Expert answer

If it was my money I'd have the Passat, especially the CC if your budget allows it. The Passat feels like a much more upmarket car than the Ford Mondeo. The latest Mondeo is very good, but I'd be drawn to the look and feel of the Passat everytime.

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Hi Noel, 

You obviously spend a lot of time in your car on a very bad road so the Volvo would probably have been ideal for you. In that case I am recommending that you get something with super comfy suspension and super comfy seats. You have probably extracted all of the value from your Volvo, so you can't really expect to be offered much more than a token gesture of up to €1,000 for  that car, but I imagine that you know this. 

So, with your budget of €15,000 then what should you buy? I would imagine that you keep your cars for a long time so future depreciate probably isn't a major factor for you, but you say that running costs are. 

The first car I have picked is a Saab 9-5. Saab are in a little bit of trouble, but their cars are so comfortable, with great seats. This one has a diesel engine and will be cheap to run. It would be a great car to own long term and is well under your budget. 

We really like the Mazda6 here at CompleteCar.ie and here is a nice one with a diesel engine and low mileage. This is a great car for mega mileage and would be super for your needs.

Another brilliant choice would be the Skoda Superb which is massive, comfy and really well built. This one has low mileage, the right engine and is great value. It is amazing value at under €13,000. I think I would buy this to be honest. 

I hope this helps!

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Hi Brendan,

Having just come out of a Volkswagen Golf long-term test car I feel like I can speak with some authority on the car. For a start, it really depends on where you are driving and how far, when it comes to your engine choice.

The 1.6-litre TDi diesel is really good, but it probably isn't worth the extra cost unless you commute is quite long. Otherwise the 1.2 TSi is fine and while it isn't a rocket, it is perky enough. In terms of the the car being big enough, well yes it is. The Golf is fine for one baby and the boot is big enough to take the truly obnoxious buggy I put into it. 

With your budget of €20,000, you would really have your choice of petrol or diesel models so it is really down to what you prefer. I really like this one. And although it is over your budget you would probably come in under as a cash buyer. 

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Hi John,

If you don't have family or the need for extra seats then the obvious choice would be a Mazda MX-5. They are so much fun and since you only really need the car at weekends then it may as well be something fun. Here is one for a little over your budget that you coudl bargain down to €4,000 easily. 

If it has to be sensible, then I am going to stick with Mazda and choose a Mazda3 - here is one from a dealer we recommend and they might be able to do something for you on the price as a cash buyer. 

I hope this helps. 

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Hi Paul,

I really would find it hard to look past the new BMW 520d and you could perhaps get into one for your budget, but you might have to wait until January. A low mileage one is just outside your budget.

BMW 520d 

Now having said that, if you made a firm offer of €35,000 you might be successful, but the new car is so much better than the old one then you would need to get into it. The Audi A4 and Mazda6 are very different cars. The Mazda6 is very nice and you could get into a new one with your budget with a high spec. The Audi A4 is also good value now, but with a new model around the corner it might be best to hold off.

My advice Paul would be to hold on a few months if you can. I'd wait until January and see what happens to prices of 520d and if we have a new Audi A4 by then we will know whether that is worth looking at. For now anyway, hold on!

I hope this helps!

Expert answer

Hi Donal, 

That is a very good question, but one that you really might not have a choice on. The scrappage scheme ends in just six days, you would have to have scrapped the Micra and registered your new car by then to ensure that you get the scrappage allowance. Having said that, if you get a car that is already in stock then you would certainly probably be best getting the most amount of money possible for the lower value car and that will certainly be the Micra. 

As we have mentioned here before, Renault offer the most amount of money off a new car through the scrappage scheme so in effect if you bought something like a Megane or Fluence you could make your Micra very valuable. I am doubtful that you would want to go from a Passat to a Megane or Fluence however, despite the fact that you do mention you would get something smaller. 

