Expert answer

Hi Fergal,

That's actually becoming a bit of a challenge as regular cars such as the Mondeo have fallen out of favour with buyers, so the carmakers are slowly doing away with them. At the same time, demand for diesel engines is waning. Nonetheless, here are a few possibilities:

- Audi A5 'Saloon' (it's actually a five-door hatch)
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class saloon
- Skoda Superb (another hatchback and the closest match to the Mondeo today)

That's pretty much it. A leftfield alternative could be the Peugeot 508 SW, which is the estate model. It can be had with a diesel engine still, but the five-door 508 fastback cannot. We reckon it looks stunning.

How do these strike you?

Expert answer

Hi Charles,

Sounds to us as if one of the system's many sensors is not working properly, causing the system to shut off. We recommend bringing the car into a Mercedes dealer to have it looked at. It should still be under warranty so hopefully it won't cost you anything.

Let us know what it turns out to be.

Expert answer

Hi Philip,

The short answer is that there are some benefits to using additives, but they’re not a miracle cure. Some additives, such as Redex, STP, or Dipetane, can apparently help to reduce the build-up of carbonised particles of soot and burned fuel on the insides of your engine, which can lead to improvements in reliability, fuel economy and emissions.

That said, there’s little here that’s scientifically proven. The benefits of additives tend to be more word-of-mouth than provable fact, but there’s certainly no harm in using them and if you notice a benefit, well that’s all to the good.

I would suggest that you’re better off sticking to a strict service regimen, using original parts and a qualified technical, than relying on additives though. And of course, as you already know, diesels need to be driven regularly to stay in good condition.

Expert answer

Hi Pearse,

Would you consider a Lexus? A hybrid engined IS 300h saloon looks good, is good to drive, isn’t German, is frugal and will be so reliable you can pass it onto your grandkids.

Alternatively, a BMW 420d Coupe makes a great buy, and they’re not THAT bad on the reliability front, but it’s a good idea to buy one from a BMW main dealer, as it will come with a very comprehensive two-year warranty.

Well worth looking at a Mercedes C-Class C 220 d coupe too — not as slick looking as the BMW, but with great quality and a really lovely chassis. The Volkswagen CC (four-door coupe on a Passat chassis) is also well worth a look, and what about a Jaguar XF 2.2 diesel, which is a saloon, but looks slinky enough to be a coupe?

Lexus IS 300h review

Mercedes-Benz C 220d Coupe review

Volkswagen CC review

Expert answer

Hi Nora,

I'm afraid we can't do that check for you, as there's a small fee. Your best bet is to go directly to Cartell.ie and pay for a full history and finance check. It's not expensive and a great investment. We do it ourselves when buying used cars.

Expert answer

Hi Brad,

As ever, the answer is: it depends where your priorities lie…

The A5 is indeed a cracking car. Not the sharpest to drive, perhaps, but gorgeous to look at and practical inside. That goes equally for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe, but the BMW 4 Series is the best one to drive. Don’t forget the 2 Series Coupe either, which is more fun than any of the above. Actually, though, the best one of the lot is probably the Toyota GT86. Not as premium or as big as the others, perhaps, but more fun to drive than any of them. Here are a few of our reviews to help you decide:

Audi A5 review

BMW 4 Series Coupe review

Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe review

Toyota GT86 review

BMW 2 Series Coupe review

Expert answer

Hi Philip,

You’ve pretty much summed it up there. I guess it depends where your priorities lie – performance or comfort. There’s no doubting the sheer thrust of the 300hp Audi, but I would suggest that if it’s performance you crave, skip the Cabriolet and buy the Saloon, which is much better to drive. If it’s the open top that you fancy, then go for the Mercedes, forget about performance (although the Merc is hardly a slouch in that regard) and instead revel in the comfort.

Read our Audi S3 Cabriolet review

Read our Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet review

Read our Mercedes-AMG C 63 Cabriolet review

Expert answer

Hi Joe,

Each has its own charms, really. The 3 Series is an obvious choice – handsome, practical and really good to drive, but you might find the ride a bit too rough at times. The A5 is hugely handsome, has a terrific interior but it’s a bit dull from behind the wheel. I’d go for the C-Class. Not quite as obviously handsome as the other two, but it’s terrific to drive, and really well put together.

