Expert answer

Hi Mary,

A diesel would probably continue to give you the best economy given your usage, but we'd worry about long-term maintenance for sure as modern diesels have expensive components that can get gummed or clogged up.

If you're willing to make that compromise, then you could do a lot worse than a 2018 Honda Civic 1.6 diesel. Lovely car. It also came with a 1.0-litre petrol engine, but it has known 'wet belt' issues so we would not recommend it.  

You could afford a 2019 Hyundai i30 with either a 1.6-litre diesel or a 1.0-litre petrol engine and that's a very good bet in terms of reliability. Same for the related Kia Ceed, though they're rarer.

Even less common is the Mazda3 of the same year. It's a lovely looking car, of great quality and though it comes with a 2.0-litre petrol engine, it's an efficient and reliable option.

If you liked your Peugeot, you could move up six or seven years to a newer 308, though best to stick with diesel if you are doing that as the 1.2 'Puretech' petrol engine can have wet belt issues like the Honda.

One of the last of the Renault Megane hatchbacks is another good option, available with petrol or diesel power depending on your preference.

The SEAT Leon is possibly our favourite find for you at this price point with good petrol and diesel engine options and great comfort. You can't ignore the Skoda Octavia for the same reasons, and it's even bigger.

Lots to think about there so come back to us and let us know if we're on the right track. We've only selected mid-sized hatchbacks, while there would be plenty of crossovers and small SUVs in budget as well.

Expert answer

Hi Dawn,

Most people in your position – i.e. a new driver – consider the cost of insurance when choosing their first car. You'll need to keep the engine size down for that reason, though there are plenty of small-engined cars that should still fit the bill. Just keep it in mind and maybe get insurance quotes before you commit to any car.

I would suggest that you're better off going for a slightly larger car if it's to be used regularly for longer journeys as they are generally more comfortable at motorway speeds. From your list, the VW Golf and Hyundai i30 would be good options, but you could also seek out the SEAT Leon, Peugeot 308 or Mazda3.

I've probably given you more to think about there…

Come back to us with a budget in mind and we'll try to find some specific cars for you to consider.

Expert answer

Hi Dave,

Given you'll be on the motorway for an hour each way, presumably a few days a week at least, a diesel car seems to make the most sense in your case.

We'd also suggest that you stick to a car rather than an SUV as it will be better to drive, generally more comfortable and definitely more efficient.

Scouring the classifieds for options, here's what we reckon might suit:

Honda Civic 1.6 diesel
Hyundai i40 1.7 diesel
Kia Optima 1.6 diesel
SEAT Leon 1.6 diesel
Skoda Octavia 1.6 diesel
Volkswagen Passat 2.0 diesel
Volkswagen Golf 1.6 diesel

Come back to us if you'd actually rather stick with a premium marque. The above are a good bet in general when it comes to reliability, though as ever, take your time to choose a good example with a detailed service history, and take test drives as well.

Expert answer

Hi Leona,

From what you've told us, the easiest thing to do here would be to change ownership of your relative's cars to you. This is simply a case of filling in section C on the back of the Vehicle Registration Certificate (VRC) for each of the vehicles and sending the VRCs off to the Vehicle Registration Unit (the address is on the VRC). This can be done online as well via www.motortax.ie.

When a vehicle changes hands, its tax arrears are wiped out, so you won't need to worry about that. And if you don't intend to use the vehicles for a time, you can declare them off the road using the Statutory Off Road Declaration (SORD). This can be done online at www.motortax.ie or at your local motor tax office.

Note: this must be done ahead of time, not after the fact, and can only be submitted for periods of up to 12 months (though it can be renewed).

That would avoid the need for motor tax if you're not using the vehicles or if you're in the midst of converting the Transporter, for example.

If that's not an option, then motor tax for the van in particular could be expensive as it will be taxed according to its engine size (read our Motor Road Tax Prices In Ireland Explained feature for full details).

