Expert answer

Hi Alex,

Offline you mentioned you'd like something stylish as well as solid and spacious. One of the first cars that comes to mind is the Audi Q3, which is decently practical, has a premium badge and is plentiful for your budget of about €20,000. I'd urge you to stick with petrol power given your annual mileage of no more than 15,000km.

The BMW X1 would do the same job, but it's very difficult to find one that isn't diesel. Same story with the Audi A6 Avant and BMW 5 Series Touring estates, both of which we'd prefer over an SUV. And same thing for the excellent Volkswagen Arteon.

A hybrid-powered Lexus NX would be a good option for you, as would the Mazda CX-5, though neither are as common in the classifieds as the Audi above.

Have a look at some of those and test drive as many cars as you can.

Come back to us if you'd like us to help narrow down your search.

Expert answer

Hi Phil,

There's no definitive answer to that question, really – it's something you'll have to weigh up for yourself as only you know what car it is you want next. To buy that car now and leave the Passat lying idle would be an extra cost for sure, but obviously that's not the only consideration here.

Expert answer

Hi Aubril,

The Focus estate in general is pretty decent, but the 1.8-litre diesel engine was not Ford's finest hour and unless it has verified low mileage and/or a detailed service history showing regular oil changes, it's best to look for an alternative. The 1.6-litre diesel is a far superior engine from Ford, for example.

Expert answer

Hi Matthew,

Getting the head gasket replaced on any car can vary in cost depending on where you are, who's doing the work and if any additional damage is found. Expect it to cost at least €1,000 at an independent garage, more at a Hyundai dealer.

It's a big job by any measure, which can take up to 12 hours of labour, and the parts are expensive as well. On top of all that, the cylinder head may need skimming or - at worst - replacing, so budget a little extra just in case.

No mechanic can give you a fixed price for the job given the potential for extra damage to the engine that is unseen until it is dismantled.

Expert answer

Hi Dana,

It really sounds related to the charging circuit and, before going through the list below, perhaps check that the battery was replaced by a 'silver-calcium' one that is compatible with the so-called “Ford Smart Charge System”. A regular lead-acid battery is not compatible.

We'd have hoped that a good mechanic would have tried the below things already, but if not:

Bad ground or wiring issue

- A poor ground connection or corroded cables can cause intermittent charging problems.

- Check and clean all ground connections (especially the engine-to-chassis ground and battery-to-body ground).

- Look for damaged or frayed wiring between the alternator, battery and fuse box.

Alternator not charging properly

- Even new alternators can be faulty. A voltage drop test should confirm if it's truly charging.

- With the engine running, check the voltage at the battery terminals. It should read around 13.5-14.5 volts.

- If it's much lower, the alternator isn't charging properly, or something is disrupting the circuit.

Smart Charge System

- The Ford Smart Charge system can fail and cause charging problems.

- Check the three-pin connector going to the alternator - if it's loose, corroded, or damaged, the alternator may not work correctly.

- Try disconnecting the Smart Charge system (forcing the alternator to work as a standard one) and see if the problem improves.

Parasitic battery drain

- If something is drawing power while the car is off, the battery might not have enough charge when you restart.

- A mechanic can do a parasitic draw test by pulling fuses one by one to find a circuit draining power.

Faulty ECU or sensors

- If the ECU isn't regulating voltage properly, it could be sending the wrong signals to the alternator.

- Some Ford owners have reported a faulty crankshaft position sensor or bad engine ground causing similar symptoms.

Fuse box or relay issue

- Check the engine bay fuse box for water damage or corrosion - this is common on older Fords.

- A failing alternator fuse or relay could intermittently stop charging.

Expert answer

Hi Gary,

We'd definitely advocate for an estate over an MPV or SUV as they're more space efficient, more fuel efficient and generally better to drive, especially as you clearly spend quite a bit of time on the road.

Assuming you're on the motorway for much of that, then a diesel probably makes the most sense, though if you're generally at lower speeds, it's well worth considering a hybrid instead to keep your maintenance bills down.

Within budget are some lovely premium estates, such as the Audi A4 and A6 Avant, along with the BMW 3 Series Touring, Volkswagen Passat and Skoda Superb, though you might have to compromise and go for high-mileage examples.

There are a few diesel Ford Focus estates around as well, along with the underestimated Kia Ceed estate. On the hybrid side, there's an estate version of the Toyota Corolla to consider as well.

Come back to us if you'd like help narrowing down your search, as you have loads of choice with €20,000 to spend.

Expert answer

Hi Mary,

There are loads of examples of the 2021-2022 Hyundai Santa Fe on the market using the plug-in hybrid powertrain, priced from about €40,000 to over €50,000 depending on the model year, mileage, etc. This is a really good car, and far more spacious than your Tucson, but we urge you to go along to a dealer with your baby seats to check out the space inside for them. There is no ISOFIX in the middle seat of the second row, nor in the third row, and it may still be a bit of a squeeze depending on how large your seats are. A dealer shouldn’t mind you trying out the space with your own seats.

Hybrid alternatives at the same price include the Kia Sorento, again as a plug-in hybrid. This shares its underpinnings with the Hyundai and the seven-seat layout, but it might be better suited to your needs as the middle row is better shaped to potentially take three baby seats. Though the middle position has no ISOFIX if that’s important to you. However, the two seats in the third row do have ISOFIX. Nonetheless, using the third row in any of these cars means a tiny boot.

Another option, though rarer on the used market, is the Toyota Highlander. It’s a seven-seater as well, comparable to the Santa Fe in terms of space. It’s similarly priced though, unlike the Hyundai and the Kia, it’s not a plug-in hybrid. That might be preferable depending on whether you are willing to install a home charger.

Another plug-in hybrid option is the Volvo XC90 T8. It has three individual seats in the middle row and, though the central one has no ISOFIX and is smaller than the outer ones, it still is likely to accommodate a baby seat. Worth checking out for sure.

Now, if you’re willing to consider a car or estate instead of an SUV, you’d do well to take a look at the Skoda Superb as it has a really wide rear seat and a massive boot. It’s also much more affordable than the cars above, available as a hybrid and should come with lower running costs.

Come back to us if you need further help narrowing your search down, but we do urge you to go try out a few of these cars for yourself.

Read our Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV review here

Read our Kia Sorento PHEV review here

Read our Toyota Highlander review here

Read our Volvo XC90 reviews

Read our Skoda Superb reviews

Expert answer

Hi Brendan,

The savings are not what they were, and effectively non-existent if you're talking about England, Scotland or Wales. The only realistic option is to look to Northern Ireland as most cars won't be subject to VAT and import duty, just VRT and the NOx levy. Read more below:

Guide to importing a car from Northern Ireland

Guide to importing cars from the UK

Expert answer

Thanks for the kind words Gerry - I've passed on your comments to the author, Neil.

For anyone else interested, the full review can be accessed here.

Expert answer

Hi Michael,

I don't think we can add much to this other than to say that it sounds like a selector issue, which may have been dislodged or damaged when the work on the clutch was done. However, I'd have expected the gear selection issue to be there from the start if it was that and this sounds worrying like an internal gearbox problem now. 

Unless the garage somehow damaged the gearbox during the work, I don't see how they could be responsible for it, but if they're taking responsibility for fixing it for you then they are in a better position than me to advise you what is causing the issues.

I do hope it gets sorted soon.