Expert answer

Hi Kevin,

That’s almost an impossible question for me to answer I’m afraid as, as you’ve pointed out, a car that many might consider comfortable and pleasant (the Honda CR-V) is uncomfortable for you. Mind you, you’re right about the C-Class Estate being small inside – it was never the biggest car around.

Expert answer

Hi Oliver,

Actually, it's really good. True, not the fastest car in history, but peppier than you'd expect, smooth and very economical. Actually suits the car rather well, but if you're doing low mileage, have a look at a C 180 petrol model, which uses a 1.6 turbo petrol engine. Well worth checking out. 

Expert answer

Hi Brian,

Well, it's all down to the CO₂ emissions because it's that on which the rate of VRT will be applied. You need to do your homework though as cars that can be quite affordable in the UK can be wildly over-priced in the Irish market leading to you paying more VRT than you really should do.

Ideally, you need to be spending above €30k on a car to make it truly worth your while on importing a car, thanks to the exchange rate. The BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class are all well worth looking at, as well as higher-spec versions of the likes of the Skoda Superb, Volkswagen Passat and Mazda6. 

Expert answer

Hi Philip,

Mercedes-Benz has a new 2.0-litre diesel engine coming, not a 2.2. It replaces the old 2.1-litre unit (which many referred to as a 2.2). Full story here.

There has been no information about rolling this engine out to the rest of the range as yet. All we know so far is that the new E-Class will feature it when it launches in a couple of months. We'd guess that it won't hit the C-Class Coupé until 2017, at the earliest.

Expert answer

Hi Andrew,

Well, of the posh-badge brigade, my personal favourite is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class - it's supremely comfy, beautifully made and really satisfying to drive, but, to be honest, you couldn't go wrong with any of those cars, it really is down to personal taste.

Your other question is an interesting one though. If you can live without the posh badge, and aren't quite so worried about driving dynamics, then a Skoda Superb is pretty much unbeatable. Same mechanical make up as the Audi but far bigger and way better value. Try a Ford Mondeo or Mazda6 if you want something with a keen chassis or a Toyota Avensis if you never, ever want it to break.

Some relevant reviews for you:

Updated BMW 320d review

New Audi A4 2.0 TDI review

Jaguar XE review

Mercedes-Benz C-Class review

Volkswagen Passat Highline review

Skoda Superb review

Ford Mondeo review

Toyota Avensis review

Expert answer

Hi Caroline,

If you're not doing mega-miles, then I'd say go for the C-Class. Assuming all being equal, it's a much nicer car than the CLA, which, although gorgeous, is a bit on the cramped side and not all that brilliant to drive. The C-Class is really smooth and comfy though, and much, much roomier inside.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class review

Mercedes-Benz CLA review

Expert answer

Hi William,

It's very, very tempting to go for the Merc – that badge on the bonnet is a major draw all by itself. Being sensible though, even with the extra cost up front, the Passat may actually offer better value. Given that both cars will be generally pretty reliable, the differences come down to things like running costs (is the Passat the 1.6 TDI? If so it's incredibly economical), equipment levels (the Passat is likely to be better equipped than the Merc, but do a proper comparison yourself between both cars to see) and what the dealer is offering you. Which one, for example, is offering the better warranty? A two-year warranty compared to a one- year one may not sound like much, for instance, but if something big goes wrong in year two it could save you an absolute packet.

Expert answer

Hi Peter,

As I guess you already know, Shane, Dave, Paul and myself from CompleteCar.ie are all on the APMP voting jury for Car of the Year, so we'll take this point by point if that's OK.

The Audi A3 Saloon was the model specifically being looked at, and while it's certainly at the pricey end of things for many families, more and more family buyers are being tempted in by the attractive repayments and resale figures offered by the German 'Big Three' premium brands. As for cabin and boot space, the A3 sits roughly between, for instance, a Golf and a Passat in this instance, and isn't far off the cabin space of  the current Audi A4. As a father of two, I've had my family out and about in various A3 models and can confirm that they're perfectly acceptably spacious.

