What family car do you recommend?
Hi, what family car do you recommend for €6,000 budget and good resale value? I need this for only nine months.
Srinivas Rao (Dublin)Apr 2013 Filed under: family car
Expert answer
Hi Srinivas,
It's a terrible cliche but you can't do much better in this market than to pick yourself up a good second hand Volkswagen Golf. It's spacious, comfy and reliable, and so long as you go for diesel and a dark or metallic paint job you should have no trouble moving it on again.
Hope that helps
Should I go for a Skoda to replace my Golf?
I currently drive a 2009 Volkswagen Golf and am looking for something a bit bigger. I'm six-foot five and my problem is that, with the driver's seat in the correct position for me, you cannot fit our rear facing baby seat, or the first forward facing seat behind me. The only option is to place them on the passenger side, which leaves my older daughter sitting behind me, with her knees in my back, resulting in pins and needles for her and and an uncomfortable drive for me. The other issue is that the frame of the buggy takes up all the boot space, leaving no space for the weekly shop, or for luggage etc. I know the Skoda Superb has miles of leg room, and boot space but are there any other cars I should be looking at? I have always driven diesel and would prefer to stick with it, so I think 2009 would be best in terms of tax and getting two years before the next NCT. A lot of the Skodas on Carzone.ie seem to have huge mileage; what would you consider excessive for a 2009 car?
John Maher (Ennis)Mar 2013 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi John,
The Skoda Superb or Octavia would have been our first suggestions. The Octavia hasn't quite as much rear legroom as the Superb, but it's still better than the Golf's - and the boot is huge. High mileages on diesel Skodas are nothing to worry about so long as it has a proper service history and is in good order. Taxi drivers regularly do hundreds of thousands of kilometres. Avoid high mileage DSG automatic gearboxes, but otherwise they are really robust. So long as the history and price are good I'd not worry about buying one with over 150,000 kilometres on the clock.
One last thing to consider: if you do less than 20,000 kilometres a year a petrol car may suit you better. They're generally cheaper to buy and better suited to low mileage use. They're also quieter!
Hope that helps, but do come back to us if you need more assistance and have a budget in mind so we can narrow down the search for you.
Which premium compact used estate?
Which diesel estate from the mid-'00's - Volkswagen Golf (Comfortline), Volvo V50 SE, or Audi A4 - is the most reliable and easiest/cheapest to get parts for/maintain?
Thanks!
Peter Wilson (Meath)Feb 2013 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Peter,
If reliability and part prices are key, I’d go with the Golf. They’re pretty well built, solidly reliable and not too expensive to service. Nothing much wrong with either the Volvo or the Audi, but you will pay a servicing and parts premium for having the posher badges.
Would you buy the new Golf or a new Focus?
Which of these cars is best new: Volkswagen Golf 1.2 TSI or Ford Focus 1.0 EcoBoost?
Val O'Connor (Meath)Jan 2013 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Val,
The answer probably boils down to personal preference and the trim levels being compared. Also, Volkswagen offers the 1.2 TSI in both 85- and 105hp guises, while the Focus 1.0 EcoBoost comes in 100- and 125hp states of tune. Purely in terms of numbers, the 100hp Focus is the most economical, though not by very much, and all four sit in Band A4 for tax.
Personally speaking, the new Golf moves the game on in terms of fit and finish, plus refinement and it's quite well equipped. The Focus still has an edge in terms of driver appeal, but there's not such a wide gap between them to make that a deciding point for most.
Best bet is to go test drive examples of both cars for as long as you can - and in as close a specification to what your budget allows as possible. I'd put my own money into a Golf.
Power comparison for petrol/diesel Golfs?
Is a 2013 1.2-litre petrol Volkswagen Golf Highline with 105hp the same power as a 1.6 diesel with 105hp?
Claire Carroll (Dublin)Jan 2013 Filed under: petrol vs. diesel
Expert answer
Hi Claire,
Purely in terms of the technical definition of power, yes, the 1.2 TSI 105hp Golf has the same power as a 1.6-litre TDI diesel with 105hp. However, something called torque is more important to everyday driving, and the diesel has a good chunk more of that. That will mean the diesel will feel quicker without the need to put your foot down, i.e. how most people drive.
