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Hi Anish,

It's very difficult to assess issues such as this without sitting in the car, but I would say that it doesn't sound like anything to worry about, certainly not if it was a once off. Try to repeat it and if you're still worried then bring the car back to the dealer and show them what's happening.

It sounds to me like you just caught out the electronics controlling the gearbox.

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Hi Frank,

It's a totally different car - the Auris is a size bigger than either Fiesta or Polo, and much more spacious and refined than either. More expensive to buy, of course, as a result, but a good choice for those looking for pain-free, reliable motoring.

Relevant reviews:

Ford Fiesta review

Volkswagen Polo review

Toyota Auris review

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Hi Declan,

Even though your Polo has such low mileage, rubber timing belts perish over time so it's recommended that they are changed regardless of mileage. Volkswagen recommends that the 1998 Polo 1.4's belt is changed at least every four years.

Better safe than sorry

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Hi Barbara,

It's always cheaper overall to stick with the car you've got and repair it, unless we're talking about an old Ferrari or something...

I'd say a new timing chain could keep your Micra going for a good long while yet but if you really want to change to something new then your best bets, in terms of similarly sized cars, are the Honda Jazz, Toyota Yaris, Skoda Fabia, Volkswagen Polo or SEAT Ibiza.

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Hi Aoife,

The most reliable small car? Pretty much, yep. I'd say the only others that match it are the Honda Jazz and Mazda2. The Volkswagen Group triplets - Polo, Skoda Fabia and SEAT Ibiza - would come close to that level of reliability too and the Nissan Micra's not bad either.

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Hi Bridget,

What year is your Micra? If it's a pre-2002 then upgrading to the post-2002 model could be what you need. It was bigger than the old Micra and had impeccable safety credentials. 

If you're already in a 2002 or later Micra then the best bet is to look at a Volkswagen Polo. They really do feel noticeably tougher than most other cars in the class, it's about the same size as the Micra and as good a small car as you'll find.

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Hi Liz,

Around €5,500 should land you a good one, although I've seen some utter optimists sticking them on for as much as €7,900. Anything less than €5k is likely to be light on history or be in poor nick.

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Hi Karla,

Well, you're looking at two different sizes of car there. If you want to physically downsize, then the Ibiza is the one to go for - it's smaller than the Golf (based on the same chassis as the Volkswagen Polo), but still pretty spacious, rather handsome and nice to drive. They're very reliable too, but quite noisy and uncouth on a longer journey. A Focus is roughly the same size as a Golf, but if it's painless, economical motoring you're after than a 1.6 TDCi Focus could be the answer - plentiful, well-made, sweet to drive and 55mpg.

What do you think?

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Hi Liliana,

Right, you need to be quite careful here. There's a lot of fly-by-night "we buy cars for cash" types out there who will give you a pittance, not destroy the car properly and then leave you with a massive headache when the motor tax office asks you to provide a certificate of destruction. 

So, the best thing to do is first of all to declare the car as off the road. You can do this by filling in a form that you can download from the Department Of Environment website.

Next, find yourself a reputable vehicle recycler. I'd try starting with a major firm such as Thornton's, but the basic rule of thumb if they don't have a landline number and only provide you with a mobile, then walk away. 

Now, the law says that you're not allowed to be charged for disposing of your vehicle as long as it's complete when you hand it over. Making money on it is another matter entirely. A recycler may well offer you something if there are useable parts on the car, but it will vary from firm to firm. 

If you're determined to make money on it, then your best bet could be a cheap classified ad to try and sell the car for spares and parts.

Expert answer

Hi Michael,

This question arrives at a timely moment as I've just stepped out of a brand new Polo 1.4 TSI test car. I'd have to say that it's a long, long, loooooong way ahead of a 2000 model year Polo, fine car though that was at the time. I had always felt that the Polo was a little bit of the also-ran of the Volkswagen range, but I think that this latest round of updates, especially on the inside, finally make it feel like the mini-Golf it always should have been.

It's nice to drive, comfy and that 1.4 turbo petrol engine is a gem, giving almost-diesel-like economy but proving revvy and willing when you want to get going. A far cry from the too-sluggish 1.2 petrol Polos of old. So, yes, upgrade - my take is that it's well worth it.

Here's our first drive of the new Volkswagen Polo for reference