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.

Expert answer

Hi Tommy,

First of all a quick list of possibilities we found on Carzone.ie that we would consider wise buys:

- Audi A4 - Good to drive and plenty about, though you'd have to look at 2005 - 2007 within your budget. Not all that spacious either.

- Audi A6 - Hugely spacious and comfortable, but again you'd have to settle for an older car with higher mileage, which could bring unexpected costs.

- BMW 3 Series - Most examples at this price are 2005-2007. Economical diesels and great to drive, but we'd worry about potential bills - and not as spacious as non-premium brands.

- BMW 5 Series - We'd be sorely tempted by this 2005-2007 model as it's such a great car. Seek out a low mileage example with a full service history and a warranty though.

- Citroen C5 - Comfy big car with decent specification and well-proven diesel engines. Not a huge number on the market, though at least you could afford a 2008 car.

- Ford Mondeo - One of the default options here. It's big, comfortable, good to drive and there are loads and loads about. Relatively cheap and easy to maintain too.

- Honda Accord - Relatively unknown here, but the 2.2-litre diesel engine is a gem and the car is very reliable and comfortable. Look for a post-2008 one to keep your tax bill down.

- Mazda6 - This is probably the car we'd put our own money on. Go for a post-2008 diesel example in a decent specification. It's spacious, well-equipped and great to drive. Reliable too.

- Toyota Avensis - Your budget might get you one of the last of the old models from 2009, though taxi drivers tend to snap these up as well. Make sure you check the history and mileage with Cartell.ie.

- Volkswagen Passat - Plenty about and it's a spacious and comfortable car, but there have been a few niggles with the electrics that'd steer us elsewhere.

There you have it. Come back to us if you'd like more help narrowing down your search.

Expert answer

Hi Fady,

Toyota Ireland has confirmed that the new RAV4 arrives in March. We'll be driving it then.

Expert answer

Hi Brian,

It depends where you’re doing most of your driving. The Toyota Prius+ has CO₂ emissions of just 106g/km, and can get 60mpg if driven very, very gently, but it’ll be way too thirsty if you’re doing lots of motorway miles. The best diesel-engined MPVs are probably the 1.6 TDI VW Touran, the 1.6 HDi Citroen C3 Picasso, or the 1.5 dCi Renault Scenic.

Expert answer

Hi Fiona,

Expert answer

Hi Fintan,

OK, well you’re kind of cutting across class boundaries there — a Focus and a Mondeo are really quite different cars, with the Focus being smaller, cheaper and arguably more fun to drive, and the Mondeo being more expensive, but bigger, comfier and more refined. That goes pretty much the same for the Opel Astra and Insignia, or the Volkswagen Golf or Passat. So the first thing you need to work out is what you want, and what you need, and whether or not you need the bigger car, or if something more compact will do.

Of the brands you’ve mentioned, the VWs will probably do the best in reliability terms, with Ford being the most enjoyable to drive, and Opel falling somewhere in the middle, but you should also be considering the likes of the Toyota Auris and Avensis (best for reliability), the Peugeot 308 and 508 (stylish, good to drive) and the Mazda3 and Mazda6 (reliable and both very good to drive). 

Expert answer

Hi Ken,

Selling a car for export involves a bundle of paperwork and, realistically, an 18-year old Avensis with a dodgy head gasket isn’t going to make enough money for it to be worth your while. I think the best thing to do with it would be to track down your local breakers’ yard and spare parts supplier and see what they’d give you for it. If you get €330-€500 out of it, you’ll be doing well.

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Hi Ian,

Simply because it’s much faster and more powerful than the Elise. The Elise, for all its amazing handling and the heritage that goes with the Lotus badge, still uses either a Rover K-series 1.8 or, latterly, a Toyota 1.8-litre engine, usually with a maximum if 190hp (unless we’re talking the more rarefied supercharged versions). By contrast, the S2000 had 240hp and, worse yet, has become a firm favourite of the tuning and modifying brigade, so doubtless as soon as you say the words ‘Honda S2000’ to any insurer, a little flashing red light and a sign saying ‘boy racer’ goes off in their office. Fair? Nope, but welcome to the Irish insurance industry…

Expert answer

Hi Caroline,

As discussed via email, the new Auris is more refined and a little more economical than the Mazda, as it has a 1.4-litre diesel engine to the Mazda's 1.6-litre unit.

However, as you've discovered, you're likely to get a better deal on trade-in with a Mazda dealer and that is likely to decide things.

By all means test drive both and shop around with different Toyota and Mazda dealers. By any normal measure both cars are incredibly fuel efficient.

Let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Alan,

There are widespread problems with the MMT semi-automatic gearbox and it's sometimes expensive to fix so we'd advise buyers to stay away from cars with that transmission. Somewhat surprisingly we've heard of isolated problems with the manual gearbox too, though they're few and far between.

Hope that's of help.