Expert answer

Hi Michael,

Should be fine, but just check all the electrics and buttons on the inside, as one of the few weak areas on the Vitara is in its wiring. Also make sure that a recall to have the front suspension attended to has been done, and check the service book - Vitaras have rather short 10,000km service intervals so one or two may have been skipped. Other than that, it should be a good 'un.

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Hi Keith,

It really just depends on two things; her driving style and habits and what kind of condition the car is in. If it's in good nick, her average mileage is quite low and she's able to maximise the economy from that engine, you may just be better off spending a little bit of money getting the car thoroughly serviced and spruced up and sticking with it. If though her mileage is creeping up or you feel that the car is starting to age then it could well be worth trading in for a newer Passat. The current model is essentially the same car, but updated and re-skinned and the 1.6 TDI diesel gives it terrific economy.

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Hi Dan,

Hmmm. Generally for your mileage I would recommend a petrol car, but the bad news is that in your size bracket, petrol engines are a little thin on the ground. You could go for either a straight replacement for your Corolla by getting a Toyota Auris 1.4 D-4D, which is a very fine car, or you could, as you suggest, branch out and snap up a Hyundai i30 1.6 diesel - again a very fine car and with that five-year warranty, a very tempting buy. 

But, with your mileage profile, I would suggest taking a good long look at petrol alternatives. The Ford Focus 1.0 EcoBoost is a terrific car with a great engine and well worth a look. That said it's a little tight in the back seats for two teenagers so I'd say the best all round bet is a Skoda Octavia 1.2 TSI. It's more affordable than the diesel version, damn near as economical and has a big boot and lots of space in the back seats for those teenager-filled weekend runs. Great quality and reliability too.

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Hi Noel,

All things being equal, it'll be the Merc that'll do better. I'm comparing the 2011 model years for both as I'm assuming you mean the previous generation of Mercedes-Benz ML-Class. 

According to the official figures, the ML 280 CDI automatic gets 30.1mpg on the combined cycle, while the Mitsubishi Pajero 3.2 DID automatic returns 26.6mpg. 

Hardly surprising really: the Mitsubishi has a five-speed gearbox compared to the Merc's six-speed unit, plus it's lugging around a heavier body and seven seats (the Merc's a strict five-seater).

Hope that helps.

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Hi Ruadhan,

That, I'm afraid, is a question with too many variable answers. Second-hand vehicle values are like stock market values - they go up and down and often rather unpredictably. There are a few rules of thumb, though...

1. It's got to be diesel. Yes, we (and others) have tried to educate the motoring populace that diesel power doesn't automatically mean better economy or lower running costs, but right now the market is diesel-crazy and if it doesn't sip from the black pump, it's not going to hold on to its value.

2. The lowest depreciating cars are, obviously, the most popular models. So the likes of the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf, Nissan Qashqai, Hyundai Santa Fe, BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and so on will always hold on to their value the best. Check the list of the top-ten best-selling cars on the market - these are your depreciation heroes.

3. What about depreciation villains? Anything that the market doesn't trust, really. Estates tend to fare especially poorly, anything with a French badge is suspect and if it's Italian, forget it. You'll lose your shirt on any of these.

4. Spec is king. You can have the most in-demand car going but if it's painted bright yellow and has green seats, you're never going to shift it. So, to keep depreciation at bay, stick with dark metallics and subtle interior tones. Pale cabin colours tend to fare less well when it comes to wear and tear, so the market prefers blacks and greys on the inside too. If it's an executive car, it has to have an automatic gearbox. Anything with factory-fit air conditioning and Bluetooth telephony is looking good, leather is always helpful but other expensive toys don't always help a car hang on to its value.

Hope that's all of interest

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Hi Tom,

If the stop-start system is not working ever then it's probably worth a trip to your Audi dealer to have it looked at, but bear in mind that there are plenty of conditions in which it will not operate and it may not be immediately obvious why. Here's Audi's official stance on it:

"The system is automatically activated when the ignition is switched on. If the driver doesn't want to use it, it can simply be switched off at the touch of a button.

"This is how it works: brake the car down to a standstill, shift into neutral and release the clutch. The system now switches off the engine and signals this via an indicator lamp. Depress the clutch before continuing the journey - the engine now starts automatically and the indicator lamp goes out again.

The start-stop function only works when...

• the driver's door and the bonnet are closed
• the driver is wearing a seat belt
• the vehicle has been driven at faster than 4km/h before stopping
• the vehicle is not pulling a trailer

In some cases the engine will not be switched off, for instance when...

• the engine temperature is still too low
• the difference between the interior temperature and the temperature selected via the air conditioning system is still too great
• the outside temperature is very high or very low
• the windscreen is being de-iced
• the optional parking aid or the optional park assist is activated
• the battery charge is too low
• the steering wheel is at a sharp angle or is being turned
• reverse gear is engaged
• the road is steep

The engine is started automatically by the system when...

• the vehicle rolls forward
• the windscreen is being de-iced
• there is a large difference between the interior temperature and the temperature selected via the air conditioning system
• the brake pedal has been depressed several times in succession
• the battery charge is too low

Expert answer

Hi John,

I'm afraid without knowing the year of your S40 it's impossible to give you an idea of the value but I would suggest trading it in rather than trying to sell it yourself - it saves an awful lot of hassle and heartache. As for what to get, try either a Skoda Yeti or a Nissan Qashqai. Both are as reliable as they come, comfy and with a higher (but not too high) seating position. And both are spacious enough that when those reared kids start dropping off the grandkids for a weekend, you'll have room in the back...

Expert answer

Hi Susan,

Wow, you're a glutton for punishment aren't you? You pretty much couldn't have picked two less reliable cars. The Discovery is best avoided. If you could afford to trade up to a third-generation model I'd say that's worth a go, as Land Rover was starting to get on top of its quality issues by then, but the old Series II is just bad news. Gearboxes go, electrics go and even the suspension can fail. I know what you mean about falling in love - it's happened to me too with old Land Rovers, but you're looking at a very high-maintenance partner there.

The Espace is a little better, but not by much. The diesel engines are very fragile - check for smoke, check for oil levels and if there are any signs of overheating, run don't walk away. Check anything with an electrical wire coming out the back of it too as it can all go wrong, although the electronic parking brake and electric windows are especially prone to wrongness. Also, keep an eye on the tyres. Espaces go through them like butter and 20,000km is about as much as you'll get out of a set.

If you really want a seven-seater that works properly, can I suggest either a Mitsubishi Pajero or Toyota Land Cruiser? Not as cool as the Discovery, but they won't let you down.

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 Noel,

Nothing too serious to worry about it. That 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine does suffer occasionally from cutting out unexpectedly, but it's usually just a software fault and the ECU can be easily updated by a dealer. Other than that keep an eye out for issues with the keyless entry and ignition system (a rarely-seen option anyway) and keep an eye on the cabin - creaky trim is common and apparently the seat bolsters can collapse even on surprisingly low mileage cars.