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Hi Paul,

The good news is that it still looks fresh and funky after all these years, and it's good fun to drive. It's not as classically brilliant as the rival MINI in terms of steering feel and dynamic abilities, but in its bouncy-as-a-pogo-stick way, it's a hoot. The quality of the cars, made in Fiat's factory in Poland, is generally pretty good, but there are one or two things to look for. The diesel engine can fail entirely (thankfully a rare occurrence) and any engine management warning light means an immediate trip to your dealer. Interiors can rattle and squeak a lot too and the paint is a bit on the thin side.

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Hi Christopher,

Yes, absolutely. Mazdas are renowned for their reliability, and the 3 is no different. In spite of sharing all its mechanical parts with the second generation Ford Focus, the 3 generally does a little better than the Ford in reliability and surveys. Perhaps the Mazda engineers do the bolts up a little tighter... Some early models apparently suffered from turbo failure on the 1.6 diesel engine but that seems to be the only thing, bar the usual history checks and damage inspection, to be worried about.

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Hi Clare,

If you're looking for an MPV, I always tend to recommend a Toyota Corolla Verso. They're spacious, have plenty of room for boosters seats and the like and are very safe and reliable. If you get around €3k for your Renault, that should get you into a 2008 or 2009 Verso diesel.

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Hi Karmel,

That Honda Civic has a timing chain. No maintenance or replacement of the chain is required unless it starts to rattle.

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Hi Joe,

Both excellent choices although it's worth pointing out that the petrol-powered Honda will struggle more to hold on to any value as the market is so diesel-obsessed at the moment. Still, that means prices are cheaper for you at buying time...

As with all Hondas, the CR-V is remarkably reliable, although this model has suffered from some issues. There have been some problems with trim scratching and scuffing too easily, as well as problems with the alternators. Some have had issues with the gearbox too and high front tyre wear. You should also check carefully underneath to make sure that any previous owner hasn't been taking the 4x4 bit too seriously.

That goes equally for the Hyundai and the good news here too is that reliability is excellent. The only regularly reported problems with the Santa Fe are that the air conditioning system can need regular re-gassing and that the stereo is pretty rubbish.

Both will be expensive to run though. The CR-V has CO₂ emissions of 194g/km so motor tax is going to be pricey. Despite being diesel, the Hyundai is no better, with CO₂ emissions of 191g/km. Both will average around 35mpg in regular driving.

I have to admit to a small bias - my father-in-law has owned his 2.0-litre petrol CR-V from new in 2007 and loves it. It's been massively reliable (only ever needing a replacement alternator) and he regularly gets better than 40mpg from it. That said, the Hyundai is also an excellent vehicle and I would say both are safe bets - try some test drives and see which one you prefer and let us know which way you go.

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Hi Gary,

We rate the Scirocco very highly indeed. It's peachy to drive, quietly handsome and surprisingly practical for a coupé. The 1.4 TSI petrol engine is actually fine in the Scirocco, although it can't really cash the cheques the body is writing. It's got more than decent performance, but if you want some proper thump, then the 2.0-litre 140hp diesel is definitely the better choice. Best of all though is the 2.0 TSI with the engine from the Golf GTI. It can get a little thirsty if you drive it like it begs to be driven, but as an all-rounder, it's very hard indeed to beat.

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Hi Bjarne,

The first thing we'd check are the heater plugs. They're not cheap though, so have an auto electrician test them before you shell out money paying for their replacement.

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Hi Catherine,

Not necessarily. The 1.6-litre diesel used in the C-Max is an engine used in a huge variety of cars, from the C-Max to the Focus to the Mondeo to various Citroens, Peugeots, Volvos and even the occasional MINI. This means that, by and large, it's a decent engine with good reliability prospects and millions of miles of use in a massive number of cars to reveal any bugs.

That said, there are a couple of issues to watch for and mostly it's to do with the turbocharger, which can occasionally be a weak point. Usually it's down to a failure of the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve, and it can be pretty easily fixed. Watch the parts prices and shop around for quotes if anything does go wrong. Alternators can give trouble too, so be suspicious of any engine or battery warning lights.

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Hi Rob,

Really good actually - reliable, hugely spacious and quite nice to drive. Best of all, a 2009 one will still have up to two full years of the manufacturer's warranty left to run. Mind you, you need to read the fine print on that - there are some exclusions, including interior rattles and loose trim, something the cee'd does suffer from.  

They can also go through tyres quite quickly and the gearbox can give trouble, although it's usually just a matter of changing the transmission fluid.

Let us know how you get on.

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Hi Owen,

Not bad actually, but check it carefully for electrical gremlins, gearbox issues and look underneath for signs of abuse from over-enthusiastic off-roading.