Expert answer

Hi Noel,

There's a lot of choice out there within those restrictions and you've not given us your budget, so we'll give you a list of the cars we think are worth looking at to start with and you can come back to us if you'd like help narrowing the search:

1. Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi
2. Hyundai i30 1.6 diesel
3. Kia cee'd 1.6 diesel
4. Mazda3 1.6 diesel
5. Nissan Note 1.5 diesel
6. Nissan Qashqai 1.5 diesel
7. Peugeot 207 1.4 HDi
8. Peugeot 308 1.6 HDi
9. Toyota Auris 1.4 D4-D

The Volkswagen Polo and Golf and the Skoda Octavia are other considerations, though the 1.6 TDI engine was not introduced until 2010.

Let us know what you think

Expert answer

Hi Jenny,

I'm a family man myself so I know well your needs! Before saying anything more though I assume you've looked at the pricing of the BMW and Merc and that's not a consideration? The X3 starts at about €47,000, while the M-Class costs from €71,000.

If price is not a problem then the answer has to be the Merc. It's a bigger, more luxurious car with more equipment. There's nothing at all wrong with the X3 (I'd consider owning one myself), but the Merc is in a different league - as it should be for that price difference.

Come back to me if we can help further.

Expert answer

Hi Thomas,

There's never a simple answer to such questions, and bear in mind that the trade-in price you're given may well include a discount on the car you're buying. It's best to focus on the 'cost to change' instead.

Regardless, we reckon that you should get around €24,000 for the car against something else, assuming it's still like new. 

Let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Rosie,

It really depends on the condition, which engine it has and how many kilometres are on the clock. A quick look on Carzone.ie shows 2006 diesel Toyota Corolla hatchbacks going from €6,000 to €11,000.

Come back to us with more details if you want and we'll take a look.

Expert answer

Hi Sean,

With those options in front of us and no clue to each car's mileage and condition then we'd say there's a strong case for the Mazda6. It's significantly more spacious than all the other cars you listed for a start. That 2.0-litre diesel engine has plenty of grunt and is relatively economical, while the Mazda6 has a great reputation for reliability.

Hope that's of help

Expert answer

Hi Andrew,

First of all, the relatively straightforward stuff. There are less Titanium models around than LX and Zetec so it's worth a little more. Autos are quite rare as well so it's not easy to accurately predict the value. However, we reckon you could advertise it for €16,999 as a private sale (and accept a little less) and expect an offer as low as €13,000 in trade-in. Bear in mind though that you should focus on the cost to change if you're going down the trade-in route.

Your car is already at the high end of the mileage range for S-MAXs of that age and if you plan on continuing at the same rate then it may well make sense to change now before the car loses all appeal for dealers - as you've pointed out. 

Hope all that helps.

Expert answer

Hi Justin,

I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that the lower mileage car you can find, the better. All three models mentioned are suitable for the job, though there's a reason so many taxis are the Toyota Avensis. It's the one we'd veer towards. The BMW would be a nicer car than either the Passat or the Toyota, but once you start racking up high mileage its maintenance could get expensive.

Hope that helps.

Expert answer

Hi Patrick,

It does indeed have full-time four-wheel drive. It's called xDrive and in normal use the power is split 68:32 rear to front but this can be varied to as much as 100% rear-wheel drive.

Larger cars like SUVs are always a little harder on tyres, but the X3 is not unusual in that regards. It has a good reputation for reliability with no known suspension problems.

Hope that helps.

Expert answer

Hi Michael,

It sounds like this choice is down to personal opinion. The Passat has a better reputation for reliability, though the Insignia is not too shabby on that front. The creaking interiors affected early cars and you should be able to quickly check for it on a test drive.

We agree that the Insignia is a better looking car, though the Passat Highline has a great specification. Countering all that the Insignia's 2.0-litre engine is more powerful, if louder and less refined.

In summary, we'd probably go for the Passat, but regret it every time we see a good Insignia!

Best of luck - let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Lukas,

There are many different models of diesel Opel Astra, even for 2007. There were 1.3-, 1.7- and 1.9-litre CDTi engines that year, plus three-door GTC hatch, five-door hatchback and estate. Not to mention different mileages and trim levels.

The latest selection from Carzone.ie suggest a price variation of between €5,000 and €11,000.

Let us know specifics if you'd like us to help some more.