Expert answer

Hi Biju,

Official fuel economy for a 2008 1.4 D-4D Toyota Corolla stood at 56mpg. If the car has been well cared for since, I’d say you could expect to get around 45mpg in daily motoring from one.

Expert answer

Hi Ciaran,

There are not many Toyota Levins about and without seeing the car it's a tough call to make, but you should certainly offer much lower. If you test drive the car and its history and condition check out then we'd suggest offer in the region of €1,400.

Let us know how you get on.

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Hi Helen,

An old RAV4 will be pretty thirsty, to be honest. Official fuel economy for the 1.8 petrol model, from 2004, was 38mpg, and around town I’d expect it to do not much better than 28mpg. The 2.0 diesel version is only 1mpg better off on the official figures, so don’t expect miracles from one of those either.

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Hi Olive,

Define good value. The problem with a car of that age is that it’s going to come down to how well it’s been looked after. A more expensive car that’s been cared for will, in the long run, cost you less than a bargain shed. I’d look out for a good Toyota Corolla Verso, or Opel Zafira, or (if you need something bigger) SEAT Alhambra. Shop around carefully though as anything of that age is going to be feeling its years by now.

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Hi Jon,

Well, it depends which model you mean, but I’m assuming it’s a 1.4 VVTi petrol with a manual gearbox. If so, the original official fuel economy was 42.2mpg, or 6.7 litres per 100km. Depending on how well the car has been looked after in the 14 years since then, it’ll probably do around 35mpg in daily driving.

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Hi Robert,

There’s lots of choice in that price bracket for an estate. You could go posh with an Audi A4 Avant TDI (you’ll get into a 2007 model for that budget), or big and practical with a Toyota Avensis (2011 or thereabouts), or sporty with a BMW 3 Series Touring. However, you’re probably best going for a Golf — that budget gets you a 2008 or 2009 Golf Estate, which is roomy, practical, reliable, and nice to drive.

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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.

Expert answer

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.

Expert answer

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?