What will we replace our Kia Sportage with?
Hi, my wife is driving a 2013 Kia Sportage and is thinking of updating. What would you recommend?
Joe Malone (Dublin)Jun 2015 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Joe,
Lots to choose from, but if she fancies another Sportage, then hang on for a year - there's an all-new model coming. You could consider a trade-up into the excellent new Kia Sorento, but that's a bigger, more expensive car. If you want to stick in the same size range (and stick with an SUV) then have a look at the Volkswagen Tiguan, Nissan Qashqai or Toyota RAV4.
Relevant reviews:
How much for my 2006 Toyota Corolla?
How much would I get for my Toyota Corolla Diesel - 2006 D-4D Luna with 77,722km.
Thanks,
Rachel
Rachel Dobbyn (Ashbourne)Jun 2015 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi Rachel,
Somewhere in the region of €5,000.
What is the scrap value of a 2001 Toyota Corolla saloon?
What is the scrap value of a 2001 Toyota Corolla saloon?
Jerry Hough (Nenagh )Jun 2015 Filed under: scrappage
Expert answer
Hi Jerry,
It depends. If you roll it up to a Nissan, Peuegot or Opel dealer in the next few weeks, then it could be worth as much as €4,500 off a new car. As a pure scrap value, at a breakers, it depends entirely on the condition of the car and the various parts that can be stripped from it.
As a first car should I get an Opel Corsa or Toyota Corolla?
Hi, I am just about to buy my first car and I just want to make the right decision. My choices are a 2008 Opel Corsa (1.2 petrol) with 150,000km or a 2006 Toyota Corolla (1.4 petrol) with 100,000km. Both are going for around €4,800. Currently I am leaning towards the Toyota.
Caoimhe Brady (Cavan)May 2015 Filed under: learner
Expert answer
Hi Caoimhe,
Yup, I would too - assuming that you can get a similar quote for insuring the Toyota. That generation of Corolla is actually surprisingly good to drive, and it's far more comfortable and practical than the Corsa, not to mention close to indestructible when it comes to reliability. Plus, I always think it's better to learn to drive on the largest car you can afford to run and insure - it makes things easier when you upgrade in later life.
Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson or Nissan X-Trail?
2005 - 2007 Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson or Nissan X-Trail - low mileage use as a second car. Which would you recommend? Any issues to look out for with these?
Many thanks, Ben from Limerick
Ben McMahon (Limerick)May 2015 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Ben,
OK, first off, if it's a second car for short journeys and low mileages, go and track down a petrol model. That shouldn't be too hard if you're looking pre-2008, and it will save you from getting diesel particulate filter problems later.
Of the three, the Tuscon would probably be the most painless to own - it has a great reliability record and the 2.0-litre petrol version is decently frugal. Worth looking at a Kia Sportage of the same vintage too - it's mechanically identical and, to our eyes, slightly better looking.
I'd avoid the RAV4. That generation of RAV was very short on refinement and they tend to need clutch and flywheel replacements as the miles build up. Not a patch on the current, much more sophisticated RAV4.
The X-Trail is well worth a look too. You might struggle to track down the rare 2.0-litre petrol version, but it's worth doing so - it's more reliable than the diesel version and, as long as you go for the second-generation X-Trail, introduced in 2007, you're getting a massively spacious car that's surprisingly good to drive. Be picky though - it has to be that second-gen model, as the first X-Trail was a bit underwhelming. If you can't find a nice one, revert to the Tucson or Sportage.
Toyota Corolla or Volkswagen Polo?
Which one is more durable and cheap to run: a Toyota Corolla or Volkswagen Polo?
Khumbulani Siduna (Harare)May 2015 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Khumbulani,
Very different cars - a Corolla is a mid-size family hatchback, a Polo is a supermini. It's a split decision anyway - the Polo will be slightly cheaper to run but the Corolla is more likely to be reliable, long-term.
Which of these Toyota Corollas should I go for?
I'm looking at two 2008 Toyota Corolla diesels; one has 190,000km for €8,000, the second has 125,000km for €8,900. Would the lower mileage be better value?
