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Hi Stephen,

It's always tricky to diagnose such things remotely, so we'd advise you to go to a good mechanic to be sure.

If the engine has always sounded different when cold then it's unlikely to be something to worry about. Many engines run a little differently when cold to speed up warming of the catalytic convertors and get everything up to temperature.

However, if it's a new noise then you really should get it checked out, as it could well be to do with inadequate lubrication of parts of the engine until the oil is warmed up. This could be caused by a blocked gauze in the oil sump or some other reason for lack of oil pressure. It's worth double checking your oil level before you do much else.

Let us know how you get on.

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Hi Michael,

Well, the simple secret is to buy very carefully and don’t touch anything that doesn’t come with a full and complete service history. Old Land Rovers and Range Rovers are always a bit troublesome (although much less so than they used to be), but a Touareg should be a solid choice. Of course, if you want ultimate reliability you should just buy a Toyota Land Cruiser...

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Hi Richard,

I'm afraid the general consensus is that Daewoo never made a decent car in its history as a manufacturer, and gluing a Chevrolet badge on the front didn't do anything to improve them. 

The Nubira would be relatively cheap and painless to own - they tend to be reliable - but even for very little money you can find a better nine-year old car than this.

If it's the automatic that you're particularly after, we've found a bevy of mid-size auto saloons for Nubira money that are vastly superior. A Nissan Primera perhaps? Or how about a Toyota Avensis? Or even a Volkswagen Bora? They're all out there for sale right now. 

Either way, life's just too short to lumber yourself with a Chevy Nubira. Aim higher.

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Hi Yi,

As ever, it depends on mileage, condition and history but the taxi thing does push values down a good bit, so I'd say you're looking at a value of between €3,500 and €4,500.

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Hi Michael,

This question arrives at a timely moment as I've just stepped out of a brand new Polo 1.4 TSI test car. I'd have to say that it's a long, long, loooooong way ahead of a 2000 model year Polo, fine car though that was at the time. I had always felt that the Polo was a little bit of the also-ran of the Volkswagen range, but I think that this latest round of updates, especially on the inside, finally make it feel like the mini-Golf it always should have been.

It's nice to drive, comfy and that 1.4 turbo petrol engine is a gem, giving almost-diesel-like economy but proving revvy and willing when you want to get going. A far cry from the too-sluggish 1.2 petrol Polos of old. So, yes, upgrade - my take is that it's well worth it.

Here's our first drive of the new Volkswagen Polo for reference

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Hi John,

Yes, by and large Golfs are well enough built to withstand years of abuse, but then this is an older car so there are some areas to check...

Make sure the cambelt has been changed, check that the water pump is working (quick warm up from cold, but no issues with holding the temperature at idle), listen for noises from both the front suspension and steering, check that the air conditioning (if fitted) is working OK and make sure that the gearbox (manual or auto) is shifting cleanly.

Oh and avoid the FSI petrol model - they don't like regular 95RON unleaded petrol.

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Hi Edel,

The Golf. Sounds predictable I know, and I can see the appeal of the Juke's more exciting styling and sportier demeanour, but the fact remains that the Golf is more spacious, more practical, better to drive and more economical. There's a good reason they're so popular...

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Hi Eddie,

The Insignia is a fine car but you'll find it's not as spacious as your old Passat. Still, it's arguably more handsome and sharper to drive, but you have to make sure all the electrical bits are working properly.

As for the value of your Passat, you haven't given me a specific year but I'm going to guess it's around 2006-2007 in which case you're looking at around €5,000 as a trade in, but don't be surprised if you get offered less - cars with big petrol engines (even efficient ones) are forecourt poison right now.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Claire,

The revised Polo is now in Ireland, so we assume you mean that one. The 1.2-litre TSI petrol model is in Band A3, costing €190 to tax. That's the case whether it's manual or DSG automatic and for both three- and five-door body styles.

The only 1.4-litre Polo on the Volkswagen Ireland price list is the TDI diesel. It's available in 75- and 90hp guises, in both three- and five-door bodies and with a DSG automatic for the higher power unit. It doesn't matter which of all those you buy, they're all in Band A2, costing just €180 per year to tax.

Hope that helps, but please do check out our first drive of the revised Polo here as well.

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Hi Padraig,

As trade-ins, the Ford will be worth between €1,500 and €2,000 depending on condition while the Polo would be right down to around €500 to €750 as a trade in.