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Hi Michael,

Depends which model you're talking about. The basic 87hp 1.4-litre petrol Astra returns an official 51.4mpg, while the 100hp version returns... Um, exactly the same. Meanwhile, the 140hp 1.4 Turbo Astra does 47.9mpg. If you mean the old-shape 1.4i Astra, that does an official 44.8mpg.

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Hi Thomas,

Normally we'd recommend Carzone.ie, but selling any second hand car of that age can be tricky. Have you tried something more local? If you have a good local newspaper that's worth a try or even putting a card in your local supermarket. Local solutions are often the best.

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Hi Patrick,

The Stepway gains some SUV-like styling and a 4cm higher ride height over the conventional Sandero, so it's a little bit more bouncy on rougher roads as a result, and it will roll a bit more in bends over its relation. That's a hyper critical road tester's view though, as the soft, comfort-biased suspension is fine at nornal speeds.

The SUV-look suits it, really smartens it up and makes it stand out, though the trade off for this - thanks largely to the addition of those roof bars - is an appreciable increase in wind noise at speed. That's fine unless you're doing lots of motorway miles in it.

Rear legroom isn't overly generous, while the trim and materials are all fairly uninspiring, though robust. The diesel isn't very refined, but should return excellent economy, the petrol three-cylinder engine is more willing and more refined, but less economical.

All in I rather liked it though, good honest transport.

You can read my colleague Neil's Irish road test of the Dacia Sandero Stepway here.

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Hi Alan,

Electric Ireland charges a standard 19.28 cent per kWh as of Jan 20th 2014, according to moneyguideireland.ie. Other suppliers charge more or less the same although there can be a variation of up to 3c per kWh. 

In terms of what is charged to charge an electric car, the energy companies make no distinction. The plug points are downstream of your electricity meter so it's counted as the same juice that goes into your fridge, dishwasher or vacuum cleaner.

The total amount of tax charged on your kWh amounts to about 11 per cent, including both VAT and Carbon Tax, according to Sustainable Energy Ireland. 

So, why is this so much lower in tax terms than the 50-odd per cent levied by various charges on pump fuel? Simple: expediency. On the one hand, the Government must be seen to be encouraging the use and development of electric motoring. On the other, there is currently no simple and reliable way to distinguish between electricity being pumped into your car's batteries and what's being used to light, heat and wash.

That said, you can sadly and safely expect that to change, rapidly, if electric car sales ever take off in a big way. The Government has been very careful and canny about making sure that improving vehicle economy hasn't eroded it's annual €1 billion+ tax take from petrol and diesel sales, so if battery cars start eating significantly into that, expect some form of battery levy or electron tax to be enabled tout suite.

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Hi there,

Incredibly reliable, seem to be consensus. So much so that there are simply no reported regular or common problems. Just do the usual checks for service history and condition and you should be fine. As for petrol vs. diesel, the funny thing with the Tucson is that the diesel version isn't actually all that economical compared with the petrol, so if your mileage is low and you can get a petrol one for less than a diesel one, it could be worth considering.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Eileen,

Yes, very. Mazda updated the 2 in 2011 and made some detail improvements that boosted fuel economy while trimming CO₂ emissions. You should be able to manage better than 50mpg with a light right foot.

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Hi Janice,

Yes, but perhaps not the most economical in the class. Going on personal experience, a Mercedes-Benz E 200 or E 250 CDI will average in the high forties mpg whereas a BMW 520d or an Audi A6 2.0 TDI should easily get over the 50mpg barrier in everyday driving.

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Hi John,

Yup, a small diesel sounds like it should be ideal for you. Depending on what kind or size of car you need I'd recommend either a MINI Cooper D 1.6 (small and sporty), Opel Astra 1.3 CDTi (slower, but more spacious), Toyota Auris 1.4 D-4D (similar to Opel but probably more reliable) or that old favourite the Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI BlueMotion (ultra economical). Or, if you need more space how about a Skoda Octavia Combi estate 1.6 TDI or a Citroen C4 Picasso 1.6 HDi?

Help us with your needs and we'll narrow that down a little!

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Hi Felicity,

Go for the diesel. By personal experience I can tell you that it's close to impossible to sell a Mk1 Qashqai with a petrol engine. It's a fine car and potentially the better buy for in-town use, but the market wants diesel, so follow the market.

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Hi Jaro,

Are you talking about the E46 model (1998 to 2006) or the E92 (2007 to 2013)?

If it's the E46, check carefully for any suspension problems - listen for clonking noises from underneath and look closely for uneven tyre wear. There was also a problem with radiator cooling fans failing. It's easily replaced but the problem is that the damage may already have been caused so if the car you're looking at has had a new fan, check carefully for any signs of head gasket damage or overheating.

If it's the E92, then cabin rattles and nosies are your biggest problem. They can be fixed but they can be a nightmare of trial and error to do so. Some electronic systems can also give trouble, especially the optional Bluetooth phone system, but that can usually be fixed with a software patch from a BMW dealer. The petrol 320i version can burn through a lot of oil, so take a long test drive to check for any signs of leaks or a smell of burning oil or blue exhaust smoke. There have been reports of total engine failures for the 320i too, but thankfully they seem to be very rare.

Hope that all helps