Expert answer

Hi Elaine,

If you want to stay with a small car then can I suggest tracking down a nice Ford Fiesta? Your €8k budget won't quite stretch to a new EcoBoost model, but the older 1.25 petrol engine is still a sweet, economical and reliable unit.

If it's maximum economy you're after then you need to think of a small diesel. How about a Peugeot 207 1.4 HDi? Hard to track down but 65mpg is easy.

Better yet, you could trade up altogether. €8k should get you into a nice 2008 SEAT Leon 1.9 TDI - hugely reliable, spacious, economical and really good to drive.

Let us know what you think

Expert answer

Hi Gary,

Are you perhaps being a tad unfair to your wife here? If it were a teenager you were talking about I'd say yes, keep the old car but as it's your missus, and you've got a decent bit of budget, why not get something spanky new to give her the motivation to become a truly great driver?

For that cash, you could get a really nice year old Ford Fiesta or Peugeot 208, both of which are terrific to drive and very economical. Go for the 1.2 82hp 208 or the 1.0 EcoBoost Fiesta. Or you could save yourself a bundle and buy brand new by downsizing. A Volkswagen up! or the new Hyundai i10 would make a perfect learner car and still be stylish and practical family transport when she's got her pink licence.

Expert answer

Hi there,

No major problems to report. The only mechanical malady that's been reported on the original Santa Fe is a juddering clutch, which was fixed by Hyundai in a recall. Other than that, they have a clean bill of health bar the usual checks. Actually, make sure you check for damage to the underside of the car - despite having four-wheel drive, they're not really designed for off-roading and could easily have been abused by a former owner in that respect.

One other thing - the original Santa Fe is dreadfully crude and nasty to drive. It's well worth trying to stretch your budget to get the post-2006 model, which is a superb car and far superior to the old one in every area.

Expert answer

Hi Richard,

The Alhambra would be my choice here. A budget of €6,000 won't get you the current model, but it should find you an old one and they're still good. SEAT's reliability is pretty solid and you should be able to find one at a lower mileage than an equivalently priced (and mechanically identical) Ford Galaxy. 

It would be worth keeping an eye out for a Ford S-Max too, though €6,000 is the very, very bottom end for S-Max prices, but keep your eyes peeled and haggle hard and you might just land a nice one. 

And, as I always advise anyone looking for a seven-seater, there's always the option of a Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate with extra seats in the boot...

Expert answer

Hi there,

Both Corolla and Mazda3 would be good choices, but it's worth having a good look for a Honda Civic too. Best to max out the reliability factor when buying on a budget...

Expert answer

Hi Tony,

New or old? Frankly, they're all good. The current car is slick, massively spacious, lovely to drive and, aside from occasionally poor fuel economy, terrific ownership prospects. 

The previous generation is all of that with slightly less slick styling inside and out. Make sure you go for the later, post-facelift model that uses Mazda's own 129- or 180hp 2.2 diesel engine.

Finally the original - made from 2002 - it's a landmark car. Reliable, fabulous to drive and quietly handsome. They're super-cheap now and a perfect low-budget purchase.

Expert answer

Hi Michael,

If it's short trips and city driving then you're probably better off with the petrol model. It's significantly cheaper than the diesel version, which gives you plenty of budget to buy fuel and pay the slightly more expensive road tax. One word of warning though - from personal experience it can be almost impossible to move on a Mk1 petrol Qashqai when the market is so diesel-obsessed. Several people I know have had to take a bath on second hand value when it came to trading in a first gen 1.6 petrol Qashqai so you need to be aware of that. The new 1.2 petrol turbo version should by rights fare better because it's so efficient but with the market still being diesel mad, you need to be careful.

Expert answer

Hi Ciara,

At that budget, I'd suggest going for either a BMW 320d Touring (very sleek, decent boot space and terrific to drive) or a Volvo V70 (bigger, comfier, more space but not as swish to drive or look at). Both are solidly built and reliable and there are plenty of them out there, so be choosy about spec, colour and condition.

Expert answer

Hi Aidan,

To be honest, the hard part is going to be finding an automatic car that's within your budget. I'd say hold out for a Honda, purely on reliability, but any of the usual Focus-Golf-Astra-Corolla types should be fine as long as you get something with decent history.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi David,

OK, if you're determined to go diesel and you need a reliable 60mpg plus then the only safe option is to get yourself a Golf BlueMotion. Your Polo plus your budget should get you easily into one, but you have to remember that getting good fuel economy is actually all about your driving style. We recently managed to get better than 60mpg out of a 1.2 TSI petrol Skoda Rapid, and that was with four big blokes on board...