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Hi Sunil,

I'd say the Audi Q5. The GLK is still left-hand drive only (or did you mean the smaller GLA?) and pretty ugly. While the BMW X3 has evolved into a really nice car, for my money, the latest round of updates to the Q5 have just nudged it in front. Slick to look at, slick to drive and very comfy inside. It's a belter.

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Hi Adrienne,

I think the best balance of what you need is a Kia Sportage. It is good looking, comfy, spacious, decent value and has a seven-year warranty.

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Hi Lynda,

Yup, by and large Suzukis are very reliable and if you're going to get a Vitara, then the petrol model is the one to go for - Suzuki's record with diesels is patchy at best until quite recently. There are no major reported recurring problems but just make sure that the previous owner has had it serviced properly - the service intervals are quite short and many owners have been tempted to skip scheduled services. Walk away from anything that doesn't have a full and complete history.

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Hi Peter,

As I guess you already know, Shane, Dave, Paul and myself from CompleteCar.ie are all on the APMP voting jury for Car of the Year, so we'll take this point by point if that's OK.

The Audi A3 Saloon was the model specifically being looked at, and while it's certainly at the pricey end of things for many families, more and more family buyers are being tempted in by the attractive repayments and resale figures offered by the German 'Big Three' premium brands. As for cabin and boot space, the A3 sits roughly between, for instance, a Golf and a Passat in this instance, and isn't far off the cabin space of  the current Audi A4. As a father of two, I've had my family out and about in various A3 models and can confirm that they're perfectly acceptably spacious.

It's a similar case for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Size-wise, it's pretty much spot on a rival for the Passat or Mondeo. Perhaps it's a little tighter inside, but not by much, and that's the price paid for a less space-efficient rear-wheel drive platform. Again, while it's at the expensive end of things for a family purchase, there are plenty out there defecting from the more traditional 'mass-market' brands such as Ford, Opel and Toyota to get themselves a slice of the premium action. Once again, it's often down to the tempting finance packages on offer.

As for the Outlander, it is, strictly in size terms, somewhat in-between things. Taking the BMW X5 as an example, it's slightly shorter (200mm) overall, but has a similar wheelbase measurement and it's slightly larger than the next BMW down, the X3. We judged that, given its overall exterior dimensions, its large boot space and the availability of a seven-seat version when specified with the diesel engine, that Large SUV was the best fit. A perfect fit? Perhaps not, but given the continual fracturing of the car market into ever smaller and more narrowly defined niches, it is close to impossible to find a perfect market segment for every car on sale without having an award 'for everyone on the audience'. We put the Outlander PHEV into the Large SUV category because we felt it would compete strongly there. Seeing as it took two awards home on the night (its PHEV drivetrain took the APMP Innovation Award) it looks like we were right.

The categorisation was discussed long and hard by the membership and somebody somewhere will always disagree.

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Hi Sharon,

The price gap between the RAV4 and the Vitara is simply explained by the fact that the Toyota is a more popular model. There's nothing much wrong with the Suzuki - I guess you could say it's a bit less sophisticated than the RAV, but it's a decent, reliable 4x4. 

However, I'm going to throw my lot in with the CR-V. Of all the compact 4x4s, it's the most spacious, smoothest to drive, is hugely reliable and really comfy.

A cracking car.

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Hi Mark,

Right, obviously it's always a bit of a scare when you slip on the road and damage your car, and it's natural for the reaction to be "I'd better get a 4x4." Hang on though, because there are 4x4s and 4x4s... First off, the Tuscon. According to the official figures, the 2.0-litre diesel 4x4 Tuscon does 39mpg while the 2.0-litre petrol model does 35mpg. We'd bet that you'll struggle to match those figures on the road and will instead get around 30mpg on average. Also, 4x4 Tuscons are a little tricky to track down in Ireland.

So, as an alternative, why not consider a Skoda Octavia 4x4? You know you like the car, the all-wheel drive system is just as good at finding traction as any big SUV's and the lower, lighter body means you won't pay as heavy a fuel consumption penalty. We've found one for sale on Carzone for just over €10k, so they're not even too expensive.

Worth a look, at any rate.

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Hi Sinead,

I'd say your best bet is to seek out a Skoda Yeti. Really cracking car, high quality and good to drive. All-wheel drive 4x4 ones are a bit thin on the ground, but look hard enough and you'll find them. Expect to pay between €17-20k for a nice example.

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Hi William,

Both of those are really good options, but with that budget there are some others worth considering. Given your low mileage, you might want to take a look at (shock, horror) some petrol alternatives. Both the Honda CR-V and Kia Sportage are plentiful on the second-hand ground with petrol engines and they're well worth considering.

From personal family experience, I can tell you that a CR-V with the 2.0-litre VTEC petrol engine gets a sold 38mpg in daily use and has been close to faultlessly reliable. Or, if you need an occasional seven-seater, the second-generation Hyundai Santa Fe falls within your budget and is a cracking car, well worth a look.

What do you think?

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Hi Dee,

Get yourself into a Skoda Yeti. Fab family car that. Three individual rear seats, which slide, tip, fold and remove. Should easily take your seating arrangement and they're brilliant to drive. 1.6 TDI is the best all round engine and it's available with the DSG automatic gearbox. Still a cracking car after all these years - reliable and high quality too.

What do you think?

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Hi Mary,

Let us know which way you go