Expert answer

Hi Eoin,

I hate to say it but an SUV may not be what you need. To get three kids in comfortably, you really need a car with three individual seats across the back and only the likes of the Land Rover Discovery or Toyota Land Cruiser have those - and they're big, heavy and expensive to run. 

 So you may need to look down the MPV route. Don't panic - it's not as bad as it sounds. Have a look for a nice Ford S-Max. Tonnes of room, extra seats in the (massive) boot and affordable running costs. 

That said, it depends on the age of your kids. If they're big enough to not need booster seats (or if only a couple of them still need one) that opens up your options a little. If you still fancy an SUV, try a Nissan X-Trail; spacious, reliable, good to drive.

Let us know what you go for

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Hi Richard,

Just be careful when buying any premium badge car for a low price like that. The BMW 3 Series is a well made, reliable car but you need to buy one with a full service history, one that has been looked after. If you don't, you can be getting yourself into a world of expensive trouble. 

A 320i will be quite affordable to run in terms of fuel consumption, but it will be more expensive to service and buy any spare parts for than a mass-market brand. If, as you say, you've never had a car before, you may be better off starting with something cheaper and easier to run. Can I suggest a Golf? Just as classy as the Beemer, but more affordable by far.

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Hi Philip,

We put this to Kyle Fortune, one of our UK-based writers, as he's the only one of the team that has driven both cars:

"The Jaguar will undoubtedly feel like more of an event initially, the V6's engine and exhaust note are superb, though in some ways it's extrovert sound does promise more than the engine ultimately delivers. It's agile, fast and easy to drive, with an edge that makes it fun, too. The Cayman GTS is a different proposition; it's mid- rather than front-engined, which immediately makes it feel more exotic, even if familiarity - there are lots of Boxsters and Caymans out there, and less F-Types - does lessen its impact. Neither will disappoint, but the Porsche is the more engaging, more polished drive. It's arguably the best sports car you can buy, though the Jag runs it close. Clincher for me would be that the Cayman GTS is available as a manual, the Jag only an automatic."

Hope that's of interest!

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Hi Bryan,

I'd say about €15,000 on average, perhaps slightly below the €14,000 as a trade-in.

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Hi Darrell,

Generally speaking SsangYongs are very reliable (it's the upside of them being somewhat old-fashioned and mechanically simple), but the price you pay for that is them being really rather crude to drive and live with. Noise levels from the engine will be very high indeed, cabin quality will resemble that of a Toyota from the 1980s and the handling will be little short of terrible.

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Hi Graham,

It depends which model you are referring to. Our records show the following:

- RAV4 2.0 VVT-i (petrol) automatic: 212g/km - Band F, €1,200 per annum

- RAV4 2.0 VVT-i (petrol) manual: 202g/km - Band F, €1,200 per annum

- RAV4 2.2 D-4D (diesel) manual: 173g/km - Band E, €750 per annum

Come back to us if it's something else and we'll look into it.

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Hi Jim,

Because it has the slightly less desirable petrol engine, I'd say you're looking at a value of around €9,000. €8,000 on a trade-in.

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Hi Joy,

I'd go for the Yaris, if only because it's fractionally less likely to give any trouble than the Polo, but to be honest it's a close run thing in that regard. A nice 2005 model with an automatic gearbox (if she fancies) can be snapped up for between €5,000 and €6,000.

Expert answer

Hi Des,

If you mean the new model, which was introduced in the summer of 2013, then it's generally excellent. Gorgeous to look at (well, we think so anyway) with a fantastic interior, lots of space and excellent economy from the familiar 1.6-litre diesel engine. Citroen's build quality has greatly improved over the past few years, so you shouldn't have any major reliability worries and it's an immensely comfortable car in which to do long journeys. Here's our Irish road test of the five-seat model.

If you're talking about the previous generation then there are a couple of points to keep an eye on. The 1.6 diesel has a habit of developing problems, usually with the turbo's exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve. It's a relatively easy fix but it can be pricey so shop around for quotes. Buy as recent a car as you can, as Citroen was constantly improving the build quality as the car developed. Avoid the automatic EGS gearbox - it's awful to drive with and can develop problems with the clutch. Check the cabin very carefully for loose or rattling trim and inspect the bumpers, especially the enormous one-piece front bumper, for any damage - they can be hugely expensive to repair.

Expert answer

Hi Rory,

Both cars use dual clutch semi-automatic gearboxes, which are pretty slick-shifting, but Volkswagen's DSG transmission just edges it for smoothness and quickness. 

On the emissions front it's rather bad news I'm afraid. If you're buying 2008 model year cars then you're looking at emissions of 189g/km for the Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Powershift and 175g/km for the Passat 2.0 TDI DSG. That means tax of €750 a year.

It gets a bit better if you can spool forward to 2010 when the Passat's emissions drop to 158g/km so that means a tax bill of €570 a year. 

Just for reference, the Mondeo 2.0 diesel auto gets an official 39mpg while the 2010 Passat with DSG gets 47mpg.

To be honest, if you can live without an automatic gearbox you would be better to go for the 1.6-litre diesel versions of either car. Both have decent performance and much better economy and emissions. For instance, a 1.6 BlueMotion Technologies Passat gets 62mpg and has emissions of just 118g/km so tax of €200 a year.