Expert answer

Hi Andrew,

It will most likely be called the Hyundai ix45 and it should make its debut at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. I doubt we will see it here until the second half of 2012 at the earliest. 

Expert answer

Hi Annmarie,

Well you aren't expected to know everything! When we talk about 'cost to change' we mean that lots of people go into a dealership and are fixed on how much the dealer is giving them for their car.

When you do this, you are ignoring any potential discount there might be on the car you are buying. In the case of the Honda FR-V you show here, the car is €18,950. Let's say your Jazz is worth €5,000, which is probably about right, if the dealer says it will be €13,950 to change he is not really giving you any discount off the FR-V. 

When pricing a used car, a dealer is trying to figure out how much it will cost him to prep it for sale, which is often around €800. There is no major science to this, all we mean is that if you fixate too much on the price the dealer is offering you for your car you might not see the whole picture. Focus instead on how much it will cost you to get into your next car instead. 

Bear in mind that they do have to make some money, but use this as a guide when you are choosing your next one. If all this is still a mystery to you, come back to me again. 

I hope this helps! 

Expert answer

Hi Derek,

Glad you like the site. Let's hope we can live up to your expectations! We got a little bit of extra information from you and you told us that you are trading in a 2000 Mazda 323 five-door and that your budget is around €30,000-€32,000, which is plenty to work with.

Given your criteria, and the fact that you mention the Audi A5, then I've had a look at some of those. You mention petrol models and with your low mileage then you could quite easily run a petrol car, but given the fact that you are concerned about residuals then the diesels in the A5 would make a better choice. There is a lovely 2.7-litre TDI A5 in the classifieds and this is under €30,000. It would be a smashing buy and the fact that it has quite high mileage doesn't really mattter in your case. The 2.7 TDI version would hold its value better than a 2.0T petrol. 

At the other end of things you mention the Mazda6 - an odd contrast to the Audi but still a nice car nonetheless. You are unlikely to find a petrol-powered Mazda6 because Mazda really hasn't sold any in the last few years in Ireland. Plus, it wouldn't be a good use of money because it would be hard to sell on again a few years down the line. The diesel version is so much better anyway these days and you could have a demo 2011 model for well under €30,000. It is a nice car, but to be honest we can find you something a little more interesting. 

How about a Jaguar XF 2.7 D Luxury? What a super car, for €33,000. This is a marvellous example and fully loaded with kit. Another outside bet would be a 2008 Lexus GS 450h. We found a low mileage one that would be great around town and it is super fast. 

After all that, this is the car I think would suit you best. It is petrol, a 320i, but it is a hard-top convertible and it looks awesome. I don't know if you are a BMW fan but this could be a brilliant buy for you. 

Come back to us if we've not hit the nail on the head.

Expert answer

Hi Tony,

Thank you for your query. I love the Fiat Panda. It is an honest, simple car and absolutely loaded with charm - and they cost from just €7,295 under the scheme, which is really great.

The only thing I would say Tony is that time is running out for you. It is not just the issue of having a Panda in stock and getting it registered before June 30, but you also have to make sure your old car is scrapped and the paperwork is done for it before that date too! So get down to that Fiat dealership near you!

Expert answer

Hi Frank,

To be fair to the dealers in a lot of cases it is not the dealers fault as they will have sold the car and notified the classifieds website to let them know the car is sold and it doesn't get done. Other times, the dealers do this because it looks good for them if it appears that cars are flying out of the showroom. I agree though, it sure is annoying.

Expert answer

Hi Peter,

Diesel cars are now outselling petrol cars by 3 to 1 and of the petrol models that are selling, they are mainly small runabouts. The fact is that the majority of people are being drawn to the lowest possible road tax and in some cases, oddly, this means that they are actually spending more on the car then they really should have. There seems little sense to spend €2,000 - €3,000 more on a diesel car if you are saving €50 a year in road tax and your mileage is low, but that is the way it seems to be happening right now.

The problem with this is that buyers are missing out on on some really good petrol cars. Fiat and Volkswagen in particular have some smart new petrol engines. Take for example the Jetta, which you  mentioned: the new one is out now, but in the older model there was a 105hp 1.2-litre TSI petrol engine and most people baulked at this because they thought it would be too weedy for the car. The same is true of the 1.4-litre TSI, while both are more than capable of adequate performance. 

