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Hi Damian,

Keep it simple and go for a Toyota Hilux. It's utterly indestructible and not too shabby to drive either, although it simply can't match the handling and refinement of a car-based 4x4. Another good option is the 130-inch wheelbase Land Rover Defender crew cab. Again, not very refined but staggeringly capable and achingly cool.

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Hi Vinny,

Hmmm. Yes and no. Land Rover quality control has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years, and the Disco 3 was one of the first cars to benefit from a new, higher quality regime. Mostly, they're well built and reliable, but a few 'rogue' cars still seem to slip through the net. The main fault is with the air suspension system, and the air compressor that pumps it up, which can fail, so make sure that the car rises and lowers as it should. Earlier cars had a lot of minor electrical glitches - everything from Bluetooth phone hookups to stereos to the electronic handbrake, but most of these should have been ironed out by now.

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Hi Pamela,

There's a few: Renault Scenic. Toyota Verso. Peugeot 5008. Citroen C4 Picasso. Land Rover Discovery. Chrysler Voyager. Ford Galaxy & S-Max. SEAT Alhambra. Volkswage Sharan. Renault Espace.

That list isn't it either!

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Hi Ian,

Right, the bad news is that the Yaris isn't going to be worth all that much at this stage. I'd say if you get €1,000 for it, either cash or as a trade in, you'll be doing well. The good news is that gives you a €4,000 budget and that puts an awful lot of really good cars well within your reach.

Now, funny story. When we had our first boy, he was born in February. That Christmas, I borrowed a Land Rover Discovery to bring us all down to my wife's parents in Waterford. And thanks to all the luggage, buggy, travel cot, bath etc. etc. etc. I couldn't see out of the back of the damned car for a whole week. That's a long winded way of saying you need to maximise your space.

So how about a Citroen Berlingo? €4,000 should get you into a 2005 1.4 petrol model and there's so much space in the back that all that baby gear will fit easily. Don't fancy a van with windows? Then how about a compact estate? There are some nice Chevrolet Lacettis around - not the most exciting car in the world but reliable, comfy, well-equipped and spacious. Your budget should get you into a 2006 or 2007 model. Or, if that's a bit too left field, what about a MkII Ford Focus estate? We found a 2005 1.6 diesel with air conditioning that's in your budget.

Best of luck with the car hunt and the baby!

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Hi Sophie,

It's a bit tricky to say. There's no question that the 2002-2012 Range Rover was a massive improvement over its dreadful predecessor when it came to reliability and solidity but there are legions of potential problems - everything from minor electrical niggles to full-on major component failure. Fragile areas seem to be the gearbox (perennially a Land Rover weak spot) and the air suspension. The engines and bodies are solid as rocks though. Make utterly sure there's a full LR service history.

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Hi Phillip,

Cars registered in 2007 (assuming this Freelander is classified as a passenger vehicle, not a commercial vehicle) are taxed according to their engine size. The Freelander's 2.2-litre engine is actually 2,179cc, so it falls into the 2,101- to 2,200cc category, which, since January 2013, costs €951 per annum.

Hope that helps

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Hi Ian,

There are a couple of alternatives to the Q7 alright. The Land Rover Discovery is probably the best all-round seven-seat SUV on the market and easily matches the Q7 for driver appeal, cabin space and premium image. The only problem is that Land Rover is still working its way up from a low point in terms of reliability, and while the current Disco is certainly very well built, we'd reckon that a Q7 would be a little bit better in terms of reliability when you're talking about a car that's already a few years old.

In fact, we know of only two issues with the Q7. One, it's apparently quite hard on tyres and two, if it's got an electric tailgate, it can open or close with a mind of its own sometimes, although that should have been fixed in a recall by now.

You could go for a BMW X5 with seven seats, but there's not as much space in the third row in the BMW, so it depends on what you need those extra chairs for. If it's only for occasional use, for kids etc, then the X5 is well worth a look and is a fantastic car to drive. If you need to put adults back there, stick with the Audi. You could downsize to a Hyundai Santa Fe seven-seater of course, which is a reliable, affordable choice but lacking both third row space and the cachet of the Audi.

Or you could steer away from the SUV world altogether and get a Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate with the extra rear-facing seats in the boot. Bit of an unsung hero that one, and much cheaper to run than a big 4x4. Or, of course, you could do the whole off-roader thing properly and get a long wheelbase Land Rover Defender, but you'll need ear plugs for long journeys.

Choosing between a 2007 or a 2008 Audi Q7 is all down to the price and the individual car. There was a facelift in 2009 that brought some engine updates and cabin and styling changes, but if you can find a good 2007 one, with a full Audi service history, you could be looking at paying as little as €20k. A Q7 for the price of a new Ford Focus? Not bad...

Let us know which way you go

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Hi Niall,

Well, that kind of depends what you want it for. If you're looking at it because you want a big, four-door family SUV then, no. You see, that Pathfinder is based on the Navara pickup and it's a pretty crude device, lacking the kind of refinement and comfort you'd get from, say, a Land Rover Discovery. That said, if you're looking for something to do a bit of hard work and the occasional bit of off-roading, then go right ahead - it's perfect for that kind of life. Just watch the clutch, it seems to be a weak point and can be rather expensive to fix.

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Hi Donal,

The Discovery is one of our very favourite cars, especially for the way it can carry seven full-sized adults in luxury-car comfort down the motorway. With big mileage like that though you will be rocking up the fuel bills, as a 2.7-litre V6 diesel Disco will only get about 29mpg in normal driving conditions. That said, you won't get any better from any of its rivals, so there you go.

As for reliability, Land Rover has come on in leaps and bounds in this respect recently, but there's no getting away from the fact that its vehicles tend to be more fragile than the Japanese competition. Small electrical niggles are the most likely problems but both the gearboxes and the air suspension can give problems too and those are rather more serious issues. The V6 diesel engine is pretty solid though.

It would be worth checking out both a Toyota Land Cruiser and Mitsubishi Pajero too, but while both of those would be more likely to have better reliability, neither can hold a candle to the Disco's on-road refinement and comfort.

Let us know which way you go

Expert answer

Hi Aleksandrs,

The most common fault with the RX 400h, as with any hybrid, is that the fuel economy won't be half as good as you think it will. The last RX model we tested returned just 29mpg overall, a figure we've equalled in both a Land Rover Discovery 3.0 diesel and a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S!

That apart, they're incredibly solidly built, as are pretty much all Lexus models. The high-tech in-car entertainment system, with its touch-screen controller, can throw up an occasional glitch but the only other serious concern lies in the hybrid electric drivetrain. Generally, it's totally reliable but we have heard of an occasional one having an AC/DC power convertor fail, which is a massively expensive job to fix if it does go wrong. As we say, it seems to be an isolated problem but one worth bearing in mind.

Let us know how you get on