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Hi Anthony,

The Pulsar or the cee'd would be the most sensible choices and both fall well within your budget. Both are reliable and decent to drive, and the Kia's not bad looking either. In fact, I reckon you should go for the estate version of the cee'd - it's one of the nicest, comfiest and most practical cars around.

Further reading to help you decide:

Kia cee'd review

Nissan Pulsar review

Kia Sportage review

Peugeot 3008 review

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Hi Stephen,

Unless your surname happens to be Axa or Aviva, you need to stick to a 1.0-litre engine. Now, depending on your budget, that might not be the motoring purgatory that you think it is. If you can stretch to it, a Volkswagen up!, Skoda Citigo or SEAT Mii are all terrific to drive and funky to look at and all come with a rev-happy little 1.0-litre lump. Ditto recent versions of the Ford Fiesta with the non-turbo version of the three-cylinder Ecoboost engine.

Need to buy something older and cheaper? Track down an Opel Corsa 1.0. Not the most exciting car, but safe, solid and decent to drive. Older again? Consider a Nissan Micra from the '90s. Yes, it's slow but it's more enjoyable in the corners than you might think and they go forever on minimal maintenance.

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Hi Michael,

Well, if you can't afford to insure anything bigger then a turbo's a no-go. Legally, you have to inform your insurer of any modifications made to your car, and if an increase in swept capacity is a no-go then no insurer is going to let you strap on a turbo.

A K&N filter or similar would be fine though and should readily be available for an Almera. While you're at it, why not put the turbo budget to a proper service, some high-quality oil and new tyres? All far better options for improving performance and nothing that will bother your insurance provider.

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Hi Aoife,

I think you might actually be better off going for the older Yaris, price advantage or otherwise. According to our research it seems to be more reliable than the model that came along in late 2005. The only problem area seems to be the gearbox, which can develop an annoying whine. The clutch can be a bit fragile too but if you buy one that's got a full service history you shouldn't go too far wrong. 

That generation Yaris used a timing chain, not a belt incidentally, so it should only need a regular check and possibly an adjustment at a scheduled service rather than a full change.

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Hi Mary,

We've seen them as cheap as €5,950 on a private sale but that's probably not the best way to go. Budget between €7,500 and €8,000 to get a good one, with history, from a dealer.

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Hi Alice,

First off, yes - the Superb really lives up to its name and it's a car we can recommend without reservation. As for buying privately, it's always a bit riskier than buying from a (good) dealer, but if you tread carefully, you should be OK. Don't accept anything without a full service history, get a history check from the likes of Cartell.ie and potentially get an AA check too.

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Hi Gavin,

I'd have to say nope. It's not very big inside and it has needlessly heavy steering that makes manoeuvring in town a chore. 

Do you really need an SUV? Why not consider a nice estate? BMW's own 3 Series Touring is a belter. Or, for your budget, you could probably stretch to an Audi A6 Avant. Track down one with quattro four-wheel drive and leave all the front-drive SUVs standing when it snows. 

Or, if you're determined on the SUV front, consider one of the following: Honda CR-V, Volvo XC60, Hyundai Santa Fe or Mazda CX-5.

What do you think?

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Hi Jonny,

The Astra is not a bad choice and the current Ford Focus Estate is simply massive inside too. But, to be honest, if it's a compact estate you're after then there are really only two serious games in town - the Kia  cee'd SW and the Skoda Octavia Combi. Both are terrifically well made, reliable and, if you get the 1.6 diesel engine in either, very frugal. And both have absolutely enormous boots - more than 500 litres each. Cracking cars both, so simply take your pick. The Kia has the better warranty, the Skoda is perhaps slightly nicer inside.

Let us know which way you go with it

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Hi Jay,

I'd say you should track down a nice, well-cared for BMW 520d Touring. Make sure the turbo is giving proper power and don't accept anything without a full and complete service history. Might be worth a trip to the UK to find one as Tourings are thin on the ground here.

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Hi Sinead,

To be honest, I'd avoid it. The 307 was never a great car to begin with and it was probably one of the lowest points for Peugeot build quality. They tend to suffer every electrical problem going, the cabins and interiors are very fragile and the suspension is prone to outright failure. 

If you still fancy a Peugeot, see if you can stretch your budget to a 308 - that was a much better built car, has decent reliability and if you get the 1.6 diesel then 65mpg in daily driving is a reality for you.