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Hi Tommy,

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Hi Tom,

You really may as well flip a coin to be honest. Under the skin they are basically identical. The Kia is arguably better looking and has the longer seven-year warranty, but then the Hyundai's five-year warranty is an unlimited mileage one - useful if you're racking up high miles. 

It comes down to personal preference other than that

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Hi Brian,

Generally speaking, the Sedona should be as close to utterly reliable as is possible. A 2008 model will still have up to a year's warranty left on it, which is reassuring, and the only repetitive niggle we can find with them is that the electric sliding side doors can have a mind of their own and you will probably often have to resort to manual control. Kia dealers don't seem to be able to locate the source of the problem, for some reason. 

We have heard reports of a few 'Friday afternoon' cars that have had troubles with clutches, brakes, air conditioning and gearboxes, but these seem to be very rare indeed.

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Hi Dave,

Really highly to be honest. Big, spacious, comfy and very well made. The S80 isn't as sharp to drive as a BMW 5 Series, but it's reliable and incredibly comfy. The only wrinkle here is that the FlexFuel engine isn't the best - it's thirsty and there's nowhere selling the biofuel for it anymore. Unless your mileage is low, it's worth seeking out a 2.0-litre diesel model.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Deck,

There seems to be a bit of split in S-Max ownership between those who have solidly reliable cars and those who keep suffering annoying niggles. Electrical faults are surprisingly common, and can range from knackered windscreen wipers to a fault that drains the battery over the course of a couple of days. Other have complained of some loose-fitting interior trim, especially around the doors. Keep an eye out too for clonking noises coming from the steering, stiff brake pedals or the diesel engine cutting out mysteriously.

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Hi Fionn,

You see, if we could answer that then we would have cracked the deep and dark mysteries of car depreciation and possibly time travel. In which case this would be written from the deck of our yacht, moored in the Caribbean. But it's not, so the short answer is we don't know. Fifty per cent depreciation over the first three years is the normal rule of thumb for most cars, and a 5 Series diesel would drop in value a little slower than that. So a five-year old one would probably be worth just under half of what it cost when new, assuming it's in perfect condition and has a full service history.

Hope that's of some assistance!

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Hi Dee,

Get yourself into a Skoda Yeti. Fab family car that. Three individual rear seats, which slide, tip, fold and remove. Should easily take your seating arrangement and they're brilliant to drive. 1.6 TDI is the best all round engine and it's available with the DSG automatic gearbox. Still a cracking car after all these years - reliable and high quality too.

What do you think?

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Hi Dave,

A really decent car, actually, and an interesting alternative to the likes of a BMW 3 Series or Audi A4. Lexus' quality and reliability are both utterly off-the-clock-good so there are few, if any, problems to worry about. As long as it comes with a full service history, you should have nothing to be concerned about there. It's not quite as polished an all-rounder as a 3 Series though - space in the back is surprisingly tight, the ride quality can be very firm and while the 180hp 2.2-litre diesel is punchy and economical, it's not especially refined. Still, it has one of the best-looking and best-made cabins in the business and we think it's an uncommonly handsome car too.

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Hi Annette,

I think your best bet could be to upgrade to a newer Mazda3 Saloon. The second generation 3 four-door is a really nice car - spacious, comfy and reliable, and if you get a 1.6 diesel from 2008 onwards you'll be paying half nothing for your road tax. 

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Hi Eitvydas,

A bit, yeah. 75hp was never quite enough to shift the Golf's bulk. You're better off trying to track down a nice 1.6 petrol instead, or going for the ever popular 1.9 diesel.