesel engines to warm through properly or you'll be looking at big repair bills.

On balance I'd go for the Hyundai, but it would be well worth looking at something like a Ford S-Max or SEAT Alhambra, which have even more space and generally lower running costs. 

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Hi Seamus,

The Skoda and SEAT are basically the same car with different badges. Neither are especially sophisticated, but they're roomy and pleasant to drive and very affordable. Personally I prefer the hatchback versions,  but that's just me. Both are preferable to the Fluence, which has never been a very satisfying car and which is about to be replaced by a new saloon version of the Renault Megane.

Relevant reviews:

SEAT Toledo review

Skoda Rapid review

Renault Fluence review

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Hi Martin,

There are a couple of things to check - that engine needs a lower auxiliary belt change at around 120,000km so make sure that's been done. You need to be watchful for the diesel particulate filter clogging up and the return pipes for the fuel injectors can leak, so if there's a strong smell of diesel when you lift the bonnet, those will need replacing. 

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Hi Catherine,

Try having a browse in Halfords or Mothercare. They generally have the widest range of child seats and should be able to help you out. 

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Hi Rita, 

It varies from offer to offer – most deals specify that you need to be able to demonstrate ownership and use of the car and that it has to be driven onto the forecourt under its own power, so you need to check the fine print of any of the ‘scrappage’ deals you’re looking at to see exactly what proof they need. All will need at least current road tax, but not all will want to see insurance details.

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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.

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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.

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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.