Expert answer

Hi Jim,

I'd say you're just on the cusp of switching from petrol to diesel, but the 1.2 turbo petrol Qashqai is an excellent car, and on paper you should be able to get good enough economy out of it to not need to pay the extra for the 1.5 dCi diesel. Maybe ask your Nissan dealer if you can take one for a 48-hour test, to see exactly how good the economy is on your usual driving routes.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi John,

Great car, the Mazda6, and lovely to drive. Two things though: you may well find that 2.0-litre petrol to be both a touch thirsty and, consequently, very hard to move on again come resale time. And at that mileage it's imperative to make sure that the car has a full service history and that major maintenance work such as timing belt replacements and oil changes have been done.

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Hi John,

Not bad, but a car that's somewhat feeling its age now. Hardly surprising, as it's due for a mid-life facelift - something that was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show this week. The 1.5 dCi diesel engine is decent, but the petrol version somewhat less so and the least said about the Nismo version the better. Quality is excellent and it rides and drives well, but I'd either wait for the new one, or save up and get a more capable Qashqai.

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Hi Jason,

A really good car, that 2002-2007 Corolla. 'Quiet' looking inside and out it may be but the strength of the engineering underneath is palpable. The sheer quality of the cabin was vastly ahead of any other contemporary rival (even the supposedly tank-like Volkswagen Golf Mk IV) and the primary engine, a 1.4 petrol VVT-i unit, out punched most rivals by about 15- to 20hp while also being more economical.

It's also surprisingly good to drive. It'll never set your shoes on fire, so to speak, but in a former life I thrashed one around Mondello Park and it showed a depth of competence in the chassis that would surprise most Corolla drivers. 

On the reliability front, there's little or nothing to worry about. The only recurring complaints seem to be rear lights that allow condensation to build up inside and annoyingly squeaky brakes.

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Hi Keith,

It really just depends on two things; her driving style and habits and what kind of condition the car is in. If it's in good nick, her average mileage is quite low and she's able to maximise the economy from that engine, you may just be better off spending a little bit of money getting the car thoroughly serviced and spruced up and sticking with it. If though her mileage is creeping up or you feel that the car is starting to age then it could well be worth trading in for a newer Passat. The current model is essentially the same car, but updated and re-skinned and the 1.6 TDI diesel gives it terrific economy.

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Hi Pamela,

I'd say you'd get between €1,750 and €2,500 for it as a trade-in. Perhaps a little more, considering that it has quite low mileage for an 11-year-old-car.

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Hi Dermot,

If you mean actually physically swapping out the engine and plumbing in a diesel then I wouldn't recommend it. Diesel engines are much heavier than their petrol counterparts and most car makers tweak the suspension, brakes and steering to allow for that fact. Putting a diesel lump in where a petrol one was could upset that delicate balance. Also, it's an enormous amount of expense and hassle to do so, when you could just trade in for a similar model with a factory-fit diesel.

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Hi Carmel,

There were many versions of the Clubman sold here though we suspect you're talking about one of the diesels. Also, to be clear, these figures are for the 'R55' model, discontinued in 2013.

Diesels:

- MINI One D Clubman (manual): 103g/km - Band A3 - €190 per year

- MINI Cooper D Clubman (auto): 138g/km - Band B2 - €280 per year

- MINI Cooper D Clubman (manual): 103g/km - Band A3 - €190 per year

- MINI Cooper SD Clubman (auto): 141g/km - Band C - €390 per year

- MINI Cooper SD Clubman (manual): 115g/km - Band A4 - €200 per year

Petrols:

- MINI Cooper Clubman (manual): 129g/km - Band B1 - €270 per year

- MINI Cooper Clubman (auto): 152g/km - Band C - €390 per year

- MINI Cooper S Clubman (auto): 150g/km - Band C - €390 per year

- MINI Cooper S Clubman (manual): 137g/km - Band B2 - €280 per year

- MINI John Cooper Works Clubman (manual): 167g/km - Band D - €570 per year

- MINI One Clubman (auto): 152g/km - Band C - €390 per year

- MINI One Clubman (manual): 129g/km - Band B1 - €270 per year

Expert answer

Hi Liam,

Pros are that Volvos tend to be very well made and are generally a reliable car and that 1.8-litre engine is an old Ford unit that's well proven and dependable. 

Cons are that for a car competing with the likes of the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4, the S40 is very small and a bit cramped and the emissions of that 1.8 will give you some fairly juicy tax bills.

Expert answer

Hi Michael,

If it's short trips and city driving then you're probably better off with the petrol model. It's significantly cheaper than the diesel version, which gives you plenty of budget to buy fuel and pay the slightly more expensive road tax. One word of warning though - from personal experience it can be almost impossible to move on a Mk1 petrol Qashqai when the market is so diesel-obsessed. Several people I know have had to take a bath on second hand value when it came to trading in a first gen 1.6 petrol Qashqai so you need to be aware of that. The new 1.2 petrol turbo version should by rights fare better because it's so efficient but with the market still being diesel mad, you need to be careful.