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Hi Francis,

I reckon you should be looking at a Kia cee'd Sportwagon. Handsome to look at, excellent 1.6-litre diesel engine, lots of space, massive boot and, even if you're buying nearly new, a long, loooooong warranty. A tough package to beat and it's more enjoyable to drive than you might expect. Does it fall foul of your 'not boring' requirement?

OK so, one man's meat etc. How about a Skoda Yeti? Not as practical or big in the boot department, but funky and fun to drive and if you get a 4x4 version, a proper off-roader too.

What do you think?

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Hi Jason,

Perhaps predictably, the DS5 has been a slow seller for Citroen, primarily because as soon as you put the words 'French' and 'premium' into the same sentence, most buyers tend to look for the exit. We are very, very wedded to our German premium cars in this country. 

The DS5 isn't a bad car at all, but to be honest, neither is it a very good one. It looks absolutely stunning, inside and out and as a piece of automotive sculpture, it's hard to beat. It comes with some excellent diesel engines too and generally its build quality and reliability seems to be up with the best.

The problem comes when you actually drive it and realise that it has steel girders for suspension. It rides terribly, clonking and clattering over bumps in a way that should be utterly alien to any French luxury car. A BMW 5 Series on 20-inch wheels rides better than this... Then there's the problem that the cabin is actually quite cramped, even in the front. It's a car we want to love, but there are just too many fundamental issues with it for us to do so.

Read our full road test of the Citroen DS5 here

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Hi David,

Diesel particulate filter issues are common to all modern diesel engines and it's basically down to how the car is driven. It's part of why diesels aren't suitable for low mileage, short-hop drivers. 

The Mazda issue appears to be down to the fact that the diesel particulate filter warning light double-jobs as a warning light for other exhaust and emissions issues, meaning that fixing or replacing the filter might not be the whole story. Essentially, if you've got this problem, it's best sorted by a trained and informed Mazda mechanic, as they can interrogate the engine's computer in detail.

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Hi Bernadette,

You're most likely looking at a value of between €5,000 and €7,000 for your Corolla. If you're looking to trim your running costs then downsizing to a Yaris could be a good idea. You just need to do your sums carefully to make sure that the cost of upgrading (the price of the new car minus your trade in) isn't more than what you could potentially save in terms of petrol and road tax over the same period. 

Choosing an Auris isn't downsizing - it's the car that replaced the hatchback Corolla and is the same size. The only way it could save you money is if you went for the diesel version and that would only work if you're doing big mileages - 15,000km a year or more.

So, with that in mind, it may be worth looking at simply keeping your current car. A mileage of 89,000km is barely run in for a Corolla and it may be worth looking at simply getting your existing car serviced, valeted and maybe updated (new alloys? a nicer stereo?). It may work out cheaper in the long run.

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Hi Karl,

Short answer? Track down a nice Golf 1.9 TDI. As long as you keep it serviced that old 'Pump Düse' engine is solid, 50mpg is easily done and it's comfy and sweet to drive.

What do you think?

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Hi Jane,

Sounds like you want to move back into a proper MPV and the best one around at the moment, for my money, is the Citroen C4 Picasso. Citroen registered a bundle of them last year for press and promotional purposes so there should be plenty of good nearly-new or dealer demo stock knocking around. It's a classy looking thing, comfy to drive and utterly massive on the inside. Other good options are the Ford C-Max (great to drive but the boot is slightly on the small side) and the Toyota Verso (a touch unexciting but with terrific quality and lots of space). Or, of you want something with a warranty to match the Mitsubishi's, track down a nice 2013 Kia Carens - a classy looking car with bundles of space.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Alanna,

I reckon the Qashqai +2 might be the best one to go for. The extra seats are pretty small but the boot on the +2 is simply massive when they're folded flat, so that's helpful when you're lugging around two small ones and their various chattels. Don't worry about running costs too much - the Qashqai looks like an SUV but it's really a hatchback with attitude and the 1.5 diesel engine is reliable, economical and has reasonably low emissions too.

That Toyota 1.4 diesel you mentioned would indeed be much less powerful than your Mazda's engine - it's about 20hp down and noticeably so. Volkswagen Jettas are indeed reliable, but I reckon that the Nissan would be slightly more so, so make that your first choice.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Tanya,

Actually, both cars have exactly the same engine - BMW's long-serving 3.0-litre straight-six diesel. The first generation X5 is little short of excellent, with terrific handling and a gorgeous, comfortable cabin. Reliability isn't the best though. The engines have occasional problems with fuel injectors and developing cracks in the inlet manifold, while steering and suspension are also prone to damage and wear. X5s are also notorious for chewing through tyres at a ferocious rate. The engine's air mass sensor can also fail, leading to poor acceleration although you'll spot that easily enough on a test drive.

Basically, it's worth getting any potential purchase checked over by the AA for any faults, and just ignore anything that doesn't come with a full service history. Oh, and it's better to go for the 2004 one - that should have the newer six-speed automatic gearbox (ignore manuals - they'll be worth much less come trade-in time) that improves fuel economy to just over 30mpg.

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Hi Tanya,

OK, prices for a 2007 Kia Sorento range from as little as €6,000 for a commercial model to as much as €15,000, which seems a bit hopeful to me. Let's play reasonably safe and suggest that you should get about €9,000 to €10,000 on trade-in. 

Now, the 5 Series. The E60 5 Series that ran from 2002 to 2010 is one of our all time favourite cars and the 535d is one of the very best. Powerful, smooth, reasonably economical and able to spin the rear wheels in third gear. Ahem.

It's worth considering other models though. The 535d is a twin-turbo version of the same 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine that you'll find, in single turbo form, in the 530d. You won't save any money in terms of tax (it's the same capacity), but the 530d will be better on fuel and cheaper to insure. If you really want to save some money, look for the ever-popular 520d, which is almost ridiculously cheap to run and far more powerful than you might expect. 

As for things to look for, the suspension is the 5's weak point so if there are any nasty clonking noises or if the car feels unstable on the road, or the steering feels inaccurate, walk away. The iDrive infotainment system has also been known to give bother so check and make sure that it is working and, as with any prestige car, make sure it has a full service history.

With a car like this, I'd never advise buying privately or from an unfranchised dealer. SIMI membership should be at least the bottom line and you'll get a better deal from a BMW main dealer than you might expect, especially if the car is part of their approved used programme. 

A 2005 530d or 535d seems to hover around a similar asking price to your Kia so you'll just have to negotiate carefully to get the best price.

Let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi there,

I’d be slightly careful. Remapping can unleash more power and torque, but you need to be very careful that the chip comes from a reputable source and that it won’t unduly affect the reliability and fuel consumption of the engine. I’d have a word with the guys at the Volkswagen and Audi owners club of Ireland, VAGE, as they tend to know their onions and would be able to give you more precise advice.