Expert answer

Hi Derek,

We're assuming you mean large boot space when the rear-most seats are folded down when it comes to the seven-seat models, but come back to us if not. Seven-seat cars are your best/easiest option for fitting three car seats in.

The first car we found in the classifieds that might suit you is Citroen's C4 Picasso. It's a brilliant MPV and with a little negotiation you should be able to afford a 2008 model with the economical 1.6-litre HDi diesel engine. We're not big fans of the 'EGS' automatic gearbox, but give it a go and make that decision for yourself. The five-seat version (not called 'Grand') is good too if you can live with that many seats.

Ford's C-Max and S-Max are worth a look too. The latter is a good deal bigger, but the former is economical and well priced.

Personally I'm not a huge fan of the Opel Zafira, though we have readers who swear by them. There are loads on the market too so shop around for one that suits.

Others to look into might be the Toyota Corolla Verso and Volkswagen Sharan and Touran.

Let us know if you need help narrowing down the search.

Expert answer

Hi Martina,

Clearly mileage, condition, specification and history will play a big part in the value of any car. The 2007 Passat powered by a 1.9-litre TDI diesel engine fetches anywhere from about €7,000 to over €12,000 as there are so many different examples around.

Come back to us if you need to narrow it down a little.

Expert answer

Hi Fran,

We really like the Kia cee'd. It's a high quality offering that does everything well, is decently specified, refined, comfortable and relatively spacious. We wouldn't ever have compared it to the Renault Clio though, as it competes with the Mégane. The cee'd is bigger and more comfortable than the Clio. Saying that, the Clio is more interesting looking for sure and drives just as well.

In terms of diesel engines, Kia offers a 1.4- or 1.6-litre CRDi diesel and Renault has a 1.5-litre dCi unit. The latter and the 1.4-litre engine put out 90hp, but the Clio feels quicker and is a lighter car. Likewise it's better on fuel and a little cheaper to tax.

Try to test drive both in a scenario that reflects your daily driving. The cee'd is more refined and a better long distance cruiser, for example.

Feel free to come back to us if you need more assistance.

Expert answer

Hi Patrick,

Before looking at the logical stuff, we'd say the Kia Sportage. We prefer how it looks and drives.

There's virtually no difference in price at the entry-level to both ranges. They're both powered by the same 1.7-litre turbodiesel engine, have front-wheel drive and emit 139g/km for €280/year road tax. Both Kia and Hyundai offer a range of trim levels and they're both quite well equipped really.

Kia's cheapest four-wheel drive version is a little cheaper than the equivalent Hyundai (both powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine) and both are available with an automatic gearbox - though the ix35's is cheaper.

Other than all that, Kia's seven-year warranty covers up to 150,000 kilometres of driving and comes with European roadside assistance for three years. Hyundai's 'Triple Care Plan' is only for five years, but the mileage is unlimited. It includes roadside assistance and vehicle health checks.

So in summary there's little to separate these cars on paper. With your budget in mind it's worth delving deeper into what you'll get for your money in each model, but really it probably comes down to individual choice. And for us the Kia Sportage is the way to go.

Let us know what you decide upon.

Expert answer

Hi Dino,

It’s actually a very common engine, the PSA DV4 unit, also shared with Ford, Volvo, Peugeot, Citroen and MINI. It’s a four-cylinder turbodiesel, usually with 110hp, although some later versions had 115hp.

Expert answer

Hi Sandra,

Bit of a tricky one this as you haven't specified what kind of car you're talking about, but the fact that you want low emissions (which would suggest a post-2008 car to keep the road tax low) and want to keep the budget below €7,000 means things are a bit limited. So how about a Peugeot 207 1.4 HDi diesel hatchback for €6,950? That price includes a three-month warranty and the example I found has a full service history.

Come back to us with more information if you'd like us to narrow your search.

Expert answer

Hi Eddie,

You've not told us what engine you mean, so here's a list of the most common engines. Note that timing chains don't have a change interval and they should last the life of the engine if scheduled oil changes are carried out and all else is well.

 - 1.2-litre petrol: timing chain
 - 1.3-litre CDTi diesel: timing chain
 - 1.4-litre petrol: timing chain
 - 1.6-litre petrol (both turbo and NA): timing belt - change every 150,000km or 10 years
 - 1.7-litre CDTi diesel: timing belt - change every 150,000km or 10 years
 - 1.8-litre petrol 125hp: timing belt - change every 90,000km or six years
 - 1.8-litre petrol 140hp: timing belt - change every 150,000km or 10 years
 - 1.9-litre CDTi diesel: timing belt - change every 150,000km or 10 years

Expert answer

Hi Mia,

That's a little difficult to answer as Honda Ireland never imported that generation Civic diesel here. In the UK, a 2004 1.7 CDTi is worth around £2,000 so I'd take a stab at a value of around €2,500 to €3,000 here.

Let us know how you get on

Expert answer

Hi Ste,

That depends on which engine it is, as there are loads of different types. Here you go:

2.0 CDTi ecoFlex 165hp/130hp: 4.5 litres

2.0 CDTi ecoFlex 170hp: 5.3 litres

2.0 CDTi: most are 4.5 litres, except for the 130hp/170hp variants made from 2014 to 2018 (engine code LFS/B20DTH)

There are biturbo versions as well, but I suspect you don't have one of those.

Please use the above as a guide only and don't put that amount in at first. Go by the dipstick always.

Expert answer

Hi Geoff,

First thing we'd look at is the air flow meter. Try to get a known good one to swap and re-test.

Let us know how you get on.