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Hi Ano,

It depends on your priorities. The Almera isn't very interesting, but it is hugely reliable and roomy, so it’s a sensible choice. The Golf is more stylish, better to drive and has a classier cabin, but is perhaps around 90 per cent as reliable, overall, as the Nissan.

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Hi Keith,

No, it's not a waste of time at all. It's almost always better value to keep and fix an existing car rather than pay the cost-of-change to upgrade to something newer. That said, if you're convinced you need a better solution, then you won't do better than to go for one of the many car-vans on offer now. The Renault Kangoo and Citroen Berlingo are the best known versions, but there are also similar models available from Fiat, Volkswagen and Peugeot.  My personal pick would be the Fiat Doblo, fitted with the 1.6- or 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel engines. You'll find the cabin surprisingly comfy, it's quite pleasant to drive, very economical and good on tax and massively spacious in the back. There's even a seven-seat version available if you want to be really popular at the school gate.

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Hi Stephen,

 

At the time, they were very reliable and solidly built, but I’d be slightly wary now, especially if it’s a car with patchy service history. The diesel models develop problems with both the injection system and the air mass sensor, while the 1.6 petrol was underpowered and consequently has to strain to push the car around, leading to excessive wear and tear (especially to the front driveshafts).

The good news is that there aren’t too many fiddly electronic system to go wrong, but check the car over very carefully and if there are too many holes in the service record, walk away.

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Hi Kevin,

As discussed via email, as you knew from the outset that a six-month warranty was included and you never queried it then there doesn't appear to be be anything you can do after the matter. It's up to the individual seller/dealer/garage how much of a warranty to offer I'm afraid.

Hopefully your car will prove reliable in any case.

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Hi Eoin,

OK, first off you're not mad and an M Sport spec BMW 318d or 320d is just about as perfect a car as you'll find. Mind you, test drive carefully before you buy as the M Sport suspension can be pretty stiff and unforgiving on certain roads, and the steering, while more incisive than what you'd get in the Golf, can also be a bit heavy and fake-feeling.

That said, there are things you can do to make your Golf drive with a little more sharpness and the first place I'd start is with the tyres. Most, if not all, cars these days come with high-efficiency low rolling resistance tyres that are there to maximise fuel economy, but don't do much for steering feel or handling prowess. So why not swap the boots for something a little more aggressive? A set of Pirelli P-Zeros or Michelin Pilot tyres might just make all the difference, so it's worth a try if nothing else.

You could also look at modifying the suspension to dial out that understeer, but we'd recommend you seek professional mechanical advice before going down that road.

Let us know what you do in any case.

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Hi there,

We're surprised to hear you say this, as we've driven several versions of the new Golf on different wheels etc. without an issue. Even the sportier GTI model rides well.

Please come back to us with a few more details, such as the size of wheel, the tyres fitted and a description as best you can on where the rattle is coming from.

Of course, if it's a fault you should be talking directly to your dealer.

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Hi Pippa,

The short, glib answer is 'not much'. The trickier answer requires a bit of effort on your part, but mostly over the phone. Get on the blower with any car dismantlers in your area and see what they bid you. It might not be much, but it might be enough to kick start your next purchase. Equally, you might be surprised what a dealer would bid you on a trade in. I personally traded in an utter junker of an old Renault late last year and got more that I thought I would, and that was with a franchised dealer.

Let us know how you get on.

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Hi Philip,

 

Mileage does matter, of course, but not half as much as service history. If it’s been properly looked after, then the Touareg is well-made and reliable, but the 2.5 TDI engine is prone to blowing turbos, and breaking its water pumps, and they’re very hard on tyres. Also, check carefully underneath for any signs of damage from over-enthusiastic off-roading.

 

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Hi there,

There is no one-source fixed list, so it depends on whether you mean proper two-seat commercial versions or the ‘tax-dodge’ five-seaters with commercial status. Of those second category, they’re becoming thinner on  the ground as  the tax loophole closes, but Mitsubishi still offers an ‘Executive’ version of the Pajero, Volkswagen offers a version of the Touareg and you can get a dealer-converted version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. There are also independent convertors who can alter a great many larger SUVs to ‘business’ status with five seats intact, but obviously you’ll want to shop around and find the best and most reputable.

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Hi Yvonne,

The Qashqai+2 is actually a very nice car, but a proper seven-seater it's not. Those two seats in the boot are really for occasional use only and frankly I think you're going to have trouble wrestling a bulky, heavy infant car seat back there.

Of the other two, there are lots of Zafiras around to choose from so I'd be very, very fussy in choosing one with the colour and spec you like as well as a full service history. You can always walk away and find another one if you need to. But actually, of the three, we'd go for the Corolla Verso. It's not exciting to drive or look at but Toyotas tend to be indestructible and the space inside is simply cavernous.

Hope that helps