Expert answer

Hi Gerard,

Sorry for taking so long to come back to you, but we wanted to investigate this a little. I've asked several independent and franchised garages about this and nobody has come across this problem with the VW Group TDI engines.

How did you determine what actually happened? Just add a comment below this question.

Expert answer

Hi William,

The official fuel economy figures for the 520d manual and automatic are as follows. The first figure in each case is for the manual model and the number in brackets is when fitted with the eight-speed automatic with Steptronic.

Fuel Consumption in EU Cycle

Urban: 

5.9 (6.4) l/100km

47.8 (44.1) mpg

Extra-urban:

4.3 (4.5) l/100km

65.6 (62.7) mpg

Combined:

4.9 (5.2) l/100km

57.6 (54) mpg

CO₂

129 (137) g/km

As you can see there is very little difference. As regards the M Sport model, we don't know how the new version of the 5 Series M Sport rides as yet, but I collect one this Tuesday so I will come back to you on how it drives then.

I hope this helps,

Expert answer

Hi William,

The first thing I would say is, do you really need a diesel? The diesel version of small cars tend to cost more and if you aren't really doing excessive mileage then you might not reap the benefits of owning one. For example a diesel Ford Fiesta costs €1,000 more than a petrol model and the annual road tax on the petrol model is only €156 - just €52 more per year than the diesel option. Often, in a small car, a petrol engine is really the best option.

The first car that you mention, the Fiesta, has been one of the real stars of the scrappage scheme and one of the best-selling cars in 2010 and for us, it is still the best supermini in the class. It is well built, drives really well and has pretty styling. The offers on the Fiesta for scrappage are very tempting and you can shop around to get the best deal, but you will find that there are greater discounts on the petrol models.

A car we rate here at CompleteCar.ie is the Volkswagen Polo and the 1.2-litre TDI BlueMotion model in particular is excellent offering outstanding fuel economy and ultra-low emissions. The Polo is the sort of car that you would like holding on to for four to five years as they age well.

There are obviously some incredible offers in the Renault range, as the company is offering by far the most generous discounts when it comes to new cars. You could have a petrol Clio from €8,990 under scrappage. There is a diesel version available too and with all the discounting this would come out as one of the cheapest five-door diesel superminis around.

I think if you are intent on diesel then perhaps you should look in value terms at a slightly larger car. I would be very tempted by a Hyundai i30 1.6-litre diesel. You can have one of these, which has five doors, is going to be very reliable and will cost you from €14,995 under scrappage, which is really excellent value.

However a car that has really impressed us of late is the new Nissan Juke. Here you are getting lots of car for the money. The diesel Juke starts at €20,195 (full price list here) and this car would qualify for scrappage as it has Band B emissions. 

That's a few for you to consider but do come back to us if you have more questions!

Expert answer

Hi Pete,

You don't mention the mileage or condition of your Focus, but the value to a dealer could be anything from €1,000 - €2,000 depending on those factors and what you are trading the car in against.

I think that with your 100km a day you are probably better off with a diesel car in terms of saving money on fuel. There are a few options in your price range. The Volkswagen Golf Diesel is one option. We like this 2006 model with really small mileage on it for €13,750.

But down in Cork there is probably a better buy in this 2007 Ford Focus 1.6-litre diesel (which is a better engine than the 1.8-litre unit) and this car has just 16,000 miles on the clock and is within your budget we would hope. If you liked your Focus before then I am sure you would love this newer model and at the price and mileage it would be hard to ignore.

Expert answer

Hi Patricia,

It's true that diesel engines are not as well suited to life spent in town and short journeys. Many of the components can become gummed up, reducing performance and increasing fuel consumption. Diesel versions of many cars are more expensive to buy in the first place too, and it's no point paying that premium unless you're going to make it back over longer annual mileages. Finally, petrol cars are generally quieter, making them more relaxed in town.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Mark,

Thank you for contacting us. I can understand your dilemma in that you are going to be using your car quite sparingly, but you need it to be something that can last a long time. We know from speaking to you since that you have a Ford Focus that you might sell privately or hope to get around €2,000 for as a trade-in, so given that your budget is around €10,000, which is decent enough.

I take your point on the Ford Focus diesel estates. They tend to have quite hard lives as many are bought by business users more so than private individuals and they often have mega miles on them and hence can be tatty. They also often have the older 1.8-litre diesel, which is a bit of a tractor to be honest.

You mention that you are going to be keeping this car for about five years, so as such I wouldn't worry too much about whether petrol cars are falling out of favour because your used car is unlikely to be worth a whole lot in five years with another 50,000km on the clock.

You don't really do a lot of miles per year anyway, so running a petrol car might not end up being too expensive. Also you could perhaps look at buying something with slightly higher mileage (as long as it is diesel) because these cars would be well able to put up with your low mileage. For example, you mentioned the Volkswagen Jetta, which is a fine car. You could have a diesel version, with slightly more mileage, for well within your price range. Here is one from a SIMI dealer for €8,900.

