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Hi David,

Sadly it was only quite recently that ISOFIX became a required fitting. According to the EU, "Under the current UN/ECE R14, all new vehicles produced since February 2013 are required to have ISOFIX lower anchorages and top tether attachments."  

Bonus trivia fact: ISOFIX was originally jointly developed by child seat maker Britax and Volkswagen. That probably doesn't help your search for a car that has it though. What I would suggest is to look up the website of the maker of the seat. Many seat makers (such as Maxi-Cosi, here: http://www.maxi-cosi.com/ie-en/service/car-fitting.aspx) provide a matching service to help you determine which cars your seat will fit in. 

Otherwise, get in touch with a seat expert such as Mothercare or Tony Kelly's who will be able to help you out.

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Hi John,

I reckon you should get between €13-14k for your Golf as a trade-in (depending on whether it's petrol or diesel). Hyundai ix35s do indeed hold their value, not least because they're a very in-demand car. Obviously, a 2011 or 2012 model will still be under its original five-year unlimited mileage warranty, which should give you some peace of mind. Better yet, we've been unable to unearth any horror stories on the ix35 - aside from some recurrent problems with the built-in media system (stereo, reversing camera etc) they're exceptionally solid.

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Hi Brian,

Yeah, I think you're probably right to stick with diesel with those sorts of mileages. Mind you, it's worth pointing out that those two Volkswagens you have aren't on mega-miles yet and it could be more cost-effective to spend a little on getting them spruced up and fit for thousands more miles than chopping and changing.

That said, if you're in need of a good, reliable family car then I'd have a long look at a Toyota Avensis estate. The 2.0-litre D-4D diesel engine is a good 'un and cheap to tax, it's comfy, ideal for long motorway runs and if it's not the most exciting car in the world, then at least it's solidly reliable. Spacious too.

Probably the most cost-effective option is to replace the high-miler with something younger and fitter and then spend a little extra to keep the runaround Golf fresh.

 Let us know what you decide on.

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Hi Gordon,

Well, as with any high performance model, check first for signs of abuse. Are the wheels in good order? Do the tyres look knackered? Does the engine smoke or the clutch smell? If it seems that it has been wrecked and ruined by a former hot-shoe owner, then walk away. Aside from that, check that the gearbox (manual or auto) picks up gears crisply and cleanly, listen for grinding our graunching noises from the suspension and check the paint carefully for excessive stone chipping or damage. It's also worth winding up some speed and then heaving on the brakes to check that the anti-lock brake system is working OK - some ABS control units were reported to have failed.

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Hi Marie,

Funnily enough this is similar to a series of incidents I went through with my father-in-law a few years back. He also had a BMW (a 5 Series) that was giving him no end of trouble and after, I think, the fourth time it left him stranded at the side of the road, he finally got sick of it and started shopping for a new car. I pointed him towards what I thought was a safe bet and, seven years on, he's had three quarters of a decade of near-faultless motoring in his Honda CR-V. Moral of the story? If you want a reliable car, go for a Honda. Take the Civic - it should be able to take a couple of bikes if you fold those clever rear seats flat too.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Colin,

There's not much to choose between the two in terms of overall talent, practicality or reliability, but my instinct would be to go for the Golf - that second generation Focus had a rather plain, unlovely cabin whereas the Golf's is much comfier and more welcoming - important stuff with a long regular journey like yours. The only other thing to consider would be the cabin space - if you often carry tall passengers in the back seats, then go for the Ford, it's much more spacious.

Let us know which you go for

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Hi Dan,

Of all the ones you've mentioned there, I'd actually have a long, hard look at the Volkswagen Jetta. True, it's not the most exciting car of all, but with the 1.6 TDI diesel engine coupled to the DSG automatic gearbox, you should be able to squeeze terrific fuel economy out of it: 55mpg should be easily do-able, perhaps even the sunny side of 60mpg. It's sweeter to drive than you'd think too, really comfy and built like a tank.

What do you think?

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Hi Simon,

That’s absolutely top-value for a 2005 Focus, so the car would want to be in exceptionally good condition and come with a full and complete service history and a decent warranty to command that kind of price. You haven’t given us a year for your Polo so it’s rather difficult to value but we think you could potentially find better value on the Focus out there.

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Hi Emmet,

Yes and no. Yes, they're as reliable as any other Volkswagen Group product (which is to say, very), but no, not very economical - the weight and bulk of the roof mechanism banjaxes any chance you have of scoring decent fuel economy.

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Hi Richard,

There is lots of good choice out there in the compact saloon world, whether you're buying new or used. The Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Jetta, Skoda Octavia, Ford Focus Saloon or Mazda3 Saloon all spring to mind and all make solid purchases. Just one thing - for pity's sake, don't buy another Aveo - not only is it cheap, nasty and bad to drive, but it was one of the worst-scoring cars ever on the EuroNCAP crash test.