Expert answer

Hi John,

The only other brand with a comparable warranty back in 2010 or 2011 would be Hyundai, which has (and had) a five-year, unlimited mileage warranty. Of the cars you've mentioned, in descending order of preference, we'd go for Octavia, Passat, Sportage and Qashqai. If it's out of warranty, you can always get an aftermarket one. 

What do you think?

Expert answer

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.

Expert answer

Hi Kevin,

Generally speaking it's the E-Class that followed, the 2002 onwards model, that gave all the trouble, and the generation you're looking at doesn't give quite so much bother. As far as we can gather, the E200 K should be a reasonably rugged engine, but the crucial thing to note is to make sure that it has been serviced on time every time, by someone who knows what they're doing, and that you continue to do so when you own it. If there's no service history, or a patchy one, walk away.

Also watch for rust bubbling up under the front wings and make sure that the front suspension bushes were replaced at 60,000 miles. In that generation of car, I wouldn't necessarily expect the diesel version to be any more or less reliable.

Expert answer

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.

Expert answer

Hi Simon,

OK, for that kind of budget you have a wealth of options, new and used. How about a new MINI Cooper S 2.0-litre? Massive fun to drive, affordable to run (it'll do 50mpg and costs just €290 a year to tax) and they're really well built. Better yet, a brand new one starts at €27k so you have plenty left over for insurance, extras and servicing.

Not practical enough? How about the best hot hatch around at the moment then? The Volkswagen Golf GTI? Your budget just about gets a new one, but it'll be pretty basic. Better to go for nearly-new; get one with a bit of spec and make sure it has the optional Performance Pack fitted - it turns a brilliant car into a gob-smacking one.

Expert answer

Hi Toni,

You can because they’re obviously designed to fit in the same space, but I’d ask for specialist help with this as it’ll be having the odometer reset to the correct mileage for your car and that’s not something you want to try for yourself or trust to an amateur. And an incorrect mileage reading can seriously affect the value of your car.

Expert answer

Hi Simon,

Generally speaking all three of these cars are really well built and shouldn't give you any major troubles. The BMW 2.0-litre diesel engine has some well documented and recurring issues with weakness in the turbo, but if you buy one on BMW's approved used programme, you'll get a two-year warranty that should cover you for any issues. The Diesel Particulate Filter issue on the Audi 2.0-litre TDI engine is usually related to drivers doing too low a mileage at too low a speed for the DPF to heat up sufficiently to clean itself - it's a recurring problem on any diesel car bought by someone who fundamentally doesn't understand how diesels work and are best driven.

I'd say of the three, my choice would be the last-gen C-Class. If you're looking at 2013, try and track down one of the last Edition C models - they were loaded with equipment and got an extra AMG body kit and nice wheels too. Superb to drive, cracking 2.1-litre diesel engine (if it touch noisy) and the only drawback is that they're not very spacious in the rear.

Of course, if it's reliability and reliability above all that concerns you, buy a Lexus IS 300h and you won't go wrong...

Expert answer

Hi Mary,

Here's the official bumpf from the Department of Transport:

"If your motor tax expires around this time, and you have not received your motor tax renewal notice in the post, it is likely that you enrolled for the electronic service when your vehicle was last taxed online and have now received your PIN by email. Issue of your renewal notice electronically ensures instant notification of your PIN and easy access to the PIN when required. Please check the email address supplied with that online transaction to retrieve your online PIN.

"If you have lost or misplaced your PIN, have yet to receive it, or have recently purchased a vehicle and wish to retrieve your PIN, you can access the 'PIN Retrieval' link on our homepage, submit the requested details and your pin will be emailed to you if your vehicle is eligible for online taxing.

"In the case of the first taxing of a brand new or imported vehicle, the PIN is the last six characters of your vehicle's chassis number as printed on your RF100 form. You should have received your RF100 form either from your Motor Dealer or the Revenue Commissioners."

Hope that covers it?

Expert answer

Hi Martin,

I'm afraid not. Land Rover Ireland won't disclose the figures as yet...

Here's the full story otherwise in case you missed it.

Expert answer

Hi Edel,

The Golf. Sounds predictable I know, and I can see the appeal of the Juke's more exciting styling and sportier demeanour, but the fact remains that the Golf is more spacious, more practical, better to drive and more economical. There's a good reason they're so popular...