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Hi Francis,

I reckon you should be looking at a Kia cee'd Sportwagon. Handsome to look at, excellent 1.6-litre diesel engine, lots of space, massive boot and, even if you're buying nearly new, a long, loooooong warranty. A tough package to beat and it's more enjoyable to drive than you might expect. Does it fall foul of your 'not boring' requirement?

OK so, one man's meat etc. How about a Skoda Yeti? Not as practical or big in the boot department, but funky and fun to drive and if you get a 4x4 version, a proper off-roader too.

What do you think?

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Hi Mary,

You wouldn't go wrong with a Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDI DSG. Cracking car, great gearbox.

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Hi John,

I'm afraid without knowing the year of your S40 it's impossible to give you an idea of the value but I would suggest trading it in rather than trying to sell it yourself - it saves an awful lot of hassle and heartache. As for what to get, try either a Skoda Yeti or a Nissan Qashqai. Both are as reliable as they come, comfy and with a higher (but not too high) seating position. And both are spacious enough that when those reared kids start dropping off the grandkids for a weekend, you'll have room in the back...

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Hi Gabriel,

Dacias are fine, to be honest, you just have to make sure you know what you're getting into. They're not sophisticated, nor are they especially modern, but they're cheap and genuinely quite cheerful. Best of the bunch is the Sandero supermini, which combines decent build quality with surprising refinement and a  emptingly low price.

The Duster SUV is also pretty good, albeit it's quite an old design now and lacks things like electronic stability control as standard. Still, it's rugged, tough and refreshingly simple. The newer Logan estate and Stepway crossover are just variations on the Sandero theme and are there for those who need either an enormous boot (Logan) or a bit of 4x4-esque style (Stepway).

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Hi Dympna,

Really nice car, the Soul and one that's often overlooked as every other car maker rushes out its own compact crossover. The cabin can feel a little cheap in places and it's a bit noisy compared to the likes of the Peugeot 2008, but other than that, it's a canny buy. Not only do you get Kia's excellent seven-year warranty, but you also get a chassis that was tuned by sports car legends Lotus. A good buy.

Hope that helps

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Hi Joe,

There is a new model Qashqai on the way but it's about a year away yet. Normally that would be the signal for decent discounts on the current model, but seeing as it's still hugely popular, that seems unlikely for the moment. 

That said, the Qashqai is still a fine car, but you should also consider a Skoda Yeti (due for an update before the end of the year but the current car is still utterly brilliant) and both the Peugeot 3008 and MINI Countryman (a car I have a peculiar fondness for) are well worth a look too. 

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Hi Roy,

Have you considered the new Peugeot 5008? It’s basically a bigger version of the 3008, comes with seven seats as standard and prices start from €28k. Get one with the brilliant little 1.2 turbo petrol engine and you won’t go wrong. Read our review of that car here.

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Hi Rita,

Suzuki Ireland tells us that the new crossover should be here in September.

Anything else you'd like to know about it?

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Hi Aidan,

Without knowing your budget and what your needs with regards to towing etc. are it's difficult to give a precise answer, but as a starting point, and in alphabetical order:

None of Audi's Q models are really suited to heavy off-road work, though the Q5 and Q7 are fine towing machines. Not that you'll find a Q7 with a manual gearbox.

Same story with BMW's X models. Fine for towing. You'll have to seek out an older X5 if you want a manual transmission though.

Citroen C-Crosser, Ford Kuga, Honda CR-V, Hyundai ix35: fine road cars.

Hyundai Santa Fe: depending on age and spec can be quite good off-road and as a tow car.

Hyundai Terracan: horrible beast of a thing, but it is big...

Hyundai Tucson: more car-like than most 4x4s.

Isuzu Trooper: hard as nails, durable workhorse.

Jeep Cherokee: good workhorse, but raucous on the road.

Jeep Compass: really not that great on the road despite its 'crossover' image.

Jeep Grand Cherokee: surprisingly good depending on age.

Jeep Patriot: a Compass with more upright bodywork...

Jeep Wrangler: tough, great off-road, but not so good on it.

Kia Sorento: first generation a tough tow car; latest more road-biased.

Kia Sportage: fine road car - especially the latest one.

Land Rover Defender: same comments as Jeep Wrangler above.

Land Rover Discovery: one of the very best all-rounders - newer versions way better.

Land Rover Freelander: good mix of on-road behaviour with all-road ability, but others at price better.

Range Rover line-up: luxurious regular model not bad off-road, Sport great to drive on-road and Evoque not really a 4x4 despite the badge.

Mazda CX-5: new SUV in the crossover mould - lovely on the road, where it should stay.

Mercedes-Benz M-Class: see BMW X5 comments.

Mitsubishi ASX/Outlander: very much road cars.

Mitsubishi L200/Pajero/Shogun: durable, strong, tough, but also rough and unrefined - proper 4x4 system though.

Nissan Navara/Pathfinder: see L200 etc. above...

Nissan Qashqai: a road car, even in 4x4 guise.

Nissan Terrano: old-school 4x4.

Nissan X-Trail: pretty good mix of attributes.

Opel Antara: road car - and not a good one.

Peugeot 4007, Renault Koleos, Skoda Yeti: just road cars.

SsangYong Actyon/Kyron/Rexton: rough and ready tow machines.

Subaru Forester: more a road car, though later one pretty good.

Subaru Outback/XV: road cars - nice ones.

Suzuki Grand Vitara: not bad as an all-rounder - relatively cheap and cheerful.

Suzuki SX4: car with 4x4 mechanicals.

Toyota Hilux/Land Cruiser: enviable reputation for toughness and reliability, though not very civilised.

Toyota RAV4: good road car, ok tow car.

Volkswagen Amarok: good all-rounder, though just a pick-up.

Volkswagen Tiguan: lovely road car, but most models so-so off-road.

Volkswagen Touareg: high quality car that's a good all-rounder.

Volvo XC60/XC90: good road cars - not for off-road.

So come back to us with more details and we'll talk you through a purchase.

Expert answer

Hi Steve, 

From what we can tell, no there isn't any SUV with 4x4 in Band B, as yet. There are lots of SUVs and crossovers in Band B with front-wheel drive. You'll find the likes of the Skoda Yeti, VW Tiguan, Nissan Qashqai all have versions with frugal diesel engines. 

When it comes to 4x4, the best you can probably do at the moment is Band C. The Skoda Yeti 4x4 sits in Band C, as does the new BMW X3, which is selling well with good reason.

The Lexus RX Hybrid sits in Band C, as do the Hyundai ix35 2.0 CRDi 4wd and the Volvo XC60 AWD.

Hope that gives you something to think about