Expert answer

Hi Billy,

The Fiesta EcoBoost is a really sweet little car, lots of fun to drive, roomy and very frugal. It's a little difficult to know how reliable it will ultimately be in the long-term as the engine itself is a relatively new design and hasn't been around long enough for us to be able to tell exactly how robust it is. That said, Ford's quality record has been good of late, so I'd say it's a reasonably safe bet.

As for which model, it just depends on what your priorities are. A Titanium will have more standard equipment, but it may well be that there's a lot of extras that you simply won't need nor use, so you're probably better off going for the better value of the Zetec.

Other cars that are worth considering would be a Toyota Yaris, Mazda2 and Skoda Fabia. Hope that helps.

Relevant reviews:

Ford Fiesta review

Toyota Yaris review

Mazda2 review

Skoda Fabia review

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Hi Ray,

The new Fabia Combi might well be worth looking at as the boot is absolutely enormous, but you may find the back seats a little tight as the kids get bigger. A Toyota Auris Touring Sports estate would certainly make a good buy - roomy and hugely reliable and Toyota's old 1.4-litre petrol engine has always been a good unit. Also worth looking at the Kia cee'd Sportwagon or Skoda Octavia Combi.

Relevant reviews:

Skoda Fabia Combi review

Toyota Auris Touring Sports review

Skoda Octavia Combi review

Expert answer

Hi Pauline,

You're absolutely 100 per cent dead right - diesel is not for everyone and especially not for those with overall low mileages and short commutes. And as the recent emissions scandal has shown us, diesel exhaust can be staggeringly bad for your health. 

As for finding a diesel without a DPF filter, I'm not sure you'll be able to. In order to meet the particulate emissions legislation under EuroV and EuroVI regulations you pretty much had to have one. Some people have, of course, removed the DPF to avoid maintenance issues, but then you're just spewing out a plume of highly carcinogenic soot particles as you drive...

So, I think your best bet is to go for a compact turbocharged petrol engine or, just maybe, a hybrid. The Toyota Prius would potentially be ideal for your daily drive, but could be a bit of an over-thirsty pain on that six-time-a-year longer journey. Try instead a car fitted with the Volkswagen Group's excellent 1.2-litre TSI turbo petrol engine (Golf or Skoda Octavia are the best ones), a Ford Focus with the 1.0 EcoBoost engine or maybe an Opel Astra 1.4 Turbo. Here are a few relevant reviews for you to consult:

Ford Focus 1.0 EcoBoost review

Skoda Octavia 1.2 TSI review

Opel Astra GTC 1.4 Turbo review

Expert answer

Hi Martin,

Go for the Octavia or Avensis according to taste - both have superior reliability (crucial when you're buying an older car) and the Avensis will, just slightly, have the edge in that respect.

Expert answer

Hi Aisling,

Not a huge seller, the Rapid, but it's a perfectly decent car. Skoda designed and built it as a more affordable alternative to the Octavia - it kind of sits between the Octavia and the smaller Fabia in price and space terms. The upsides are a big boot (huge, actually) and a decent line-up of petrol and diesel engines. The downsides are a slightly narrow cabin and bouncy, skippy rear suspension. Plus the interior doesn't look or feel as sophisticated as that of the larger Octavia. It'll be an affordable and very reliable family car though.

Read our Skoda Rapid review here

Expert answer

Hi Brendan,

Both decent cars. Go with the Corolla if reliability is your overriding priority (although the Skoda's hardly fragile or anything) and go with the Skoda if space and a big boot are your priorities.

Expert answer

Hi Gerry,

I think it's well worth considering a new Octavia, not least because the PCP rates are very tempting and it insulates you from any depreciation (which is pretty mild on an Octavia at any rate - it should retain at least 50 per cent value after three years). Used ones are good too, of course, but it's tempting to have that shiny new one with a full three-year warranty.

As for trims, well spotted - Skoda did indeed shuffle around its trim levels so that Ambition, which used to be the lowest spec, is now actually a well-equipped mid-range. It's worth going for as it comes with items like nice alloy wheels, a 5.8-inch touch screen for the stereo, multi-function steering wheel and Bluetooth.

Read our Skoda Octavia L&K review here

Expert answer

Hi Howard,

About €6-7k trade in for the Octavia, and about €4-5k for the Fabia, I'd say.

Expert answer

Hi P J,

The current model Nissan Qashqai, introduced at the beginning of 2014, is a really cracking choice - well made, frugal and nice to drive. Go for the 1.5 diesel if you do big miles, or the 1.2 petrol turbo if you're mostly doing short hops around town.  As for your Octavia, I'd say you could expect to get around €5,000 as a trade in, depending on the dealer and your car's condition and history.

Finance or cash? Easy: if you can afford to pay cash, do it. You'll be able to argue yourself a decent discount up front and you won't be paying any interest. As for finance, PCP offers are tempting and very good value, but they kind of rely on you coming back in three years' time for another car. If that's not your plan, then a personal Credit Union or bank loan could actually work out better value overall. If you have a financial advisor they can give you more detailed advice than I, and check out the CompleteCar.ie Guide to Car Finance for more information.

Expert answer

Hi John,

I'd say in and around €7,900 as long as it comes with a full service history.