Expert answer

Hi Brian,

First up, 143,000 miles isn't much for the 1.8 TDCi engine so don't focus on that. This sounds like the car has gone into 'limp home' mode, which could be for a variety of reasons from a faulty sensor to a blocked diesel particulate filter (DPF). You really need the car hooked up to a diagnostic computer at a garage to get to the bottom of the problem quickly.

Let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Pat,

If you're doing low mileage then you are way better off sticking with petrol. Even taking the higher tax into account, you'll still never make back the higher purchase price in fuel savings and with low mileage you're almost certainly going to run into diesel particulate filter issues. 

The good news is that the 1.6 Avensis is pretty economical for a small petrol engine in a big car. Drive it gently and you should regularly see the sunny side of 40mpg.

Hope that helps

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Hi Helena,

I presume you mean the diesel versions of both cars? If so, according to the official figures, a Qashqai 1.5 dCi diesel will return 54.3mpg on average, while a Corolla Verso 2.2 D-4D will return 44.8mpg.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi James,

There would be quite a significant difference in consumption. According to the official figures, your car should be getting a 49mpg average economy figure, while a 2011 Octavia 1.6 TDI would get 62mpg. That's the kind of difference that would really add up over the course of 45,000km. Mind you, you're talking about the difference between a 1.6 with 105hp and a 2.0-litre with 170hp and huge torque, so expect to have to adjust your driving style accordingly. As a potential half-way house, the new 180hp Octavia RS TDI should manage 55mpg…

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Hi Tom,

Very few, thankfully. Watch for damp carpets as the ventilation system filters have a habit of leaking and letting water into the cabin, and check too to make sure that all of the pipes and plumbing on the diesel engine are correct - there were some problems with them in that regard. There's also a recurring issue with the airbag warning light that seems to be more related to the light than the actual airbag, but it's irritating nonetheless. 

The CO₂ emissions for the 1.4 TDCi Fusion are 120g/km so it'll cost you €200 a year to tax.

Expert answer

Hi Sean,

Well, any insurance company is going to load any male driver under 30 with a hefty premium, and if they're going for a BMW, any BMW, then that premium will be stacked higher still. Perhaps it would be better to seek out a version of the 1 Series that doesn't specifically have the word 'Sport' in its name? The SE model is just as good to drive and look at and there's no actually major dynamic benefit to having the Sport badge on the car.

Or, if the insurance is still working out too steep, why not consider a MINI? A One D would be pretty much as much fun to drive as the 1 Series, cheaper to run and insure and still has that BMW-style handling (front-wheel drive notwithstanding). Could be a better car to drive until he's past 30 and into the sunlit uplands of cheaper insurance.

What do you think?

Expert answer

Hi Tom,

It's a much smaller car, the Rio. The Focus would be significantly larger and more spacious in the cabin and boot. There is a roughly €6,000 difference between the new prices of both, which should give you an idea of the gap between them. That said, if you don't need the cabin and boot space, the Rio is a cracking little car. Good to drive, good to look at and with that famous seven-year warranty.

Expert answer

Hi Valerie,

Nope, they're excellent. Mazda's reputation for reliability is well earned and the 3 is a really nice car to drive. They're a little plain on the inside, but they're certainly hard-wearing so if you're a family motorist that should reassure you. The only problem to report is that some early models suffered from turbo failure, but it seems to have been an isolated problem. You will have to put up with a little more road roar and tyre noise than you might expect, though.

Go drive one for yourself to see what you think and let us know.

Expert answer

Hi Mary,

I presume that's either a Laguna or a Scenic you're talking about? In that case, it looks like a very good price for a car with very low mileage. However, with that kind of small miles on a diesel you need to be careful of two things. 1 - make sure that the previous owners have been doing enough long, high-speed runs to generate temperature in the exhaust system to clear out the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) and, 2 - carefully check the history of the car to make sure that the mileage is genuine. Renault build quality is generally a little better than you might think, but you still need to be more careful than with other brands. Check carefully that all the electrics are working properly, especially the windows, and make sure the car has a full and complete service history.

Expert answer

Hi Raska,

Well, you haven't specified which model, but I'm going to take a stab that you mean Auris, Corolla or Avenisis. On that basis, the answer is yes (reliable, comfy, practical, lots of them around to choose from) and no (Auris and Corolla's 1.4 D-4D engine is underpowered compared to the competition, Avensis cabin feels a touch old-fashioned).

If you need a little more than that come back to us with a specific model.