Expert answer

Hi Anthony,

The Pulsar or the cee'd would be the most sensible choices and both fall well within your budget. Both are reliable and decent to drive, and the Kia's not bad looking either. In fact, I reckon you should go for the estate version of the cee'd - it's one of the nicest, comfiest and most practical cars around.

Further reading to help you decide:

Kia cee'd review

Nissan Pulsar review

Kia Sportage review

Peugeot 3008 review

Expert answer

Hi Simon,

It depends where it's coming from. If it's coming from the UK or Europe, then it'll probably come by train to a major port and then by car transporter ship to either Dublin, Cork or Rosslare. From Europe it wouldn't be at sea long enough to be of any interest. 

If it's coming from Japan or the Far East then it might be worth trying to find the name of the shipping vessel and then you can track it's movements from this website: http://www.marinetraffic.com

Expert answer

Hi Jerry,

All three will have excellent resale values, but I'd say the Hyundai has a nose in front in that regard, as it's a big-selling model and the five-year warranty makes it a desirable second hand purchase. 

Of the three, the Nissan is probably the best all-rounder when it comes to driving, the Hyundai is bigger and more spacious and the Kia is better looking (matter of opinion, I realise). It's worth noting though that both the Korean cars are up for replacement shortly wheras the Nissan is brand new and has more cutting edge technology.

Further reading:

Hyundai ix35 vs. Nissan Qashqai twin test review

Nissan Qashqai review

Hyundai ix35 review

Kia Sportage review

Expert answer

Hi Mick,

Well, there's a significant difference here in that the Juke is much smaller (and in fairness less expensive) than either the Yeti or Sportage. It's fun to drive too but to be honest I think its lack of rear seat and boot space counts it out here (though the 2015 model has a larger boot than before in two-wheel drive guise). 

The Sportage is a good choice - good looking, high quality and with that long Kia warranty. But it's the Yeti we'd go for. It is well made, good to drive and massively practical.

Further reading:

Skoda Yeti review

Skoda Yeti vs. Fiat 500L Trekking twin test review

Nissan Juke review

Kia Sportage review

Expert answer

Hi Thomas,

I've just emailed you the full PDF brochure from Audi, but the spec highlights are:

Priced from: €63,350 on-the-road (€2,600 extra for S Tronic automatic)

Standard:

- 19-inch five-arm alloy wheels

- Metallic Paint as standard

- Fine Nappa Leather upholstery with S embossing

- Extended Leather Package

- Super Sports Seats

-LED Headlights

- Anti-Theft Alarm

- Virtual Cockpit (S Model Specific with rev clock front and centre)

- Audi Drive Select

Hope that's of help

Expert answer

Hi Jane,

I have to admit I'm not a big fan of the current X3. Too hard-riding and not practical enough for my liking, although I'll grant you it's very good to drive. 

But, while the Outlander isn't the most exciting or dynamic vehicle around, it does have a few advantages. It can be had as a seven-seater, it comes with an eight-year warranty and Mitsubishis tend to be very reliable.

Best of all, for the price of an X3 you could get into the PHEV plugin hybrid Outlander, which is a properly ground breaking car. Get an E-Car charger on the driveway (you should still be able to get a free one if you're quick) and you'll be able to go 50km without using the petrol engine, but you still have a proper fuel tank on board for long journeys and can average 40mpg with the petrol engine going. 

Can't go wrong, really...

Further reading:

BMW X3 review (pre-facelift model)

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV review (first Irish drive)

Expert answer

Hi Mossy,

All good choices, three cars that it's very difficult to separate. I guess the best thing to do is to use the classic car-buying technique - go for the one in the best condition and with the fullest history file - the more receipts, the more paperwork, the more stamps in the service book the better. Forget the mileage, always buy on condition and history.

Expert answer

Hi Breda,

Dacia is a stand-alone brand, not an actual Renault model (although the company is owned by Renault and shares its components with various Renault models). They're cheap and cheerful - you really do get what you pay for, which is basic, no frills transport. Nothing wrong with that, and by and large reliability seems to be a strong point, but don't go in expecting sophistication.

Expert answer

Hi F D,

There are some small differences. The three-door A3 sits on 2,601mm wheelbase, while the A3 Sportback (the five-door hatch) has a 2,636mm wheelbase so there's a bit more room in the back. The A3 Saloon has a wheelbase that's fractionally longer again, at 2,637mm, but that's a negligible difference, so really, it has the same rear seat space as the Sportback. There's a significant difference in boot space though. Both hatchback versions come with a 380-litre boot, or a 340-litre one if you opt for quattro four-wheel drive (the rear diff has to go somewhere, after all). The saloon has a much bigger boot though, at 425 litres for the front-drive version or 390 litres for the quattro version.

Read our Irish road test of the Audi A3 Saloon here

Expert answer

Hi Sam,

We're not quite sure why SsangYong Ireland doesn't appear to have any prices on its site at the time of writing. Our latest information is for the following prices:

- Korando ES: €25,995

- Korando EL: €29,495

- Rexton W 'Limited Edition': €44,475

- Rexton W 'Limited Edition' auto: €48,184

Our drives of the cars:

SsangYong Korando Sports

SsangYong Korando

SsangYong Rodius