How economical is the Volkswagen Jetta?
What economy will I get from a 2011 Volkswagen Jetta deseil?
Eddie Kennedy (Dublin)Expert answer
Hi Eddie,
What hatchback should I buy and should I stick with a petrol car?
Looking to upgrade my trusty 2000 petrol Toyota Corolla Liftback. I am considering the new model Toyota Auris or Hyundai i30 or a similar hatchback. My annual mileage is 10,000 miles with mostly short runs ranging in distances of between less than 10 miles and 2 miles urban and town driving with longer spins at the weekend. Which engine type should I go for? Also considering that at weekends I will be carrying two adults and two teenagers.
Dan Lyons (Cork)Feb 2014 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
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.
What is the best automatic crossover?
What is the best automatic SUV/CUV/crossover?
Mary O'Sullivan (Cork)Feb 2014 Filed under: automatic
Expert answer
Hi Mary,
You wouldn't go wrong with a Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDI DSG. Cracking car, great gearbox.
What should we do about replacing our Volvo S40?
I was thinking about changing my Volvo S40 1.6d for a crossover for ease of access as we are pushing on age wise. What would you recommend that is comfortable, reliable and economical bearing in mind our annual mileage is approx 20,000km? We don't need a big vehicle as our family are reared. Also, how much is our own car worth? Is it better to sell it privately or use it as a trade in?
Thank you.
John Kennedy (Dublin)Feb 2014 Filed under: choosing used car
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...
Skoda Superb Greenline: good family car?
Skoda Superb 1.6 TDI Greenline: are they a good family car and economical to run?
Mike G (Cork)Feb 2014 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Mike,
You know what? Most of our answers have to be equivocal, caged in careful speak, allowing for error and trying not to be too definitive just in case we're wrong. In this case though, it's an utter pleasure to say yes, the Superb Greenline really is just an excellent machine and I honestly can't think of a better all round family car. Enjoy.
I'd like something fun that fits into the family too...
Hi guys, ere's the thing - we (me, wife, two kids (four and two)) need a second car, mainly for me to do school runs in and out of the city and the very occasional motorway journey. Currently have a 2000 Volkswagen Polo but it doesn't exactly put a smile on my face every time I drive it! Looking for something fun, good looking, that could handle a push buggy/baby seat and also needs to carry a bike on the back. In my late 30s so would a hot hatch be a no-no?
Thanks Andy
Andy Meegan (Cork)Feb 2014 Filed under: choosing used car
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?
I want a car with better than 60mpg economy!
Hi, I've read your piece about petrol vs diesel. Trouble is, I want a car that does better mpg. I have a petrol Polo 2009 1.2 (80,000km) that does about 45 to the gallon. I can trade this in with about €8-9K but it must have good mpg - 60+. We don't do that many miles a year but we'd head off to England and back and be forever filling up. What do you recommend looking at?
David
David Taylor (Ennis)Expert answer
Hi David,
OK, if you're determined to go diesel and you need a reliable 60mpg plus then the only safe option is to get yourself a Golf BlueMotion. Your Polo plus your budget should get you easily into one, but you have to remember that getting good fuel economy is actually all about your driving style. We recently managed to get better than 60mpg out of a 1.2 TSI petrol Skoda Rapid, and that was with four big blokes on board...
Skoda Octavia RS vs. Golf GTI for economy?
How does fuel consumption of the 2006 Skoda Octavia RS petrol compare to that of a 2001 Volkswagen Golf GTI?
Bernard Foley (Ennis)Expert answer
Hi Bernard,
Oddly, they're identical. According to the official figures both the 2001 1.8 turbo 150hp Golf GTI and the 2006 Octavia RS 1.8 turbo 180hp return 35.3mpg on the combined cycle.
What small car would suit my 20,000km annual mileage?
Hi, I am looking to move out from a town, which would mean commuting of about 15,000 to 20,000km per year. Should I be looking for small diesel or petrol in order to keep costs as low as possible? Ideally about 1.4 or 1.6 engine size...
Thanks
John Stalmach (Dublin)Jan 2014 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi John,
Yup, a small diesel sounds like it should be ideal for you. Depending on what kind or size of car you need I'd recommend either a MINI Cooper D 1.6 (small and sporty), Opel Astra 1.3 CDTi (slower, but more spacious), Toyota Auris 1.4 D-4D (similar to Opel but probably more reliable) or that old favourite the Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI BlueMotion (ultra economical). Or, if you need more space how about a Skoda Octavia Combi estate 1.6 TDI or a Citroen C4 Picasso 1.6 HDi?
Help us with your needs and we'll narrow that down a little!
Reliability: Skoda Octavia or Toyota Avensis?
Which is more reliable, the Skoda Octavia diesel or the Toyota Avensis diesel?
Noel Mcnamee (Dublin)Jan 2014 Filed under: reliability
Expert answer
Hi Noel,
It's probably pretty much neck-and-neck. Toyotas are legendarily reliable and well-made and there's nothing in the history of the current Avensis to suggest that it's anything other than that. Likewise, the Octavia; Skodas tend to do extremely well in owner satisfaction surveys and while part of that can be put down to the switched-on customer service nature of the brand's dealers, there's no doubt that Skoda's Czech factory turns out some beautifully made products. Nothing between them, really.