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Hi Thomas,

It needs to be done at 160,000km or every eight years.

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Hi Ron,

Take a look at the link below for a gallery of images:

Ford B-Max review

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Hi Stella,

OK, the good news is that your Yaris is an in-demand model and values for cars from around that era are holding up well because of the scarcity of new car sales since the financial crash. I'd hope that you'd get around €8,000 for it, but let's play safe and assume you get €7,000 and you can add your €1k to that. That opens up an entire world of MINIs to you, and not just old models - you should be able to get into the second-generation post-2006 model, which is noticeably more refined and well made. I'd suggest trying to track down a nicely specced 1.6 Cooper and enjoy the heck out of it. As a MINI owner myself, I can tell you that they're great fun to drive and not quite as impractical as you might think.

Now, reliability. There's no two ways about it - Toyotas are staggeringly reliable and break very rarely. MINIs aren't bad, not bad at all, but they're just not quite as bank-vault solid as the Japanese car. Buy carefully, make sure you get one with a full and complete service history and you should be fine. Regular servicing isn't too pricey (about €190 for a normal service) and fuel economy should be pretty good too.

Hope that all helps

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Hi Mervyn,

Generally speaking, most car makers design major parts such as engine heads, blocks etc. for a life of around 400,000 to 500,000km. That said, if you look after the car properly, keep it serviced and be prepared to spend the cash to replace major components from time to time, the total life is essentially unlimited. It’s all down to the care the car gets a lot of the time.

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Hi Des,

Yes, the 2008 1.6-litre petrol Mondeo does indeed have a timing belt. It should be replaced every 100,000 miles/160,000km or every eight years.

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Hi Niall,

Depends. Do you need lots of space in the back seats and boot? If so, go for the Merc, as it's the most practical car in the class by miles. It's also massively comfy and surprisingly spirited to drive. 

But, if space is not such a priority, go for the Jag. It's gorgeous to look at and simply stunning to drive with a sense of precision and feedback that most other cars have given up on. The 2.2d diesel is fine but if you can afford it the 3.0D S is a gem.

Let us know if we can be of further assistance.

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Hi Paddy,

I have a bit of a soft spot for Saabs in general, but would advise some caution here. That generation 9-3 suffered from a chassis that aged very badly relative to the competition and to be blunt, a Ford Mondeo will drive rings around it. There's also not a lot of space in the back seats. 

On the upside, the 1.9 diesel (a Fiat-General Motors unit) is a good 'un - noisy but very economical and, being a Saab, it's both refreshingly different to other cars, superbly comfy and well able to deal with the rigours of an Irish winter.

Hope that's of some help

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Hi Peter,

You're really comparing two quite different cars here. The Auris is a larger car than the Jazz, which is really more of a rival to the Ford Fiesta. Which means that the Auris is going to be more comfy and refined over a long distance, but if you're sticking mostly around town, go for the Jazz. There are no reports of the Auris' stop-start system causing any issues, but the Auris has been generating reports of problems with squeaky front brakes, slipping handbrakes and noisy gearboxes.

The Jazz, by contrast has generated no repeating fault reports and Hondas are usually incredibly reliable. Yes, parts can be a bit pricey for them (the Toyota would be cheaper to service and repair), but so few things go wrong that you probably won't need to spend much. Go for the Jazz so - it's sweeter to drive, has a cleverer interior and will probably prove more reliable.

Hope that helps

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Hi Francis,

Can I suggest then chopping it in for another Hyundai, this time an i40 Tourer? It's massively spacious so you won't (aside from the seat height) feel like you're trading down. It's also very comfy and, with your long-haul runs and high-ish mileage in mind, hugely economical. Drive the 1.7 115hp CRDi version gently and you should top 60mpg. 

If you don't fancy another Hyundai, then picking a similar estate from the Ford Mondeo, Opel Insignia, Volkswagen Passat or Peugeot 508 ranges should do the job just as well.

Let us know what you end up doing

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Hi Marie,

It depends on whether you are using it for private or commercial purposes, but for a private driver most insurance companies will cover you. Have a shop around and have a chat with a good broker if you’re struggling to find a good quote.