Which used crossover to go for?
Hi,
Out of Hyundai ix35, Tucson, Kia Sportage or Qashqai, all 2015, which to go for? Drove ix35 today with impressive kit, heated seats, windscreen, dual-zone climate etc. Will be going to UK to buy as will save at least €2,000. Which would you choose considering two small kids and about 20,000km per year?
Gerry Coen (Galway)Feb 2019 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Gerry,
At 20,000km a year, you’re just on the cusp of choosing between diesel and petrol, so I’d tread carefully, and make sure you do your sums before you decide. Of the four cars you’ve mentioned, the ix35 is the oldest in tech terms and, although it’s a decent car, it’s feeling pretty out of date by now. The Qashqai is the nicest to drive, but both the Tucson and the Sportage are more roomy, so with kids to cart around, I’d go for one of those. It sort of doesn’t matter which — mechanically, they’re identical, so it comes down to which one you prefer on a personal level, and which one you can get the better deal on. Also, do consider a SEAT Ateca. They start from 2016, and the 1.4-litre turbo petrol is a terrific combo of performance and economy. Here are links to the relevant reviews to help you decide further:
Should I buy a new electric car now?
Hello,
I am holding my breath before taking the EV plunge. The choice so far is between the Nissan Leaf e plus, the Kia e-Niro 64kW and the Hyundai Kona Electric. I know two of these will be 192-reg, but so far I have taken a test drive in the Kona and the current Leaf. Sorry to report that the Kona got the thumbs down on a few fronts.
Sadly the nit pickers have decided that they can throw the scraps to "poor Paddy". Smaller touch screen, standard cruise control and no spare. No height adjustment for front passenger seat. Just compare the UK offerings. Also quite a lot of road noise. To add insult the dealer padded his price to a ridiculous €40,000 after all rebates.
The test in the Leaf, albeit not the desired version, was a pleasure. It even had a slim spare wheel slung outside under the boot. Your review of the e-Niro doesn't mention the spare wheel, which is essential outside the cities. And as some drivers will want to carry one and the tools to fit it a lot of that space will be gone.
The Kona actually has a well under the boot floor, which houses the charging cable. How ridiculous is that! Imagine a young family going on an overnight trip. Pull everything out to find the cable... So finally, the question: should I go for the Leaf when it arrives or wait for the 2020 Volkswagen I.D.?
Peter
Peter Browne (Cavan)Feb 2019 Filed under: electric cars
Expert answer
Hi Peter,
You make a good point about the spare wheel, and it’s something we should look at more often. Actually, it’s a serious issue — a great many cars now come with no spare at all, as car makers trim them to save weight for emissions and economy tests.
Try the Kia e-Niro before you take the leap — it’s mechanically the same as the Kona but roomier inside, and should come with a slightly better standard spec. The Leaf is an excellent car, but we can’t comment on the longer range version as we’ve not driven it yet. Likewise the Volkswagen I.D., which looks set to be a game changer, but obviously as we’ve not driven one it’s hard to tell. Basically, the best advice is if you can hang on for a few months, that might be worth doing.
A few reviews to help you decide:
Hyundai Kona Electric review
Kia e-Niro review
Nissan Leaf reviews
Any advice about buying a Nissan Qashqai?
Thinking of buying a Nissan Qashqai 1.6 SV 4×4 Premium; would you have any advice?
John Haverry (Cavan)Jan 2019 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi John,
The Qashqai is a decent choice, and that 1.6 dCi diesel engine is a superior unit to the older 1.5-litre model. The four-wheel-drive system is useful too, especially if you’re living out in the sticks, but if most of your mileage is in town, then it might be a bit redundant, and doesn’t do any favours to the fuel consumption. The only concern would be that, long-term, the Qashqai does seem to develop its fair share of reliability issues, with electrics being the primary culprits, so make sure you get one with a full service history and check every switch and system.
How much to change my Primera's speedo?
How much does it cost to change the speedometer in a Nissan Primera from kilometres to miles in the UK?
Patricia Conway (Dublin)Jan 2019 Filed under: mileage
Expert answer
Hi Patricia,
That's not an easy one to give you an accurate answer on, I'm afraid as every garage will charge differnt labour rates. You'll need to bring the car along to a few places to get quotes.
Let us know how you get on
Is my Nissan Juke's start-stop ok?
On start-stop on a Nissan Juke, is it normal for the engine to completely cut out so you have to start it again through the ignition if you take your seat belt off?
Lindsay Pidcock (Redditch )Jan 2019 Filed under: miscellaneous
Expert answer
Hi Lindsay,
Yes, that's perfectly normal. Some cars do that when you open the door, others when you take your seat belt off. It's a safety measure.
What's the best hybrid SUV?
