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Hi Audrey,

Go for the Tiguan and go for four-wheel drive if you can find a good one within your budget. That first generation Kuga didn't age well at all (interior feels very cheap and nasty now) and the last time I drove a four-wheel drive version I struggled to get better than 35mpg out of it. By contrast a 4Motion Tiguan should easily crack the 40mpg barrier in everyday driving, has a lovely cabin and is crackingly good to drive.

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Hi Brian,

Yes it is. All CR-Vs up to the latest 1.6 diesel have had four-wheel drive only. The latest 1.6 is the first offered with front-wheel drive only.

Best of luck with your purchase.

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Hi there,

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Hi Avril,

Yup, if you're doing big mileage, then the fuel-sipping nature of a diesel is exactly what you need. I'd suggest a 2008 Hyundai i30 or Kia cee'd 1.6 diesel. Both are in your price bracket (just about - you may need to haggle), both are massively reliable, spacious, comfy and nice to drive. Hard to go wrong with either so just buy the best one of either brand that you find.

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Hi Helen,

While there is no direct replacement for the Grandis, the Mitsubishi Outlander comes as a seven seater, with the choice of manual or automatic gearboxes. It's also got selectable four-wheel drive. From a pricing perspective, the Outlander seven-seat manual is in the same price bracket as the old Grandis.

Here's our recent road test of the Outlander for your information

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Hi Mark,

The simplest and most sure way is to take a look underneath. Only the four-wheel drive RAV4 has a solid-looking metal tube running from the gearbox at the front to the rear axle, running alongside the exhaust. Also, there are distinct driveshafts to the rear wheels with rubber 'boots' on either end. The two-wheel drive car doesn't have any of that.

Hope that makes your life easier.

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Hi Deirdre,

Well, if you're not actually pulling anything, you shouldn't really need actual four-wheel drive, so I suggest either a Skoda Yeti Greenline or, if you fancy something a little larger, a Mazda CX-5 150hp Sport. Both have CO₂ emissions of 119g/km so cost just the €200 a year to tax. By comparison, a MINI Cooper diesel costs €190. 

If you really need the four-wheel drive, there are all-wheel drive versions of both cars but you're into higher purchase prices and tax bands in both cases.

Come back to us if you'd like more help

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Hi John,

The front-wheel drive Dacia Duster powered by the 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine returns 56.5mpg (5.0 litres/100km) on the combined cycle. The four-wheel drive version is a little more thirsty at 53.3mpg (5.3 litres/100km). Naturally most people don't achieve these official figures, but it's a good benchmark figure.

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Hi Igor,

There was a changeover of Santa Fe models in 2006, when the first seven-seat model was introduced. Go for that, not the older model which was pretty crude, if reliable. 

The 2006 on version is much better - smooth and comfy and with lots of space. Astonishingly, there seem to be no common reported problems. Hyundai builds its cars pretty tough and only the occasional wobble from a stereo seems to surface. An excellent choice.

Best of luck

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Hi Willy,

For most people, the differences are cosmetic, though the Cross Country has its own suspension settings, including greater ground clearance. For now though, the only four-wheel drive model is powered by the top-of-the range petrol engine, so it's not likely to be very popular in Ireland.

We've driven both and, if you like the look of the Cross Country, there's very little compromise. It drives as well, is actually a little more comfortable, yet is nigh on identical inside. The regular V40 line-up starts at a lower price point though.

Hope that's of some help