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Hi Jack,

Actually, the 300C is really well built. The European market cars were built under licence in Austria and under the skin it's essentially a 1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, so all the components are rock-solid, especially the 3.0-litre diesel engine. Where you need to be careful is in making sure it's been looked after. There are a lot of complicated electronic bits and you need to see a full service history with a car like this, as neglect will lead to problems very quickly. If there's no, or patchy, history, walk away. Also, a good few 300Cs saw service as taxis so beware of abused and damaged interiors or knackered suspension.

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Hi Alan,

If it’s the 2.0-litre TDI, then that’s €710 a year. Unless it’s been imported since 2008, in which case it’ll be €570.

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Hi Gareth,

Go for the Skoda. Dave Humphreys (also of this parish) and I recently drove the latest Octavia RS diesel from Goodwood to Dublin and frankly, you'd be hard pressed to find a car with a broader spread of talents. Go for the estate to get the best looking (as well as most useful) version.

Let us know what you do

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Hi Gerard,

Generally the S40 is a solid enough car, but watch for leaky windscreen surrounds, some issues with faulty wheel nuts, vacuum pump failure leading to reduced braking power and, on the 1.6 diesel, problems with the exhaust gas recirculation valve.

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Hi Dermot,

Generally the V50 is a solid enough car, but watch for leaky windscreen surrounds, some issues with faulty wheel nuts, vacuum pump failure leading to reduced braking power and, on the 1.6 diesel, problems with the exhaust gas recirculation valve.

We've not heard of any widespread turbocharger issues.

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Hi Martin,

The Mazda3 changed generations in 2009, but I'm assuming it's the 2003-2009 version you have. Two diesel engines were offered, a 1.6 and a 2.0. Obviously the 1.6 is the more common. The recommended change interval on that car's timing belt is every 240,000km or ever 10 years, whichever comes first. For reference, the 2.0-litre diesel version has to have its timing belt changed every 120,000km regardless of time.

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Hi Ebere,

Pretty good actually. Watch for wayward electrics, and the exhaust gas recirculation valve can give problems. As with any car equipped with a diesel particulate filter, watch for that getting clogged if the owner has only been putting up low speed, short journeys on the clock.

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Hi Michael,

Many thanks for the compliment. You’re right on the trade-in aspect, although that does seem to be shifting now in the wake of the diesel issue, especially in urban areas. As for the servicing aspect, it’s a tough one for us to look at in a comparison sense, as all garages are different, have different charges and servicing is not a constant. All cars will need to be serviced differently, according to how they are driven.

We have done some diesel versus petrol comparison work in the past though. Have a look here.

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Hi Tricia,

The new Mazda6 is a fantastic car and definitely comparable to the Audi A4 of equivalent value. The Mazda comes with a powerful and economical 2.2-litre diesel engine, which is refined and decently fast when needed. The car itself is more spacious than the Audi inside, plus of just as good quality. It's also comfortable and good to drive. In all, we thoroughly recommend it.

Here's our Irish test of the Mazda6 Tourer for reference.

Let us know how you get on.

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Hi Una,

We'd immediately suggest you go for the petrol car. The low mileage one will be fresher all-round, plus it's likely it'll last longer before you need to spend money on serious maintenance and repairs. The diesel model may be more economical theoretically, but diesel cars are not best suited to permanent use in an urban environment and we suspect it'd cost you more in the long run.

We conducted some research into this subject in conjunction with Cartell.ie recently if you're interested. Read that piece in full here.

Best of luck