Expert answer

Hi Olive,

It's not easy to assess such issues from afar though it does sound as if the car is going into 'limp home' mode to protect the engine as the engine control unit (ECU) has sensed a problem. With such a new car it's most likely to be a wrong reading from a sensor rather than anything major.

As the car is new, bring it straight back to the dealer and we're sure it'll be sorted quickly.

Let us know how you get on and what the problem was.

Expert answer

Hi Cormac,

Go with the Octavia or the SEAT - both are comfy for long journeys, frugal on diesel as long as you go for the 1.6 TDI and both should work out a little bit cheaper to service and run than the Golf, if only fractionally. It's worth shopping around to see if anyone has any inclusive service or extended second hand warranty offers on the go - both can save you a fortune further down the line.

Expert answer

Hi Karen,

Yup, it’s a cracker - well made, nice to drive and that 1.2 TSI is super-econmical. Good alternatives would be the Skoda Octavia with the same engine, a Ford Focus 1.0-litre EcoBoost 125hp, or a Peugeot 308 with the new 1.2-litre PureTech petrol turbo engine.

Relevant reviews:

Volkswagen Golf review (2.0 TDI Highline)

Skoda Octavia review (1.2 TSI)

Peugeot 308 review (new 1.2 PureTech)

Expert answer

Hi Mai,

OK, lots to choose from here. Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus and Toyota Auris are all ever popular and all with very good reason. They're reliable (the Toyota scoring best here), beautifully made (the Golf come out top in this category) and nice to drive (the Focus wins here). Lots of all three about so you can afford to be picky. Fancy something a bit different? Try a Honda Civic, especially the 1.6 i-DTEC diesel version, which is possibly the best compact diesel engine around.

Also well worth a look are the Kia cee'd (especially the handsome and practical estate version) and the current model of the Peugeot 308 (ditto on the estate version there).

Relevant reviews:

Volkswagen Golf review

Ford Focus review

Toyota Auris review

Honda Civic review

Kia cee'd review

Peugeot 308 review

Expert answer

Hi Fiona,

The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) keeps an online archive of its recommend retail price lists dating back as far as 2004 and you can find them here:  http://www.simi.ie/Statistics/Recommended+Price+Guides.html

Your Golf cost €22,620 by the way. Mind you, that's without options, which would have an effect on the price. The only way to find the options inclusive price would be to go back to the dealer that originally sold the car and see if they have a copy of the original bill of sale.

Expert answer

Hi Michael,

It may well be that the housing of those gearboxes is the same, and that they appear interchangeable, but there could be important differences internally that would make the swap less than ideal. Most mechanics won't necessarily know the answer either. We reckon you should should check with a well-established car dismantler, as they come across that sort of thing all the time.

Best of luck

Expert answer

Hi Aisling,

You won't go far wrong with the Octavia. Get the 1.6 TDI and you've got a potential 55mpg car with lots of space and terrific build quality and reliability. If you're looking for alternatives, then there's always the Volkswagen Golf (mechanically the same as the Skoda but less spacious inside) or the Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi (terrific to drive and good value but poor standard equipment and they're tight in the back).

Expert answer

Hi Brian,

There's a serious, serious issue at the moment in the chasm between what the car makers claim you will get in economy terms from a car and what you actually get in real-world driving. There are changes to the official testing regime coming down the pipe, but the car makers are resisting that with all their lobbying might as it means that their CO₂ ratings will go up too.

In the meantime, and this is based purely on personal experience, a Golf BlueMotion should get close to 60mpg in daily driving, and you may even crack the 65mpg mark, though 70mpg is probably not going to happen, being realistic.

Further reading:

Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion review

Expert answer

Hi there,

Easy: Golf. Or Focus. They're both good. 

Need a little more? OK, the Golf (and I'm talking about the models currently on sale) is a touch more sophisticated and a little more spacious and if you're really nit picking then it has a better 1.6 diesel than the Focus.

It's also true to say that the Volkswagen 1.2 TSI petrol is a slightly better engine than Ford's 1.0-litre turbo EcoBoost, but here the gap is much narrower. 

The Focus has it won with dynamics though - even though the Golf is nice to drive there's just no beating the Focus' steering feel and response and its chassis balance. 

So, honest answer? Golf. Or Focus. They're both excellent.

Further reading:

First drive of the new Ford Focus

Irish road test of the current Volkswagen Golf

Expert answer

Hi Des,

It depends entirely on your priorities. If you favour style and badge appeal, go for the Golf. There are few better cars. If you're a practical type, get the Octavia as it has significantly more rear seat and boot space than the Golf and is more or less identical to drive.