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Hi Nick,

It is a good buy as long as you're not planning to do big miles in it - it's a good bit less economical than the diesel you see, so regular long journeys aren't a great idea. The old Sportage is a good thing though - simpler and more rugged than the current version, and very practical. With four-wheel drive it has decebt off-road ability too, if that's any use to you. No major reported problems or unreliability black spots - just make sure it has a full service history.

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Hi Eamon,

Not bad, and there are lots and lots to choose from so be very, very fussy and don't lay down any cash on something that's not absolutely immaculate. Also worth noting that the 1.4 is pretty under powered so you're going to suffer in fuel consumption terms. And, indeed, overtaking terms.

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Hi Shaun,

I double-checked with Volkswagen Ireland just now and it confirmed that it is not planning on offering it for sale here at all, as demand for petrol-fuelled Golfs is very low.

Shame.

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Hi Cónal,

Ok, it depends what you need. Do you need to use all seven seats regularly? Get the Verso, as it has at least decent space in the third row. If you just need a couple of vey occasional flip-up seats for short journeys then the Qashqai is nicer to look at and better to drive.

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Hi John,

Do you mean for driving off-road, most of the time? Your best bet is to track down a Suzuki Jimny - they're cheap, cheerful, rugged and amazingly good in the mud. 

If you want to make regular on-road journeys in a bit of comfort, but still want to have something that'll deal with muddy fields, have a look for a Mk1 Subaru Forester. Great on road, great off road and you can't kill them with a stick.

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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 John,

Only. If. You're. Very. Lucky.

Actually, they're not that bad - probably the best car that Rover ever built, but then you need to place that statement in the context of some of the build quality horrors they did turn out... And besides that, the youngest possible 75 turned 10 this year. The oldest ones are almost old enough to vote by now.

You need to watch for some specific problems. If it's got the 1.8 turbo petrol engine, avoid it - they overheat and do their head gaskets and at that point you may as well just throw the engine away. The 2.0-litre V6 petrol is lovely and smooth but complex and expensive to maintain. The BMW-sourced 2.0-litre diesel is the best powerplant, but it does develop turbo problems and they're heavy on the transmission. You also need to check for worn, saggy suspension and rusty brake pipes.

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Hi Shaun,

Yes it would - there is no difference.

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Hi Gerard,

Short answer: no. While it's generally possible to convert any petrol burning car to LPG, the Insight's complex electronic systems, which manage its hybrid drivetrain, would probably present a major obstacle. 

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Hi Pat,

Depends which model and engine you're talking about. The best TDI diesel front-wheel drive version officially returns 64.2mpg (4.4 litres/100km), while the petrol models (RS variant aside) use as much as 6.6 litres/100km (42.8mpg).

As always, few people will ever achieve the official figures, but it gives you something to compare the Q3 with its rivals.