Expert answer

Right, tough combination this as I'm assuming you want to be able to carry the bike inside the car, rather than on a boot-mounted carrier. If you're going down the carrier route, then you won't go wrong with one of the old favourites like a Fiesta, Corsa or Punto.

If, however, it's space inside you need then you need to go a little left-field. How about a 2006 Renault Modus 1.2 Dynamique? True, Renaults of that age aren't the most reliable of cars, but the 1.2 petrol engine is a well-proven unit and the space inside the Modus is not to be sniffed at. Plus it's one of the safest cars you can buy. All that and we found one listed at only €3,950 from a dealer.

What do you think?

Expert answer

Hi Eddie,

You've not told us what engine you mean, so here's a list of the most common engines. Note that timing chains don't have a change interval and they should last the life of the engine if scheduled oil changes are carried out and all else is well.

 - 1.2-litre petrol: timing chain
 - 1.3-litre CDTi diesel: timing chain
 - 1.4-litre petrol: timing chain
 - 1.6-litre petrol (both turbo and NA): timing belt - change every 150,000km or 10 years
 - 1.7-litre CDTi diesel: timing belt - change every 150,000km or 10 years
 - 1.8-litre petrol 125hp: timing belt - change every 90,000km or six years
 - 1.8-litre petrol 140hp: timing belt - change every 150,000km or 10 years
 - 1.9-litre CDTi diesel: timing belt - change every 150,000km or 10 years

Expert answer

Hi John,

At 10k miles a year, to be honest, you’d be better off going for a petrol model as you’re just not going to get the fuel savings out of a diesel to justify the extra cost, plus you might be running into issues with exhaust filters. Of the two cars, the BMW is without question the nicer to drive, and it has a fractionally more spacious interior than that of the Audi. The Audi is seriously well-made though, so from a reliability point of view, we’d probably give that one the nod. Just make sure you buy one with a full, preferably main dealer, service history.

Expert answer

Hi Eileen,

A lot here depends on what kind of car, and indeed what size of car, you’re looking for. There’s a huge choice out there, and most models now have at least the option of an automatic gearbox. Overall, it’s as ever hard to get away from the trusty VW Golf in cases such as this. A 1.6 TDI diesel or 1.2 TSI petrol with the DSG automatic gearbox would seem ideal.

Expert answer

Hi John,

I'm afraid we'd need to know a little more, such as condition, mileage, which of the petrol engines is it (2.0- or 2.4-litre?), etc.

A rough estimation would be between €3,000 and €4,000.

Come back to us if you'd like us to narrow this down.

Expert answer

Hi Maebh,

Codes P1122 and P1120 relate to the accelerator pedal position sensor, but we can't find P1155. It should be possible to just change the accelerator pedal assembly rather than the whole computer going on that information, unless P1155 means something else entirely of course.

Expert answer

Hi Louise,

There are a number of scrappage schemes around, so depending on what you’re trading in against, that could be boosted up to as much as €4,500.

Expert answer

Hi Eoin,

Have you tried the new Peugeot 3008? Great-looking, good to drive and comes with an (optional) six-speed auto. The 1.2-litre 130hp petrol turbo engine is the one to go for. Alternatively, you could try and grab a run-out Skoda Yeti (always one of our favourites and built like a tank), or have a look at the Toyota C-HR Hybrid, which is striking to look at and really good to drive. Here are our relevant reviews:

Peugeot 3008 review

Skoda Yeti review

Toyota C-HR Hybrid review

Expert answer

Hi John,

The Skoda Superb or Octavia would have been our first suggestions. The Octavia hasn't quite as much rear legroom as the Superb, but it's still better than the Golf's - and the boot is huge. High mileages on diesel Skodas are nothing to worry about so long as it has a proper service history and is in good order. Taxi drivers regularly do hundreds of thousands of kilometres. Avoid high mileage DSG automatic gearboxes, but otherwise they are really robust. So long as the history and price are good I'd not worry about buying one with over 150,000 kilometres on the clock.

One last thing to consider: if you do less than 20,000 kilometres a year a petrol car may suit you better. They're generally cheaper to buy and better suited to low mileage use. They're also quieter!

Hope that helps, but do come back to us if you need more assistance and have a budget in mind so we can narrow down the search for you.

Expert answer

Hi Dolores,

They’re pretty shoddy, to be honest. The alternators are troublesome, as are turbos on both petrol and diesel models. Head gasket trouble is common, and the timing chain on the 1.6 petrol needs regular checking. Electrical problems are common and the roof mechanism on the CC model is spectacularly unreliable, often getting stuck half open or closed. The timing belt/chain question rather depends on which engine you’re talking about, but economy will work out at around 35mpg for the petrol models, or 45-50mpg for a diesel.