Expert answer

Hi Bobin,

Depends on where and how much you drive. Low miles and mostly in town? Get the Passat. Long journeys and motorway miles? BMW. The Passat is more likely to be more reliable though - some of those 2.0 BMW diesels have timing chain and turbo problems.

Expert answer

Hi Carmel,

If you're a low-mileage driver then, yes, petrol is generally the better choice. You can keep your diesel though by sticking to a couple of rules. Regular maintenance by a qualified mechanic, always using high quality synthetic oil and making sure the car gets a regular long spin to build up the temperatures in the exhaust system.

Expert answer

Hi Mai,

OK, lots to choose from here. Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus and Toyota Auris are all ever popular and all with very good reason. They're reliable (the Toyota scoring best here), beautifully made (the Golf come out top in this category) and nice to drive (the Focus wins here). Lots of all three about so you can afford to be picky. Fancy something a bit different? Try a Honda Civic, especially the 1.6 i-DTEC diesel version, which is possibly the best compact diesel engine around.

Also well worth a look are the Kia cee'd (especially the handsome and practical estate version) and the current model of the Peugeot 308 (ditto on the estate version there).

Relevant reviews:

Volkswagen Golf review

Ford Focus review

Toyota Auris review

Honda Civic review

Kia cee'd review

Peugeot 308 review

Expert answer

Hi Pat,

As luck would have it I have the latest version of the Subaru Forester on test this very week. It's powered by the 148hp 'boxer' diesel engine, which also has 350Nm of torque. Paired with the 'Lineartronic' automatic transmission it's surprisingly responsive. That's a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and it seems to do a great job of keeping the engine at its optimum operating speeds for a variety of situations. We've not fans of these gearboxes when fitted to petrol engines, but they work well allied to diesel and in the Forester it's a good match.

Officially this Forester 2.0D XC Lineartronic does 0-100km/h in 9.6 seconds, but even at motorway speeds it has plenty of go and it happily cruises above 120km/h.

In terms of comfort, the Forester scores well too. The suspension is quite soft and absorbent so bumps are dispatched with ease and it's relatively quiet on the motorway. The upright seating position is comfortable too.

Shame you don't need the back seats, as they're massively spacious.

Further reading:

Subaru Forester review (2013 manual model)

Expert answer

Hi Breda,

Sounds like a good one to me. The new RAV4 is an especially nice car - comfy, spacious and good to drive and that price looks decently sharp too.

Relevant reviews:

Toyota RAV4 review

Expert answer

Hi Dave,

Quite a bit actually - that 120hp diesel is pretty underpowered in a car as bulky as the A4 and you'll probably notice it most in fuel consumption. You'll have to work it so hard to keep up with traffic that you'll find it quite thirsty. Upgrade to the 140hp if you can.

Relevant reviews:

Audi A4 2.0 TDI 140 review (quattro model)

Audi A4 2.0 TDI 177 review

Expert answer

Hi Lorraine,

It shouldn't be a problem. A 'Service Update' is just a nice way of saying 'Recall' so the work should have been carried out by the previous owner, free of charge. Check the service history to see if it's been done, and maybe call the garage that worked on it to make sure. If it hasn't been done, it's still no problem - any Opel dealer should carry out the work free of charge.

Also, for UK imports in particular, we'd always recommend that you get a Cartell.ie car history check to ensure the mileage and history are legit and that there is no finance outstanding on the car.

Expert answer

Hi Eileen,

The Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi hatchback emits 95g/km, putting it in Band A3 for tax, which currently costs €190 per annum.

Expert answer

Hi Daniel,

Definitely go for the 1.6. It's a much more modern unit than the 1.9 and is quieter and more frugal. I'd estimate that in real-world terms you should get around 5-10mpg more out of the 1.6 compared to the 1.9.

Expert answer

Hi James,

I'd normally say that at the 20-25k mark you're on the cusp of needing diesel but with that big a price gap between the two I'm minded to say go with petrol. 

The only caveat to that is what kind of mileage you're doing. If that's 25k of endless motorway miles then diesel could still be worth a look as a 318d will easily hit 60mpg on a long run while a 320i will struggle to get above 50mpg.