Expert answer

Hi Gerry,

Absolutely. Unless you’re doing at minimum 20,000km a year, it makes much more sense to have a petrol engine. Cheaper to buy up front, lower maintenance costs and no issues with exhaust filters (DPFs) etc.

Expert answer

Hi David,

Yes, you could just about do 48km each way in an electric car, certainly in the Ioniq and just about in the 30kWh Nissan Leaf, although it would be hugely helpful if there could be some way of charging up at work. A Renault Zoe might do the trick too.

Hyundai asks for a minimum €5,000-odd deposit on a new Ioniq, and the repayments are quite steep so that one might be out of the question, although they come down to around €360 if you can put a €10,000 deposit down. A basic Nissan Leaf, with €6,762 down, will cost you just €264 a month, which might leave enough wriggle room to go for the bigger battery, and Nissan has some tempting free insurance offers on at the moment, while Renault asks just €179 a month for a Zoe, but the battery rental is extra and it comes with some quite tight mileage stipulations.

The other, possibly better, option would be to go half-electric. Toyota can put you into a Prius or an Auris Hybrid for as little as €199 to €263 a month (again, depending on deposits etc.) or you can get the rather impressive new Kia Niro for €353 a month with a €9,000 deposit. All of those should average as much as 60mpg, which would put a big dent in your fuel costs.

Read our relevant reviews here to help you choose:

Kia Niro review

Hyundai Ioniq Electric review

Nissan Leaf review

Renault Zoe review

Toyota Prius review

Expert answer

Hi Andy,

If you're only covering 10k a year mileage then you're probably better off in a petrol, so go for the 1.6. It's a solidly reliable engine too. If you want some alternatives, then maybe have a look for a Toyota Corolla Verso or a Honda FR-V, both of which come with pretty frugal petrol engines and are hugely reliable. 

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Hi Jerry,

I think you’d probably be better off with the petrol in this case. You’re in something of an uncomfortable middle ground with that kind of annual mileage, but being as that Toyota 1.33-litre engine is super-economical for a small petrol unit, I think it’s the right one to go for.

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Hi Michael,

I think your best bet is to sell the car in Germany first, but possibly not to this other person you’re speaking about. If you’re concerned about what a future owner may do with a car, then the best thing is to find someone else to sell it to. Bringing the car into Ireland to sell will involve a large amount of paperwork and a hefty price tag in Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT), so I think you’re going to be better off by far selling the car in Germany.

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Hi Robert,

The estate (or 'Grand Megane' as Renault insisted on calling it) TomTom edition was announced in 2009 and introduced to the market in 2010. It was much better built and more reliable than the previous Megane, but there are still some weak points to keep an eye out for. Those include fragile fuel line clips, burned out coil packs on the 1.6 petrol, particulate filter problems on the 1.5 diesel, electrical problems especially with the windows and the heating system and premature clutch wear. 

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Hi Kieran,

Yes, turbocharged petrol engines do often have exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems and dual-mass flywheels, but they are far less likely to cause problems due to, respectively, the different exhaust gases and the torque characteristics of the engine. Added to which, petrol engines work at lower combustions pressures and with less vibration than diesel engines so there's a little less wear and tear to worry about.

No, turbocharged petrol engines don't have particulate filters as, for now, they're considered 'clean' enough not to need them. That will change in the coming years, however.

Finally, the low-down-power thing is simple physics. Most turbocharged petrol engines and their diesel counterparts are pretty close on top-end power numbers (generally grouping around the 110-120hp level), but the difference you're talking about is torque - turning force, that low-down lugging sensation. Some of that is down to turbo design and the fact that a heavier diesel engine can accept higher turbocharger pressures, but most is simply down to the fact that diesel burns from compression ignition, which generates more torque and makes the engine feel more muscular at lower rpm. 

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Hi Des,

You’ll need to check for a blown turbo (lots of smoke, no power) and also check that the diesel particulate filter hasn’t become clogged up if the mileage is low. The electric windows and ventilation fan are fragile, and make sure that the clutch is engaging cleanly as for some reason replacing the clutch is an expensive job on a Fluence.

Expert answer

Hi Laurie,

Well, the cee’d is a good, solid car so if you want to keep it going it will probably do for a while yet. At ten years old, there’s not going to be much value left in it either way, so a few extra months with it won’t dent your trade in. Which is good news, as there’s an all-new Kia Rio launching very soon, which will be on sale in Ireland before the summer. It’s roomier and much more sophisticated than the current model, and with your mileage forget about diesel – go for the brilliant little 1.0-litre turbo petrol.

Expert answer

Hi Debra,

It’s kind of difficult for us to diagnose a car over the internet unfortunately, but it sounds as if you may have a whole host of problems there. You’re quite right in that rattles are often something to do with either the timing belt or chain or the camshaft mechanism, but if you’re getting multiple fault codes on a diagnostic it could be that there’s a bigger issue that is causing lots of systems to develop issues. Have you brought it to a Volkswagen main dealer yet? That would be our recommended course of action.