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Hi Eoin,

Go for the Corolla. Its long term reliability prospects are better than those of the Polo, it'll be far more comfortable on the motorway and barely any more expensive to fuel and tax.

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Hi Seamus,

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Hi Sol,

With that sort of mileage and condition I'd say you're looking at top-end money for a Starlet. The downside is that top-end for a Starlet is only around €2,000. You might get €2,200 with a following wind...

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Hi Grainne,

Yeah, at that price level I'd avoid a Scenic. They older they get the worse their reliability becomes. How about a Toyota Corolla Verso instead? It's within your price range, has the space and is ultra reliable. The only thing is you'll probably have to break your 1.5-litre boundary and go for a 1.6.

What do you think?

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Hi Cinta,

Sorry, we're not a comparisons site. You're 17 but you don't say whether you have a full licence or a provisional, nor whether you have any penalty points or any other details about yourself. The only way to find out is to start wearing out the phone lines and the internet cables by searching and shopping around all the major providers. And then get yourself put on your dad's insurance just like we all did...

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Hi Reg,

Well, there are a couple of good options around although few of them offer quite as much space as the S-Max. The Citroen C4 Picasso, Volkswagen Touran and Toyota Verso are all smaller than the Ford, but offer plenty of space for five, with room for seven at a pinch. Or you could try the always-excellent SEAT Alhambra (sliding doors are handy in tight car parks) or even the (not very common) Mazda5.

If none of those tickle your fancy, and if you’re looking more for a proper five-seater with jump seats for another two, allow me to pull out of the hat my always-ready answer to seven-seater conundrums - a Mercedes E-Class Estate with those clever folding seats in the boot.

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Hi Eoghainn,

I'd say on a trade in, you're probably looking at €4,500 to €5,000, assuming it's in good nick and comes with a full service history.

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Hi Barry,

To be blunt, you're going to struggle to get a decent diesel engined car at that price level. There do seem to be one or two diesel Peugeot 307s or Renault Méganes around at that sort of money but we'd advise serious caution before purchase - neither have a great reputation for reliability. 

Unless you're covering mega-miles every week, you would probably be much, much better off getting a tidy 1.4 petrol hatchback, perhaps a circa 2002 Toyota Corolla? Really solid on the reliability front, excellent fuel economy and affordable motor tax. It would be a much better idea than going all out for diesel but ending up with a less reliable car.

What do you think?

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Hi Mark,

Apparently those figures aren't so easy to come by... We asked Cartell.ie, the vehicle records experts, for a little help. The most recent indication we have, based on results for the first four months of 2014, compared to the first four months of 2013, shows all non-trade sales are up 14.4%, all transactions into trade up 26.4%, all transactions out of trade up 22.9%, all import transactions up 24.5%, and trade to trade transactions are up 28.1%. The total increase all transactions for the period of 19.2%.

More information on that data can be found in this news story

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Hi Paul,

That car has a timing chain