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Hi Linda,

€6k is at the bottom end of 2009 Avensis trade in values and your Toyota dealer is possibly boosting your trade in a bit (€10k is definitely top end) to keep you in the family.

I think with 15,000km annual mileage you definitely don't need a diesel - you'll really struggle to make back the extra purchase cost in fuel savings and if you're not doing lots of long journeys you could run into problems with the particulate filter. The Audi wouldn't be expensive to run at all - they're reliable and frugal, but the servicing would probably be slightly pricier than for a Toyota.

As for the Auris Hybrid, I think it sounds like it might be just about right for you, especially as most of your mileage is around town and that's where it works best. You may find it hard to get the best economy out of it on that long run to West Cork, but the rest of the time it should be about right, and super-reliable too.

An ex-demo is always a good idea as you'll get it cheap with minimal mileage, but there are fewer of them around these days.

Relevant reviews on the site:

Audi A3 Sportback 1.6 TDI review

Toyota Auris Hybrid review

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Hi Fergal,

The new Ka+ will be here in June and will cost from €13,050. You can find out much, much more about it in our Ford Ka+ news item. The new Fiesta is a bit more of an unknown and we certainly don’t have prices for it yet. It’s due to launch in Europe in the first quarter of 2017, but Ford Ireland may decide to keep its powder dry and launch it here closer to the 172 registration change in July of next year. It’s likely to be a little larger than the current car (although not by much, as the same basic structure is being retained) and the engine line up will be entirely the new-generation three-cylinder EcoBoost petrol and the four-cylinder 1.5-litre TDCi diesels. It’s likely to also be more expensive than the current car – the fact that Ford is launching a five-door Ka at a cheap-ish price, and the continuing efforts to push the Ford brand upmarket (Vignale, Mustang, GT, Edge etc.) means that the next Fiesta will probably be more sophisticated but more expensive too.

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Hi there,

It should be worth somewhere around the €12,000 mark, but I’d advise getting the dents and paint sorted out if you want to make top dollar on it.

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Hi James,

The big draw for the updated Kuga will be the availability of Ford’s 1.5 TDCi diesel engine, which will bring the Kuga’s running costs down significantly, not least because it will have a 115g/km CO₂ emissions rating. It’ll be here in the autumn, once Ford has finished launching the new Edge SUV, but given the nature of the Irish car market, supply will probably be a bit restricted until January 2017.

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Hi Sebastian,

OK, you have a few choices here. I’d say with that mileage you’re on the cusp of needing to buy a diesel to maximise your fuel economy, but your budget is a bit tight for most diesel saloons of that age. So, how about a BMW 318i? It’s petrol but the good news is that it’s quite economical (you should get 40mpg easily enough) and more reliable than the diesel 3 Series. Or you could try a Honda Civic IMA Hybrid saloon. There are quite a few of those around in your price range and if most of your miles are done in town, it would be ideal.

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Hi Andrew,

Yes, but you need to be careful. The current diesel Outlander has a maximum braked towing weight of 2,000kg (or 1,500kg for the plugin hybrid version), but if the total weight of car and trailer exceeds 3,500kg then you need to have the proper Category BE (car and trailer) driver's licence, not just the standard Category B licence. 

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Hi Jason,

No. Renault is still in the process of rolling out AdBlue, or Selective Catalytic Reduction, injection to its 1.5 and 1.6 diesel engines.

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Hi Ben,

That sounds like a pretty decent deal, and the 3008 – although it’s due for replacement later this year by an all-new model – is still a better than decent car.

As for the timing belt change, officially Peugeot says that the belt should last 10 years, or almost 250,000km, but to be honest we’ve always felt that that sounds way too long. I’d insist on a belt change every 100,000km at the most. Your car should be fine for now, but start thinking about it well ahead of the official schedule and beware – if the oil pump leaks on that engine it leaks onto the belt, potentially damaging it or causing it to slip.

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Hi Emer,

The cee'd is just about perfect for you, so. Reliable, comfy and actually pretty good to drive, plus the boot is massive on the estate. Just make sure it has a full service history and that it has always been serviced by a Kia main dealer so that the warranty is still active. 

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Hi James,

Nope, it's all down to how well it's been cared for. If it has a high mileage but a thick sheaf of service stamps, receipts and paperwork then it's fine. A lower mileage car without history would be far more worrying.