Expert answer

Hi Dave,

No competition really: the Ssangyong Kyron is a complete dog and I'd be hard pressed to take one if I was handed it for free. Take the slightly rusty Mondeo instead.

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Hi Shane,

Well it depends on how much you want to spend really. There is going to be a lot more value in your Corolla than in the 2005 Citroen Berlingo so you wouldn't have to spend much money to get into a Zafira.

There really aren't a lot of 2009 Opel Zafiras around. In fact we found just four on sale in the classifieds. The cheapest of these was just under €17,000 for a petrol version. Since your Corolla would be worth more than this you would want change back from the dealer, which is something that can be hard to achieve.

A much better buy would be something like this diesel Ford S-Max. This car is bigger and better than the Opel Zafira, is closer in price to your Corolla and is a brilliant family car.

Your Citroen Berlingo might fetch between €3,000 - €5,000 depending on mileage and condition and if it is reliable I would keep it until it stops.

I hope this helps!

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Hi Shane,

You didn't mention whether it was petrol or diesel, but we'd say as a trade-in around €19,000 for a diesel model and about €1,000 less for a petrol model.

Hope that helps,

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Hi Ronan,

I reckon a Volkswagen Golf Van would do a brilliant job for you. You told us by e-mail that you have another €2,000 to spend on top of the value of your Toyota Avensis so I reckon this one could be a good option. 

The Ford Focus van is good too, but I don't imagine you want to be a two Focus family! If I was having a car-van I'd have a Golf. 

Hope that helps

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Hi Jonathan,

You should be able to stay with your Mondeo in the UK, from 2005-2006 with a diesel for around that budget. Obviously there is much greater choice in the UK and lots might be high mileage but don't necessarily let that put you off because some of these might be cars that lived on motorways and as such won't have lived very hard lives.

We found a 2006 Mondeo Estate with 112,000 miles in the classifieds for £3,000 and it was a private sale and that could do a very nice job for you.

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Hi Des,

You've identified two great choices there. With our own money we'd buy the Skoda Superb Combi. It's a cracking estate car with a huge amount of room, great quality, good comfort and the 1.6 TDI engine is refined and economical. Unless you intend to tow regularly I wouldn't worry too much about the performance. This engine may not have a lot of power (105hp), but it has plenty of torque low down in the rev range, which is far more useful in everyday driving.

Admittedly, the Opel will feel faster and it's a nice car too, but make sure you test drive as many alternatives as you can. Where as Skoda only appears to offer one version of the Superb Combi that qualifies for the scrappage scheme, Ford has several Mondeo Estates that do - and it's a great car.

Worth paying a little more for is the brand new Volkswagen Passat Estate. It's a fabulous car and there are several Band A and Band B options.

If you need any more assistance come back to us of course.

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Hi Lisa,

You don't mention whether your car is petrol or diesel or how many miles it has on it and that makes it difficult to give you an idea of the price on it. Could you come back to us with these details and we will do our best to help you?

Thanks

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Hi John,

This one took a little bit of research, but according to Peugeot, it was the first to market a car with a diesel particulate filter in Ireland with the 607 saloon. Then in 2002 Peugeot introduced the DPF on its 307 2.0-litre HDi model. They came into general use around 2005 onwards. Ford told us that its cars came with DPFs from then on. 

I am not sure of your budget, but perhaps a Ford Focus C-Max diesel would make sense? This car would be a top choice for you. 

Ford Focus C-Max

I hope this helps, but come back to us for more information if needed

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Hi Jane,

First things first. The petrol versus diesel debate. Everyone is very caught up on diesel cars right now and that makes a lot of sense when you are buying new because they have lower road tax, but since small cars tend not to use a lot of fuel, the road tax should be quite low anyway. The mileage you are likely to do might warrant a diesel, but the diesel small cars tend to be a lot more expensive, so in this case I would say that a petrol model would do you fine and still won't cost the earth to run.

The VW Polo is an excellent choice because it is really nicely built and holds its value well too. I did a search for ones with the lowest mileage within your budget from main SIMI dealers (so there is more security and better history checks on the car). A 2007 Volkswagen Polo with just 15,000km on the clock is within your budget and would be a really nice buy. It would be dead cheap to run too. 

This 2008 Ford Fiesta is really nice too; with 11,000km on the clock so it is practically brand new. This is a five-door model so it might be a little more practical. It is at the upper end of your budget but you wouldn't pay the advertised price. 

One I would love you to consider though is the Suzuki Swift. It is a smashing little car. It is really reliable, cute, nicely built and fun to drive. It's a 2008 model with low mileage for less than €9,000. 

I've always had a bit of a soft spot for the Renault Clio (it was my wife's first car and it was great) and you could find another one with ridiculously low mileage for less than €9,000 too. Here is one I liked the look of.

You wouldn't really go wrong with any of these. Personally, I'd be really tempted by that low-mileage Polo as a long term investment because you will always get a good bit of your money back. 

I hope all that helps

Expert answer

Hi Ruairi,

This isn't good news I'm afraid. Steam coming through the vents usually indicates a leak in the car's heater radiator somewhere. Getting at it is your biggest issue. Unless you know your way around these things we'd recommend bringing the car to a mechanic to sort out.

Hope that helps.