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Hi Diane,

Well, there are expensive things you can do such as buying a different car or swapping out the standard seats for a set of, for example, Recaro or Corbeau bucket seats, but as a bad back sufferer myself I'd suggest booking in to see a good osteopath or physiotherapist. Very rarely will a car seat be the actual culprit - it's more likely that your symptoms are just worse after driving because sitting down for long periods is the very worst thing for your back.

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Hi Sean,

We are driving the new European-spec Ford Mustang next month so keep an eye on our reviews page for the full lowdown. 

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Hi Mike,

The A6 is a cracking choice - reliable, frugal, stylish and hugely comfy, but it's not as sweet to drive as the 5 Series. That said, it is more spacious and if you can track down an Avant estate you'll have one of the best looking cars around. 

If you're concerned about driving on snow and ice there are two avenues you should explore, no matter which car you go for. One is to look into fitting either winter tyres (which you'll need to swap back over to normal tyres in the spring) or all-season tyres, such as the new 'CrossClimate' one from Michelin. Better again, go on a winter driving techniques course. BMW runs one at Rally School Ireland in Monaghan and the skills you'll learn there would get you through even the worst blizzard, no matter which set of your car's wheels are driven.

Further reading:

Audi A6 review

BMW 5 Series review

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Hi Jerry,

All three will have excellent resale values, but I'd say the Hyundai has a nose in front in that regard, as it's a big-selling model and the five-year warranty makes it a desirable second hand purchase. 

Of the three, the Nissan is probably the best all-rounder when it comes to driving, the Hyundai is bigger and more spacious and the Kia is better looking (matter of opinion, I realise). It's worth noting though that both the Korean cars are up for replacement shortly wheras the Nissan is brand new and has more cutting edge technology.

Further reading:

Hyundai ix35 vs. Nissan Qashqai twin test review

Nissan Qashqai review

Hyundai ix35 review

Kia Sportage review

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Hi Aisling,

Yes they can, but they may not be the most cost-effective. If you're worrying about the diesel particulate filter in the exhaust getting clogged with soot and causing an expensive failure (and that can happen) then don't worry - a quick spin up and back the nearest motorway in a low-ish gear will heat the system up enough to let it burn off the soot and all will be well. Do it once a week for 30 minutes or so and you'll be fine.

The other issue is simple one of cost though. You will spend more money to buy a diesel car than you will a petrol and when you're only doing low mileage it's hard to generate the savings from fuel burn to make up the extra you've spent up front. That's why petrol makes so much sense for lower mileage drivers.

The thing is that the Qashqai can be had with a petrol engine, but it suffers much harsher depreciation when you buy it - so you're in a bit of a catch 22. Petrol is better for your driving profile, but worse for retaining value in this particular model. You may need to expand your search out to some other cars to make your sums add up.

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Hi Michael,

If you want to go petrol then there are few better options than Volkswagen's 1.2 TSI turbo, and when it's fitted to the Skoda Octavia, you've got a near-perfect combination. Drive it gently, and you'll probably get very little difference in the overall fuel consumption compared to your old 407. That engine hasn't really been in the market for all that long, so it's a little hard to get a handle on whether or not there are any reliability landmines out there, but in general we've heard nothing bad. 

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Hi Aisling,

You won't go far wrong with the Octavia. Get the 1.6 TDI and you've got a potential 55mpg car with lots of space and terrific build quality and reliability. If you're looking for alternatives, then there's always the Volkswagen Golf (mechanically the same as the Skoda but less spacious inside) or the Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi (terrific to drive and good value but poor standard equipment and they're tight in the back).

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Hi Declan,

Don't worry about the handling - MINIs are terrific to drive. Great fun. The C30 is perhaps a bit less so and Volvo parts and servicing have always been on the pricey side, but it's a much more practical car than the MINI, which is seriously short on space. Both are fine cars though, reliable too so it's a question of what you value more - space and comfort (Volvo) or driving fun (MINI).

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Hi Brian,

There's a serious, serious issue at the moment in the chasm between what the car makers claim you will get in economy terms from a car and what you actually get in real-world driving. There are changes to the official testing regime coming down the pipe, but the car makers are resisting that with all their lobbying might as it means that their CO₂ ratings will go up too.

In the meantime, and this is based purely on personal experience, a Golf BlueMotion should get close to 60mpg in daily driving, and you may even crack the 65mpg mark, though 70mpg is probably not going to happen, being realistic.

Further reading:

Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion review

Expert answer

Hi Mary,

You can get a full run down on what we thought of the Pajero here. But the short version is: it's a bit old fashioned but we really rather like it. It's big, comfy and should be endlessly reliable. The Pajero's reputation is that you can't kill it with a stick...

On the tax side, things are a little more complex. The good news is that because the Pajero Executive's boot space qualifies it for commercial rate Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) you can get it, fully loaded with leather, automatic and a kick-ass sound system, for a lot less than many more prestigious rivals. 

You can also claim back the VAT if you're buying it for business purposes, although your accountant is the person you should be asking about that, not me. 

The trickier thing is road tax. Theoretically you can just pay the commercial vehicle road tax on one of these but it's complicated. You have to be able to prove, if challenged, that you bought the car for strictly business purposes. That's fine if you're, say, a developer or an architect or a builder or a farmer - someone who needs to carry big loads and visit muddy construction sites a lot. But if you're, say, a software engineer then that's just not going to fly and you're going to get a massive fine for your troubles. Better to pay the full passenger car rate (€1,200 in this case) and be on the safe side.