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Hi Mary,

Your Citroen is going to be worth circa €2-3,000 so you're probably looking at a budget of around €12,500 to €13,000. That'll get you into a 2012 or 2013 Hyundai i30, depending on the dealer and the offer.

Expert answer

Hi Pat,

Really good car. Not the most exciting thing in the world perhaps but frugal, spacious and reliable. Our review of the 2012 Hyundai i30 gives you a good idea of what to expect, though the 2016 version has been upgraded a little.

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Hi Tim,

Nope, they don't. The Kia is noticeably softer and has a nicer ride quality. It's not a lot less precise than the Hyundai though, which is a little stiffer and sportier, so given the rough roads in and around Killarney, I'd recommend the Kia.

Relevant reviews:

Kia Sorento review

Hyundai Santa Fe review

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Hi Pat,

Premium spec is nice, especially on the i40 Tourer, but have a good long look at the spec-sheet - there's actually not that much more on offer than what you'd get in Executive Plus (mostly satnav, lane keeping assistant and a power tailgate) so you could potentially save yourself a little and have an almost-as-well-specced car.

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Hi Pamela,

Unless you actually need the seven-seat layout of the Hyundai, I'd go for the BMW. It'll be much more affordable to run in terms of fuel costs (close to 60mpg versus more like 45mpg in the Hyundai) and cheaper to tax too. The only concern might be that the Hyundai would be more reliable than the BMW, pound for pound. If you're buying the Beemer with a full service history and a warranty though there shouldn't be any problems.

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Hi Charles,

Yeah, with a small car like that (a) diesel is not generally available and (b) it would push up the price tag so much that you'd never earn the difference back in fuel savings. Of the ones you're looking at, I'd go with withe Hyundai i10 - it's really comfy and spacious for a small car, and should be sufficiently rugged to deal with the roads you're talking about. Plus the five-year warranty should help to keep the running costs down.

Relevant reviews:

Volkswagen up! review

SEAT Mii review

Skoda Citigo review

Fiat Panda review

Hyundai i10 review

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Hi Martin,

I'd say you should advertise it for around €6,000 all things being equal. As for the diesel controversy, it's a bit hard to say - there's nothing at all wrong and an awful lot right with the 2012 Passat - it's a cracking car, it's just that you need to bear in mind that the overall engine performance may well be altered when Volkswagen begins its recall in January. If that's putting you off, then a Mondeo is definitely well worth looking at, but also take a gander at a Mazda6, Opel Insignia or Hyundai i40.

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Hi Mike,

Well, the 1.6 Hyundai Elantra has official combined fuel economy of 38mpg, which is the equivalent of 6.1 litres per 100km. A sum of €10 buys you 7.46 litres of petrol at the average October pump price of €1.34 a litre. Assuming you reach the official fuel consumption figure that means you'll get 119km for your €10. However, you may well not reach the quoted average economy - very few people do and it's actually a pretty arbitrary number. How much less? I simply can't say - it depends on your own driving style, the condition of your car, the weather, the roads you're driving it on... Better play safe and just fill it up.

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Hi Fergal,

I presume you mean something small to medium if you're contemplating three doors. If you want to go really small, the best ones are the Hyundai i10, Volkswagen up! (as well as the Skoda and SEAT versions) and the Renault Twingo - a car I know isn't quite as technically good as the others but I personally really like it. 

If you want to go a bit bigger, then your best bets are the Honda Jazz (pricey but really well equipped), the Skoda Fabia or the Mazda2. The Hyundai i20 is also worth looking at but it might be better to wait until it gets Hyundai's new 1.0 turbo engine.

Here are some relevant reviews:

Hyundai i10 review

Volkswagen up! review

Skoda Citigo review

SEAT Mii review

Honda Jazz review

Skoda Fabia review

Mazda2 review

Hyundai i20 review

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Hi Anthony,

Don't worry - cracking car. Not quite as nice as the current-model i10 but still reliable, solid, nice to drive and should do you for a good while. Just make sure it's been serviced properly (preferably with a Hyundai dealer).