Expert answer

Hi Nuala,

Mostly yes, they're fine. The engines and gearboxes are essentially old Mercedes-Benz items and they're pretty long lived and can rack up mega mileages. What you've got to watch for are cabin trim (which is spectacularly fragile and can often come off in your hands) and electrical gremlins. Essentially, if it's on a Rodius and its got a wire in it, it can go wrong, so check carefully to make sure that everything electric is working and budget for running repairs in the future. Expect to pay around €3,500 to €4,000 for a 2005 version, but they're pretty thin on the ground.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Myra,

You should be paying anything from as little as €8,000 to as much as €15,000 depending on condition, mileage and history. As for reliability; are you kidding? It's a Lexus and about as likely to break as a sundial.

All we would say is that, as with any modern premium-brand car, there are a lot of complex systems under there that all need to be properly cared for, so if you don't see a full set of authorised Lexus dealer stamps in the service book, run, don't walk, away.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Robert,

A very solidly built van, the Combo, and that Fiat-GM 1.3 diesel is long-lived and has been around long enough to have had most of the kinks worked out. Just watch for timing belt guides shifting out of position, leading to possible belt failure, and the exhaust gas recirculation valve in the turbo getting sticky.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Priscilla,

If it's either the 1.6 petrol or the 1.5 diesel then yes, it's an engine shared with the Nissan Qashqai (and sundry other Nissans and Renaults) and is generally pretty solidly built and reliable. 

With Renaults, it's the peripheral systems you have to watch. Major items like the engine and gearbox usually go on just fine but electric components (especially windows in the past), exhaust systems, cabin trim and such like can all be fragile. Check carefully and make sure there's a full service history.

Best of luck

Expert answer

Hi Colm,

The biggest and most expensive area of common trouble on a Range Rover Sport (and this is the original, 2005 model we’re talking about) is the air suspension. Check that the car sits level on its springs, and that when you adjust the suspension height, the system responds briskly. If not, walk (quickly) away because you’re into a world of expense. The transfer box part of the transmission is also a trouble spot, as is the electronic handbrake. The 2.7-litre diesel V6 engine is pretty robust, but if it feels sluggish to respond then there could be an issue with the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve. 

Expert answer

Hi John,

As far as we're aware the Chevrolet Cruze was only ever offered with a single diesel engine option - a 1.7-litre unit with 130hp.

Come back to us if we can be of more help.

Expert answer

Hi Jack,

The Toledo is too new for us to have any angle on its reliability but you'd have to say the prospects are good. SEATs in general are exceptionally robust (we have family experience of four that have been near faultless) and the new one is based on the latest, highest Volkswagen Group components, so we'd be surprised if it's anything over than very reliable. The only concern, we suppose, is that there are a lot of high-tech electronics on even the base model so the potential for issues there is higher than once it was. The same can be said of any modern car really.

As for the Yeti, again, Skodas tend to be very reliable indeed, usually right up at the top of customer satisfaction surveys with the likes of Toyota, Honda, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz. We have heard some isolated stories of issues with fuel pumps and power steering, but they appear to be just that: isolated.

Expert answer

Hi Ivor,

Between €7,500 to €8,500 we'd say. Popular car too, so you shouldn't have too much trouble offloading it.

Expert answer

Hi William,

We'd be tempted to say that you should be grand - Hyundais in general, and the old Sonata in particular, are built like tanks. That said, with that kind of mileage, you need to make sure that the service history is complete and that all the major replacement jobs (clutch, brake pads and discs, timing belt) have been done. The Sonata has also always been a popular car with taxi drivers so check it carefully for signs of heavy use and abuse. If it all checks out though, and the service history is there, then you should be fine.

Let us know how you get on

Expert answer

Hi Karl,

No, the 1.2 (actually it's a 1.3 really) diesel in the Opel Combo is the same unit that Opel co-developed with Fiat, so it should have either 75- or 90hp and plenty of torque. Clearly, a larger engine means you can haul larger payloads, but unless you're a gym weights delivery company, you should be OK.