Expert answer

Hi Marion,

Depends on what you need it for really. If you're doing low mileage or just duffing around town most of the time, then the 1.2 petrol is sweet, more refined and probably a bit cheaper to buy. If on the other hand you do big miles or spend lots of time on the motorway, then the diesel is the one to have with genuine 60mpg potential.

Expert answer

Hi Marion,

Yes, pretty excellent really. The A3 is nice to drive, exceptionally well built and holds its value well. That 1.2 TSI petrol engine is also excellent, as long as you're not doing mega-mileage. Just be careful that you buy one with a full service history and don't forget that you can buy a Golf, Octavia or Leon that is mechanically identical for less money.

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Hi Ger,

To be honest, I would just avoid that generation of Rio at all costs. They're not especially reliable (engines, suspension and ventilation systems all give trouble) and the 1.3-litre petrol engine is quite underpowered, meaning you have to thrash it hard to keep up with the flow of traffic, which wrecks the fuel economy. On top of which the cabin is small, narrow and made of some staggeringly cheap and nasty plastic and they're basically awful to drive.

That generation of Rio was really the last of the truly bad Kias, before the company started to make some really good cars. Go, if you can, for a second generation Rio, made from 2006 onwards in both hatchback and saloon form. They're much more reliable, quite nice to drive and decently economical.

Hope that helps

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Hi there,

Welcome to Ireland! I'd suggest you have a look for a Honda Civic 1.4 petrol automatic. That's probably the best balance between reliability (Civics are very reliable), economy and sticking within your budget. The higher road tax comes from the changeover to a carbon emissions based system in 2008. Prior to that cars were taxed according to their engine size, but the Civic's 1.4-litre petrol engine should keep your tax bills down to a reasonable level. Sadly, there's nothing you can do to change the NCT test - every car requires one every two years once it's more than four years old, and every year once it's more than ten years old. Again, the Honda will help here - they're really well built so less likely to develop problems that would cause you to fail an NCT test, as long as you look after it and keep it serviced.

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Hi Rao,

At a rough guess that should give you a budget of between €10,000 and €12,000, which is healthy enough. If you've been a Toyota owner in the past I'm assuming you want to stick with something that'll be reliable so my first suggestion is an Auris hatchback. They're spacious inside, so pass the two kids test with ease and the 1.33-litre petrol version should be economical enough for your commuting style. 

Also consider a Honda Civic. If anything, Hondas tend to be even better built than Toyotas and while the Civic's avant-garde styling may be a bit of an acquired taste, its spacious and practical cabin is a boon for family life. A 2.2-litre diesel may sound like overkill but it's a terrific engine and has low emissions and therefore is cheap to tax. 

Finally, if you want something with a bit more space, how about a Kia cee'd SW estate? Reliably solid, and with that seven-year warranty, pleasant to drive and the estate version has a massive boot.

Let us know how you get on

Expert answer

Hi Paul,

A figure of 24mpg equates to 11.77 litres per 100km. That means that you'll burn through roughly 14.2 litres of fuel every time you do 120km. At today's average fuel price for petrol of 147.9c per litre, that means each 120km trip is going to cost you €20.88 in fuel.

Of course, that's also assuming that your Lexus is going to do a constant 24mpg all the time while you're on your 120km journey, which it won't. Hopefully the average will average out, but depending how you drive, what the traffic's like and how many hills you have to go up or down, you could land a bit either side of that figure.

Hope that helps

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Hi Pat,

If you're doing low mileage then you are way better off sticking with petrol. Even taking the higher tax into account, you'll still never make back the higher purchase price in fuel savings and with low mileage you're almost certainly going to run into diesel particulate filter issues. 

The good news is that the 1.6 Avensis is pretty economical for a small petrol engine in a big car. Drive it gently and you should regularly see the sunny side of 40mpg.

Hope that helps

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Hi Rosie,

Ah, toddler and baby. Been there. You probably don't need anything much bigger than a family hatchback, really. Probably best to track down a nice Skoda Octavia hatchback - the boot's big enough to cope with buggies and (eventually) bikes and scooters but they're not expensive to run. If your mileage is low, consider a petrol one as the lower purchase price will more than cover the extra cost of the fuel.

What do you think?

Expert answer

Hi Paddy,

There aren't any major reported problems on the 1.4 TSI petrol Passat, but just watch the fuel consumption; it's a big car with a small (albeit turbocharged) engine so you may need to work it harder than you think to keep up with traffic. The DSG gearbox can give some problems though. Take a test drive and make sure that the automatic changes are crisp and almost seamless. If not, suspect a dodgy box an walk away.

Expert answer

Hi Ali,

That sounds to us like the distributor is playing up. It's a common problem on early petrol Hondas.

Let us know if that fixes it.