Expert answer

Hi John,

Yup, a small diesel sounds like it should be ideal for you. Depending on what kind or size of car you need I'd recommend either a MINI Cooper D 1.6 (small and sporty), Opel Astra 1.3 CDTi (slower, but more spacious), Toyota Auris 1.4 D-4D (similar to Opel but probably more reliable) or that old favourite the Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI BlueMotion (ultra economical). Or, if you need more space how about a Skoda Octavia Combi estate 1.6 TDI or a Citroen C4 Picasso 1.6 HDi?

Help us with your needs and we'll narrow that down a little!

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Hi Seamus,

The rule of thumb is never buy on mere mileage, always buy on condition and history. If the car has a full service history, that's a good sign. If the garage is willing to stand over it with a warranty, that's good too, although it would be worth pushing to see if you can get a full year. Don't forget also that the 'mileage' is actually 'kilometreage' and that 100,000 is actually only 62,000 in old money.

For what it's worth, our own 2009 MINI Clubman has more than 100,000km on the clock and it still looks and feels like a new car (when I remember to clean it). Mondeos are built to a pretty high standard, and as I say, once that service book is fully stamped up and the dealer seems reputable, then you should be fine. At least you can be confident it's not been clocked...

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Hi Gabriel,

Dacias are fine, to be honest, you just have to make sure you know what you're getting into. They're not sophisticated, nor are they especially modern, but they're cheap and genuinely quite cheerful. Best of the bunch is the Sandero supermini, which combines decent build quality with surprising refinement and a  emptingly low price.

The Duster SUV is also pretty good, albeit it's quite an old design now and lacks things like electronic stability control as standard. Still, it's rugged, tough and refreshingly simple. The newer Logan estate and Stepway crossover are just variations on the Sandero theme and are there for those who need either an enormous boot (Logan) or a bit of 4x4-esque style (Stepway).

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Hi Bill,

There’s no one blanket answer to this, as much depends on where you do your mileage and how you drive. Basically the issue is one of heat. The DPF needs the exhaust system of the car to reach full operating temperature in order for it to burn off the excess carbonised soot that it filters from the exhaust. If you don’t generate that heat then the DPF gets full and clogs up and causes problems. So, you can do relatively low mileage, but if it’s mostly on the motorway and you’re running at a constant 120km/h for, say, 30 minutes or so each day, then you probably wouldn’t have any problems. If you do lots of miles but they’re all in town, stuck in traffic, creeping along, then it doesn’t matter how much mileage you do, you’ll have problems. As a rule of thumb, we usually say that circa 20,000km a year is the changeover point, but as I say, driving style and where you do your driving enter into it too.

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Hi Stella,

OK, the good news is that your Yaris is an in-demand model and values for cars from around that era are holding up well because of the scarcity of new car sales since the financial crash. I'd hope that you'd get around €8,000 for it, but let's play safe and assume you get €7,000 and you can add your €1k to that. That opens up an entire world of MINIs to you, and not just old models - you should be able to get into the second-generation post-2006 model, which is noticeably more refined and well made. I'd suggest trying to track down a nicely specced 1.6 Cooper and enjoy the heck out of it. As a MINI owner myself, I can tell you that they're great fun to drive and not quite as impractical as you might think.

Now, reliability. There's no two ways about it - Toyotas are staggeringly reliable and break very rarely. MINIs aren't bad, not bad at all, but they're just not quite as bank-vault solid as the Japanese car. Buy carefully, make sure you get one with a full and complete service history and you should be fine. Regular servicing isn't too pricey (about €190 for a normal service) and fuel economy should be pretty good too.

Hope that all helps

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Hi Mary,

First off, no you're not crazy. The Clubman is a terrific little car and I actually own one myself. It's more practical than you might think and much more distinctive and different than the standard MINI Hatch. Secondly, on the alloys - blistering could mean that the paint finish is peeling off or that the metal underneath is starting to corrode. It may be that you could simply sand down the bubbles and have the wheels resprayed, or you may need to budget for some replacement wheels.

The only major mechanical issue is a recurrent gearbox problem that can lead to failure and replacement. As long as it shifts gear cleanly, you should be OK. Don't worry if the shift feels heavy, as they are supposed to feel like that. 

Other problems are persistent interior rattles, issues with the stop-start system and a windscreen that seems to be peculiarly prone to cracks and chips. No issues with the timing belt as long as the service history is up to date.

Expert answer

Hi Tara,

Well none of the above. Not really at any rate.

Early build (i.e. 2000-2001) MINIs had some issues with fuel pumps, but other than that they suffer from no major repetitive reliability problems. The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve on the 1.6 diesel can be a weak point but other than that, as long as you keep it serviced on the button, you shouldn't have any problems. 

Fuel consumption is only a problem if you go for an early, supercharged Cooper S. Regular 1.6 Coopers should easily do 40mpg and I have personal experience of the fact that a 1.6 diesel Cooper will do better than 60mpg.

As for the back thing, well, I myself suffer from a bad back and I own a MINI and can report no problems. They are a bit low slung for climbing in and out of but the seat and driving position are excellent. Try before you buy and see how it feels.

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Hi Karen,

You’ll need to, within seven days of arriving in the country, inform the Revenue Commissioners that the car is here, and book an appointment at your nearest NCT (equivalent of MOT) centre for an inspection. If you’ve owned the car for more than six months, and can provide proof of both previous tax and insurance, and change of address, then you will only have to pay a nominal administration fee to re-register the car here, and not the dreaded VRT import tax.

Read our guide to importing a car from the UK

Expert answer

Hi Erin,

Well, I have to put my hand up and declare an interest. I own a MINI , a Clubman Cooper D, and it's fab. Fun to drive, funky to look at and super-economical (it averages better than 55mpg). So I'd say if you're interested in a MINI, go for it. 

Just make sure anything you're looking at buying has a full service history. Don't forget that these are small BMWs with plenty of complex bits and need to be cared for accordingly. It's worth looking at MINI's 'cherished' second hand programme, from franchised dealers, which a gets you a two-year warranty and a full check over.

Expert answer

Hi FD,

We asked Opel Ireland for advice on this one for you and here's the response:

"Unfortunately this is the only colour we offer in the centre console.  If the customer would like to paint it then it's best to consult a good body shop as they would be able to advise best on whether to paint it or not.  Our Opel dealers do not carry out body shop modifications so we cannot directly recommend one; however if the customer wishes he can contact his local Opel dealership and discuss the options with them."

Hope that's of some help