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Hi Kevin,

We've done a bit of digging into this and... there is no good answer. As a general rule of thumb, a USD$2 fall in the price of a barrel of oil should translate into a fall in the price at the pump of between 1.5c and 2c. Since June, the price of a barrel has fallen by, as you point out, USD$18 so where's our 18c cheaper litre of petrol? Answer: no-one's saying.

All the oil industry analysts are pointing to a weaker global price for crude oil, in spite of the recent and current turmoil in the Middle East. US reserve stocks are up, usage in China is down a little, all of which puts the price of oil under pressure. 

In fact, the price of a litre of petrol in the UK, which takes its feed from the same Brent Crude contract as us, has fallen by a few pence per litre recently, but in Ireland the price has actually gone up by 2c on average. Inflation? Nope, that's not the cause - the Central Statistics Office has inflation pegged at a lowly 0.4 per cent right now.

So, are the oil companies and distributors just gouging us? Possibly, yes. None of those contacted for an explanation deigned to respond, and there has been no increase in fuel duty nor carbon tax from the government side so the only logical explanation left is... yup, gouging.

All we can suggest is to do the usual - shop around and try and find the best price you can. There's no point in popping across the border, sadly - the UK's price of around STG£1.29 for a litre of petrol equates to around €1.64 and that's before bank transaction charges.

Come on Apple Green, Texaco, Maxol, Topaz et al; your input cost has fallen significantly. Why aren't we consumers getting the benefit?

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Hi Irvin,

Well, it kind of depends what you want and what you need. These are two very different cars, so it's a little tricky to compare them directly. The Audi is stylish, comfy, refined and reasonably spacious, and of course comes pre-loaded with buckets of premium appeal. The Fiesta is, by contrast, rather more cheap and cheerful, but it's utterly brilliant to drive and, with that 1.4-litre diesel, should cost little more than buttons to run.

So, as I say, it depends what you need. Want space and premium appeal? Get the Audi. Want cheap running costs and a pin-sharp driving experience? Get the Fiesta.

Let us know which way you go

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Hi Shane,

Ok, if you want to trim your tax, then your best hope is to get into a much more compact car. I'd suggest trading down to a five-door hatchback, and seeing as you do such low mileage, I'd suggest going for petrol - you'll find it much less trouble than diesel. 

How about a Skoda Octavia 1.2 TSI petrol turbo? Near to diesel levels of economy but no diesel particulate filter (DPF) to worry about, Band B emissions so you'll pay just €280 to tax it and it's also nice to drive and damn near as spacious as your old Mondeo.

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Hi John,

The Scenic has been heavily revised and updated since 2007 and really there's no comparison. A new 1.5 dCi diesel is going to be far more comfy and refined than a 2007 model. Besides which, Renault's build quality has also improved in the intervening years so it'll be more reliable too.

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Hi Pat,

You definitely need to change both belts. The recommended change interval is 125,000 miles (just over 200,000 kilometres) or every two years. If yours has never been done then we'd suggest you get it done as soon as possible.

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Hi Kevin,

Because, unfortunately, there is always a lag between the price of crude oil falling and the price coming down at the pump. It’s rarely the case going in the other direction of course, but before you go blaming rapacious fuel companies remember that the actual wholesale price of oil represents only a tiny fraction of the price of a litre of pump fuel – most of it is fuel duty and VAT. In fact, according to the AA, the price is on the way down. The average price for a litre of unleaded has fallen by 5c since June, and the average price for a litre of diesel has fallen by 3c. 

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Hi Kieran,

With that kind of mileage, you could probably look at saving yourself a bit of money by going for a petrol model - as long as the price gap between it and a diesel covers the fuel cost. Get your calculator out...

Of the cars you've mentioned, we'd go for a 3 Series. Few cars are as good to drive and it's the kind of thing you should own once at least. Check it carefully for wear and tear though and don't buy anything without a full service history. 

The only catch could be trying to find one that ISN'T a diesel...

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Hi Simon,

Generally speaking all three of these cars are really well built and shouldn't give you any major troubles. The BMW 2.0-litre diesel engine has some well documented and recurring issues with weakness in the turbo, but if you buy one on BMW's approved used programme, you'll get a two-year warranty that should cover you for any issues. The Diesel Particulate Filter issue on the Audi 2.0-litre TDI engine is usually related to drivers doing too low a mileage at too low a speed for the DPF to heat up sufficiently to clean itself - it's a recurring problem on any diesel car bought by someone who fundamentally doesn't understand how diesels work and are best driven.

I'd say of the three, my choice would be the last-gen C-Class. If you're looking at 2013, try and track down one of the last Edition C models - they were loaded with equipment and got an extra AMG body kit and nice wheels too. Superb to drive, cracking 2.1-litre diesel engine (if it touch noisy) and the only drawback is that they're not very spacious in the rear.

Of course, if it's reliability and reliability above all that concerns you, buy a Lexus IS 300h and you won't go wrong...

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Hi Yi,

As ever, it depends on mileage, condition and history but the taxi thing does push values down a good bit, so I'd say you're looking at a value of between €3,500 and €4,500.

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Hi Mark,

Yes, a little. The Tucson is only available with a 2.0-litre diesel if you want four-wheel drive, and the rated economy for the 2WD 2.0-litre version is 58.9mpg combined, versus 54.3mpg for the 4WD version. And both of them are thirster than the 61mpg 1.7 CRDi 2WD model.