Expert answer

Hi Liz,

A few key choices here - compact: Skoda Yeti or Mazda CX-5; medium: Honda CR-V or Kia Sorento; and large: Land Rover Discovery or Jeep Grand Cherokee. 

Of the lot, I think overall our pick would be the new Kia Sorento. It's big, comfy, spacious, has seven seats and is really well made.

Relevant reviews:

Skoda Yeti review

Mazda CX-5 review

Honda CR-V review

Kia Sorento review

Jeep Grand Cherokee review

Expert answer

Hi Pat,

As luck would have it I have the latest version of the Subaru Forester on test this very week. It's powered by the 148hp 'boxer' diesel engine, which also has 350Nm of torque. Paired with the 'Lineartronic' automatic transmission it's surprisingly responsive. That's a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and it seems to do a great job of keeping the engine at its optimum operating speeds for a variety of situations. We've not fans of these gearboxes when fitted to petrol engines, but they work well allied to diesel and in the Forester it's a good match.

Officially this Forester 2.0D XC Lineartronic does 0-100km/h in 9.6 seconds, but even at motorway speeds it has plenty of go and it happily cruises above 120km/h.

In terms of comfort, the Forester scores well too. The suspension is quite soft and absorbent so bumps are dispatched with ease and it's relatively quiet on the motorway. The upright seating position is comfortable too.

Shame you don't need the back seats, as they're massively spacious.

Further reading:

Subaru Forester review (2013 manual model)

Expert answer

Hi Sean,

We are driving the new European-spec Ford Mustang next month so keep an eye on our reviews page for the full lowdown. 

Expert answer

Hi Cathal,

The Q3 is nice and all but the Q5 is definitely superior so perhaps think of going for a nearly-new Q5 instead of a brand new Q3? There is no official scrappage programme at the moment, but some car makers are offering self-funded scrappage deals - Opel, Nissan, Toyota and Ford among them. Audi isn’t though, so you may need to re-think your brand if you fancy a trade-in leg-up. That said, even with the tax, a Lexus is still a Lexus so you should get a decent trade-in offer.

Read our Audi Q3 review here

Expert answer

Hi Paul,

If you mean the current model X-Trail, then you're looking at Band B1 (€270 per annum) or Band B2 (€280 per annum) depending on the spec of the car.

Have you read our review of the Nissan X-Trail?

Expert answer

Hi Declan,

Even though your Polo has such low mileage, rubber timing belts perish over time so it's recommended that they are changed regardless of mileage. Volkswagen recommends that the 1998 Polo 1.4's belt is changed at least every four years.

Better safe than sorry

Expert answer

Hi Thomas,

I've just emailed you the full PDF brochure from Audi, but the spec highlights are:

Priced from: €63,350 on-the-road (€2,600 extra for S Tronic automatic)

Standard:

- 19-inch five-arm alloy wheels

- Metallic Paint as standard

- Fine Nappa Leather upholstery with S embossing

- Extended Leather Package

- Super Sports Seats

-LED Headlights

- Anti-Theft Alarm

- Virtual Cockpit (S Model Specific with rev clock front and centre)

- Audi Drive Select

Hope that's of help

Expert answer

Hi Shayne,

Electrics, electrics, electrics. The W211 was full of electrical and electronic toys and all of them are suspect. Mercedes was going through an especially poor stage in its history at this point and the W211 suffered more than most models. Anything with a wire poking out of the back is a potential worry and the battery can run it self flat if the car is left standing even for just a few days.

The electronic brain that controls the brakes is also deeply troublesome often leaving the car in limp home mode. Check that the automatic gearbox picks up gears smoothly and that there are no flat spots in the engine's power delivery. Paint can often be an issue too - check for damage or flakes coming off.

Expert answer

Hi Mary,

You can get a full run down on what we thought of the Pajero here. But the short version is: it's a bit old fashioned but we really rather like it. It's big, comfy and should be endlessly reliable. The Pajero's reputation is that you can't kill it with a stick...

On the tax side, things are a little more complex. The good news is that because the Pajero Executive's boot space qualifies it for commercial rate Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) you can get it, fully loaded with leather, automatic and a kick-ass sound system, for a lot less than many more prestigious rivals. 

You can also claim back the VAT if you're buying it for business purposes, although your accountant is the person you should be asking about that, not me. 

The trickier thing is road tax. Theoretically you can just pay the commercial vehicle road tax on one of these but it's complicated. You have to be able to prove, if challenged, that you bought the car for strictly business purposes. That's fine if you're, say, a developer or an architect or a builder or a farmer - someone who needs to carry big loads and visit muddy construction sites a lot. But if you're, say, a software engineer then that's just not going to fly and you're going to get a massive fine for your troubles. Better to pay the full passenger car rate (€1,200 in this case) and be on the safe side.

Expert answer

Hi Liam,

The official figures for that model were 34mpg or 8.2 litres per 100km on the combined cycle.