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Hi Penny,

Er, how long is a piece of string? €3k doesn't get you much but it can sure buy you a whole lot of trouble, so the best thing is to play safe. That means that whatever you're thinking of buying, make sure it has a Japanese badge on the back. Or, playing equally safe, just buy the nicest Volkswagen Golf you can afford. Can't go wrong there.

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Hi Rowland,

OK, there are a lot of parameters to go with here, but the basics are that you need a car that's cheap to buy (so it can't, sadly be too new), has affordable running costs and won't break down every time it rains. I reckon that gives you a choice of three or four key models: Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla or Auris, Kia cee'd or Hyundai i30.

Have a shop around and you should be able to find several of those all well within your purchase price range, while they all have efficient engines and excellent reliability records. In the case of the Kia and the Hyundai, they also have lengthy warranties, which, even if there's none left on the one you buy, at least means that they're more likely to have been looked after. My personal choice would be the Honda. Track down a nice 1.4 petrol Civic and I don't think you'll look back.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Mossy,

Close call really. Both are excellent and the C-Max is far sweeter to drive than the Toyota. But, the Toyota is bigger inside and Japanese reliability means you'll be shelling out less for running costs. Go for the Verso.

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Hi Jason,

Depends what you mean by 'best' really. I'm going to assume, though, that what you mean is the best all-round; something that's fun to drive and good to look at, but also spacious, reliable and practical with an eye on fuel economy, right?

In that case, and at that budget, you're looking at three main cars: Honda Civic, Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus. All three are reliable and well made (the Civic the best in that sense), all three are good to drive (the Focus is the best to drive) and all three are economical (few cars are as good, real-world, on fuel as a diesel-engined Golf). Shop around, because there are loads of each one out there and your €6,000 will go a long way. Insist on a full service history and make sure you do a background check on the car if you're buying privately (we recommend Cartell.ie). Beware of silly boy-racer mods (especially on the Golf, but the other two are prone to such things too) and try to find something that hasn't been used and abused by a legion of crisp-munching kids.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Nicola,

It depends on the year, but judging by the price tag, you're not looking at the newer end of the scale, so I'd say that starts to look like a good price for that mileage. 

As for reliability, you shouldn't have any problems. Micras are tough as old boots. Just make sure there's some history with the car and that it's been regularly serviced.

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Hi F D,

The new Ford Focus is expected to begin deliveries here in Ireland from July of this year, although that was a provisional date given to us at the preview of the car last month, so that date could move back by a month or so. The new 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol engine sounds like it will be a great choice for the new Focus, and should be available straight away in 150hp guise - there will also be a 180hp version. If you're planning on getting one of the new versions straight away, I'd advise paying a visit to your local dealer soon, as allocations are likely to be small when the car first goes on sale. 

Hope this helps.

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Hi Justin,

Two best choices here would be a Mazda6 2.0 TD from around 2003 or a Ford Mondeo Zetec diesel of similar vintage. As long as they're in decent nick, reliability shouldn't be a problem (the Mazda will do better than the Ford but not perhaps by the margin you might be expecting) and both are safe and spacious.

What do you think?

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Hi Elaine,

If you want to stay with a small car then can I suggest tracking down a nice Ford Fiesta? Your €8k budget won't quite stretch to a new EcoBoost model, but the older 1.25 petrol engine is still a sweet, economical and reliable unit.

If it's maximum economy you're after then you need to think of a small diesel. How about a Peugeot 207 1.4 HDi? Hard to track down but 65mpg is easy.

Better yet, you could trade up altogether. €8k should get you into a nice 2008 SEAT Leon 1.9 TDI - hugely reliable, spacious, economical and really good to drive.

Let us know what you think

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Hi Evelyn,

Actually, the Hyundai ix20 might be just the thing you're looking for. It's smaller and cheaper to run than a Golf, and that 1.4 diesel engine is very economical, and will actually prove more powerful to drive than the Golf. Others worth considering are the Citroen C3 Picasso or Ford B-Max, both of which can be had with either petrol or diesel power. Try a 1.0-litre turbo petrol B-Max actually - great fun to drive and you won't believe the power and performance Ford can get from its new downsized 1.0-litre engine.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Tom,

The Citroen will be cheaper to run (it has a 1.6 diesel engine compared to the S-Max's 2.0-litre unit), but if you can afford the slightly higher tax and fuel bills, I'd go for the Ford. It's better built, more spacious and much nicer to drive.