Expert answer

Hi there,

The A4 would be a little better in terms of comfort, but not in terms of space or practicality, and to be honest the benefits are pretty marginal. Either the Passat or the Superb make fantastic estate cars. The Superb has an edge on luggage capacity (around 60 litres extra), but the Passat is a little sharper to drive, and has arguably a nicer interior. A marginal decision then, but we’d probably go for the Superb on balance. Or, just to throw a spanner in the works, have a look at the excellent Mazda6 Tourer before deciding…

A few reviews to help you decide:

Audi A4 Avant review

Skoda Superb Combi review

Volkswagen Passat reviews

Mazda6 Tourer review

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Hi Joe,

I think a good bet here, if you want to buy new, is the new Mazda3 2.0 M-Hybrid. It’s only a mild-hybrid, but it’ll be good on fuel, yet it has decently punchy performance and is really enjoyable and engaging to drive. Looks great too, but not as tempting to the criminal fraternity as a Golf R. If you fancy something with a bit more grunt, but still understated styling, how about a Skoda Octavia RS? Quick and agile, and not too shabby when it comes to economy. 

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Hi Shane,

Both are excellent, but in general we’d lean towards the Skoda. Although a slightly smaller car overall, you’re not sacrificing much rear seat space, and you are gaining a bigger and more versatile boot. Our only concern would be to get a very careful history check done, as the Octavia is popular as a taxi, and that’s something to be avoided. 

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Hi Orla,

Get the Skoda. Trust me, as the father of two growing boys a Qashqai is just not big enough inside. The Octavia, on the other hand, has lots of rear legroom (crucial for people in rear-facing child seats or boosters) and a massive boot, especially if you go for the very practical Combi estate version. If you’re looking for other alternatives, stick within the mid-size estate market — they’re much more practical for families than a compact SUV, and usually cheaper too run too. Oh, and they’re not much bigger than the hatchbacks they’re based on, so parking etc. is still a doddle.

Good alternatives to the Skoda are the Ford Focus Estate, the Kia Ceed Sportswagon, the Hyundai i30 Tourer and the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports. Click on those links to read our reviews of each.

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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:

Skoda Octavia Combi review

Volkswagen Golf Estate review

Kia Ceed Sportswagon review

Ford Focus Estate review

Nissan Qashqai reviews

SEAT Ateca reviews

Toyota C-HR reviews

Audi Q3 reviews

Fiat 500X reviews

Expert answer

Hi Sam,

If you take a look at our Motor Road Tax Prices in Ireland Explained article, you'll see that your car falls into the older motor tax system, categorised by engine size. A 2007 Skoda Octavia 1.4's engine measures 1,390cc, so its annual rate of tax is €385.

Expert answer

Hi Gustavo,

Well, reliability and running costs are not necessarily the same thing. The ultimate in reliability is probably a Toyota Land Cruiser, but that’s hardly cheap to run or to tax… I think there’s a couple of good options here, though. Sticking with Toyota, the Auris is a solid bet, and even more so if you go for the Hybrid model, which will help keep your tax and fuel costs down. Get the Tourer estate model if you need maximum family space.

The Honda Civic is also a very good bet, and the 1.6 iDTEC diesel is probably the best model to go for to keep fuel and tax bills down. Again, if you want maximum space for the kids and their things, track down the (rather handsome) estate version.

Skoda’s Octavia is solidly reliable too (again, the Combi estate is the one to go for) and you can choose from 1.6 TDI diesel, or an excellent 1.2 TSI petrol turbo, both of which are frugal and tax-efficient. Just check its history to see if it’s been used as a taxi — many have been.

Expert answer

Hi Shane,

Expert answer

Hi Arvind,

The work to change the oil and filter in that Skoda is little different to the same job in any other car, but we'd not recommend it is done by someone without experience unless supervised by someone that has. There are lots of things that can go wrong in the process that could lead to engine damage and further costs, which would massively outweigh the savings made by not going to a professional in the first place. 

If you are determined to do it, here is a generic step-by-step set of instructions that could be applied to most cars, and it's written on the assumption that the car is safely raised on a proper vehicle lift:

- With the lift lowered, turn off the ignition, remove the keys and pop the bonnet.

- Remove and clean the dipstick and remove the oil filler cap. Make sure nothing can fall into the hole.

- Raise the lift so you can comfortably walk under the car and reach the underside of the engine.

- With a suitable collecting recepticle to hand, locate the oil sump plug and remove it. The dirty used oil will start to flow before it is fully out so be prepared for that.

- Once the flow has clearly slowed to a tricikle, locate the oil filter. On some cars this will be accessible from above the engine, in others, below. On some cars, it will be a cartridge within a permanent outer casing, on others, an aluminium-skinned component that screws off in its entirety. It's highly likely you'll need a special oil filter removal tool to take it off. Most of the time, a small amount of dirty oil will leak out, so be prepared to collect that under the car.

- Check the new oil filter against the old one. In particular, the sealing rings must be in an identical position.

- Fit new oil filter tightly to recommended tightness.

- It's often a good idea to fit a new oil sump washer at this stage, then tighten up the sump plug to the recommended tightness and give everything a wipe down.

- Lower the car again and fill with new oil to about a litre less than the official full level. Replace the dipstick and oil filler cap.

- Start the engine without revving it, let it idle a minute, then turn it off again.

- Check the oil level with a cleaned dipstick and top up as necessary.

Expert answer

Hi Andy,

All three are good cars (and reliable too, with the Octavia at the top of the pile in that respect, the Mondeo second and the Insignia third). The Mondeo is the best to drive, and has the most interior space, but the Octavia actually wouldn’t be far behind, and has good seats. If cabin space is your thing, the Insignia comes off worst — it’s quite small in there, unless you’re talking about the new-shape model, introduced in 2017, which is actually very roomy.