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Hi Niamh,

You shouldn't have a major problem as long as you look after the car and keep the service history up to scratch. Opels are perennially popular second hand buys, so while the badge means you won't get the value retention of, say a BMW or an Audi, there should always be a reasonably willing audience out there for one.

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Hi Ash,

It very much depends on your price bracket and what your requirements are in terms of size. If you want something small, cheap and fun to drive, why not try either a Nissan Juke or MINI Countryman? Need something with a bit more space and practicality? Nissan Qashqai then, or better yet, a Skoda Yeti. Want to get something with a lot more size and some proper 4x4 ability? Go for a Honda CR-V, a Hyundai Santa Fe (you can get those with seven seats by the way) or, a Nissan again, this time the under-appreciated X-Trail. Want something seriously big and impressive? Well, a Range Rover Sport is always a good buy but be sure to put aside plenty to cover the running costs. A Toyota Land Cruiser is rather less exciting to drive or to look at but its reliability is little short of legendary. Or, if you want something really cheap and old that can pack some abuse and come back for more, try either a Suzuki Grand Vitara (smallish) or a Mitsubishi Pajero (big). Both are reliable, both can off-road properly and both can be tracked down at bargain prices, as long as you buy according to condition, not age or mileage.

Come back to us if you need more help

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Hi Joe,

Land Rover's reliability has been improving out of all recognition lately, and the RR Sport is based on the third generation Discovery, which is a generally reliable vehicle, so that's good news. Watch for issues with the gearbox and anything that has an electric wire attached to the back of it. Check all buttons and switches work properly and that the car has a full and complete service history. Make sure the air suspension raises and lowers as it should too - leaking units can be expensive to rectify.

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Hi Matthew,

Wow, that's a brave decision. First off, the RX-8 is and always will be one of our favourite cars - light, agile, fun and with that screaming rotary engine up front. It's a gem of a car, and pretty reliable too.

Now the bad news. It's going to cost you a fortune to insure. You say you're starting to learn driving, but you don't specify your age. If you're under 25 you may well find it impossible to get any cover, but if you still live at home you may be able to do the old named-driver-on-your-parents-insurance trick. Even if you're over 25, as a first time driver your insurance is going to be well and truly loaded - the RX-8 is a proper sports car (and occasionally tricky in the wet) and most insurers will not be keen on insuring a novice on such a car.

Assuming though that you can sidestep those hurdles, go for it! If you start your driving career with an RX-8 you'll be getting off to a terrific start. One word of advice - invest in a high performance tuition course to help you better understand the ins and outs of driving a fast, rear-drive car. It'll make you a better driver anyway and it could save your life.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Gary,

Are you perhaps being a tad unfair to your wife here? If it were a teenager you were talking about I'd say yes, keep the old car but as it's your missus, and you've got a decent bit of budget, why not get something spanky new to give her the motivation to become a truly great driver?

For that cash, you could get a really nice year old Ford Fiesta or Peugeot 208, both of which are terrific to drive and very economical. Go for the 1.2 82hp 208 or the 1.0 EcoBoost Fiesta. Or you could save yourself a bundle and buy brand new by downsizing. A Volkswagen up! or the new Hyundai i10 would make a perfect learner car and still be stylish and practical family transport when she's got her pink licence.

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Hi Peter,

A brilliant car, albeit one with a couple of shortcomings relative to its German rivals. It's probably the best-looking car in the class, and the 500-litre boot is a match for the BMW 5 Series Touring and Audi A6 Avant (though much smaller than that of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class). It's utterly delightful to drive too, better even than the much-praised BMW, with brilliant steering and a comfy ride.

On the downside, the interior is a step behind the Germans (not enough space, old-fashioned touch-screen infotainment system, narrow front seats) and the fuel tank is on the small side, limiting your touring range and making the car feel thirstier than it actually is. The 2.2-litre diesel engine in 190hp form is the best all-round to go for, but the lower power 163hp is a bit cheaper to buy and you'll hardly ever notice the difference in day-to-day driving. Or, you could get the best version; the 272hp 3.0 D V6 diesel – a properly quick, practical car that.

Here's our road test of the XF Sportbrake

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Hi John,

Great car, the Mazda6, and lovely to drive. Two things though: you may well find that 2.0-litre petrol to be both a touch thirsty and, consequently, very hard to move on again come resale time. And at that mileage it's imperative to make sure that the car has a full service history and that major maintenance work such as timing belt replacements and oil changes have been done.

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Hi Rafal,

There are no problems that suggest themselves as a likely culprit. The Bora is more or less mechanically identical to the Golf, so has the same solidity and suffers the same basic niggles - if there were a problem causing Bora NCT failures, it would be happening to Golfs too. Certainly, Volkswagen Ireland is unaware of any particular Bora issue when we asked for a comment. 

The only thing we can think of is that the Bora has slightly stiffer, sportier suspension than the Golf and that could potentially lead to wear and tear on things like bushings and track rod ends. Given the age of the cars you're looking at, that could be the problem, although in fairness, any 10 to 14-year old car could be suffering from that kind of problem, especially if it's an original Irish car.

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Hi Chris,

The Getz came from the last round of Hyundais that arrived before Hyundai got really good at making cars - in other words, it's cheap and cheerful where more modern Hyundais are slick and sophisticated. That said, as far as reliable, uncomplicated family transport goes, there's little enough wrong with the Getz. As far as we can tell, there are simply no major reliability problems to report, aside from a recurring problem with noisy rear brakes. All Getz models will have been originally covered by Hyundai's five-year warranty (introduced in 2002), so they will probably have been well cared for over their first couple of owners. Not an exciting car, then, but a solid secondhand buy.

Expert answer

Hi John,

OK, you can get a 2008 5 Series for under €13,000, but they will probably be even higher mileage than your old one and will most likely be from private vendors, rather than a dealer offering you a warranty and after-sales care. You takes your chances etc.

You may be better served by looking at the UK again - more cars, generally better prices but how about this: why not use the insurance payout to get yourself on the new car buying ladder? BMW Ireland has some cracking PCP deals on both the 5 and 3 Series and that €13k would be a decent deposit to get you off to a good start.

Worth thinking about anyway.