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Hi Eva,

All of the ones you picked there are quite low slung but they're also all comfy so shouldn't present any major issues with seat height. 

The Mazda and Hyundai are going to be the most reliable and generally I'd go for the Mazda, but you'll want to go for the 1.5 petrol (if you're doing short journeys mostly) or wait for the new 1.5 diesel as the 2.2 diesel is just too thirsty day-to-day.

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Hi Christina,

We don't think that it's staggeringly high mileage and as long as all the service intervals have been hit spot on, you shouldn't have any major troubles. Besides, there's another year of full manufacturer's warranty yet to run, so you're covered for a little while at least (again, assuming that all scheduled servicing has been carried out correctly - the warranty can be invalidated if the previous owner has skimped). The 1.6 diesel i30 actually uses a timing chain, not a belt, so it should just need an inspection and an adjustment at regular servicing time, not a full replacement.

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Hi James,

Yup, very. No reported common faults as yet and almost all of them will still be under warranty even if something does crop up. A cracking little car.

You can read our road test of the latest Hyundai i10 here

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Hi George,

I would tread very, very carefully indeed. The engine can be a big trouble spot with dodgy turbos and inconsistent power delivery. Watch for  excessive smoke (black or white), check the oil carefully and if it shows even the slightest sign of overheating, head for the exit.

Clutches can go pretty easily, so make sure the gearshift is working alright, and everything electrical is to be assumed broken until proven otherwise. They eat tyres too, and uneven wear is a sign of impending suspension doom. Also, a lot of Espaces tend to get used as ersatz delivery vans when they get past a certain age and price point so check carefully for signs of wear and tear in the cabin.

Basically, you should probably avoid it and track down a similar vintage Volkswagen Sharan or Hyundai Trajet instead.

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Hi Mary,

Hmmm. Tough choice. Please note that the following is based purely on personal taste and other opinions are available. They're wrong, but they're available...

1. Honda CR-V: Not the glamorous choice but it's massively spacious, comfy, well made and frugal. Might be worth waiting for the new 150hp 1.6 diesel which arrives later this year - alongside a facelift.

2. Audi Q5: Super-slick, nice to drive and has a cracking 2.0 TDI diesel engine. 

3. Mitsubishi Outlander: Referring specifically to the PHEV plugin hybrid, it's the most cost-effective and practical way of going (partially) electric and it's hugely clever. 

4. Hyundai Santa Fe: Stylish, spacious and affordable plus it has a five-year warranty. Hard to beat, really. 

5. BMW X3: It's a sight better looking than the original X3 but it's still quite stiff-riding and it's not as nice to drive as the Q5.

6. Subaru Forester: Not pretty and it has a terrible cabin (all cheap plastics and ancient-looking displays) but it's probably the most ruggedly reliable car here and has genuine off-road ability. 

Further reading:

Road test of the Honda CR-V 1.6 i-DTEC

First Irish drive of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Road test of the Hyundai Santa Fe

Road test of the Subaru Forester

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Hi Caroline,

Yes, but watch the weight. The maximum unbraked towing capacity for that model of Santa Fe is 750kg and the braked weight is just 1,875kg so be careful. The Gardai are targeting trailer and horsebox users to make sure they're not exceeding their maximum weights. You also need a category BE licence if the combined weight of car and trailer exceeds 3,500kg.

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Hi Ruairi,

I hate to say it, but selling it as it is might not garner you very much. The second hand market is about reliability, reliability, reliability so any car that's already got a troubled history is going to be hard to shift. 

You might actually make more money breaking the car for parts, given the high cost of new parts to BMWs. 

As for the Hyundai, it's a fine car but you might find it a bit impractical after the BMW. Would you consider a nicely-specified Golf instead?

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Hi Kevin,

Not a lot is the unfortunate answer I'm afraid... A Hyundai Coupé of that age retails for between €2,500 and €3,500, and you can generally knock €1,000 to €1,500 off to find the trade-in value. On top of which, Dacia dealers are already operating on super-slim margins so as to keep the price of the cars down, so there's even less wiggle room for a decent trade-in than there might be with other dealers. Sorry about that...

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Hi Gavin,

I'd have to say nope. It's not very big inside and it has needlessly heavy steering that makes manoeuvring in town a chore. 

Do you really need an SUV? Why not consider a nice estate? BMW's own 3 Series Touring is a belter. Or, for your budget, you could probably stretch to an Audi A6 Avant. Track down one with quattro four-wheel drive and leave all the front-drive SUVs standing when it snows. 

Or, if you're determined on the SUV front, consider one of the following: Honda CR-V, Volvo XC60, Hyundai Santa Fe or Mazda CX-5.

What do you think?

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Hi Francis,

We've been in touch with Hyundai Ireland about this and it was suggested that the best place to go to find an appropriate roof rack is Thule (www.thule.com). Hyundai itself doesn't have any roof rack kits for the Montana currently in stock.

Hope that helps a little.