What small car would suit me for about €3,000?
I'm looking for a reliable, economical car maybe 1.0-1.2-litre engine (keeping tax low) for school run/mammy taxi with a budget of about €3,000 - €3,500.
Thanks
Valerie Adams-Davitt (Swords)Oct 2013 Filed under: reliability
Expert answer
Hi Valerie,
If you're looking for something reliable for just doing short trips then get yourself a Toyota Yaris. I know, I know, not the most exciting car in the world, but reliable as the day is long and with a 1.0-litre engine (that's surprisingly peppy and powerful) your tax bills will be as affordable as possible.
Hyundai i30 1.6 or Toyota Auris 1.4 diesel?
Hyundai i30 1.6 diesel or Toyota Auris 1.4 diesel? I have a 2007 1.8 diesel Ford C-Max with approximately 140,000km on the clock. Will I get a decent trade in price?
Thanks.
S O (Cork)Oct 2013 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi there,
I'd go for the Hyundai. It's got a better engine, it's nicer to drive and the warranty is pretty hard to beat too. As for trade in on your Ford, I'd take a stab at around €6,000 to 7,000.
Hope that helps
Should I replace my Corolla with a Golf or Octavia?
I bought an 09 Toyota Corolla 1.4 petrol with 64,000km on the clock three months ago. It is still covered by the dealer's one-year warranty, is taxed until July 2014 and NCT'ed until July 2015. Since then, I have changed job and will now be commuting two hours a day on the motorway and so need to change for a diesel. Even though I'm generally the only one in the car, I prefer saloons and like a big car around me, partly for safety reasons. I also want a comfortable, hi-spec, economical car. And as I will be putting a lot of miles on it, I want something with low mileage. I am thinking a diesel Volkswagen Golf or a Skoda Octavia.
Have test driven the Ford Focus and Hyundai i30 and the interior put me off. Maybe I was driving the basic models but found them to be quite cheap in feel. I am trying to keep the total spend to about €2,000 to €4,000 with my own for trade-in.
First of all, am I on the right track in the types of cars I am looking at for what I want? Secondly, how much should I roughly be expecting to get for my own car?
Grainne Callanan (Kilkenny)Oct 2013 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Grainne,
I'd say you can expect to get about €8,000 and €9,000 as a trade-in value for your Corolla, although that could vary quite a bit from dealer to dealer. As for the cars you're looking at, a diesel Golf or Octavia would probably be ideal for the type of driving you're looking at doing, but if it's refinement you need, then I'd go for the Volkswagen over the Skoda - there's not a lot in it, but the Golf is that bit quieter.
Hope that helps
How economical is the Toyota Corolla diesel?
What is the average mpg of the 1.4 Toyota Corolla?
John Dr Oog (Cork)Expert answer
Hi John,
It just so happens that I've got the latest 1.4 diesel Toyota Corolla on test this week. Over half a tank it has averaged 5.4 litres/100km (52.3mpg). The car had two to three people in it most of the time over a variety of roads and speeds, though no long motorway journey. That's not bad going. For reference, Toyota Ireland quotes a combined cycle figure of 3.9 litres/100km (72.4mpg) for the Luna model we have on test.
Hope that helps
What is the average economy for a 2005 Toyota Corolla?
What is the average economy for a 2005 Toyota Corolla 1.4 D4-D?
Thanks John
John Dr Oog (Cork)Expert answer
Hi John,
The official combined economy for that model was quoted at 49mpg (5.8 litres/100km).
Hope that helps
Is the 2008 Toyota Corolla 1.4 petrol a good car?
Hi is the 2008 Toyota Corolla 1.4 petrol a good car? It's a Terra model with 103,000km on the clock and is selling for €8,950. Does this price sound ok? It has alloys (Borbet) added. I test drove the car and while it wasnt the most exciting drive it felt better than some other 1.2-litre cars I drove. Is it fuel efficient compared to say a Ford Fiesta?
