What seven-seater to go for with €10,000?
Guys, my brother is looking to buy a seven-seater to lug his (many) kids about. Could you advise on the best out there? Budget is only €10k though. If it could deliver on boot space too that'd be a plus, but seven seats may eat into that. Reliability a big thing too (no unexpected bills in a recession if possible!).
Thanks in advance.
Barry Delaney (Dublin)Apr 2013 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Barry,
Right, the problem here is trying to balance the budget for buying (and running) against the need for seats plus luggage space. It's a tough equation to work out, especially as the bulk of MPVs on the market are the compact seven-seat type (think Opel Zafira) and in those, once you're using all seven seats, you effectively have no boot.
Now, there are a couple of ways around this. We did find a Chrysler Grand Voyager within the €10k budget, but with a 2.7-litre diesel engine the running costs may put it out of reach. If six seats is enough we did find a Honda FR-V within the same price range, and in that you still have a big boot even when every seat is full thanks to its three-across seating layout. It's reliable too so there shouldn't be any unexpected bills.
Otherwise it's go for a conventional compact MPV, and of the ones we found on sale, you'd be hard pressed to do better than a Toyota Corolla Verso - not the most exciting, but rigorously well built and your brother could always invest in a roof box if the boot's not big enough...
Why is my Toyota Levin leaking oil?
My 1999 Toyota Levin AE111 appears to be leaking oil. Recently I put in a new gasket. It looks like the oil is coming out the right hand side and collecting on top of the gearbox. I'm at a loss.
Any ideas?
Ray Chawke (Cork)Apr 2013 Filed under: fault
Expert answer
Hi Ray,
It's not clear if the leak was after you changed the gasket or before and I assume you mean the rocker cover gasket rather than the head gasket.
Assuming all that is ok, then the next thing to check is the camshaft oil seals.
For €5,000, what car would suit my wife, just learning to drive?
I want to buy the missus a car. She is just learning to drive and she'll need to ferry our one-year-old around too. I don't want to spend too much, about €5,000 maximum, no real preference for make or model, but I want something safe, easy to drive, with good visibility. Low tax a bonus. Any ideas?
Johnny B (Dublin)Apr 2013 Filed under: learner
Expert answer
Hi Jonny,
Right, there's a couple of easy answers to this question and they are Volkswagen Polo, Toyota Yaris and Ford Fiesta. There are tonnes of them around, they're all safe and the Yaris can be had with a 1.0-litre engine so low tax and insurance rates are assured.
But... But there are a couple of possibilities that are a bit more fun and a little more interesting. How about a Suzuki Swift? Not as spacious as the above trio, but as your child is only one that's not really an issue for now. Besides it's way more fun to drive than any of the others and Suzukis are super reliable.
Or you could go for something a bit more trendy and exciting. €5,000 is the absolute bottom end price for a Fiat 500 but you might be able to track one down, and it's fun and funky as well as safe and cheap to run. Or there's the mother of all fun hatches, the MINI. €5,000 gets you lots of choice but we'd go for a MINI One (it avoids the extra insurance loading of a Cooper) and have a good shop around to find one with decent equipment. Fun, just about spacious enough (if you juggle the seats around), safe and with a great chassis and great all-round visibility, it's ideal for a learner.
Come back to us if need help to narrow things down further.
Should an Auris use oil between services?
I have a 2010 Toyota Auris. It used two litres of oil between services, Toyota rebuilt the engine and it's still using oil. Is this normal?
David Ruttledge (Sligo)Apr 2013 Filed under: fault
Expert answer
Hi David,
I'm afraid we need a lot more information than that to help you - and you've not sent us any contact details. Can you resubmit the question with the following information included please?
1 - What engine is this?
2 - How long in time and kilometres were between the services?
3 - Who decided to rebuild the engine and why?
4 - What exactly was rebuilt?
5 - What's the total mileage on the car?
Many thanks
Which diesel MPV would suit our family?
Could you recommend an economical diesel MPV or family car for a budget of around €10,000? Preferably to fit three car seats in the back, with a large boot space, low tax and suitable for country roads?
