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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.

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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. 

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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.