Expert answer

Hi Aisling,

Not a huge seller, the Rapid, but it's a perfectly decent car. Skoda designed and built it as a more affordable alternative to the Octavia - it kind of sits between the Octavia and the smaller Fabia in price and space terms. The upsides are a big boot (huge, actually) and a decent line-up of petrol and diesel engines. The downsides are a slightly narrow cabin and bouncy, skippy rear suspension. Plus the interior doesn't look or feel as sophisticated as that of the larger Octavia. It'll be an affordable and very reliable family car though.

Read our Skoda Rapid review here

Expert answer

Hi Margaret,

I know what you mean. The Honda bug is a hard one to shift once it's bitten you. The good news is that Honda has a new car on the market, the HR-V, which is more compact than a CR-V, but still pretty spacious. It's high-riding, so good for your back, and can be had with Honda's terrific 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel engine. Looks nice too. Prices start from €23,995 or on a PCP deal from €255 a month and I'd say it's well worth checking out.

Read our Honda HR-V review here

Expert answer

Hi Gerry,

I think it's well worth considering a new Octavia, not least because the PCP rates are very tempting and it insulates you from any depreciation (which is pretty mild on an Octavia at any rate - it should retain at least 50 per cent value after three years). Used ones are good too, of course, but it's tempting to have that shiny new one with a full three-year warranty.

As for trims, well spotted - Skoda did indeed shuffle around its trim levels so that Ambition, which used to be the lowest spec, is now actually a well-equipped mid-range. It's worth going for as it comes with items like nice alloy wheels, a 5.8-inch touch screen for the stereo, multi-function steering wheel and Bluetooth.

Read our Skoda Octavia L&K review here

Expert answer

Hi Mary,

The Outlander is a decent car, and hugely well equipped, not to mention having seven seats. It's fine to drive, and the recent update has brought better refinement and a higher quality cabin.

There's no question though that an X3 would be sophisticated and more engaging to drive, but it's well worth checking out the new and more affordable X1 - it's much improved over its predecessor and almost as spacious as the X3.

The Mitsubishi should beat both in terms of long term reliability though.

Relevant reviews:

Mitsubishi Outlander review

BMW X3 review

BMW X1 review

Expert answer

Hi Aryelle,

It's a slight win for the Jeep as, in basic 1.6 diesel form, it has a €1,000 price advantage over the HR-V. Mind you, we'd expect the Honda to be slightly more economical overall, but the gap won't be huge.

Now, one word of warning - you say you don't want four-wheel drive, but if you're looking to get through those icy and snowy conditions you might need it. In which case the Jeep is your only choice as Honda doesn't offer a 4WD HR-V yet. You'll have to upgrade to the €31,200 Renegade 2.0-litre to get all-wheel drive though.

Relevant reviews:

Jeep Renegade review

Honda HR-V review

Expert answer

Hi Paul,

Yes, and no. And a bit yes. It still depends on your lifestyle and driving habits. Lots of short journeys, mostly around town? Don't mind taking the time to plan long journeys carefully and be prepared to take breaks for charge ups?

Things are getting dramatically better though. Nissan has just updated the Leaf with a new 30kwh battery (read our review of it here) that extends its range to around 250km, which is a lot more useful, and if you're suitably loaded a Tesla Model S can go for 500km between charges.

If you're not quite ready to take the full electric car plunge, how about a plugin hybrid? Short hops under electric power with a petrol engine for longer journeys. Try the Volkswagen Golf GTE, Audi A3 e-tron, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV or a Volvo XC90 T8.

However, if you're looking for a second hand car, your options with electric power are severely limited, as sales have been slow so far.

Expert answer

Hi Adrienne,

OK, let me take that section by section...

(A) Most small crossovers use 1.5- or 1.6-litre diesel engines so you're going to average between 40- and 50mpg in any of them. Ignore the official consumption figures - they're not representative of real-world driving.

(B) Standard spec on most will include at least air conditioning and probably Bluetooth, but the items you've listed will push prices up into the €25-30k region.

(C) Kia, Hyundai and Mitsubishi have the best warranties on the market at the moment - seven, five and eight years respectively. Ford, Renault and Peugeot all offer five-year warranties too, while Fiat offers a four-year one. Most others have three-year cover. In terms of reliability, Japanese and Korean brands will almost always beat their European and American competitors.

Of the cars you're looking at, I'd say the strongest contenders are Honda's new HR-V, the Jeep Renegade, the Peugeot 2008 and the Kia Soul. All well worth a look.

Relevant reviews:

Honda HR-V review

Jeep Renegade review

Peugeot 2008 review

Kia Soul review

Expert answer

Hi Leah,

It all depends how long you want to keep the car for. If you're planning to change again in three years' time, then a PCP makes great sense as you get a new car (with a warranty) and you're basically protected from depreciation, plus your car is your deposit for your next car.

If you're planning to keep the car longer, then you're better off with a loan and a second hand car, although I'd suggest buying one younger than five years old and make sure you get a decent warranty with it, just to help keep costs under control.

Read our guide to car finance here

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Hi Rose,

Yes, it's a good car. A little quirky to look at and a little bit noisy to drive, but really roomy (hence the name) and very well made and reliable.

But it's not high up off the ground. The front seats are mounted higher than those of a Fabia - 30mm higher in fact, but if it's height you want, for ride height for rough roads, you need to look at the Skoda Yeti.

Expert answer

Hi Joe,

They're both pretty similar to be honest, although at the moment the Corolla is only available as a four-door saloon and the Pulsar as a five-door hatch.

Both are solid, reliable, unremarkable workhorses. If you're looking for excitement, sexy styling or dynamism, you've come to the wrong place - but both major on space (the Pulsar in particular has massive space in the back seats), comfort and simplicity.

The Corolla's diesel engine lags a bit behind the Nissan's in terms of performance, but other than that, they're pretty closely matched and seeing as both will probably be endlessly reliable you can safely choose according to your taste.

New, Corolla prices start at €20,995 and Pulsar prices start at €19,995.

Relevant reviews:

Nissan Pulsar review

Toyota Corolla review