In terms of fuel economy, sure enough the diesel will usually trump the petrol, but this will only really start to make monetary sense when you do a lot of mileage. It you intend on high mileage, then you are probably better off sticking with the diesel car - Volkswagens are generally quite good at mega mileage, as are Skodas.

We've been getting quite a few queries about DPFs (diesel particulate filters) here in CompleteCar.ie but Mazda appears to be the only brand showing up faults. The Passat though has not been without its troubles and, to be honest, I am not sure if I would be buying a used one with a lot of kilometres on the clock if big mileage is likely.

You mentioned the Jetta, well this one we found would be a top buy. It has just 14,000 miles on the clock, the right 2.0-litre diesel engine and is within your budget. This would be a good buy.

Expert answer

Hi Tom,

This is something that we have heard of before, but what we were told is that it was the radio at fault, as it switched itself on randomly and therefore drained the battery that way.

We found a UK thread on the topic

Let us contact Opel on your behalf and see if they have a solution and we will come back to you on it.

Expert answer

Hi Kevin,

Yes I recently had a conversation with the guys from Kia Ireland about this. There simply aren't enough of them being made and they can't make them quick enough. It is a problem that Kia have with the Sportage and Hyundai have with the ix35. Apparently they are going to add a new run on a different plant and this will help relieve the backlog, but we are being told that the delays are 'significant' and obviously with such a demand for them in right hand drive markets, especially in the UK, this is making the situation worse.

Kia Sportage - delays

There are a couple of unregistered ones around - so maybe these would be suitable if you are looking for one?

Kia Sportage - Naas Road, Dublin

Kia Sportage - Demo Model - Wicklow

Expert answer

Hi Ally,

That really isn't an easy choice, but what we would say from the start is that you have chosen well. These are three fantastic cars and to be honest, any of them will tick the most basic of boxes for you in that they will be reliable, will be comfortable and look good and offer decent value for money. Mazda offer by far the best value when it comes to the scrappage scheme, so if you are watching your budget then this might be the way to go. You can check out the full details of the Mazda3 scrappage offers here. But the most you will pay is €19,495 for a fully specced Mazda3 under scrappage and that is superb value. 

Mazda3

Ford Focus (left) & Volkswagen Golf (right)

The two cars you see above are the new Ford Focus (left) and the Volkswagen Golf (right) and choosing between these two would be a bit like asking a parent to choose one of their kids. They both have their individual traits and as such it is hard to pick between them. The new Focus is very good, but I have the hatchback this week and had the saloon last week and actually preferred the saloon. The hatchback has poor visibility out the rear and you do have to pay a lot to get some of the fancy extras that are advertised. Having said that, you will get things like alloy wheels and air conditioning in the models you have chosen. The Golf is superb. We are running a long-term Volkswagen Golf Bluemotion and the fuel economy is great. I prefer the seating position in the Golf. I find that I can get more comfortable in the Golf and the fuel economy is outstanding. It isn't as exciting as the Ford inside, but you know that it will hold its value really well.

Really Ally, all of these cars will suit your needs perfectly. If I was tight on bugdet I would probably buy the Mazda3. If you are very concerned about residual value you have to buy the Golf, while the Focus is the newest car and probably feels the most upmarket.

My favourite of these would be the Golf, but whichever one you pick you will have done well. Again I would say that you need to move pretty fast, because if you want a specific new car it can take a few weeks and there aren't many weeks left in the scrappage scheme.

Expert answer

Hi Linda,

It certainly does sound like an injector issue - assuming the coil and plugs are fine. We'd suggest that the injectors are tested before hastily replacing them. Any decent garage will do that for you - it doesn't have to be a main dealer. From the information you've given us about the car, we don't believe you can re-program the injectors. It may be possible to refurbish them, but in most cases it's probably better just to replace it.

If that's what is needed, the cost of the part itself is well over €100, but no garage should charge you more than an hour of labour for replacing it, as it's a relatively easy job.

Hope that helps and you get sorted.