Looking for reasonably priced diesel car...
I'm looking for a reasonably priced diesel car Focus/Mondeo size from Opel, Ford or Volkswagen, 2008 on, low mileage car. I would average 20,000km a year.
Fintan O'Malley (Bailieboro)Jan 2013 Filed under: diesel
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).
Is the new Golf Plus available now in Ireland?
Is the new Volkswagen Golf Plus available now in Ireland?
GEORGE FORD (KINSALE. CO. CORK)Jan 2013 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi George,
We spoke to Volkswagen Ireland and it confirmed that yes, it is. Prices start at €23,175 for the Golf Plus Trendline 1.2 TSI 85 and rise to €29,355 for the Life 1.6 TDI 105 DSG version.
Engines are 1.2 TSI petrol in 85- and 105hp guises or 1.6 TDI diesel in 90- and 105hp outputs. DSG automatic available with both 105hp engines. Trim levels are Trendline or Life.
Hope that helps
What car will I replace my Volkswagen Scirocco with?
Having recently been a victim of a car theft (they took my Volkswagen Scirocco 2.0 TDI), I am in the market for a new car. I am completely confused as to what to buy though; fuel economy is a major factor in my decision - the Scirocco was quite economical when driven correctly. I have been looking at Honda, both Accord and Civic though I am worried about the 2.2-litre engine size. Style is also a major factor and I have also viewed a Volvo C30 R-Design and Ford Focus 'WRC'.
Have a love of stylish hatches but not opposed to a change! Please help.
The insurance company will only give me €15,000 so that's my budget for now. I do about 30,000 kilometres a year so need something pretty economical, though I am single so practicality is not really a consideration.
Daniel English (Navan)Jan 2013 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Daniel,
Sorry to hear about the Scirocco - that 2.0 TDI version is great.
A quick browse of Carzone.ie with your budget and needs in mind brought up a few interesting options:
- Audi A3 2.0 TDI 140 - in Sport or S Line guises for maximum style - loads around
- BMW 118d M Sport - quite rare, but great to drive
- BMW 320d Coupé - you'd have to go pre-2008 with your budget, but current style at least
- Honda Civic Type S - 2.2 diesel is great and post-2008 is taxed according to emissions
- MINI Cooper D - loads around in all different colours at your budget
I've picked out the cars I reckon you'll like and I've left out things like the Volkswagen Golf and regular Ford Focus (among others).
What do you think?
Come back to us and let us know if we're on the right track.
Is it possible to retro-fit a reversing camera to my Golf?
Can the rear view reversing camera be retrofitted to a MK6 Volkswagen Golf Edition-R? If so how much would it cost?
Eoin S (Dublin)Nov 2012 Filed under: aftermarket
Expert answer
Hi Eoin,
We spoke to Volkswagen Ireland and unfortunately the aftermarket brochure does not have have that option. It may be possible to find a second-hand item and have a mechanic fit it, but it'd have to be someone very good.
Sorry to not have better news for you.
Which diesel Golf to buy?
Hello. I want to buy a 2009 Volkswagen Golf 2.0-litre diesel, but my question please is how does it compare with the fuel efficency of a 1.6-litre diesel Golf? Which is more fuel efficent? I don't do huge driving, just 60-80 kilometres a trip. Please help!
Thank you.
Lorraine O Connor (Dublin)Expert answer
Hi Lorraine,
The 1.6-litre TDI engine is available in either 85- or 105hp outputs both of which have an official combined cycle consumption figure of 4.5 litres/100km (62.8mpg). The 105hp version is also available in BlueMotion trim with its longer gearing, unique bodystyling and other tweaks allowing for fuel consumption of 3.8 litres/100km (74. mpg). By way of comparision the 140hp 2.0-litre TDI Golf returns 4.8 litres/100km - or 58.9mpg in old money.
So while less powerful the 1.6 TDI is more efficient. All of the 1.6 variants also qualify for Band A tax of €160 whereas the 2.0 TDI is Band B, costing €225 annually.
Just to throw a spanner into the works; over shorter journeys like the ones you outline a petrol powered model may actually prove to be more economical due to the time it takes a diesel engine to heat up and reach ideal operating temperature. And of course it will be cheaper to buy in the first place.
If you would like to discuss this further let us know.