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Hi Dave,

Yup, seems fair as long as the condition and history are all in order.

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Hi Roy,

Have you considered the new Peugeot 5008? It’s basically a bigger version of the 3008, comes with seven seats as standard and prices start from €28k. Get one with the brilliant little 1.2 turbo petrol engine and you won’t go wrong. Read our review of that car here.

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Hi Marietta,

I wouldn't like to pronounce absolutely on whether the Kuga is suitable for an elderly driver with arthritis.  Generally, Ford is very good at designing cars for elderly drivers, and was one of the first car companies to take limited joint mobility into account when designing the interior and access points. It would of course depend on which parts of the body your dad has the arthritis in, and how much it's restricting his mobility. I wouldn't be medically qualified to pass judgement on that.

Off the top of my head though, I would suggest that the Kuga might actually be a bit too tall, and require an up-and-in motion that may not be any easier than the down-and-in of the S40. I would have throught that a Ford C-Max, which is more between the heights of the Focus and the Kuga, would be a better bet. Easier to slide straight into. Worth a look anyway.

If you're trading in the S40, I'd reckon you should be getting offers of around €9,000 to €10,000, depending on the condition, history and which engine it's got.

Come back to us if you need more help.

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Hi Aidan,

It sounds to me as if the second key fob has lost its pairing with the ignition system Your best bet is to bring it into a Ford dealer to reprogram. 

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Hi Ann,

Yes, they should, but it's worth bearing in mind that the Alhambra and Touran are very different vehicles. The Alhambra we'd refer to as a 'full-size' MPV, with proper space inside for seven adults. The Touran is a more compact vehicle, based on the same architecture as the Volkswagen Golf, and the third row seats are much smaller, more suitable for kids than adults. Of the two, we'd go for the SEAT - it's one of the most impressive family cars around and SEAT has a terrific reputation for reliability.

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Hi Anne,

It's impossible to diagnose such an issue from afar accurately, but known issues with that Mondeo include:

- Water in the fuel filter or tank (replace the fuel filter to check)

- Poor earth connection under the battery (check the physical connection for rust, etc)

- Fuel injectors out of calibration (requires reprogramming, usually at a dealer)

Another possibility is that the dual-mass flywheel has broken up and needs replacing.

I'd recommend you get the car along to a good mechanic to diagnose it properly.

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Hi Stan,

OK, well currently (as of the end of September), the best selling cars in Ireland are, in descending order, the Hyundai Tucson, the Nissan Qashqai, the Volkswagen Golf, the Skoda Octavia, the Ford Focus, the Ford Fiesta, the Kia Sportage, the Toyota Yaris, the Toyota Corolla and the Volkswagen Tiguan. The biggest-selling market segment is the SUV/H1 segment (that’s the Qashqai-Tucson-Sportage mid-size SUVs) all of which cost between €24,000 and €40,000 depending on spec.

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Hi Shane,

The 2.0litre diesel engine in the S40 is shared with the Ford Mondeo and it's a 140hp unit. A pretty good and robust one too, with few major reported problems, but watch earlier models for niggling electrical issues. 

There were also problems with leaky windscreen surrounds, some 2008 models had faulty wheel nuts, watch for ECU and fuel pump failures and brake issues because of a faulty vacuum pump.

Other than that, you might find the S40 slightly tight on legroom. It's a smaller car than the BMW 3 Series to begin with and Volvo compromised the cabin room further by allowing for more crush zones up front. So safer, but a touch more cramped if you've got long legs.

Hope that helps

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Hi Carrie,

Puntos, especially the 2006-on Grande Punto, aren't bad at all when it comes to reliability. The engines are all well-proven Fiat units with few major issues and as long as you keep a wary eye on the electrics, and buy only with a full service history, you should be OK. 

Compared to Fords you have driven, you'll probably find the Fiat has much lighter, more detached steering and a "looser" feeling chassis. But you'll probably also notice that the Punto is unusually spacious and has very eager engines. An underrated car.

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Hi Margaret,

I'd say circa €4,500 to €5,900 depending on condition but 1.4s are hard to find. You might have to go for a 1.6 or a diesel.