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Hi Joanne,

It will depend on the spec and what options the car has, but the ballpark figure will be around €7-8,000 of VRT.

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Hi Mark,

You’ll probably use a little less fuel, but overall you’re going to be spending more because of the cost of upgrading to what’s quite a pricey diesel version, especially with the automatic gearbox. Kia quotes official fuel economy for that model of 57mpg, but we’d expect to see more like 40-45mpg in real world conditions. That’s a little better than the Qashqai 1.2 petrol, but not very much better. If you want to do better on the economy front, consider dropping the automatic gearbox and getting a manual instead.

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Hi Oliver,

Car dealers generally work on a margin of between two to six per cent, depending on the brand, model and individual dealership. They’ll make a little more on accessories and some optional extras, but that’s about the normal margin across the board.

On the Dacia, yes, a value of €12,000 from an original purchase price of €20,000 would be about right, although it may dip a touch more than that. An automatic probably won’t make a huge difference either way — 50-60 per cent depreciation in the first three years is the norm for all cars.

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Hi John,

Well, there are lots of good options. If you still like MPVs and like Renaults then the new Scenic is a bit of a cracker. Very comfy, and you can get it with an impressive 115hp 1.2 petrol turbocharged engine that should be rather more economical than what you’ve been used to. And it comes with cruise control as standard now.

Other, similar models worth considering are the Citroen C4 Picasso/Grand Picasso, VW Touran, Kia Carens or the Toyota Verso. Here are our relevant reviews:

Renault Scenic review

Citroen C4 Picasso review

Citroen C4 Grand Picasso review

Volkswagen Touran review

Toyota Verso review

Kia Carens review

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Hi Catherine,

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Hi Bijo,

Yes, we’ve heard that the automatic gearbox on this generation of Colt can be troublesome, in some cases losing drive altogether. I’d be very wary of one and would suggest that, unless you really, really need the auto, you’d be better off going for the manual gearbox version, which should be solidly reliable.

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Hi Kate,

Well, the Fiesta has always been a good car, and 2014 models were post-facelift versions, so they look a little sharper on the outside and the interior got a boost in quality. Plus there was the option of the EcoBoost engine. Values run from around €8,000 to around €12,000,  but, just at the moment, we can’t find a single automatic version for sale…

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Hi Alan,

We checked with the good folk at MINI HQ about this, and the response is that “At the time, the automatic start-stop function was not available with the optional automatic six-speed gearbox.”

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Hi Kathleen,

I think your best bet would be a MINI Cooper. Have a shop around and you’ll definitely find one with the auto gearbox, the panoramic roof and the leather seats option and you can, of course, now buy a MINI with five doors if you fancy. Not cheap, but they’re well made, reliable and fun to drive too. Here's a relevant review:

MINI five-door review

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Hi Dwayne,

It will depend on the dealer and the small print in their 'scrappage' deal. The current deals actually aren't scrappage at all, as in the car being traded in isn't usually actually scrapped, so they tend to be a touch more fussy about condition. Usually, the car has to be taxed, insured and driven onto the forecourt under its own power, but have a chat with the dealer in question first and see what they can do for you.