Expert answer

Hi Matthew,

Wow, that's a brave decision. First off, the RX-8 is and always will be one of our favourite cars - light, agile, fun and with that screaming rotary engine up front. It's a gem of a car, and pretty reliable too.

Now the bad news. It's going to cost you a fortune to insure. You say you're starting to learn driving, but you don't specify your age. If you're under 25 you may well find it impossible to get any cover, but if you still live at home you may be able to do the old named-driver-on-your-parents-insurance trick. Even if you're over 25, as a first time driver your insurance is going to be well and truly loaded - the RX-8 is a proper sports car (and occasionally tricky in the wet) and most insurers will not be keen on insuring a novice on such a car.

Assuming though that you can sidestep those hurdles, go for it! If you start your driving career with an RX-8 you'll be getting off to a terrific start. One word of advice - invest in a high performance tuition course to help you better understand the ins and outs of driving a fast, rear-drive car. It'll make you a better driver anyway and it could save your life.

Let us know how you get on

Expert answer

Hi Peter,

A brilliant car, albeit one with a couple of shortcomings relative to its German rivals. It's probably the best-looking car in the class, and the 500-litre boot is a match for the BMW 5 Series Touring and Audi A6 Avant (though much smaller than that of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class). It's utterly delightful to drive too, better even than the much-praised BMW, with brilliant steering and a comfy ride.

On the downside, the interior is a step behind the Germans (not enough space, old-fashioned touch-screen infotainment system, narrow front seats) and the fuel tank is on the small side, limiting your touring range and making the car feel thirstier than it actually is. The 2.2-litre diesel engine in 190hp form is the best all-round to go for, but the lower power 163hp is a bit cheaper to buy and you'll hardly ever notice the difference in day-to-day driving. Or, you could get the best version; the 272hp 3.0 D V6 diesel – a properly quick, practical car that.

Here's our road test of the XF Sportbrake

Expert answer

Hi Jim,

I'd say you're just on the cusp of switching from petrol to diesel, but the 1.2 turbo petrol Qashqai is an excellent car, and on paper you should be able to get good enough economy out of it to not need to pay the extra for the 1.5 dCi diesel. Maybe ask your Nissan dealer if you can take one for a 48-hour test, to see exactly how good the economy is on your usual driving routes.

Let us know how you get on

Expert answer

Hi Keith,

It really just depends on two things; her driving style and habits and what kind of condition the car is in. If it's in good nick, her average mileage is quite low and she's able to maximise the economy from that engine, you may just be better off spending a little bit of money getting the car thoroughly serviced and spruced up and sticking with it. If though her mileage is creeping up or you feel that the car is starting to age then it could well be worth trading in for a newer Passat. The current model is essentially the same car, but updated and re-skinned and the 1.6 TDI diesel gives it terrific economy.

Expert answer

Hi Michael,

If it's short trips and city driving then you're probably better off with the petrol model. It's significantly cheaper than the diesel version, which gives you plenty of budget to buy fuel and pay the slightly more expensive road tax. One word of warning though - from personal experience it can be almost impossible to move on a Mk1 petrol Qashqai when the market is so diesel-obsessed. Several people I know have had to take a bath on second hand value when it came to trading in a first gen 1.6 petrol Qashqai so you need to be aware of that. The new 1.2 petrol turbo version should by rights fare better because it's so efficient but with the market still being diesel mad, you need to be careful.

Expert answer

Hi Dan,

Hmmm. Generally for your mileage I would recommend a petrol car, but the bad news is that in your size bracket, petrol engines are a little thin on the ground. You could go for either a straight replacement for your Corolla by getting a Toyota Auris 1.4 D-4D, which is a very fine car, or you could, as you suggest, branch out and snap up a Hyundai i30 1.6 diesel - again a very fine car and with that five-year warranty, a very tempting buy. 

But, with your mileage profile, I would suggest taking a good long look at petrol alternatives. The Ford Focus 1.0 EcoBoost is a terrific car with a great engine and well worth a look. That said it's a little tight in the back seats for two teenagers so I'd say the best all round bet is a Skoda Octavia 1.2 TSI. It's more affordable than the diesel version, damn near as economical and has a big boot and lots of space in the back seats for those teenager-filled weekend runs. Great quality and reliability too.

Expert answer

Hi David,

Depends on your driving style, but 55mpg should be a gimme, 60mpg if you're a bit careful and 70mpg if you're driving with baby kittens under the accelerator pedal.

You're quite right about 1.2 engines, at least for now. They usually have to be worked too hard to drive at normal speeds to get the best economy and, for now, 1.6 seems to be a displacement sweet spot. That will change though - just check out the economy you can get (with some effort) from Volkswagen's 1.2 TSI petrol unit.

Expert answer

Hi Ciaran,

Benefit in kind is, unfortunately, not a fixed figure and depends as much on your personal circumstances as it does the particular car. Have a look on the Revenue website to learn more, but you’re going to need an accountant.

As for tax on the vehicle itself, the VRT payable is 13.3 per cent of the purchase price and, taxed as a commercial, it’s €333 a year, but if you’re using it for any sort of social, domestic or pleasure driving then you’ll have to tax it as a private car, and that means €1,200 per year.

Expert answer

Hi David,

OK, if you're determined to go diesel and you need a reliable 60mpg plus then the only safe option is to get yourself a Golf BlueMotion. Your Polo plus your budget should get you easily into one, but you have to remember that getting good fuel economy is actually all about your driving style. We recently managed to get better than 60mpg out of a 1.2 TSI petrol Skoda Rapid, and that was with four big blokes on board...

Expert answer

Hi Robbie,

It could well be a wheel bearing. Though it could just as easily be a tyre. Best bet is to bring it to a different mechanic to have it checked over.