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Hi Kieran,

I'd say you could expect to get between €8-9,000 as a trade-in, maybe slightly more if you sold it yourself. Worth noting though that there is at long last an all-new Mondeo coming later this year, and that may push used values of the current model down a little.

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Hi Patricia,

Both 1.8- and 2.2-litre TDCi engines in the S-Max have timing belts. The change interval is 200,000 kilometres or every two years.

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Hi Louise,

That car has a timing belt, which should be replaced every 125,000 miles (or 200,000 kilometres). We'd recommend changing it sooner than that, however, say every 100,000 miles, so it would be a good idea to have it changed on your car sooner rather than later.

Hope that helps

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Hi Anna,

There are several versions of that car, and there as a model year change in late 2009 so it depends which it is exactly. Here are a few examples, assuming you're not talking about the estate:

- 1.8 TDCi saloon with 100hp and five-speed manual gearbox: 149g/km CO₂ (Band C): €390

- 1.8 TDCi saloon with 125hp and stop-start (called 'Eco') and five-speed manual gearbox: 139g/km CO₂ (Band B2): €280

- 1.8 TDCi saloon with 125hp and five-speed manual gearbox: 154g/km CO₂ (Band C): €390

If you give us the registration number we can give you the exact price of tax.

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Hi Christopher,

Yes, absolutely. Mazdas are renowned for their reliability, and the 3 is no different. In spite of sharing all its mechanical parts with the second generation Ford Focus, the 3 generally does a little better than the Ford in reliability and surveys. Perhaps the Mazda engineers do the bolts up a little tighter... Some early models apparently suffered from turbo failure on the 1.6 diesel engine but that seems to be the only thing, bar the usual history checks and damage inspection, to be worried about.

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Hi Sean,

It's a tough question to answer, this one, simply because different wheels and tyres can make an enormous difference to ride quality. As you say, French cars tend to fare very well in this regard and I think the most comfortable car I have driven in recent years was a top-spec Citroen C5 with the traditional Citroen hydra gas suspension, which just felt as if the road surface wasn't there. As you say, French cars can have their reliability issues, but the C5 was always pretty well screwed together.

Of the other options, both the Ford Mondeo and Opel Insignia are good bets, especially if you can avoid any cars that have been specced-up with big wheels and low profile tyres. Go for nothing bigger than a 17-inch wheel with at least a 55-profile tyre - wheel and tyre combos make a huge difference to ride comfort,

Of course if you want the ultimate in ride comfort, then track yourself down a Jaguar XJ6 saloon from the mid-eighties. Best ride quality of any car ever. I can't vouch for the reliability though...

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Hi Catherine,

Not necessarily. The 1.6-litre diesel used in the C-Max is an engine used in a huge variety of cars, from the C-Max to the Focus to the Mondeo to various Citroens, Peugeots, Volvos and even the occasional MINI. This means that, by and large, it's a decent engine with good reliability prospects and millions of miles of use in a massive number of cars to reveal any bugs.

That said, there are a couple of issues to watch for and mostly it's to do with the turbocharger, which can occasionally be a weak point. Usually it's down to a failure of the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve, and it can be pretty easily fixed. Watch the parts prices and shop around for quotes if anything does go wrong. Alternators can give trouble too, so be suspicious of any engine or battery warning lights.

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Hi Linda,

That very much depends on the ages of the kids, as the Volvo S40 is really only about the same size as a Ford Focus (it's actually made on that car's platform). You won't easily get three booster seats across the back seat and the boot is ok an acceptable size rather than an impressive one.

For reference, I have two kids (three and a half and five and a half) and we have the Volvo V50, which is the estate version of the S40. It's just about big enough. If we had another kid I'd be looking at changing cars.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Eoin,

I hate to say it but an SUV may not be what you need. To get three kids in comfortably, you really need a car with three individual seats across the back and only the likes of the Land Rover Discovery or Toyota Land Cruiser have those - and they're big, heavy and expensive to run. 

 So you may need to look down the MPV route. Don't panic - it's not as bad as it sounds. Have a look for a nice Ford S-Max. Tonnes of room, extra seats in the (massive) boot and affordable running costs. 

That said, it depends on the age of your kids. If they're big enough to not need booster seats (or if only a couple of them still need one) that opens up your options a little. If you still fancy an SUV, try a Nissan X-Trail; spacious, reliable, good to drive.

Let us know what you go for

Expert answer

Hi Richard,

Just be careful when buying any premium badge car for a low price like that. The BMW 3 Series is a well made, reliable car but you need to buy one with a full service history, one that has been looked after. If you don't, you can be getting yourself into a world of expensive trouble. 

A 320i will be quite affordable to run in terms of fuel consumption, but it will be more expensive to service and buy any spare parts for than a mass-market brand. If, as you say, you've never had a car before, you may be better off starting with something cheaper and easier to run. Can I suggest a Golf? Just as classy as the Beemer, but more affordable by far.