Thanks
Derek Mc (Newtownmountkennedy)Apr 2013 Filed under: family car
Expert answer
Hi Derek,
We're assuming you mean large boot space when the rear-most seats are folded down when it comes to the seven-seat models, but come back to us if not. Seven-seat cars are your best/easiest option for fitting three car seats in.
The first car we found in the classifieds that might suit you is Citroen's C4 Picasso. It's a brilliant MPV and with a little negotiation you should be able to afford a 2008 model with the economical 1.6-litre HDi diesel engine. We're not big fans of the 'EGS' automatic gearbox, but give it a go and make that decision for yourself. The five-seat version (not called 'Grand') is good too if you can live with that many seats.
Ford's C-Max and S-Max are worth a look too. The latter is a good deal bigger, but the former is economical and well priced.
Personally I'm not a huge fan of the Opel Zafira, though we have readers who swear by them. There are loads on the market too so shop around for one that suits.
Others to look into might be the Toyota Corolla Verso and Volkswagen Sharan and Touran.
Let us know if you need help narrowing down the search.
How much for a 2002 BMW 316?
What money should I get for a 2002 BMW 316 in a trade in for a 2008 Toyota Yaris 1.0-litre?
Noel Mc Donnell (Cork)Mar 2013 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi Noel,
Well, we can never predict what a specific dealer will offer you against a specific car, but it’ll probably be in the region of €1,000.
Audi Q7, BMW X5 or Toyota Land Cruiser?
Hi,
We are looking at buying a 2007 Audi Q7, BMW X5 or Toyota Land Cruiser with around 60,000/70,000 miles on the clock. We need four-wheel drive and seven seats. Are there any reliability issues with these SUVs? What would you recommend?
Any advice would be great.
Thanks
S Walsh (Waterford)Mar 2013 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Siobhan,
The Audi should be pretty solid, but make sure you buy with a full service history. Ditto the BMW, but they do occasionally have turbo issues, so watch for that. The Land Cruiser is basically indestructible, and if it’s reliability you’re looking for is definitely the best of the three.
What's a good medium, auto SUV?
What's a good small/medium size SUV that has reasonable tax and fuel consumption, but is also automatic? It's for my wife so not a Nissan Qashqai, too common; Kia Sportage, build quality not too hot; and VW Touran is just too boring.
Any suggestions welcome, but has to be auto.
Eoin Heaney (Ennis)Mar 2013 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Eoin,
Have you tried the new Peugeot 3008? Great-looking, good to drive and comes with an (optional) six-speed auto. The 1.2-litre 130hp petrol turbo engine is the one to go for. Alternatively, you could try and grab a run-out Skoda Yeti (always one of our favourites and built like a tank), or have a look at the Toyota C-HR Hybrid, which is striking to look at and really good to drive. Here are our relevant reviews:
How best to put my Avensis through NCT?
I had my car serviced in November with four new tyres and is now due for NCT in April, it is a 1999 Toyota Avensis. Should I just do the test and fix anything that fails if it fails? Car is serviced every year.
Ronan Ballantine (Sligo)Mar 2013 Filed under: NCT
Expert answer
Hi Ronan,
Generally speaking, it’s best to get the car serviced beforehand, and let the garage know that it’s going in for its NCT. That way you’re dealing with all issues that are there, not just what the NCT picks up on. That said, with it being a Toyota, and you having serviced it every year already, you shouldn’t have any major issues I suspect.
Read our Eight top tips on how to prepare your car for its NCT feature
Which seven-seater with boot space is best?
Guys - brother is looking for a seven-seater to accommodate a growing family. Needs to have room for buggy or two in the boot if possible. His budget is about €10k. Nothing too big engine wise to keep running costs down. Any advice appreciated - thanks.
Barry Delaney (Dublin)Mar 2013 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Barry,
The hard bit here is having buggy space in the boot in a seven-seater — seven-seaters keep their extra seats in the boot, so you can have extra seats, or luggage space, but normally not both. Our favourite ones are generally the VW Touran, the Ford S-Max, the Kia Carens, the SEAT Alhambra and the Toyota Verso, but all of those will have the seats/space issue. If they need something bigger, do let us know. In the meantime, our relevant reviews: