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The arguement for petrol is growing Brendan. While everyone is fixated on diesel the petrol engines are getting cleaner and will come back into fashion. When it comes to fuel economy the gap between petrol and diesel is getting closer and in a lot of cases there is little difference between the road tax.

The 1.4-litre petrol engine in the Passat is more than good enough. So if you want a Passat then you could go for it. There could and perhaps will be less value in the petrol model later on, but if you keep it long enough suddenly this won't become that much of an issue and since you go low mileage then you could keep it for 5 or more years. 

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Hi Gar,

We are never short on opinion here at CompleteCar.ie Gar, so you have come to the right place. Coming out of your 5 Series you are going to have to buy something that is vaguely interesting or you are going to really hate whatever you buy. Given that you are concerned about reliability you are right to express some concerns about the Passat. Unfortunately there have been quite a few issues with the last model Passat and it would probably stop me buying one second hand, even though it is usually the default choice. I'm not sure why you mentioned the Rover 75, but lets pretend that you didn't.

If I was buying something with €8,000 - €9,000 I think it would probably be a Mazda6 Diesel. I really like them and they age really nicely. 

Here is a decent example: 

You would have to check the DPF is ok, but otherwise they are a cracking good car. 

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Hi Larry,

That is quite a nice choice of cars to have. They are quite varied. A lot depends on what your needs are though and whether or not you are spending your own money. The biggest car and the best value by a mile is the Skoda Superb Estate. It is simply enormous. A driver's car, and one with the most prestige, would be the BMW 320d Estate, but given that there is a new model on the way, it might not be the best investment to spend the considerable amount of money that it would cost.

The Insignia is good looking and has a great chassis, so it would make a lovely car, but you need the 160hp diesel engine. The Passat is a nice car too. If you asked me to pick one of these, I'd probably have the Skoda Superb. It is simply brilliant.

Here's our review of the Skoda for reference.

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Hi Donal, 

That is a very good question, but one that you really might not have a choice on. The scrappage scheme ends in just six days, you would have to have scrapped the Micra and registered your new car by then to ensure that you get the scrappage allowance. Having said that, if you get a car that is already in stock then you would certainly probably be best getting the most amount of money possible for the lower value car and that will certainly be the Micra. 

As we have mentioned here before, Renault offer the most amount of money off a new car through the scrappage scheme so in effect if you bought something like a Megane or Fluence you could make your Micra very valuable. I am doubtful that you would want to go from a Passat to a Megane or Fluence however, despite the fact that you do mention you would get something smaller. 

The other side of this arguement is though, that you would have to put less money towards your new car if you traded in the Passat - so I guess that part really depends on your own circumstances. If you scrapped the Micra you would still be left with the Passat, which you will need to change again at some stage I am sure. Economically, it might make decent sense to hold on to the Micra. Just because it is old doesn't mean it has to go. It could last another few good years doing the job it has been doing well. If the Micra is costing you little or nothing now, it isn't likely to depreciate too hard, while you could maximise the value of your Passat by trading it in now rather than letting the mileage get too high. 

To be honest, the obvious choice for me, if you were intending getting something similar but not quite as big would be to go for the new Volkswagen Jetta. It isn't quite as big as the Passat but feels every bit as good. You didn't mention a budget to us, so if you need to be more specific then come back to us, but the new Jetta would be an ideal purchase. 

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Hi Susan,

While our service is predominantly designed for an Irish audience, we don't minding answering the occasional question from abroad. Your valuation would depend on several other factors though:

• Is it a 2005 or 2006 car?
• Which trim level is it?
• Is it manual or automatic?
• Is the specification standard or are there desirable extras?

If you can let us know those details we should be able to give you a more accurate estimation.

Thank you

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Hi Martin,

We really rate the VW Group's new 1.6-litre TDI engine. It's quiet, refined and great on fuel. However, while it's relatively torquey, it does feel a little short on power when it's lumbered with a lot of weight to carry around. You're in a good position being able to afford either engine. We'd definitely recommend you go for the 2.0-litre TDI Passat in this case. It's a great car and has plenty of power to carry around the family.

If you need any further help, please do get in touch.

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Hi Pat,

I believe that the newer Passats have a paper cartridge filter that is housed within a permanent fixing. You may need a special tool to open it. If you cannot see it from above then you may need to remove the plastic engine cover.

We always recommend that readers turn to experienced professionals if they are in any doubt.

No doubt you already know how to change the oil itself, but if not come back to us. Likewise, send me a photograph of the engine bay and filter housing and I'll do my best to talk you through it.

Kind regards

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Hi Melanie,

If you are selling it privately, you should ask about €7,200 for it. This should be what you advertise it for. If you are trading it in against another car, then you might get offered about €6,500 against a used car and perhaps as much as €7,000 if it against a new car.

I hope this helps!

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Hi Peter,

Diesel cars are now outselling petrol cars by 3 to 1 and of the petrol models that are selling, they are mainly small runabouts. The fact is that the majority of people are being drawn to the lowest possible road tax and in some cases, oddly, this means that they are actually spending more on the car then they really should have. There seems little sense to spend €2,000 - €3,000 more on a diesel car if you are saving €50 a year in road tax and your mileage is low, but that is the way it seems to be happening right now.

The problem with this is that buyers are missing out on on some really good petrol cars. Fiat and Volkswagen in particular have some smart new petrol engines. Take for example the Jetta, which you  mentioned: the new one is out now, but in the older model there was a 105hp 1.2-litre TSI petrol engine and most people baulked at this because they thought it would be too weedy for the car. The same is true of the 1.4-litre TSI, while both are more than capable of adequate performance. 

In terms of fuel economy, sure enough the diesel will usually trump the petrol, but this will only really start to make monetary sense when you do a lot of mileage. It you intend on high mileage, then you are probably better off sticking with the diesel car - Volkswagens are generally quite good at mega mileage, as are Skodas.

We've been getting quite a few queries about DPFs (diesel particulate filters) here in CompleteCar.ie but Mazda appears to be the only brand showing up faults. The Passat though has not been without its troubles and, to be honest, I am not sure if I would be buying a used one with a lot of kilometres on the clock if big mileage is likely.

You mentioned the Jetta, well this one we found would be a top buy. It has just 14,000 miles on the clock, the right 2.0-litre diesel engine and is within your budget. This would be a good buy.

Expert answer

Hi Paul,

These cars are really very similar and it can be difficult to seperate them when you compare them in almost every category. You didn't mention the Skoda Octavia or Superb here which is surprising since they are rated so highly by the taxi industry and they are also ultra reliable. The Passat hasn't always been that reliable while there appear to be fewer problems with the Mondeo. Having said that, both engines are really very good though and will be super frugal.

To be honest, I would probably still go with the Passat as it looks and feels a little more upmarket and that would be good in your line of work.