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Hi John,

The Cayman and Boxster are both utterly, gloriously brilliant cars but if you can find a good, full history 911 in your budget, get that - it's the full Porsche experience whereas the Cayman and Boxster, for all their brilliance, are like Porsche tasting menus.

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Hi Simon,

OK, for that kind of budget you have a wealth of options, new and used. How about a new MINI Cooper S 2.0-litre? Massive fun to drive, affordable to run (it'll do 50mpg and costs just €290 a year to tax) and they're really well built. Better yet, a brand new one starts at €27k so you have plenty left over for insurance, extras and servicing.

Not practical enough? How about the best hot hatch around at the moment then? The Volkswagen Golf GTI? Your budget just about gets a new one, but it'll be pretty basic. Better to go for nearly-new; get one with a bit of spec and make sure it has the optional Performance Pack fitted - it turns a brilliant car into a gob-smacking one.

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Hi Tina,

Well, it all depends on what kind of car you want. Trading in your old Golf and adding €7,000 probably gives you a budget of between €8-9k and that, thankfully, means the world is your motorised oyster.

 If you want to be sensible, you could just stick with what you know - there are plenty of 2008 Golf 1.9 TDI models around in your price range and there are few cars that are better to be honest. Plenty of Focus, Astra, Auris and Kia cee'd options around too if you fancy a change. 

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Hi Ashline,

A tough call this one. Your annual mileage isn't really enough to tip you over into diesel territory, and the Corolla is likely to be the more reliable of the two cars. That said, the Passat would be much more comfy and cosseting on the journey and it costs €180 a year less to tax.

So I guess if comfort is your priority, get the Volkswagen. If it's reliability, go for the Corolla, which will probably also work out the cheaper of the two to run overall.

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Hi Kieran,

With that kind of mileage, you could probably look at saving yourself a bit of money by going for a petrol model - as long as the price gap between it and a diesel covers the fuel cost. Get your calculator out...

Of the cars you've mentioned, we'd go for a 3 Series. Few cars are as good to drive and it's the kind of thing you should own once at least. Check it carefully for wear and tear though and don't buy anything without a full service history. 

The only catch could be trying to find one that ISN'T a diesel...

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Hi Susan,

For your budget, you could consider an Audi A3 1.9 TDI five-door. Classy, good to drive and very economical. Perhaps not the most spacious car in the world in the back and boot, but it will take a buggy.

Or, how about a car based on the same mechanical package as the A3, but with the boot space to be able to handle a whole creche's worth of kiddy clobber? I speak of course of the Skoda Octavia. A brilliant car, with tonnes of space, and your budget would get you a 2008 model with the 1.9 TDI diesel engine in range-topping 'Elegance' trim. So, comfy then.

Skoda not your thing? Want something classier? I have just the thing... How about a 2008 Volvo V50 estate with the 1.6-litre diesel engine? An easy 50mpg, family practicality thanks to the estate body and your mind will be forever at ease on the safety front.

What do you think?

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Hi Marcus,

No, but we can work out a rough figure for you. The 2006 320d had a quoted combined figure of 5.7 litres per 100km (about 50mpg). Now, we know that official fuel consumption figures are basically rubbish so let’s be on the pessimistic side – the urban consumption figure was 7.8 litres/100km so let’s split the difference and say 6.8 litres/100km as the halfway point. On your 80km per day, therefore, you’re going to nominally get through about 5.4 litres of fuel per day. That works out at 37.8 litres per week, which at the current average price per litre of diesel comes to €42.90 per week.

Now, that’s an estimated figure, and everything from the traffic levels, to the type of road you use to your own driving style to how much weight you’re carrying in the car to the condition of your engine and your tyres to whether you use the air conditioning or not and so many more variables will have an effect on that figure, so consider it ballpark only.

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Hi William,

Both of those are really good options, but with that budget there are some others worth considering. Given your low mileage, you might want to take a look at (shock, horror) some petrol alternatives. Both the Honda CR-V and Kia Sportage are plentiful on the second-hand ground with petrol engines and they're well worth considering.

From personal family experience, I can tell you that a CR-V with the 2.0-litre VTEC petrol engine gets a sold 38mpg in daily use and has been close to faultlessly reliable. Or, if you need an occasional seven-seater, the second-generation Hyundai Santa Fe falls within your budget and is a cracking car, well worth a look.

What do you think?

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Hi Evelyn,

I'd suggest choosing between a Skoda Yeti or Nissan Qashqai if your budget allows - both have high h-points, or the point at which the base of the seat lies, without being so tall that you have to climb up into them. Test drive both to see which one you find the more comfortable, and it's also worth considering the Kia Sportage and Hyundai ix35 if you can find either within budget.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Dan,

Of all the ones you've mentioned there, I'd actually have a long, hard look at the Volkswagen Jetta. True, it's not the most exciting car of all, but with the 1.6 TDI diesel engine coupled to the DSG automatic gearbox, you should be able to squeeze terrific fuel economy out of it: 55mpg should be easily do-able, perhaps even the sunny side of 60mpg. It's sweeter to drive than you'd think too, really comfy and built like a tank.

What do you think?