Expert answer

Hi Mary,

At just 1,500km per year it's highly likely that a petrol car would be better suited to your needs. Diesel cars are usually more expensive to buy in the first place, and new petrol cars are much closer to their diesel counterparts than ever before in terms of fuel economy and tax so in your case the balance tips in favour of petrol. On top of that, diesel cars are designed to be driven at higher speed regularly and they don't take well to a life in town.

Recently we did a piece of research in conjunction with Cartell.ie looking into this very thing. Read the results of the research here.

Expert answer

Hi John,

Yes, but with one small caveat. The Prius has always been one of Toyota's best, and indeed best-built cars. It's essentially a flagship model, particularly for Toyota's eco-friendly ambitions. There have been a few recalls (for malfunctioning brake lights, airbags, steering and brake issues, as well as the infamous sticky-throttle-pedal one), but generally Prius are solidly reliable and there have thus far been no reports of fading or failing battery performance. We've heard one or two reports of rust breaking out, but they're probably most likely down to unattended panel damage exposing bare metal.

The caveat? It depends how and where you drive as to whether or not it's worth buying a Prius. Yes, you'll get cheap road tax, but to get even vaguely close to Toyota's quoted 65mpg fuel economy figures, you're going to have to drive with the reticence of a trappist monk. Get anywhere in the neighbourhood of enthusiastic driving and you're going to see the fuel economy plummet, ditto for undertaking any long motorway journeys. But, if you spend most of your time in town, where the Prius' electric motor and stop-start systems can best bring their armament to bear, then the economy should pick up, and you'll have one of the most comfortable, reliable and relaxing cars in which to hustle your way through city traffic.

Expert answer

Hi Joe,

Your first choice there is a bit of a hard one to argue with. The Mazda3 is impressively well built, hugely reliable and, in saloon form, not only has a big, useful boot but also manages to look better than the five-door hatch on which it's based. The downside is a dour, plain cabin but that €6,000 budget should, with a little haggling, get you into a 2007 1.6 TD diesel model. No, you won't get the benefit of the cheaper post-2008 tax, but for those occasional runs up to Mayo, you'll be saving yourself a whole lot of fuel.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Mim,

By and large, yes. The 1.6 FSI engine was actually pretty peachy to drive, if rather underpowered. As with all underpowered cars, watch carefully for signs of abuse and hard-running by drivers frustrated with the lack of oomph. 

It seems to be a very solidly reliable car, but there are some reports in owner forums of problems with the cam belt tensioner repeatedly failing and needing to be replaced at almost every major service, while there are also some reports that the direct fuel injection system means that the inlet valves can become sticky with carbon deposits. That seems to be about it, though.

Expert answer

Hi Patrick,

The official fuel figure for the Sportage petrol model of that era was 27mpg, but we'd expect you will probably do a little lower than that, most likely around 25mpg. It's not terrible, and you have to play that off agains the extra that a diesel model would cost, but it's not exactly economical. Then again, with a bit of practice and technique, you may be able to do better.

Other than that, it makes entirely good sense. Sportages are rugged and pleasant to drive and very practical too. One thing; the price seems a touch high, although that could have to do with there being a dearth of good 2009-2010 used cars around in general, as well as the very low mileage.

Expert answer

Hi Bill,

Is that the 1.8-litre engine? If so, then it had an official fuel economy figure of 32mpg. I say ‘had’ because that’s a 16-year-old car and a huge amount is going to depend on how well it’s been looked after. Generally speaking, I’d say that you should expect around 25mpg from it around town, and maybe 35mpg on a longer run.

Expert answer

Hi Peter,

Generally Tourans are pretty well made and the cabin in particular is very rugged indeed, a major consideration if you're going to be hauling kids around in the back of it. There are some reports swirling around on t'internet of gearbox issues, with some owners reporting that the DSG gearbox has failed when driving at speed, with literally explosive results. Other than that, it's the usual electrical niggles and some issues with the fuel injectors and pumps on the diesel engines.  As for value, if it's a petrol version, you might pick a 2008 model up for around €7,000-8,000, but if it's a diesel, expect to pay more like €11,000-12,000.

Let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Colette,

We'll work from official figures here. Mazda quotes 4.3 litres/100km (65.7mpg) for the Mazda3 fitted with its 115hp 1.6 diesel engine. That applies to all versions of the five-door hatchback and four-door saloon the diesel engine can be had in.

Hyundai, meanwhile, quotes 4.1 litres/100km (68.9mpg) for its 110hp 1.6-litre diesel engine - in manual guise - so that car wins by a nose.

We wouldn't expect there to be much in it for the average driver though, as the Mazda has a little more performance (specifically torque), which means that the driver has to try a little harder in the Hyundai to achieve the same speeds.

Expert answer

Hi Diarmuid,

On the site we have a full test of the XF Sportbrake estate here, powered by the diesel engine. I never added in the average economy figure as my driving that week was mostly in an urban setting. For the record, it used about 9.0 litres/100km (31.4mpg). It should do a lot better on the motorway.

Is that of help?

Expert answer

Hi Patsy,

BMW offers three different diesel engines with xDrive four-wheel drive in the X3, the xDrive20d, xDrive30d and xDrive35d. The xDrive20d can be had with a manual or automatic gearbox and the official figure is 50.4mpg (5.6 litres/100km) no matter which transmission is fitted. The xDrive30d and xDrive35d are only available with automatic gearboxes and the official fuel economy figures are 47.1mpg and 46.3mpg respectively (6.0- and 6.1 litres/100km).

Those figures won't be obtainable in the real-world, obviously! We spent time with the xDrive20d during snowy conditions a few years back (read the full review here) and averaged 34mpg (8.3 litres/100km), though in normal conditions it should do a lot better than that. We also tested the xDrive30d (read that full review here), though apologies, but I didn't record the average fuel consumption figure at the time...