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Hi Sinead,

I'd say your best bet is to seek out a Skoda Yeti. Really cracking car, high quality and good to drive. All-wheel drive 4x4 ones are a bit thin on the ground, but look hard enough and you'll find them. Expect to pay between €17-20k for a nice example.

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Hi John,

All are pretty good and I have to admit to having thrown some covetous glances myself at second-gen Ford Mondeos lately - that's a shape that has aged really, really well. That said, from the ones you've selected there, I'd go for the Mazda. It has terrific handling (best in the class for that time, actually) and should be very reliable so it's definitely the one to pick.

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Hi Dan,

Of all the ones you've mentioned there, I'd actually have a long, hard look at the Volkswagen Jetta. True, it's not the most exciting car of all, but with the 1.6 TDI diesel engine coupled to the DSG automatic gearbox, you should be able to squeeze terrific fuel economy out of it: 55mpg should be easily do-able, perhaps even the sunny side of 60mpg. It's sweeter to drive than you'd think too, really comfy and built like a tank.

What do you think?

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Hi Emmet,

Yes and no. Yes, they're as reliable as any other Volkswagen Group product (which is to say, very), but no, not very economical - the weight and bulk of the roof mechanism banjaxes any chance you have of scoring decent fuel economy.

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Hi Eoin,

Go for the Corolla. Its long term reliability prospects are better than those of the Polo, it'll be far more comfortable on the motorway and barely any more expensive to fuel and tax.

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Hi Bryan,

The fuel gauge should not visibly go down over such a short drive, no matter how fast you're going! If there's a fuel leak then it's a big one to cause that, so start up the car in neutral with the handbrake on in a safe location (in the dry preferably) and get out and look underneath for any signs. If there is one we recommend turning off the car and having it towed to a garage for a repair.

However, it may well be that the gauge or the sender unit in the fuel tank are themselves faulty and it could be an inexpensive fix. Either way you should bring the car back to where you bought it (assuming it was a trade sale and not a private one) and insist they accompany you on a drive so you can demonstrate the problem. If there's a warranty in place this kind of thing should be covered.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Dave,

Really highly to be honest. Big, spacious, comfy and very well made. The S80 isn't as sharp to drive as a BMW 5 Series, but it's reliable and incredibly comfy. The only wrinkle here is that the FlexFuel engine isn't the best - it's thirsty and there's nowhere selling the biofuel for it anymore. Unless your mileage is low, it's worth seeking out a 2.0-litre diesel model.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Paul,

How long have you got? Right, here are the good points - they're utterly gorgeous and have a ride quality that makes even the worst roads feel like a billiard table.

 Now for the bad stuff. Jaguar was in the throes of the worst of the British Leyland years at the time so quality was, um, optional. In fact it was mostly terrible. Jag had a hard enough time keeping the straight-six XK engine running reliably so just try to imagine how much bother twice as many cylinders, HT leads, plugs etc. can provide.

For full comedy effect the damn thing even has two fuel tanks that hold roughly 50 litres each. Hope you've got a flexible credit card limit... 

The list of things that can break is essentially endless and the body will probably slowly destroy itself from within with rust. Paint peeling off in sheets is pretty common and keeping the carbs in tune is not the work of a moment.

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Hi Eitvydas,

A bit, yeah. 75hp was never quite enough to shift the Golf's bulk. You're better off trying to track down a nice 1.6 petrol instead, or going for the ever popular 1.9 diesel.

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Hi Barry,

To be blunt, you're going to struggle to get a decent diesel engined car at that price level. There do seem to be one or two diesel Peugeot 307s or Renault Méganes around at that sort of money but we'd advise serious caution before purchase - neither have a great reputation for reliability. 

Unless you're covering mega-miles every week, you would probably be much, much better off getting a tidy 1.4 petrol hatchback, perhaps a circa 2002 Toyota Corolla? Really solid on the reliability front, excellent fuel economy and affordable motor tax. It would be a much better idea than going all out for diesel but ending up with a less reliable car.

What do you think?