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Hi Dympna,

Not bad at all actually. The Soul has never been a particularly big seller in Ireland but underneath it's basically the same as a Kia cee'd so shares that car's mechanical solidity and its very good 1.6 diesel engine. It's a touch unrefined at times, and the interior quality is a little short of Kia's current standard but it's otherwise spacious, good to drive and very distinctively styled. 

An all-new Soul will be launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in a couple of weeks so there may be an opportunity for some run-out deals on the current model.

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Hi Anna,

There seems to be a shortage of Beetles out there, especially the diesel model, so that's keeping prices high. You could pay as much as €4,500 for a good one, maybe a bit less with some committed haggling. Perhaps a trip to the UK is in order, where there are a lot more Beetles to choose from?

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Hi Deirdre,

Well, if you're not actually pulling anything, you shouldn't really need actual four-wheel drive, so I suggest either a Skoda Yeti Greenline or, if you fancy something a little larger, a Mazda CX-5 150hp Sport. Both have CO₂ emissions of 119g/km so cost just the €200 a year to tax. By comparison, a MINI Cooper diesel costs €190. 

If you really need the four-wheel drive, there are all-wheel drive versions of both cars but you're into higher purchase prices and tax bands in both cases.

Come back to us if you'd like more help

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Hi Paul,

For maintenance cost questions, I'd ask your friendly local Volkswagen dealer - they'll be able to give you much more accurate information than we would. 

As for the engine, it's perfectly up to the task of pulling the car because although it's a 'mere' 1.4, it also has a turbo and produces 120hp - about what you'd have expected from an old-school 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine. It's also pretty frugal, so if you're not planning lots of long motorway journeys, it might work out better value than a diesel.

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Hi Joan,

We highly recommend the Hyundai i40 Tourer. It has a huge boot (though the Passat's is larger again) and is very comfortable. It's not easy to choose between the i40 and Passat at a fixed budget, so see what you can get for your money. The Hyundai, for instance, comes with a great five-year warranty from new and a high level of standard equipment. Its 1.7-litre diesel engine is also better than Volkswagen's 1.6-litre TDI equivalent, though the Volkswagen 2.0 TDI engine is better again if that's within reach.

Either way you're making a good choice and we'd recommend you test drive both cars to see which you like best.

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Hi Sean,

As far as the gearbox is concerned, more is always better, so a six-speeder should help keep your fuel consumption down a bit, especially if you do lots of cruising in top gear. 

As for engines, the 100hp one you refer to is a 1.6 petrol, while the 130hp unit is a 1.9 diesel. Obviously the diesel will be more economical, as the 1.6 struggles with the weight of the Passat and also suffers from problems with its driveshafts. 

Buy carefully though, as Passats of that age have often been abused by careless owners. There's plenty about however, so you can afford to be picky.

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Hi Shane,

There's a huge variation in Mondeo prices out there, but the price seems to be mostly driven by condition and history, not mileage. After all, any 10-year old car, especially a diesel one designed for high-mileage business drivers, is going to be nudging up over 100,000 miles by now. The most expensive ones seem to be hovering around the €3-3,500 mark, but whether these are genuine prices or just sellers deluding themselves is hard to tell. At the other end of the scale, we found a private sale one with 147,000 miles on the clock for just €1,500 but we'd tread carefully there. If you're looking to buy one, budget for around €2,700 to get something really good, and you may be able to haggle lower than that.

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Hi Dawn,

Going on personal experience, I'd say that the C4 Picasso would be the most economical of the bunch. All of them should be able to get between 45-50mpg, and I'd say the C4 should just nudge above 50mpg. That said, you have to remember that what dictates fuel economy more than the car is your driving style. Practice driving with light throttle openings, anticipating further ahead and always using gentle control inputs and you should be able to get that economy figure improved. Also, take any excess weight out of the car, make sure the engine is serviced regularly and the oil changed often and get a good set of low-rolling resistance tyres, and keep them at the right pressure. It all helps.

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Hi Alan,

Actually a really good car, that. Not as sophisticated as the later, more stylish Sportage, but fine to drive, more rugged than you’d think and actually surprisingly capable off-road. Fuel economy will be a bit steep compared to a more modern car (you’ll get around 35mpg on average) and the cabin is nothing to write home about, but it’s hugely reliable and, if it has a full Kia service history, should continue to be so.

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Hi Dawn,

Nissan quoted a combined consumption value of 5.4 litres/100km (52.3mpg) and we'd expect most drivers to get in excess of 40mpg (7.1 litres/100km) so long as all journeys aren't in stop-start traffic.

Hope that helps