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Hi Rue,

No problem, have a look here: http://www.carzone.ie/search/result/cars/make/nissan/model/qashqai/transmission/automatic

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Hi Fergal,

Well, it depends on which model you're looking at. In general buying an automatic these days doesn't have the fuel consumption (and CO₂) penalties of old, although it's fair to say that not all automatics are equal. They can be very expensive up front though (BMW asks €2,500 for an auto) and, depending on the car, you won't always make that back at resale time. Certainly on a Ford you might struggle with automatic resale, but a BMW or Audi should do better as people expect the auto in those. 

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Hi Tom,

Assuming you mean the D5 diesel with the automatic transmission, then €1,200. 

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Hi Liz,

It will depend on your insurance company, but the sad fact is that insurers in Ireland are still wrong-headedly welded to the idea that a bigger engine automatically makes you a higher insurance risk. 

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Hi Donal,

The best compromise of value and oomph is probably to be found somewhere in the Volkswagen Group. I'd say if you want to mix a decent 2.0 diesel engine with low emissions and an auto box try out a SEAT Leon FR, preferably in very handsome ST estate form. It makes 150hp, but has Band A4 emissions. 

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Hi Mairead,

It depends which model you mean. An automatic 2.0-litre VVT-i petrol RAV4 from 2008 has CO₂ emissions of 212g/km, so will cost €1,200 a year. The manual version has CO₂ emissions of 202g/km so costs the same. It gets a bit better with the diesels. The 180hp 2.2 diesel has emissions of 185g/km so costs €750 a year while the 150hp version has emissions of 173g/km so costs the same €750.

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Hi Lurdes,

OK, lots to deal with here. Let’s go through it piece by piece. Theoretically, you will always get better value buying second hand than buying new. 'Buy at three, sell at five' (years old) is the rule of thumb to maximise your value and minimise your exposure to depreciation. But, you’ve been burned in the past by unreliable cars (been there, I feel your pain) so I would say that buying new is actually the best thing for you this time around, especially as you want to hold on to the car for an extended period.

Of the two cars you’ve mentioned, the Toyota Verso should be the most reliable. Nothing much wrong with the Ford, but if reliability is your priority then always buy Japanese. Happily, a manual 1.6 diesel Verso seven-seater is just inside your budget, at €29,100 and there is currently a €3,000 trade-in offer on that model, which means you’ll get a lot more for your old Scenic than you would if you traded it in normally.

There is only one hybrid people carrier so far, and that’s the Toyota Prius+, but to be honest, we couldn’t recommend it. For a start, a new one will bust through your €30k budget barrier, but beyond that it’s a disappointing car – far too thirsty unless all of your mileage is done in town at low speeds. The Verso is a far more versatile car.

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Hi Mark,

Mitsubishis tend to be hugely reliable, but you need to be cautious with a small diesel car like this as it’s possible that it will only have been used to do short hops around town, and not many long journeys. That can lead to premature engine wear and tear as it can’t heat up properly on short journeys, and you can expect to have problems with the exhaust's diesel particulate filter. Check the interior carefully too – they’re robust inside, but the door seals can let in water, which can lead to a damp, mouldy cabin.

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Hi Katalin,

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Hi Garry,

It’s a really good car – reliable, roomy and not at all bad to drive. You just need to watch a couple of things – the stereo system can go a bit haywire from time to time (not recognising radio stations, or spitting out CDs, that kind of thing), the third row seats are pretty tight and quite small and the automatic gearbox, although fine to drive, does significantly drive the CO₂ emissions rating up, so check and make sure you can afford the annual motor tax first.