Expert answer

Hi Ally,

That really isn't an easy choice, but what we would say from the start is that you have chosen well. These are three fantastic cars and to be honest, any of them will tick the most basic of boxes for you in that they will be reliable, will be comfortable and look good and offer decent value for money. Mazda offer by far the best value when it comes to the scrappage scheme, so if you are watching your budget then this might be the way to go. You can check out the full details of the Mazda3 scrappage offers here. But the most you will pay is €19,495 for a fully specced Mazda3 under scrappage and that is superb value. 

Mazda3

Ford Focus (left) & Volkswagen Golf (right)

The two cars you see above are the new Ford Focus (left) and the Volkswagen Golf (right) and choosing between these two would be a bit like asking a parent to choose one of their kids. They both have their individual traits and as such it is hard to pick between them. The new Focus is very good, but I have the hatchback this week and had the saloon last week and actually preferred the saloon. The hatchback has poor visibility out the rear and you do have to pay a lot to get some of the fancy extras that are advertised. Having said that, you will get things like alloy wheels and air conditioning in the models you have chosen. The Golf is superb. We are running a long-term Volkswagen Golf Bluemotion and the fuel economy is great. I prefer the seating position in the Golf. I find that I can get more comfortable in the Golf and the fuel economy is outstanding. It isn't as exciting as the Ford inside, but you know that it will hold its value really well.

Really Ally, all of these cars will suit your needs perfectly. If I was tight on bugdet I would probably buy the Mazda3. If you are very concerned about residual value you have to buy the Golf, while the Focus is the newest car and probably feels the most upmarket.

My favourite of these would be the Golf, but whichever one you pick you will have done well. Again I would say that you need to move pretty fast, because if you want a specific new car it can take a few weeks and there aren't many weeks left in the scrappage scheme.

Expert answer

Hi Steve, 

Here's an answer to a similar question:

http://www.completecar.ie/askusanything/question/397/Are-there-any-Band-B-4x4s

Depending on your budget, I think the new BMW X3 would be ideal. Perhaps the Skoda Yeti 4x4 would work if you are working off a smaller budget. Bear in mind that the most either of those cars can legally tow is 2,000kg (dependant on model), so whether they are suitable really depends on the weight of your horsebox - and horses of course...

Some versions of the Volkswagen Tiguan have a 2,500kg towing limit, but they fall into higher tax bands.

If you give us an actual weight to work with we can advise you further, but there certainly are not many four-wheel drive SUVs on the market that can tow more than 2,000kg and still be in Band A or Band B.

Expert answer

Hi Caroline,

Paddy here. Given your budget, I would say that you need something that is going to be easy to live with, cheap to run and reliable. 

The Suzuki Swift is a really easy car to own. It is reliable, spacious, cheap to run (tax, fuel, insurance) and good value too. This one I have picked out because it has really low miles (10,000km) and is about half way up your budget: Suzuki Swift

Another decent buy would be a Ford Focus 1.4 - which is a really good larger family hatchback with a big boot. This one we found has just 34,000km on the clock, comes from a good dealership and the price is good: Ford Focus

At the upper end of your budget would be a Volkswagen Golf. They are really good investments because they hold their value well. This one again has really low mileage: Volkswagen Golf

I hope some of these are of interest. I think the Swift would be a super choice for you guys though. 

Come back to us if you need more advice though.

Expert answer

Hi Niamh,

We spoke by e-mail and now I have a better idea of your budgets there are a few good ideas. I think the Ford S-Max is probably my favourite car of this bunch. I quite like this one. It is diesel, looks great and has low mileage. We reckon you could get them down in price a little too. 

In relation to the choice between manual and auto in the C4 Picasso, that really is down to personal choice. It isn't the greatest auto ever but it isn't the worst either. You really should try it and see. The EGS box is a little jerky. Personally I wouldn't really fancy it but you should be the judge. This one is quite nice and has really low mileage. 

I wouldn't say not to consider Renaults, but they weren't a good vintage at the time, so personally I don't think I would be spending money on a 2007/2008 Scenic. They have got a lot better since then though. 

Lastly, you could try a VW Touran. It isn't that exciting but they hold their value really well and are nicely built. 

Anyway Niamh, if it were my money, I'd have the Ford S-Max.

I hope this helps.

Expert answer

Hi Linda,

I can totally understand your concerns. Anyway, to start, here are all the EuroNCAP reports on the cars you were looking at so you can have a good look at them.

Ford S Max / VW Touran / Citroen C4 Picasso 

The placement of ISOFIX seats often dictates where child seats should go and in a lot of MPVs there is still only two and these are usually in the outer two seats of the second row. We answered a question on this recently. 

This article by JD Power and Associates is good. As regards the rear row, the information is a little unclear on whether there is a greater danger to be in the rear seats in a rear impact, but it is something that we will investigate further. The strength of the modern MPV at the rear is pretty impressive though and as long as the child is front facing they are well protected. 

Expert answer

Hi Enda,

This was a long one, so I thought I would answer by video. Click on the link to see the answer!

Expert answer

Hi Pat,

For a start, looking at the prices of 1998 Avensis models, you would most likely be better off going with the scrappage scheme. You can get €3,360 off the price of a new Corolla, which is much more than you could hope to get for either selling your 1998 Avensis privately or trading it in against an older second-hand model. The cheapest new Corolla you can get is from €17,775 with scrappage.

If you decided on a 2007 or 2008 model then you might get €2,000 for your 1998 Avensis. The 2008 Corolla diesel would cost you €14,750 and a 2007 model would cost you €11,995 or perhaps €9,995 with your Avensis. Obviously these are our estimates on values. 

The choice depends on your budget, but if you want to keep your overall costs down then I think the 2008 model would probably be your best bet because you would avail of the new tax system and you could perhaps sell a 2008 model on again easier. If you have access to the money though, you might just want a brand new car! 

Expert answer

Hi Sean,

It really depends on your budget and how many seats you need, but you can't go too far wrong with something like a Ford C-Max, Mazda5 or Peugeot 5008. These are probably the best around at the moment. If you need more room, then a Ford S-Max or Galaxy is your best bet. But come back to us if you need a more detailed response and can give us an idea of your budget. 

I hope this helps. 

Expert answer

Expert answer

Hi Mairead,

I guess it depends on how bad your Ibiza is. You will generally get a better deal as a cash buyer, but it will also probably cost you money to get rid of your Ibiza if you bring it to a scrap yard. Sadly you don't qualify for scrappage. but there are lots of good offers around, especially from the likes of Renault, who will give you a great scrappage price on a car eight years old or over. You could have any Renault Mégane within your budget. We recently drove the GT Line version of the Mégane and it looks great with tons of equipment including a built in TomTom navigation system. 

The Mazda3 diesel is €19,995 and you get air conditioning, Bluetooth, cruise control and alloy wheels as standard and it is a cracker of a car. I think given your budget that this would be an excellent choice. It has low emissions too, so annual road tax is just €104. 

Feel free to come back to us if any of these suggestions don't work.