Expert answer

Hi Andy,

I take it you mean from an insurance point of view? No, late thirties shouldn't be a major issue as long as you have a decent no claims bonus. As far as the car is concerned, I think you need to box a bit clever here. The kids are only going to get bigger (trust me, I know...) and you'll need something with a decent boot and big back seats for increasingly long legs. So, get yourself a Skoda Octavia RS. They've been around since 1999 in original form, but you need to be looking at the second-gen model, from 2006 onwards. Go for that and you get a car with excellent handling, a terrific engine (the diesel one is more economical, obviously, but the petrol 2.0 turbo is still reasonable in terms of running costs) and the boot is as big and practical as you could possibly need. They're also solidly reliable. It's the thinking man's hot hatch.

What do you think?

Expert answer

Hi David,

OK, if you're determined to go diesel and you need a reliable 60mpg plus then the only safe option is to get yourself a Golf BlueMotion. Your Polo plus your budget should get you easily into one, but you have to remember that getting good fuel economy is actually all about your driving style. We recently managed to get better than 60mpg out of a 1.2 TSI petrol Skoda Rapid, and that was with four big blokes on board...

Expert answer

Hi Danielle,

An updated Polo is indeed imminent, but from what we've seen it won't be a massive change from the current car, certainly in terms of styling, and the only major mechanical change will be the addition of a new 1.0-litre TSI turbocharged petrol engine. While that will probably make for an enticing drive, it's a sad fact that the current 1.2-litre Polo is a touch sluggish to drive, and the mechanically similar SEAT Ibiza has some refinement issues. On that basis, we'd go for the Rio - it's neatly styled, comfy, well made and lively to drive. And it comes with that seven-year warranty. It's a tough package to beat.

Let us know how you decide in the comments below.

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Hi Gerry,

As ever, predicting a second hand value is a tricky thing, but I'd say start between €5-6k for a trade in, and see how you get on.

Let us know in the comments below

Expert answer

Hi Peter,

Yes, it's reliable and no, there are no major issues to watch out for. Just bear in mind a couple of things. Automatic cars can be a little harder on brakes than their manual cousins, and they can of course be more thirsty. More significant still, the smaller-engined versions of the Polo 55- and 65hp 1.2 petrols are pretty sluggish at the best of times and with an auto 'box both drawing power and adding weight, you could be looking at really slow-motion driving.

Expert answer

Hi Christopher,

I think what you need here is a car of medium height, not low slung like a hatch or tall like an SUV, but in the middle, so that it's easy (apologies for being indelicate) to get your bum on the seat and swing your legs in more easily. A tall hatch, essentially. So perhaps have a look at a five-door Ford C-Max, or possibly a Honda Civic or Volkswagen Golf Plus. They usually present an easier entry-exit setup than something more low and rakish. Try a few out and see what works best for you.

Expert answer

Hi Pat,

The Polo's a fine car, no question. Practical and reliable, but your other two choices are, how shall I put this, a bit more interesting. The up! is one of the very best small cars to come along in a long time. It's nippy, agile and zippy, but still comfy on the motorway if you need to go long haul. The Swift is also a belter, a little short on rear legroom perhaps, but cracking good fun to drive and its reliability is off the scale good. The Polo's a safe choice, but I'd have a good long hard look at the other two before deciding. For what it's worth, if it were my money, I'd get the Swift.

Expert answer

Hi Pat,

Probably not. It would mean that the first owner has really been racking up the miles, but if it has a complete service history and you don't get the feeling that it's been abused or uncared for, then it should be fine.

Expert answer

Hi Vincent,

Not that tough, these days actually. Would you consider an Opel Mokka? Not the greatest car ever made or anything but it has a higher seating position, which may help and, better still, its front seats are approved of by the Aktion Gesunder Rucken, which is the German Bad Back Association. If you don’t fancy the Mokka, I too am a bad back sufferer and I always found that the seats in the Citroen C3 Picasso were always very comfy. Worth a try at any rate.

Here are the reviews:

Opel Mokka X review

Citroen C3 Picasso review

Expert answer

Hi Dermot,

That’s kind of an open-ended question because it depends hugely on whether you want to get into a PCP deal (which effectively makes you come back in three years’ time to trade in for a new car), an old fashioned hire-purchase agreement (which doesn’t, but is more expensive per month than the PCP), or whether you want to go with a bank or credit union loan. It also depends on your own circumstances and, substantially, on the car you’re looking at buying.

As an example, Volkswagen is currently offering 3.9 per cent APR interest on a  PCP deal on a new Polo hatchback, but just 0.9 per cent on the larger Tiguan, Golf and Passat. Or even 0 per cent on the Jetta. Alternatively, you can get a very sharp 0 per cent Hire Purchase deal on a new Kia cee’d, which is an excellent car for not a lot of money.

To be honest, almost every car maker is currently offering some pretty decent deals, so it comes down to what you want and what you can afford. Come back to us with more detail and we'd be happy to help.

Read our guide to Different Car Finance Options in Ireland