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Hi Barry,

OK, all are good, solid choices and in terms of reliability, I'd rate them as Accord the best, the Volkswagen slightly behind and the Ford and Opel together, slightly behind the Volkswagen. The Ford would be the most fun to drive, the Volkswagen probably had the nicest interior but the Opel is arguably the most handsome and, as you point out, really very good to drive. If it were me, I'd go for the Accord - no question. It'll be the most reliable and that sells it for me.

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Hi F D,

The Audi Q2 won't actually be called the Q2, it'll be called the Q1. Why? Because Fiat owns the rights to the Q2 badge and won't let Audi play with its ball. So the Q1 will sit beneath the existing Q3, and will be based on the same MQB chassis system that currently underpins almost everything Volkswagen, from Golf to A3 to Passat to Superb. The next Q3 will get a little bigger too, to make some space for the Q1. Expect the Q1 to skew a little more towards an estate, crossover-y body style, leaving the Q3 to be taller and blockier and more SUV-ish.

We have no official word on engines yet but as it's MQB-based expect 1.4 turbo petrol and 1.6- and 2.0-litre TDI diesel, with an SQ1 sports variant using either a tweaked diesel or 230hp petrol turbo. It'll go on sale in 2016 and we'd expect to see a full production model at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

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Hi Matt,

Check the steering and suspension for any sagging or any nasty knocking noises, and make sure that the car has been back in to have an engine ECU upgrade - that should have been carried out as part of a recall. Other than that, the engine needs regular checks for oil level and regular oil changes too. If that hasn't been done, the car has been neglected and you should leave it.

Make sure it comes with a full service history.

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Hi Caroline,

Wow, you really couldn't get two more different cars. The CLA Shooting Brake is a really nice car, probably the best of the A-Class spin offs and very nice to drive. But it's not especially practical, so if that's what you're looking for then it's not the right car. 

The current X-Trail is a very good car, with lots of space. It's well made and nice to drive, but if you're shopping in and around the €38k mark have a really good look at a Kia Sorento or Honda CR-V - those are the two joint best mid-size SUVs around at the moment for my money. 

Worth looking at a spacious estate too. Mazda's just-updated 6 is utterly lovely and well-specced and the Mondeo Estate and Passat Estate are both well worth a look too.

Relevant reviews:

Nissan X-Trail review

Kia Sorento review

Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake review

Honda CR-V review

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Hi John,

I guess it's down to personal taste really. Keyless entry/ignition adds to the premium feel of a car and makes it a little easier to get in and out when your hands are full, but there are no other benefits that we can think of. Perhaps it'll help with selling the car on later?

Personally, I'd not pay extra for it and would put the money to use on something else. Keep in mind future resale when choosing and what extras are likely to grab attention.

Hope that helps you

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Hi Bobin,

Depends on where and how much you drive. Low miles and mostly in town? Get the Passat. Long journeys and motorway miles? BMW. The Passat is more likely to be more reliable though - some of those 2.0 BMW diesels have timing chain and turbo problems.

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Hi Anthony,

It’s unlikely we think. The Passat wheel hubs are actually shared with the Audi A4 and not the Golf, so the spacing of the wheel studs is slightly different. One can always try, of course...

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Hi Niall,

Probably around €8k retail or €6,500 - €7,000 as a trade-in.

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Hi Aisling,

You won't go far wrong with the Octavia. Get the 1.6 TDI and you've got a potential 55mpg car with lots of space and terrific build quality and reliability. If you're looking for alternatives, then there's always the Volkswagen Golf (mechanically the same as the Skoda but less spacious inside) or the Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi (terrific to drive and good value but poor standard equipment and they're tight in the back).

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Hi Mossy,

All good choices, three cars that it's very difficult to separate. I guess the best thing to do is to use the classic car-buying technique - go for the one in the best condition and with the fullest history file - the more receipts, the more paperwork, the more stamps in the service book the better. Forget the mileage, always buy on condition and history.