I would be inclined to go for a VW Golf with your budget. You could have a 2005 model with low mileage for €9,000. This one here caught our eye. It comes from a main dealer and will have a good warranty. These cars will put up with lots of mileage and are also likely to hold their value well. This example would still have lots of life left in it after 50,000km and might actually be worth a few quid too.

I hope this helps. Come back to us by adding comments below if you want to discuss this further.

Expert answer

Hi Stephen,

If you have owned a BMW 5 Series before then you might want a change. The 6 Series is a good car, but like anything else in BMW land when it gets a little older repairs can start to become expensive when things go wrong. I personally wouldn't go near one unless it had a full set of BMW service history stamps and unless I could budget another few thousand for things that might go wrong.

This one here is in a main BMW dealer so will have all the right history and paperwork and is pretty nicely equipped too. It is a little over budget, but I would be shocked if they weren't flexible on a 3.0-litre petrol car these days! The mileage on that example is also very low for the year. These cars have great handling and are usually generously equipped too. Remember though that it will cost quite a bit to run, both in terms of road tax and petrol costs.

Now, for alternatives. You did mention Lexus and the GS 450h hybrid is a wicked car. It is very, very fast, superbly equipped and comfortable. It will be ultra reliable too. You could have this one here, a 2007 model, for €25,950 and it would be a superb car to own. It actually does pretty decent fuel economy too. I'd prefer this to the 6 Series myself.

Or, you could enter Porsche ownership and have the brilliant Boxster S like this example in Galway that has the better engine and comes from a good home. Again, ignore the sticker price, as it is a buyers' market right now. I think you should own a silly car once, so unless you have cots and prams to carry about, I'd be tempted by the Boxster. It isn't going to annoy anyone any more than the 6 Series is.

The UK can be a minefield, but we wouldn't ever rule it out and I myself have bought cars there. What I would say is that the more research you do (and use history checks like motorcheck.ie) the easier it is.

As regards buying new, well you are likely to only afford something pretty dull and I think that you would not be too pleased coming out of a 5 Series. You seem to like interesting stuff.

If it was me, out of that lot I'd probably have the Boxster, but if I needed more practicality, the Lexus.

Hope, this helps. Feel free to come back for more odd suggestions.

Expert answer

Hi Leah,

We're awaiting confirmation from Mercedes-Benz, but we believe that there are few differences between the 2006 and the 2008 Viano tested by the Euro NCAP.

With regards to recalls, it's not unusual for a car to be recalled by any means. What's important is that you check with Mercedes-Benz that the Viano you are interested in has had all relevant recall work carried out already. Here is a list of the recalls for the Viano for your information:

2004:

- Mounting issue for the foot-operated parking brake.

- Engine software problem leading to reduced engine speeds.

2005:

- Brake pedal and master cylinder securing clip.

2006:

- Potential fuel leak.

- Electrical short circuit issue.

- Airbag faults.

2007:

- Fuel leak issues again.

2008:

- More issues with fuel leaks.

- Brake master cylinder replacement.

- Electronics fault.

2009:

- Side airbag issue.

- Parking brake issue.

Please remember that not all Vianos sold in Ireland will be affected by all recalls. Best thing to do is to check the registration of the car you are interested in with Mercedes-Benz.

Let us know if we can be of more help.

Expert answer

Hi Fergal,

You're in an enviable position if that's your choice for a new 2011 car! You can't go wrong with either. Before I give my personal preference let's look at the facts:

The new BMW 520d SE will be priced from €41,750. That's for the manual model, which is lovely, but for resale values it makes sense to opt for the automatic, bringing the price up to €43,964.

In comparison, the entry-level diesel E-Class (the E 200 CDI BlueEfficiency) costs from €41,035 - or €43,885 with an automatic gearbox.

However, on paper the BMW beats that car hands down. It has 181hp to the Merc's 136hp (and hence takes only 8.1 seconds to get to 100km/h versus 10.4 for the E 200 CDI) and yet it is much more efficient. In automatic guise it emits 137g/km, which means band B annual road tax. A manual version of the E-Class will do the same, but the automatic transmission moves the car into band C, almost doubling the tax. The BMW's fuel economy is better too.

The more expensive E 220 CDI BlueEfficiency costs €43,425 with a manual or €46,275 with an automatic. It's not much less efficient than the E 200 model, but it's significantly faster. However, the 520d still betters it in both respects.

Having driven both cars my personal preference would be the BMW. The new 5 Series has taken a major step forward in terms of luxury over the old car yet it's still good to drive.

Let us know what you decide by leaving a comment in the box below.

Expert answer

Interesting point. I guess you could say the same about shops like Dunnes Stores in Ireland, whose prices always end in .99 too. I think it is usually an artificial way of making them look cheaper than they are but we will try to get a more definitive answer for you.