Expert answer

Hi David,

In general that's a good car to drive, well-equipped and highly reliable and economical. We found the 1.6-diesel engine a little loud and the car itself to emit a lot of road noise on the motorway, but they're not bad enough to be deal-breakers.

It's still too new for there to be meaningful reliability data, but in general Mazdas have a good reliability record. Ensure that it has been serviced according to the schedule and take it for as long a drive as you can.

Best of luck

Expert answer

Hi Ruth,

The two-wheel drive 2.2 D-4D 150 emits 156g/km, which puts it in Band D. That's €481 per annum. The same engine with four-wheel drive costs the same with 159g/km.

Go for the automatic version with four-wheel drive and emissions rise to 186g/km, with motor tax costing €677 per year - Band E.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Samantha,

Average mileage for an Irish car is about 11,000 miles (18,000 kilometres approx.) so this is definitely above average, but it isn't necessarily something to worry about depending on the car. A diesel car tends to be used more and high mileage suggests a lot of low-stress motorway use - unless it's a tax of course!

Hope that helps.

Expert answer

Hi Paul,

The only Almera engine we have timing belt data on is the 2.0-litre diesel. It should be changed every five years or 87,000 kilometres - whichever is sooner.

Hope that helps.

Expert answer

Hi Lins,

We're big fans of the Mazda5 in general. That model is well-equipped and lovely to drive. Make sure you go for a 2.0-litre diesel instead of the 1.8-litre petrol to keep your running costs down.

Hope that helps.

Expert answer

Hi Daniel,

You've not told us which of the Insignia diesels you're looking at, and whether you're buying new or used, but in general Opel's diesel options in the Insignia are a little on the loud side. However, they all give good performance and economy, and the latest come with stop-start.

Come back to us if you need more detail than that

Expert answer

Hi David,

That's a tricky one to answer accurately. It really depends on the dealer you bring the car to. There's undoubtedly a real lack of good second-hand cars so dealers do want such things, but the Impreza Diesel is, as you say, quite rare.

We reckon your expectations are fairly realistic, especially if you are happy to go into a dealer right now for a 2012-plate car. New car sales are slow at this time of year. Aim a little higher than that and try a few Opel dealers.

Let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Trish,

We don't know your budget or the year of car you're looking at, but assuming it's a 2009 model and that you're looking at diesel versions for better economy, the Toyota and Mazda both have better reliability records and decent economy, though the Opel has higher economy figures - especially if you can find a 1.7 CDTi diesel for your budget. Unfortunately, the diesel Zafiras can be problematic.

Come back to us with more details if you'd like advice on a specific car.

Expert answer

Hi Alan,

We spoke to Nissan Ireland today and it was confirmed that the 1.6 dCi engine is currently only available with four-wheel drive. It does plan to sell the front-wheel drive only model, but could not give us pricing or even a launch date. We'll be told more at the end of this year.

Keep an eye on our site for news on that.

Expert answer

Hi Dermot,

This doesn't appear to be very good value to us. Even though your Passat is probably only worth €1,000 or so to the dealer, the mileage of the Santa Fe is above average and the price is therefore quite optimistic - though clearly the service, tyres and NCT make it considerable more appealing.

Hope that helps