The other side of this arguement is though, that you would have to put less money towards your new car if you traded in the Passat - so I guess that part really depends on your own circumstances. If you scrapped the Micra you would still be left with the Passat, which you will need to change again at some stage I am sure. Economically, it might make decent sense to hold on to the Micra. Just because it is old doesn't mean it has to go. It could last another few good years doing the job it has been doing well. If the Micra is costing you little or nothing now, it isn't likely to depreciate too hard, while you could maximise the value of your Passat by trading it in now rather than letting the mileage get too high. 

To be honest, the obvious choice for me, if you were intending getting something similar but not quite as big would be to go for the new Volkswagen Jetta. It isn't quite as big as the Passat but feels every bit as good. You didn't mention a budget to us, so if you need to be more specific then come back to us, but the new Jetta would be an ideal purchase. 

Expert answer

Hi Mark,

It is hard not to look past a BMW 520d Touring. There are a few nice ones around that fit your budget and to be honest this is where I would be looking. You might need one from a dealer if you intend to trade in. They are super cars and cheap to run too.

However, an outside choice as an estate is the Volvo V70. I personally love them as they are timeless and great for the dogs too. I have been drooling looking at this one in Cork all week and I reckon it would be a super buy - look at how low the mileage is!

Failing that, and if you aren't too worried about it being petrol, then a Subaru Outback is a marvellous car; this one has low mileage and is within your budget.

You might notice I didn't mention any Audis there. I figure you want a change, otherwise you wouldn't be asking us!

Best of luck with the change and make sure to tell us what you bought. You will find us on Twitter @completecar.

Expert answer

Hi Derek,

Glad you like the site. Let's hope we can live up to your expectations! We got a little bit of extra information from you and you told us that you are trading in a 2000 Mazda 323 five-door and that your budget is around €30,000-€32,000, which is plenty to work with.

Given your criteria, and the fact that you mention the Audi A5, then I've had a look at some of those. You mention petrol models and with your low mileage then you could quite easily run a petrol car, but given the fact that you are concerned about residuals then the diesels in the A5 would make a better choice. There is a lovely 2.7-litre TDI A5 in the classifieds and this is under €30,000. It would be a smashing buy and the fact that it has quite high mileage doesn't really mattter in your case. The 2.7 TDI version would hold its value better than a 2.0T petrol. 

At the other end of things you mention the Mazda6 - an odd contrast to the Audi but still a nice car nonetheless. You are unlikely to find a petrol-powered Mazda6 because Mazda really hasn't sold any in the last few years in Ireland. Plus, it wouldn't be a good use of money because it would be hard to sell on again a few years down the line. The diesel version is so much better anyway these days and you could have a demo 2011 model for well under €30,000. It is a nice car, but to be honest we can find you something a little more interesting. 

How about a Jaguar XF 2.7 D Luxury? What a super car, for €33,000. This is a marvellous example and fully loaded with kit. Another outside bet would be a 2008 Lexus GS 450h. We found a low mileage one that would be great around town and it is super fast. 

After all that, this is the car I think would suit you best. It is petrol, a 320i, but it is a hard-top convertible and it looks awesome. I don't know if you are a BMW fan but this could be a brilliant buy for you. 

Come back to us if we've not hit the nail on the head.

Expert answer

Hi Alfie,

I was looking through some potential vehicles for you and to be honest there is only really one vehicle that I feel would be perfect for you. That's the Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDI 4x4, which is both within your budget and is capable of doing what you need it to do. There are lots of SUVs within your price range, but they are mostly two-wheel drive and although this would probably suffice, the four-wheel drive would add more security and grip. You can have a Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDI Ambition for €29,995 and that is a super car.

Click here to see our test drive of the Skoda Yeti 4x4.

Expert answer

Hi Laura,

I reckon the Fiat Sedici would be perfect. It is a small car with good fuel economy (from a diesel) that also happenes to come with four-wheel drive, which would make towing really easy. We found one that is within your budget and I reckon it would be a super little car for you.

Hope that helps