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Hi John,

OK, there's good news and bad news here. The good news is that the four marques of which you've spoken have all really lifted their quality and reliability games. Renault especially has come on a long way since the dark, unreliable days of the early 2000s. While electrical gremlins are pretty much guaranteed further down the line, that's something you could equally say of any Mercedes-Benz, BMW or Audi.

Dacia tend also to make very reliable cars, in no small part because they're so simple and lacking in the sort of high-end electronics that festoon other models. The brand regularly features very high up in the European JD Power customer satisfaction rankings.

Fiat tends to do less well in those rankings, but much of that is down to a dealer network that's still trying to get its head around modern customer service requirements. The fact is that Fiats these days are no more or less well made or reliable than any other brand (mostly - more on that in a tic). Certainly, we know of many Fiat customers who've had trouble-free motoring for many, many years.

Citroen too has really lifted its game and the latest generations, such as the C4 Picasso and C4 Cactus are really well put together. Long term reliability is still an unknown of course for these new models, but in general, longevity seems to be on the up.

However, just as these Franco-Italian brands have improved, so too have the Japanese and Koreans. There is still a distinct gap in overall solidity between the Japanese brands (Honda especially) and everyone else. It's still the case that if you want genuinely trouble-free motoring, the Japanese are still kings, with the Koreans and Skoda hot on their heels.

That said, I reckon if you bought any Fiat, looked after it properly and made sure it was fully serviced to schedule, you wouldn't have any major problems.

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Hi Eva,

All of the ones you picked there are quite low slung but they're also all comfy so shouldn't present any major issues with seat height. 

The Mazda and Hyundai are going to be the most reliable and generally I'd go for the Mazda, but you'll want to go for the 1.5 petrol (if you're doing short journeys mostly) or wait for the new 1.5 diesel as the 2.2 diesel is just too thirsty day-to-day.

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Hi Noelle,

The price seems about OK, but I think the engine has been misadvertised - the smallest engine for that generation of Clio was a 1.2.

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Hi Breda,

Dacia is a stand-alone brand, not an actual Renault model (although the company is owned by Renault and shares its components with various Renault models). They're cheap and cheerful - you really do get what you pay for, which is basic, no frills transport. Nothing wrong with that, and by and large reliability seems to be a strong point, but don't go in expecting sophistication.

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Hi Irene,

Nothing major to report and by then Renault seemed to have sorted out most of its reliability and build issues. You will suffer crippling depreciation but the worst falls in value will already be behind the car. 

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Hi Irene,

You know what? Just don't... The actual build quality and solidity aren't so bad, but the Koleos is dull to look at, dull to drive (and thirsty for what it is) and has a really cheap and nasty interior. If you really want a Renault SUV, then why not have a look at the current Captur? It's smaller than the Koleos but a lot nicer. Or wait until later this year when Renault brings out its long-awaited Qashqai rival.

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Hi George,

I would tread very, very carefully indeed. The engine can be a big trouble spot with dodgy turbos and inconsistent power delivery. Watch for  excessive smoke (black or white), check the oil carefully and if it shows even the slightest sign of overheating, head for the exit.

Clutches can go pretty easily, so make sure the gearshift is working alright, and everything electrical is to be assumed broken until proven otherwise. They eat tyres too, and uneven wear is a sign of impending suspension doom. Also, a lot of Espaces tend to get used as ersatz delivery vans when they get past a certain age and price point so check carefully for signs of wear and tear in the cabin.

Basically, you should probably avoid it and track down a similar vintage Volkswagen Sharan or Hyundai Trajet instead.

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Hi there,

I'm afraid to say it's very, very unlikely to be anything wrong with the NCT's equipment - Renaults of that era were not, ahem, the most robustly built vehicles and suspension issues with them were more or less endemic. 

That said, if you've replaced the shocks already and the problem has reoccurred then there may be another issue. Perhaps the mounting points are at fault and are allowing too much energy up into the shock, causing it to wear prematurely? I think a thorough diagnostic visit to your nearest Renault dealer might be in order.

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Hi Ed,

OK, we've been on to Renault about this and they say that the charge for Glacier White on the website was an error and has since been corrected, so you shouldn't be charged for it. If an extra charge does show up on the bill, give your dealer hell as it shouldn't be there. If he/she doesn't give you any joy, get on to Renault's head office about it.

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Hi John,

It's OK but tread very warily. Renault build quality was pretty shaky in the early 2000s and by 2006 the problem was only beginning to get sorted out. The upside is that the Clio is mechanically pretty simple, so there's a bit less to go wrong, but make sure everything electrical is free from gremlins and pay particular attention to the suspension - the Clio can be pretty fragile in that department so listen for untoward noises from under the car (creaks, bumps, banging etc) and check the top of the suspension mounts for any signs of damage or repair.