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Hi Frank,

The triplets of the Peugeot 107, Citroen C1 and Toyota Aygo are pretty good - nippy and reliable. The last generation Suzuki Alto is also a good option. If you need something a bit larger, track down a Toyota Yaris 1.0.

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Hi Oonagh,

Not many; you really need to be looking at MPVs such as the Volkswagen Touran and Toyota Verso, or the Ford S-Max or SEAT Alhmabra if you fancy something bigger. That said, the recently introduced Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage are just about wide enough, but it depends on what seats you're using. Also, larger seven-seat 4x4s such as the Volvo XC90 and Land Rover Discovery will take three-abreast, but they're expensive to buy.

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Hi John,

Well, you should get about €15,000 as a trade-in so you'll probably need to find around €8-9,000 (depending on options) to get a new Corolla 1.4 D-4D Luna, which lists at €24,650.

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Hi Kathleen,

The new Toyota Prius looks to be rather impressive, and with just 70g/km of CO₂ it'll certainly be cheap to tax. We reckon you should probably look beyond the Prius though, to the new generation of plugin hybrids that can offer significantly longer electric-only range (as much as 50km) and which still have a petrol engine and a decent fuel tank for longer journeys. Have a look at the Volkswagen Golf GTE or Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV for example.

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Hi Brendan,

There is no specific market data for Ireland in this respect. The old rule of thumb still holds true - if you want ultimate reliability, buy a Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Suzuki, Subaru or Mazda. You could probably pretty easily add Kia and Hyundai to that list too now.

The best I can do for you is to point you towards the results of the JD Power Vehicle Dependability Study for the UK market in 2015. An independent research agency, JD Power ranks the various brands surveyed by problems per 100 cars - although it's worth remembering that those problems can range from minor electrical niggles to total engine failure, so you can't read everything into the stats. The last set of figures, ranked from best-performing to worst, were:

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Hi Jim,

There are a number of other potential options you could look at, but seeing as you've been a Corolla driver, I'm guessing you want something that's going to match the Toyota for reliability. So, in that case, have a look at the Honda HR-V or Skoda Yeti. Both are taller than a normal hatch but not so big as a Tucson and both are really well built and reliable.

Relevant reviews:

Hyundai Tucson review

Skoda Yeti review

Honda HR-V review

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Hi Elaine,

I don't think the Fusion is going to be much good to you if you reckon you need an MPV - it's basically a slightly taller Fiesta and not all that roomy. Have a try and see if it'll fit your needs.

As for another Scenic, sad to say they're just not the most reliable things around. Have a look instead for a Toyota Corolla Verso, a Volkswagen Touran, a Kia Carens or a Mazda5. You'll have to look hard to find one within budget but they are out there.

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Hi Martin,

Go for the Octavia or Avensis according to taste - both have superior reliability (crucial when you're buying an older car) and the Avensis will, just slightly, have the edge in that respect.

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Hi Sally,

Generally speaking, automatics and small engines don't go well together, but there are a few good ones. Any Volkswagen Group cars using a combo of either 1.2 TSI or 1.4 TSI petrol with the DSG gearbox should be pretty smooth and there are some Toyota Auris 1.4 D-4D diesels around with self-shifters. The Auris, while not exciting, is certainly smooth and comfy.

Actually, your best option could be to go hybrid or electric. The Honda Insight has a 1.3-litre hybrid powertrain and is an automatic and is surprisingly good to drive. Or what about the Nissan Leaf? If the roughly 160km electric range suits your lifestyle, there's nothing smoother than an electric motor.

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Hi Dave,

The Land Cruiser is indeed getting a new 2.8-litre diesel engine, which is claimed to be nine per cent more efficient than the old 3.0. It has CO₂ emissions of 194g/km, 177hp and 420Nm of torque. Shared with Fiat though? No - Fiat does have its own 2.8-litre diesel, but it's a commercial vehicle engine, usually used in the Ducato van. For its passenger cars (Jeep Grand Cherokee, Maserati Quattroporte, etc.) the Fiat group uses a VM Motori built 3.0 V6 diesel.