Expert answer

Hi Rafal,

There are no problems that suggest themselves as a likely culprit. The Bora is more or less mechanically identical to the Golf, so has the same solidity and suffers the same basic niggles - if there were a problem causing Bora NCT failures, it would be happening to Golfs too. Certainly, Volkswagen Ireland is unaware of any particular Bora issue when we asked for a comment. 

The only thing we can think of is that the Bora has slightly stiffer, sportier suspension than the Golf and that could potentially lead to wear and tear on things like bushings and track rod ends. Given the age of the cars you're looking at, that could be the problem, although in fairness, any 10 to 14-year old car could be suffering from that kind of problem, especially if it's an original Irish car.

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Hi Ruadhan,

That, I'm afraid, is a question with too many variable answers. Second-hand vehicle values are like stock market values - they go up and down and often rather unpredictably. There are a few rules of thumb, though...

1. It's got to be diesel. Yes, we (and others) have tried to educate the motoring populace that diesel power doesn't automatically mean better economy or lower running costs, but right now the market is diesel-crazy and if it doesn't sip from the black pump, it's not going to hold on to its value.

2. The lowest depreciating cars are, obviously, the most popular models. So the likes of the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf, Nissan Qashqai, Hyundai Santa Fe, BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and so on will always hold on to their value the best. Check the list of the top-ten best-selling cars on the market - these are your depreciation heroes.

3. What about depreciation villains? Anything that the market doesn't trust, really. Estates tend to fare especially poorly, anything with a French badge is suspect and if it's Italian, forget it. You'll lose your shirt on any of these.

4. Spec is king. You can have the most in-demand car going but if it's painted bright yellow and has green seats, you're never going to shift it. So, to keep depreciation at bay, stick with dark metallics and subtle interior tones. Pale cabin colours tend to fare less well when it comes to wear and tear, so the market prefers blacks and greys on the inside too. If it's an executive car, it has to have an automatic gearbox. Anything with factory-fit air conditioning and Bluetooth telephony is looking good, leather is always helpful but other expensive toys don't always help a car hang on to its value.

Hope that's all of interest

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Hi David,

Depends on your driving style, but 55mpg should be a gimme, 60mpg if you're a bit careful and 70mpg if you're driving with baby kittens under the accelerator pedal.

You're quite right about 1.2 engines, at least for now. They usually have to be worked too hard to drive at normal speeds to get the best economy and, for now, 1.6 seems to be a displacement sweet spot. That will change though - just check out the economy you can get (with some effort) from Volkswagen's 1.2 TSI petrol unit.

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Hi David,

Volkswagens tend to be very good for refinement, especially the new Golf, but if it's serious cabin silence you're looking for, check out a Lexus. True, they're pricey new but a secondhand IS or GS would be a bargain piece of interior cosiness.

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Hi Andy,

I take it you mean from an insurance point of view? No, late thirties shouldn't be a major issue as long as you have a decent no claims bonus. As far as the car is concerned, I think you need to box a bit clever here. The kids are only going to get bigger (trust me, I know...) and you'll need something with a decent boot and big back seats for increasingly long legs. So, get yourself a Skoda Octavia RS. They've been around since 1999 in original form, but you need to be looking at the second-gen model, from 2006 onwards. Go for that and you get a car with excellent handling, a terrific engine (the diesel one is more economical, obviously, but the petrol 2.0 turbo is still reasonable in terms of running costs) and the boot is as big and practical as you could possibly need. They're also solidly reliable. It's the thinking man's hot hatch.

What do you think?

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Hi Blaithin,

In my personal experience the most efficient car I've ever driven was the Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion - it easily averages better than 60mpg in everyday driving and I'm not the most economical of drivers. €20k should get you a nicely specced 2010 or 2011 model.

How does that sound?

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Hi Bernard,

Oddly, they're identical. According to the official figures both the 2001 1.8 turbo 150hp Golf GTI and the 2006 Octavia RS 1.8 turbo 180hp return 35.3mpg on the combined cycle.

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Hi Brendan,

Good choices, all of those, if you're looking for a more affordable 3 Series alternative. The new-shape Mazda3 (the one that's only just been launched) seem to be especially excellent, and with Mazda's reliability you won't be spending too much on repairs or maintenance down the line. The Golf is always a safe bet too, although if you're used to the saloon shape it may be worth having a look at the little-seen Jetta - an underrated gem, that car. Or, alternatively, you could try the Audi A3 Saloon, which I reckon is the best compact sports saloon around at the moment.

See how you get on and let us know which one you go for.

Expert answer

Hi Simon,

We asked Volkswagen Ireland directly. No Golf Rs sold in 2012 or 2013. Interesting change of fortunes for the GTI vs. the GTD though. In 2012, 51 GTDs and 13 GTIs, but in 2013 there were only 15 GTDs and a considerable 38 GTIs.

Hope that's of interest

Expert answer

Hi John,

Yup, a small diesel sounds like it should be ideal for you. Depending on what kind or size of car you need I'd recommend either a MINI Cooper D 1.6 (small and sporty), Opel Astra 1.3 CDTi (slower, but more spacious), Toyota Auris 1.4 D-4D (similar to Opel but probably more reliable) or that old favourite the Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI BlueMotion (ultra economical). Or, if you need more space how about a Skoda Octavia Combi estate 1.6 TDI or a Citroen C4 Picasso 1.6 HDi?

Help us with your needs and we'll narrow that down a little!