Thanks
Mary Moore (Harare)May 2015 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Mary,
Not necessarily. The rule is never buy on mileage, buy on condition and history. Does the higher mileage car have a more complete service history? Does is have fewer owners? Does it come with a warranty? Does it look and feel as if it's been better cared for? If the answers to those are all yes then the higher mileage car could actually be the better one. It's about much more than simple mileage.
What Toyota should my dad upgrade to?
Hi all,
Firstly, thanks for your help back in 2011! We actually bought one of the two cars whose links you sent to me as suggestions! I think I'll be in touch shortly for my own car needs but for now I'm asking for advice for my dad. He is an avid Toyota or Nissan man and currently has a 2008 Corolla 1.4-litre (basic model I think) with 157,000km on the clock. He was initially planing to stick with the Corolla and move up two or three years and his main requirement is that he wants air conditioning in the next car. He spoke to a local second hand car dealer who told him that the equivalent Corolla won't have air conditioning, but that the Auris would, that it has the exact same interior space and only difference is that obviously it is hatchback. Does that point about the air conditioning etc seem right to you?
What would be a rough guide to trade in the 2008 and move to either an Auris or Corolla 2010, 2011 and 2012 models? From what I can see there was a new model Auris released in 2012 and if so would it be worth stretching to that? Any other suggestions of make/model welcome too if you don't mind. He does average to slightly-above-average mileage each year, mostly rural with probably one or two long drives every month so any advice on petrol vs. diesel would be great too.
Thanks again. Enda, Dublin
Enda Lowry (Dublin)May 2015 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Enda,
Yeah, he's definitely better off with the petrol version, not least because Toyota's 1.4 diesel is not the best, but its 1.33 petrol is a cracker. You might need to do some digging to track one down though - they're thinner on the ground on a 2010 plate than the diesels.
Now then, Auris versus Corolla. Yup, they're the same size inside. The boot on the Auris is a little smaller but then it's also more versatile thanks to being a hatchback. The point about air conditioning is probably right - standard spec on Toyotas tends to be quite stingy and Corolla saloons are basically built for emerging markets (no, seriously, we're the only Western European nation that still sells them) so tend to be even more basic again.
I'd say you'll need to find about €3-4k to finance the upgrade from a 2008 Corolla to a 2010 or 2011 Auris.
Relevant reviews:
Toyota Auris review (2013)
Toyota Auris review (2010)
Toyota Corolla review (2013)
Toyota Corolla review (2010)
Lexus GS 450h: how reliable?
Lexus GS 450h: how reliable? How good are they really? I have a 2006 GS 450h and the hybrid batteries failed. I was told by a Lexus garage they cost €4,500 approx to replace. Nice car to look at and drive but when they fail you won't buy another one - that's if you can sell it. It has 143k miles on the clock only. All I can say is don't buy one with over 70k on the clock. Maybe you have better ideas on this?
Laurence O Halloran (Rathdrum Co Wicklow)May 2015 Filed under: reliability
Expert answer
Hi Laurence,
Well, to be honest, we don't often hear of any Lexus models suffering anything in the way of major component failure. Was there some major factor, such as physical damage to the batteries, or flooding or something like that? Batteries in hybrids and electric cars are always a concern when it comes to longevity, but Toyota has 15-year-old Prius still running around and their batteries are still working fine. Lexus claims that the batteries are designed to last the life of the car, so I'm suspecting that there's some other factor at play here.
Looking for a small to medium reliable family car.
Looking for a small to medium reliable family car. Comfort, fuel efficient, and low tax a consideration.
Mai Murphy (Cork)Apr 2015 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Mai,
OK, lots to choose from here. Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus and Toyota Auris are all ever popular and all with very good reason. They're reliable (the Toyota scoring best here), beautifully made (the Golf come out top in this category) and nice to drive (the Focus wins here). Lots of all three about so you can afford to be picky. Fancy something a bit different? Try a Honda Civic, especially the 1.6 i-DTEC diesel version, which is possibly the best compact diesel engine around.
Also well worth a look are the Kia cee'd (especially the handsome and practical estate version) and the current model of the Peugeot 308 (ditto on the estate version there).
Relevant reviews: