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Hi there,

No on both I’m afraid. The Toyota RAV4 is currently available with a 5.5 per cent APR PCP plan, with repayments of €282 per month (that’s a representative example, of course), and the Kia is available on a 3.9 per cent APR PCP or HP plan, with repayments of €542 per month (assuming a 30 per cent deposit or trade-in).

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Hi Razanne,

If this is the diesel version, it's possible that the issue has nothing to do with the stop-start system at all, as its engine is known to develop problems with the fuel injectors that could lead to poor running and stalling.

Otherwise, all we can suggest is that you read our Why won't my car's stop-start system work? feature to see if anything helps - and persevere with your mechanic to get to the bottom of the issue. An auto-electrician might be worth visiting, too.

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Hi Robert,

Yes, it’s a very solid shortlist, although obviously we can’t comment either way on the Tiguan plug-in hybrid as we’ve not driven one yet. As for the Honda and the Toyota, the Honda is roomier and rather more engaging to drive (better for all those twisty roads) so is probably the one we’d go for. The new RAV4 is well worth looking at, though, and it has impressive performance, so it’s good for all that overtaking. Links to our reviews below:

Honda CR-V Hybrid review

Toyota RAV4 Hybrid review

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Hi Philip,

In general, we wouldn’t see CVTs as a major issue when it comes to reliability. Yes, Toyota has just issued a recall on some models, but this is pretty well par for the course — all car makers issue recalls all the time. If you want to gauge the reliability of CVTs, just look at how many older Toyota Prius there are, still running about.

As for the Subaru XV itself, we wouldn’t have any major concerns over reliability — Subarus are built pretty tough — but you are right to say that the 1.6 engine is gutless. Entirely so, as it happens. It’s a shame, as the XV is actually a pretty nice car in most other respects. There is a 2.0-litre version, which is worth considering, and a new hybrid version too, but we’d avoid the 1.6 for just being frustratingly slow. 

Read our Subaru XV reviews here

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Hi Philip,

Well, there’s a lot of ground to cover there… Yes, the 1.6 engine in the XV is a touch gutless. In fact, it’s very gutless and its fuel consumption suffers dreadfully as a result. A 2.0-litre XV is actually more frugal in day-to-day driving, to be honest, simply because you’re not having to rev it so hard and so much.

As for the CVT, we doubt that there would be any serious issues in the longer term. I’m sure the guy on YouTube means well, but just check out how many older Toyota Prius models are still happily running around with their CVTs — that should give you some idea of how solid they are. Yes, there has been a recent recall, but one recall on some specific cars doesn’t mean that there’s a major issue with all such equipment.

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Hi Orla,

Get the Skoda. Trust me, as the father of two growing boys a Qashqai is just not big enough inside. The Octavia, on the other hand, has lots of rear legroom (crucial for people in rear-facing child seats or boosters) and a massive boot, especially if you go for the very practical Combi estate version. If you’re looking for other alternatives, stick within the mid-size estate market — they’re much more practical for families than a compact SUV, and usually cheaper too run too. Oh, and they’re not much bigger than the hatchbacks they’re based on, so parking etc. is still a doddle.

Good alternatives to the Skoda are the Ford Focus Estate, the Kia Ceed Sportswagon, the Hyundai i30 Tourer and the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports. Click on those links to read our reviews of each.

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Hi Philip,

Generally speaking, long-term hybrid reliability seems to be excellent. It probably helps that most hybrids that have been built and sold so far have been made by those paragons of reliability, Honda and Toyota. Both companies say that many of their older hybrid models — first generation Prius dating back to 1997, and Civic IMAs dating back to 2002 — are still on the road and in regular use. Indeed, Honda says that it has never had to replace a battery pack on models such as the post-2010 Insight or the little-seen Jazz Hybrid. Toyota says similar things about older Prius and Auris models, and points to the huge numbers of those cars being used on taxi fleets, racking up mega-miles with no major reliability issues to report. That’s likely helped by two things — electric motors are simple and therefore generally reliable, and most hybrid cars on the road at the moment use older-style nickel batteries, which aren’t as energy-dense as newer lithium-ion batteries, but which again are simple, rugged and reliable.

Even if you do need to eventually replace a battery pack, it’s not that expensive to do so — a second generation Prius pack change costs around €1,400 — not far off what you’d have to pay for a major engine rebuild or replacement, and you’re about as likely to need one. Basically, the advice is as for any second hand purchase — buy on condition, not mileage, make sure it has a full and complete service history and, if you have any concerns in the longer term, consider taking out a second-hand warranty programme.

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Hi Tony,

Currently you can buy the following hybrids on the Irish market: Toyota Corolla, CH-R, RAV4, Prius, Yaris, and there are probably a few run-out  examples of the Auris Hybrid out there still in dealerships. There’s also the Kia Niro and the Hyundai Ioniq. There’s the full Lexus range — CT, IS, RC, GS, ES, LS, NX, RX and LC. There’s the Ford Mondeo Hybrid, too. There’s the new Honda CR-V Hybrid, some Mercedes diesel-hybrids and petrol plug-in hybrids, oh and the new AMG 53 six-cylinder mild hybrids.

Suzuki does mild hybrids too — for the Baleno, Swift and Ignis. Then there are the plug-in hybrids — Kia Niro and Hyundai Ioniq again, plus the Volvo XC90 and XC60 T8 models, along with the S90 and V90; the BMW i8, 330e, 530e, X5 40e, 225xe, and the MINI Countryman S E; there’s also the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport plug-ins, the Mitsubishi Outlander, the Volkswagen Golf and Passat GTE, the Audi Q7 e-tron and the Porsche Panamera and Cayenne.

I bet I've forgotten some...

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Hi Shubham,

Hey, thank you for reading it!

OK, in terms of the way you’ve weighted your needs, the XC40 comes out as an obvious top choice as you’ve said safety is the most important thing for you. Nothing’s safer than a Volvo, so that’s job done then.

Right? Well, maybe not… We do love the XC40 — it’s a cracking car — but it’s a touch small on the inside. Fine for small kids, but not so great if you’ve got a fast-growing family. Which brings the Kodiaq into play, as it has a massive boot and the option of extra seats. Plus Skodas are very safe too, and have excellent resale value.

The only issue then is that you’re more or less locked into buying a diesel, which really doesn’t suit your annual mileage. You can see where this is going, can’t you? The new RAV4 Hybrid is probably the best balance of what you need. Roomy and comfortable inside, very safe, nice to drive and Toyotas always have excellent resale.

Here are our reviews of each to help you decide:

Volvo XC40 reviews

Skoda Kodiaq reviews

Toyota RAV4 reviews

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Hi Anthony,