Expert answer

Hi Paul,

When new this car was once of the most comfortable cars in its class, however, it's now 8-9 years old so unless a lot of the suspension components have been changed (mainly dampers and bushes) then it won't have retained that. Check with a seller for receipts for work done.

In any case, take a few for a test drive so you get to know which is good and which is bad.

Let us know how you get on.

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Hi Enda,

I wouldn't be massively worried about the mileage so long as you're not planning on putting up huge mileage yourself. Buy on condition and history. If you have any suspicions that it might have been a taxi have it checked on Cartell.ie.

As to the value, it won't be worth a lot at that mileage - and don't expect to sell it on for much when you're finished with it - but we can't value it without knowing its condition and year.

Let me know how you get on.

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Hi Pat,

Well, it all comes down to taste, but generally speaking yes — it’s a fairly neutral colour and won’t have any serious effect on the resale value.

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Hi John,

You're in an enviable position. We're assuming you'd like to stick with an open-top car and rear-wheel drive. The Irish market isn't exactly flooded with €50,000 sports cars that match that brief so in your position we'd seriously consider importing from the UK.

Fabulous cars that fall within your budget include:

- Honda S2000 - very reliable and huge fun, though even newest ones are getting on now

- Lotus Elise - one of the most engaging road cars at any price; you could afford a relatively new one with the more reliable Toyota engine

However, we'd put our own money into a Porsche Boxster. You should be able to afford one of the last of the just replaced generation Boxster S. It's very quick, genuinely brilliant to drive and reliable too.

What do you think?

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Hi David,

This Avensis is generally rock solid. The only thing we'd be wary of is the mileage. That seems quite low for one of those of that age. Make sure the condition of the interior backs it up and consider doing a history check on Cartell.ie. These were often used as taxis remember.

General advice for buying any used car is check that all the switches work and get as detailed a service history as you can for the car.

Hope that helps.

Expert answer

Hi Niamh,

It depends — do you want diesel or petrol? Any small-to-medium car with a 1.4 to 1.6-litre diesel engine is going to be very, very economical (e.g. the Toyota Auris, VW Golf, Ford Focus and Skoda Octavia), but if you want a petrol engine, the choice is a little different. Here, we’d be looking at the Volkswagen Group cars (Golf, Leon or Octavia) with the 1.0-litre or 1.2-litre TSI petrol engines, which have excellent economy, or a Peugeot 308 with the 1.2-litre PureTech engine.

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Hi Eileen,

At 5,500 miles a year, diesel is most definitely not worth considering — you’re not doing anything like the mileage you’d need to do if you want to claw back the cost of buying a diesel in fuel savings, and maintenance costs could be high. As for which model to get, it kind of depends on your preferences. I’m getting the vibe that you’re not keen on the Micra, so maybe have a look at the likes of the VW Golf 1.0 TSI, Honda Civic 1.0 Turbo, or wait for a little while for the all-new Ford Focus or Toyota Auris to arrive.

Expert answer

Hi Siobhain,

The RAV4 has a great reputation for reliability so once it has been fully serviced there should be no worries on that front. There are a few things to look out for though, including leaky sunroofs and diesel engines low on power because of failed sensors. Also, if it's a diesel RAV4 that has a tow bar fitted look for receipts and any work done to replace the flywheel and clutch, as these sometimes fail on tow cars. If it was a tow car and has not had this work done try to get a warranty.

In terms of price, without knowing its specification and engine, it looks to be at the top of the pricing for that year. There are others for less and with lower mileage available, though really you should be buying on condition and history above mileage alone.

If we can be of further assistance please do come back to us.

Expert answer

Hi Paddy,

If reliability is what you’re looking for, always go for the Toyota. The Ford is actually pretty solid, in quality and reliability terms, but when it comes to quality, nothing beats a Toyota. 

Expert answer

Hi there,

The only automatic Yaris sold is the 1.33-litre petrol model with the 'Multidrive' gearbox. On the official combined cycle it returns 55.4mpg - or 5.1 litres/100km.

Hope that helps.