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Hi Fiona,

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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). 

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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…

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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.

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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.

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Hi Moss,

We've scoured Carzone.ie with your budget and needs in mind. There are loads of diesel SUVs available at that price, though we've shortlisted the ones here we reckon would do the job for you:

- BMW X3 - economical, though you're looking at an older one at this price

- Honda CR-V - great option if you can find a good one

- Hyundai Tucson - plenty around, though not as 'nice' as premium models

- Mitsubishi Outlander - with Volkswagen's 2.0 TDI engine - good bet

- Nissan Qashqai - great all-rounder, though possibly not quite SUV-like for your tastes

- Peugeot 4008 - stylish, good diesel engine, should be able to afford post-2008 car

- Toyota RAV4 - safe bet, though will be pre-2008 on your budget

If you'd like us to help narrow down your search feel free to come back to us.

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Hi John,

Well, it depends — do you mean the Avensis Verso or the Corolla Verso? Both are very good from the point of view of reliability, although as we’re talking about a 12-year-old car, there are limits to that. You’ll need to check carefully to make sure everything’s working properly, and if there are gaps in the service history, walk away. The Corolla Verso was always a very decent car — compact, but very spacious inside, and not at all bad to drive. The Avensis Verso was much bigger, of course, but really felt it — they’re very roly-poly in the corners. Automatics are fine, but you’ll have to expect slightly higher fuel consumption than you would with a manual of that era.

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Hi Elaine,

It will depend hugely on the condition and service history, but the ballpark is between €1,200 and €1,600.

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Hi Emma,

I’d go for the Micra, as it’ll be the most reliable of the cars you’ve mentioned. A budget of €2,000 should get you a 2006-2007 model, and I wouldn’t be bothered about mileage — buy on service history and condition. Other good options are a Toyota Yaris, Honda Jazz or, if you fancy a bit of driving fun, a Suzuki Swift.