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Hi Brian,

It depends on what sort of money you were thinking of spending, but there are a lot of good compact MPVs out there now. It's tempting to suggest another Meriva, simply because they're a thoroughly good car, but worth also checking out the Hyundai ix20, the Kia Venga, the Citroen C3 Picasso and the Honda Jazz.

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Hi Michael,

Well, the simple secret is to buy very carefully and don’t touch anything that doesn’t come with a full and complete service history. Old Land Rovers and Range Rovers are always a bit troublesome (although much less so than they used to be), but a Touareg should be a solid choice. Of course, if you want ultimate reliability you should just buy a Toyota Land Cruiser...

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Hi Aidan,

Hyundai Ireland quotes 6.0 litres/100km, which is 47.1mpg.

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Hi Mark,

Yes, a little. The Tucson is only available with a 2.0-litre diesel if you want four-wheel drive, and the rated economy for the 2WD 2.0-litre version is 58.9mpg combined, versus 54.3mpg for the 4WD version. And both of them are thirster than the 61mpg 1.7 CRDi 2WD model.

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Hi Mark,

Right, obviously it's always a bit of a scare when you slip on the road and damage your car, and it's natural for the reaction to be "I'd better get a 4x4." Hang on though, because there are 4x4s and 4x4s... First off, the Tuscon. According to the official figures, the 2.0-litre diesel 4x4 Tuscon does 39mpg while the 2.0-litre petrol model does 35mpg. We'd bet that you'll struggle to match those figures on the road and will instead get around 30mpg on average. Also, 4x4 Tuscons are a little tricky to track down in Ireland.

So, as an alternative, why not consider a Skoda Octavia 4x4? You know you like the car, the all-wheel drive system is just as good at finding traction as any big SUV's and the lower, lighter body means you won't pay as heavy a fuel consumption penalty. We've found one for sale on Carzone for just over €10k, so they're not even too expensive.

Worth a look, at any rate.

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Hi Des,

It really depends what you use your car for. If it's just you in the car most of the time then the 116hp engine is fine, especially for cruising on the motorway. You'll appreciate the extra performance of the 136hp unit around town and on the open road for overtaking, however. Also, if you regularly fill your car up with luggage or people - or you plan on doing any towing - we'd recommend you go for the more powerful model.

Let us know which way you go

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Hi Bernadette,

Short version: very. Longer version: listen carefully for cabin rattles and make sure that the infotainment system is working properly. Otherwise, they're as solid as it gets.

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Hi William,

Both of those are really good options, but with that budget there are some others worth considering. Given your low mileage, you might want to take a look at (shock, horror) some petrol alternatives. Both the Honda CR-V and Kia Sportage are plentiful on the second-hand ground with petrol engines and they're well worth considering.

From personal family experience, I can tell you that a CR-V with the 2.0-litre VTEC petrol engine gets a sold 38mpg in daily use and has been close to faultlessly reliable. Or, if you need an occasional seven-seater, the second-generation Hyundai Santa Fe falls within your budget and is a cracking car, well worth a look.

What do you think?

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Hi John,

I reckon you should get between €13-14k for your Golf as a trade-in (depending on whether it's petrol or diesel). Hyundai ix35s do indeed hold their value, not least because they're a very in-demand car. Obviously, a 2011 or 2012 model will still be under its original five-year unlimited mileage warranty, which should give you some peace of mind. Better yet, we've been unable to unearth any horror stories on the ix35 - aside from some recurrent problems with the built-in media system (stereo, reversing camera etc) they're exceptionally solid.

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It depends. A second hand replacement door could be as cheap as €50, whereas a brand new part is likely to be more like €250. On top of that, you’ll need to get a quote from a garage as to how much labour they will charge for the work, and that varies hugely from place to place. We’d recommend getting a quote from your local Hyundai dealer and starting from there.