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Hi Liam,

Here's the latest Opel Insignia review on the site - from the end of 2013.

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Hi Andrew,

It seems there are some niggly little issues with the current shape Astra, but none of them seem to be utterly disastrous. There have been some reports of electronic issues, particularly around the cruise control and the (optional) electronic parking brake. Those problems can also cause the brake lights to flicker annoyingly. There have been two recalls issued for the car, one for the anti-trap sensor in the electric windows and one for faulty bolts on the front passenger seat. Make sure both of those have been carried out. Finally, as with the Insignia, there seems to be an occasional issue with the rubber seals on the boot so check the boot carpet for any signs of damp or water getting in.

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Hi Ragnar,

Several things can cause that, so you need to take the car to an auto-electrician to ascertain which. Possibilities:

1) The battery itself needs to be replaced, but don't do that until you're sure it's none of these other things.

2) The alternator isn't charging the battery properly. Check for loose leads and/or the alternator belt itself before paying an auto-electrician to check it.

3) Something may be staying on to drain the battery when you turn the car off. It could be a light in the boot or glovebox or the alarm or stereo or something else entirely. Will need a little investigation.

Best of luck with it - let us know how you get on.

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Hi Mirian,

There's just nothing good about any of that. Bad enough that it happens at all, worse still that you're coming to the end of your pregnancy - as you say, you just don't need that kind of hassle.

The problem is a recurrent one on the Meriva, and seems to stem from a good old manufacturing fault. As far as I can tell it dates back to at least 2011, but in spite of repeated calls from owners and even a stinging piece on the BBC consumer show Watchdog, General Motors has failed to issue a recall for the problem.

For the moment, the best thing I can suggest is that you press your Opel dealer to give you a loan car, NOT A MERIVA, for the duration of the rest of your pregnancy, so at least you have peace of mind. Some car dealers like to try and duck the issue, but under the good old Sale Of Goods And Supply Of Services Act (otherwise known as your statutory rights) you're entitled to a repair, replacement or refund. Clearly, if the steering column has already been replaced, repairing it hasn't worked so you're looking for one of the other two.

If you feel up to tackling the dealer, then simply don't let yourself be fobbed off. Stand your ground in the dealership and don't be afraid to kick up a massive fuss. After all, can you imagine worse publicity for any business than to have a heavily pregnant woman, in tears, talking to local and national media about the issue? If they try spinning your head with tech-talk, just put your hand up and say "I don't care about the technicalities, I paid for a car that would work and I want this one to work, or a suitable replacement." Keep using that phrase and don't back down whatever you do.

In fact, let us know when you're planning to go in and perhaps one of the CompleteCar.ie team could come with you as backup. In a consumer-centric world, where recalls are in the news every day, this kind of behaviour is utterly unacceptable so don't you go accepting it.

Please do let us know how you get on.

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Hi Tom,

How about a Fiat Multipla? OK, not everyone's idea of a good looking car, but it's got an amazing interior, bags of space, is terrific to drive and I found one for €4,500. Yes, I know... OK, on with the sensible stuff though.

There are plenty of Opel Zafiras around for that kind of money, but you will have to search hard to find a diesel one. They are out there though. Plenty of Peugeot 307 SW estates (which came with a seven-seat option) too, but tread carefully and make sure there are no electrical gremlins to deal with. Ditto Renault Scenics. Actually, the more ruggedly reliable Kangoo (or a Citroen Berlingo for that matter) might be a better option.

The most sensible suggestion would be a Toyota Corolla Verso, but they're very, very hard to find with a diesel engine at that price level. Might be worth biting the bullet and going for petrol to get the best.

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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.

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Hi there,

There are not generally any set change intervals for timing chains. If a car is well-maintained (in terms of oil changes etc.) then it should never have to be changed really.

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Hi Brian,

It depends on what sort of money you were thinking of spending, but there are a lot of good compact MPVs out there now. It's tempting to suggest another Meriva, simply because they're a thoroughly good car, but worth also checking out the Hyundai ix20, the Kia Venga, the Citroen C3 Picasso and the Honda Jazz.

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Hi Eddie,

The Insignia is a fine car but you'll find it's not as spacious as your old Passat. Still, it's arguably more handsome and sharper to drive, but you have to make sure all the electrical bits are working properly.

As for the value of your Passat, you haven't given me a specific year but I'm going to guess it's around 2006-2007 in which case you're looking at around €5,000 as a trade in, but don't be surprised if you get offered less - cars with big petrol engines (even efficient ones) are forecourt poison right now.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Olivia,

The official figures for a 2008 Astra 1.7 CDTi were 56mpg on the combined cycle and 135g/km of CO₂. I'd say you could reasonably expect it to return that kind of economy in daily driving, assuming it's one that's been reasonably well looked after and serviced regularly. Oh, just to note though - that's the figure for the basic model with 15-inch wheels. Astras with wheel sizes 16-inch and above were officially rated at 55mpg.

Hope that helps