In terms of insurance, multi-car policies are not common in Ireland, unfortunately, so you'll need to do some ringing around or employ the services of a good insurance broker. And be aware that it can be tricky to get private insurance on a commercial vehicle.

Come back to us if you want us to go into more depth on any of this.

Expert answer

Hi Colin,

There's no definitive answer to this one as there are so many moving parts. First up, you'll get maximum value for your own car if you sell it privately. That is far less convenient than trading it in of course, but worth taking into consideration.

If you're going the trade-in route, there's no way to know for sure how much the cost to change will be until you start talking numbers with a dealer. I'd suggest you do that sooner rather than later with a number of different dealers to get a feel for the numbers involved. You don't need to commit to anything to do this. It'll take you time of course, but try to choose a few dealers that are not part of the same group or brand, and do the sums with them on both a new PCP and going for a used model as you mentioned.

Perhaps wait until the Budget announcements next month to see if there is anything new on EV incentives before committing to anything, but don't leave it much longer as some new cars can take a few months to arrive following an order.

The Enyaq is a fine electric car. Good alternatives include the Volkswagen ID.4 and forthcoming new Cupra Tavascan, plus the Renault Scenic. There's loads of choice at that price point.

Expert answer

Hi Kevin,

The best data we can find shows a figure of 116mg/km for the Ecomotive model or 105mg/km for the regular 1.6 TDI. This will vary depending on the version, but that's a good ballpark to work to.

Expert answer

Hi Mark,

If you’re prepared to wait a bit, there is an all-new Octavia RS coming, which will be available as a plug-in hybrid with 245hp. Now, it will depend on how you rack up those 30,000km as to whether a plug-in hybrid would suit you — if it’s all motorway miles then probably not, but if you do a lot of short-hauls around town, and can charge at home, then it could be ideal.

There’s also the diesel version of the new Ford Focus ST to consider, the new Golf GTI and SEAT Leon Cupra (all sharing their bits and pieces with the Octavia, of course), or what about a Hyundai i30 N — one of our favourite hot hatches? A few reviews to help you decide:

Skoda Octavia reviews

Volkswagen Golf reviews

SEAT Leon reviews

Hyundai i30 reviews

Expert answer

Hi Stephen,

Expert answer

Hi Anne Marie,

Stop-start systems on cars will stop working for a variety of reasons, some of them outside your control, but if you think your SEAT still has a problem after looking through this list of possibilities, best bet is to get the car along to your nearest SEAT dealer to check it out:

- Ambient temperature too cold
- Ambient temperature too hot (unlikely in Ireland!)
- Battery in poor condition
- Driver's seat belt usually must be on
- Driver's door and bonnet usually must be closed
- Engine temperature is too low
- Climate control settings may force the engine to stay on

Hope that's of some help. This question by an Audi owner has proven very popular and is mostly applicable to your car too.

Expert answer

Hi Derek,

OK, you haven’t told us the year of your Mazda so that makes it a little hard to value, but seeing as it’s the 1.8 petrol I’m going to guess that it’s around 2006-2007. If so, then I’d say that the €4,400 trade-in offer is actually pretty good.

As to what car to get, if you’re looking for a small hatch then it’s very hard indeed to look past the Volkswagen Golf. It’s one of the world’s best-selling cars for a reason, and as long as you buy one with a full service history and keep it looked after, you should get plenty of years of reliable service out of one yet.

Ditto for the mechanically identical SEAT Leon and Skoda Octavia. The Opel Astra GTC is a fine car in many ways — handsome, good to drive, decent quality, but it was hamstrung by poor diesel engines (other than the range-topping 2.0-litre) and unless you’re looking at the 1.4 petrol turbo model, it’s possibly not the best purchase.

The Focus is definitely a good buy, and that TDCi diesel is frugal to run, but you just have to be slightly cautious about diesel power right now. If you’re not doing big miles, you’d be better off with a petrol car.