Hi,
I’m currently driving a 2017 Nissan Qashqai SVE and looking to trade to a 17 or 18-reg plug-in hybrid of a similar size and spec level. Budget of about €30k including my car's trade value. What would you recommend? I do mainly city driving so hoping the hybrid would offer some savings.
Thanks
Dara Weston (Dublin)Jan 2019 Filed under: hybrid
Expert answer
Hi Dara,
The best plug-in hybrids around at the moment are the Kia Niro PHEV, the Toyota Prius PHEV and the Volkswagen Golf GTE (assuming you can find a GTE in stock...). Now, these are smaller than your Qashqai inside, so you may need to make that compromise in order to get the plug-in hybrid efficiency. The revised Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is massive inside, and rather nice, but thirsty if you’re not plugging it in all the time and making maximum use of the electric part of the powertrain.
A conventional hybrid might also be worth a look, especially given that you’re driving mostly in town. Honda is just about to launch a hybrid version of the hugely impressive new CR-V, and the new Toyota RAV4 is arriving in dealerships around now. Both are well worth considering if you can stretch the budget out to something brand-new.
Here are some relevant reviews:
Which new crossover or SUV for me?
Hello,
Which crossover/SUV would you recommend? I do circa 25-30k kilometres per year, mostly motorways, but also a fair bit of urban driving.
Roseanna
Roseanna Gorman (Bray)Dec 2018 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Roseanna,
First things first — if you’re doing mostly urban and motorway miles, you really don’t need an SUV. A more conventional hatchback, saloon, or estate is going to be more comfortable, better value, more economical and a better-engineered vehicle all round. If you’re looking for something with practicality then the likes of a Skoda Octavia Combi estate, a Volkswagen Golf Estate, a Kia Ceed SW, or the new Ford Focus Estate all have much bigger boots than any small-to-medium SUV (more than 600 litres, all of them, compared to around 450 litres for, say, a Nissan Qashqai), and they’re all better to drive and more frugal.
However, if you’re hooked on SUVs then we’d recommend a SEAT Ateca (plain wrapper, but it’s roomy, comfy and nice to drive) or a Toyota C-HR (small on the inside, relatively, but hugely stylish and the hybrid version is frugal). If you’re looking to ‘posh-up’ a bit, then the incoming new Audi Q3 is a bit of a stunner, or if you want something smaller and more affordable than any of those, try the updated Fiat 500X, which is kinda cute and charming.
Here are our relevant reviews for you to read more:
Should I keep or fix my Nissan Qashqai?
Hi,
I am driving a 2012 Nissan Qashqai dCi; I am the third owner and I bought it on 158,428km. I had to replace the battery, clutch master cylinder, front and back brake pads. I took it for a service at the required intervals, but this time around I have exceeded the mileage for the next service by over 5,000km due to financial constraints. I'm not having major problems except hearing some funny squeaky metallic sounds when I'm driving. I need to do the wheel alignment/balancing and I was also told at my last service that the sub-frame needs to be replaced because it is bent somehow. I am not in a position to buy a new car and I still owe money on this car; is it advisable to fix this car or just sell it?
Thank you
Bernadette Dyani (Cape Town)Nov 2018 Filed under: reliability
Expert answer
Hi Bernadette,
Sounds to us like the Qashqai is not a good one and it is likely to keep costing you money. We'd advise you trade it in for another car.
Which small car for infrequent use?
Can you recommend the best car for infrequent use? I currently own a 2010 1.6 SEAT Leon, but as I now bus it to work I don't need a diesel engine and it's gathering dust in the driveway weekdays. I just need something for pottering around at the weekend and any holidays. I'm thinking Nissan Micra, Hyundai i10/i20, Ford Fiesta. Don't need a huge car as there's only two of us. Not looking for something massively pricey, but with trade-in perhaps a 151 or 161 model.
Stephen Ridgeway (Dublin)Oct 2018 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Stephen,
Used Qashqai, Sportage, ix35 or BMW X1?
I am looking for a 2012 Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage or Hyundai ix35 or a 2010 BMW X1. All of these have driven approx. 80,000 miles for a price range of €12-13,000. Which one would you go for? Most driving will be on motorways during weekends.
Thanks
Naved Iraqi (Dublin)Jun 2018 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Naved,
The X1 is, obviously, the most ‘premium’, but it’s also kind of ugly and has weirdly heavy steering, plus it’s quite small inside, so let’s leave that one off the list. The Sportage and the ix35 are basically the same car, but the Sportage is nicer to look at on the outside in my opinion, and slightly nicer to drive too. Reliability between the two should be about even. The Qashqai is very appealing, but as it’s the older model, it struggles against the Sportage and has some reliability issues too, so go for the Sportage.