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Hi John,

The Q7 and BMW X5 would both be good choices, as would a Land Rover Discovery (although you'd definitely want to take out an aftermarket warranty on any of those three at that price level).

Better options are out there though. Volvo's XC90 is hugely spacious and built to last, but if you want something totally indestructible, track down a long wheelbase Toyota Land Cruiser.

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Hi Joanne,

The RAV4 is most definitely worth the price, and it's one of the best cars Toyota currently makes - spacious, reliable and not at all bad to drive. Worth looking at the Nissan Qashqai and Renault Kadjar too, as well as the Skoda Yeti and Mazda CX-5. You won't go wrong with any of those choices, but given your high mileage take a very close look at the Renault and the Nissan - they'll be the most economical overall.

Relevant reviews:

Toyota RAV4 review

Nissan Qashqai review

Renault Kadjar review

Skoda Yeti review

Mazda CX-5 review

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Hi Anne,

Most MPVs will, so Citroen C4 Picasso, Renault Scenic, Ford C-Max, Peugeot 5008, Kia Carens and so on. The bigger ones too, of course, such as the Ford S-Max and Galaxy and the SEAT Alhambra. If you want something sleeker, such as a saloon, estate or SUV then it comes down to how bulky the child car seats are. Rule of thumb is to always bring the seats (and preferably the kids, even though I know how awkward that is) on a test drive to make sure that they'll all fit in comfortably.

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Hi Neil,

Lexus Ireland has not yet released pricing or specifications, but it shouldn't be long. Have you seen our news story here on the new RX 450h?

For your information, we drive the new RX at the international launch in early December, just before it arrives in Ireland in time for the '161' plate in January 2016.

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Hi Keith,

Both are excellent cars and the 175hp X-Trail's extra grunt could be very useful when hauling trees and trailers. That said, the Honda is still plenty grunty and a bit more plush inside than the Nissan. Actually this is a hard one to choose - I know from personal experience that the Honda is close to indestructible, but I also happen to think that the X-Trail is a really underrated car.

Coin toss so - go for the Honda.

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Hi Con,

Running boards or side steps are usually to be found in the accessories brochures for most SUV and crossover models, but it's worth checking out aftermarket suppliers to, such as Halfords, because you might get something at a better price. Normally, we wouldn't recommend going aftermarket, but for non-mechanical or safety items, it should be fine.

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Hi John,

Do you mean for driving off-road, most of the time? Your best bet is to track down a Suzuki Jimny - they're cheap, cheerful, rugged and amazingly good in the mud. 

If you want to make regular on-road journeys in a bit of comfort, but still want to have something that'll deal with muddy fields, have a look for a Mk1 Subaru Forester. Great on road, great off road and you can't kill them with a stick.

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Hi F D,

The Audi Q2 won't actually be called the Q2, it'll be called the Q1. Why? Because Fiat owns the rights to the Q2 badge and won't let Audi play with its ball. So the Q1 will sit beneath the existing Q3, and will be based on the same MQB chassis system that currently underpins almost everything Volkswagen, from Golf to A3 to Passat to Superb. The next Q3 will get a little bigger too, to make some space for the Q1. Expect the Q1 to skew a little more towards an estate, crossover-y body style, leaving the Q3 to be taller and blockier and more SUV-ish.

We have no official word on engines yet but as it's MQB-based expect 1.4 turbo petrol and 1.6- and 2.0-litre TDI diesel, with an SQ1 sports variant using either a tweaked diesel or 230hp petrol turbo. It'll go on sale in 2016 and we'd expect to see a full production model at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

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Hi Louise,

You don't necessarily need a 4x4 for that - a mid size estate car would do the job just as well. So, have a look at the following and see what you'd like: Mazda6 2.2d, Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi, Skoda Superb 2.0 TDI.

Or, if you really have to have a 4x4, check out the Hyundai Santa Fe, Audi Q5 or Nissan X-Trail.

Relevant reviews:

Mazda6 Tourer estate review

Skoda Superb Combi 4x4 review

Hyundai Santa Fe review

Audi Q5 review

Nissan X-Trail review

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Hi Paul,

I think your best best is to go for a BMW X5. Your budget should get you a 2012 model, and that's efficient enough to be in the last-but-one tax band, so you'll pay €1,250 a year in tax instead of €2,350 in the top band.