It's a similar case for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Size-wise, it's pretty much spot on a rival for the Passat or Mondeo. Perhaps it's a little tighter inside, but not by much, and that's the price paid for a less space-efficient rear-wheel drive platform. Again, while it's at the expensive end of things for a family purchase, there are plenty out there defecting from the more traditional 'mass-market' brands such as Ford, Opel and Toyota to get themselves a slice of the premium action. Once again, it's often down to the tempting finance packages on offer.

As for the Outlander, it is, strictly in size terms, somewhat in-between things. Taking the BMW X5 as an example, it's slightly shorter (200mm) overall, but has a similar wheelbase measurement and it's slightly larger than the next BMW down, the X3. We judged that, given its overall exterior dimensions, its large boot space and the availability of a seven-seat version when specified with the diesel engine, that Large SUV was the best fit. A perfect fit? Perhaps not, but given the continual fracturing of the car market into ever smaller and more narrowly defined niches, it is close to impossible to find a perfect market segment for every car on sale without having an award 'for everyone on the audience'. We put the Outlander PHEV into the Large SUV category because we felt it would compete strongly there. Seeing as it took two awards home on the night (its PHEV drivetrain took the APMP Innovation Award) it looks like we were right.

The categorisation was discussed long and hard by the membership and somebody somewhere will always disagree.

Expert answer

Hi Simon,

Generally speaking all three of these cars are really well built and shouldn't give you any major troubles. The BMW 2.0-litre diesel engine has some well documented and recurring issues with weakness in the turbo, but if you buy one on BMW's approved used programme, you'll get a two-year warranty that should cover you for any issues. The Diesel Particulate Filter issue on the Audi 2.0-litre TDI engine is usually related to drivers doing too low a mileage at too low a speed for the DPF to heat up sufficiently to clean itself - it's a recurring problem on any diesel car bought by someone who fundamentally doesn't understand how diesels work and are best driven.

I'd say of the three, my choice would be the last-gen C-Class. If you're looking at 2013, try and track down one of the last Edition C models - they were loaded with equipment and got an extra AMG body kit and nice wheels too. Superb to drive, cracking 2.1-litre diesel engine (if it touch noisy) and the only drawback is that they're not very spacious in the rear.

Of course, if it's reliability and reliability above all that concerns you, buy a Lexus IS 300h and you won't go wrong...

Expert answer

Hi Rosemary,

According to the official figure, you should be getting 33mpg. Bear in mind though that this is almost a ten-year old car, so its performance in terms of fuel economy may have tailed off. Nothing a good service and oil change wouldn't fix though, along with some decent new tyres.

Expert answer

Hi Colm,

Taking the C 200 CDI as a baseline, the official figures are 58mpg for the manual, 55mpg for the automatic. Did you read our road test of the car?

Expert answer

Hi Brigid,

That generation of C-Class was, sadly, not the most robust car that Mercedes has ever built, although thankfully it seems to have avoided the disastrous quality problems that afflicted the contemporary E-Class. 

There are a few problems in the engine bay, where dodgy crankshaft sensors can cause the engine to fall into limp-home mode or even shutdown altogether. Models fitted with Merc's Active Body Control sometimes had faulty acceleration sensors too, which set up a vibration that affects the car's high speed stability. 

Noisy power steering could indicate a fluid leak, while some cars actually had the incorrect spec of brake disc fitted. Finally, a lot of C-Classes had faulty remote lock keys, but it's rare for both keys to fail so if the car you're looking at has a spare, you should be OK.

Expert answer

Hi John,

Yup, that seems like a good price, assuming the condition is good and all the service history is up to date. Make sure it's been in for a recall to have the steering system looked at and another one to reprogramme the engine control unit to stop it mistakenly kicking in to 'limp home' mode. 

A word of caution though; this car comes from an era when Mercedes-Benz was having a terrible time with build quality, and while the C-Class is generally well-made, we have heard reports of myriad problems, from small things like faulty door locks and handbrake linkages, to major items like engine injectors and ECUs. Buy carefully.

Let us know how you get on