Thanks
Pat English (Waterford)Sep 2013 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Pat,
Hmmm. That generation of Corolla doesn't seem to be keeping Toyota's usual reliability standard up. There have been reported issued with brakes (squealing, not failing), troubles with the automatic gearbox, clutch failures, slipping handbrakes and noisy gearboxes. If your potential purchase isn't displaying any of those symptoms, then it might be just fine, but be prepared to raise merry hell with your nearest Toyota dealer if it starts to develop problems. After all, if you're selling your cars on the basis of their reliability, then you'd better be prepared to back that up...
In terms of efficiency, well, it's a quite a small engine in quite a large car, so no, I wouldn't reckon it would be more economical than a 1.2 Fiesta - quite the reverse in fact, unless most of your mileage is on the motorway, in which case the Toyota's extra torque and power should make it more frugal than an over-stretched 1.2.
That price sounds pretty good - maybe even a touch low. Have you done a thorough history check on the car with Cartell.ie?
What models can fit three child seats in the back?
What car/MPV/SUV can fit three child seats in the back?
Pamela Bastable (Dublin)Sep 2013 Filed under: child or baby seats
Expert answer
Hi Pamela,
There's a few: Renault Scenic. Toyota Verso. Peugeot 5008. Citroen C4 Picasso. Land Rover Discovery. Chrysler Voyager. Ford Galaxy & S-Max. SEAT Alhambra. Volkswage Sharan. Renault Espace.
That list isn't it either!
Do I have to go for a people carrier if I have three child seats?
I'm looking for a car that will fit three child seats across the back seat. Is there one or is a people carrier the only option?
Colin Walsh (Celbridge)Sep 2013 Filed under: child or baby seats
Expert answer
Hi Colin,
I'm afraid a people carrier is pretty much your only option. The Renault Scenic, Toyota Verso or Citroen C4 Picasso can all take three abreast, as can the Peuegot 5008. If you want a conventional car that can carry three kids, your only choice is probably a Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate with the optional pair of rear-facing seats in the boot.
What's the noise in my Toyota Previa?
Hi,
My parents have a 1991 Toyota Previa and lately it has been making a lot of metal grinding sounds from the rear. I took it out to test it and for the first few minutes the car seems fine. But after a while, and especially on the motorway, the car starts making metal grinding sounds.
We took it to a couple of garages and they said it was the rear axle. To fix/replace it, its going to cost around €700 to €1,000 depending on if we want to fix/replace the whole axle. Can the rear axle really be the problem? And does the price range sound right for this problem?
Thank you.
Jin Masaki (Fresno)Sep 2013 Filed under: fault
Expert answer
Hi Jin,
Going by the assessment of the garages, I think that it could well be the rear differential. The price to replace it doesn't sound bad at all if they're using new parts, but I would suggest that it's probably not worth doing on a vehicle that old.
Which MPV would you recommend for us?
Hi, we're looking for a family car that will fit three child seats, not necessarily in the one row. We're considering a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe. How would you rate this in comparison to other family MPVs? Other options we've considered are a Mazda5 or Ford S-Max. Motor tax costs are fairly important to us. We had a loan of a Toyota Corolla Verso and preferred our current Ford C-Max, so it's out of the running for us.
Thanks for your help, Susan, Dublin
Susan Kirwan (Co Dublin)Sep 2013 Filed under: family car
Expert answer
Hi Susan,
Well, strictly speaking the Santa Fe isn't an MPV, it's an SUV (I know; Captain Pedant strikes again...) and that does have a pretty unpleasant effect on its CO2 rating. A 2008 2.2 CRDi diesel Santa Fe emits 190g/km of CO2 - enough to land you with a €750 annual bill. That aside it's a very fine car, with reliability, looks and practicality all on its side.
If it's lower CO2 you're looking for though, you may well have to consider an MPV. The Ford C-Max is only capable of taking three child seats once you get into the current model, and that may still be too pricey for you. Likewise, the Mazda5 needs to be a recent model if it's to have the current 1.6 diesel that brings with it lower tax bills. So, try and track down a 2009 Citroen C4 Picasso with the 1.6 HDi diesel and the EGS automatic gearbox. That has a 140g/km CO2 emissions figure, so you'll just scrape into the top end of Band B with a €280 tax bill.
How does that sound?