Expert answer

Hi Philip and thanks for this,

You make some good points here, but the main one I'd like to focus on is the uncertainty. It is, without a doubt, reducing car sales right now, as people don't know what to do, and all we can do is present the facts. They are this:

1 - There are many motorists in Ireland for which there is no economic alternative to a diesel car. Those that travel long distances day in, day out, could not use an electric car. Plug-in hybrids would be useless to them as well as they only return good economy when regularly charged up. The latest non plug-in hybrids are more economical than ever on a long run, but still not as cheap to fuel as a good diesel. And let's not forget, the majority of drivers are buying used, so there's very little choice in the used market for anything other than conventional diesel or petrol.

2 - For another large number of Irish motorists, petrol power would be perfectly fine. We've been saying for years that too many people have diesel cars because that became the default after 2008. Regardless of air quality and health issues, diesels come with higher maintenance costs, especially if they aren't used at higher speeds regularly.

3 - It seems to have been lost in the conversation that the diesel bans being discussed are not for all diesels, but for older diesels that emit much higher levels of NOx and other pollutants. 

4 - The Irish government needs to hurry up and let the country/industry know what it plans to do, for this uncertainty is killing the market full-stop, not just diesel power.

With all the above in mind, we will continue to help buyers choose a car based on their individual circumstances and for many that will still mean a diesel. For now.

I welcome thoughts and comments on this below. Would be great to get some feedback on what people think and whether they are holding off buying a car because of the uncertainty.

Expert answer

Hi Kieran,

As a whole, the CX-5 is a really lovely car — great to drive, well made, roomy and good looking. The petrol version is a weak point, though. It’s just not torquey enough for a big 4x4, and it suffers in terms of both fuel consumption and refinement because of that. Stick with the diesel, unless all your mileage is in town.

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Hi Emil,

As far as reliability and solidity go, there’s nothing to worry about. As long as it comes with a full service history and has been looked after by its previous owners, it should prove to be one of the most reliable cars you could possibly buy. Now, things to worry about — space; the CT 200h is very comfy and nice up front, but space in the back seats is quite poor and the boot is small, so bear that in mind. Secondly, economy. The CT 200h uses an older hybrid system, derived from the third generation Toyota Prius, and it’s quite tricky to get the best economy from it. As long as you drive gently, and mostly in town, you should be fine, but longer journeys, especially on the motorway, will seriously hit your fuel consumption figure.

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Hi Angela,

An absolutely cracking car, and a great combination of car and engine. The 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine is smooth and economical, and really does suit the Octavia very well indeed. The specification is decent, especially if you’re buying an Ambition model or above, and make sure you spec it with the eight-inch touchscreen, as that really lifts the ambience of the cabin. Fuel economy should work out at between 40mpg and 50mpg on average, depending on how you drive it.

Read and watch our Skoda Octavia 1.0 TSI review here

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Hi Paul,

The Hyundai or Kia will be more efficient than the 1.6 i-DTEC Honda, but only just and at the expense of a considerable amount of performance — the Honda feels much brisker and is more comfortable than the other two as well. In that size range, it’s also well worth considering the VW Tiguan, especially the current-shape model, which is very frugal in 2.0-litre 115hp form. Some reviews below to help you decide:

Kia Sportage reviews

Hyundai Tucson reviews

Honda CR-V reviews

Volkswagen Tiguan reviews

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Hi Mark,

You’ll probably use a little less fuel, but overall you’re going to be spending more because of the cost of upgrading to what’s quite a pricey diesel version, especially with the automatic gearbox. Kia quotes official fuel economy for that model of 57mpg, but we’d expect to see more like 40-45mpg in real world conditions. That’s a little better than the Qashqai 1.2 petrol, but not very much better. If you want to do better on the economy front, consider dropping the automatic gearbox and getting a manual instead.

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Hi John,

If you mean the new, current model HR-V, then the 1.6 iDTEC diesel has official fuel economy of 70mpg or 3.8 litres per 100km. That means around 50-55mpg in real world conditions. 

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Hi Seamus,

You haven’t actually specified a model here, so I’m going to guess that it’s an A4. To be honest, you’re not going to get an awful lot more interior space by changing for something the size of a Qashqai, 3008, or Kadjar. A little, but not a huge amount extra in real terms — most of the extra space in those cars is in the boot. If you’re determined, then go for either the Kadjar (it has the biggest boot) or see if you can stretch the budget to the new-shape VW Tiguan. Here are reviews of the cars you've mentioned, too:

Volkswagen Tiguan review

Mazda CX-5 review

Kia Sportage review

Nissan Qashqai review

Renault Kadjar review

Peugeot 3008 review

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Hi Ciaran,

No, it’s actually Toyota’s own design of engine, and is quite closely related to the 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit in the Yaris and Aygo. It’s pretty clever actually — able to switch from Otto cycle to Atkinson cycle (which helps to save fuel) and back again. It’s a good engine to drive, if you’ve not tried one, smooth and reasonably powerful (only 114hp but a decent 184Nm of torque).

Read our review of the Toyota Auris 1.2 here

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Hi Mick,

The official fuel consumption for a 1.4 D-4D diesel Toyota Corolla is 4.1 litres per 100km, or 68.8mpg. That would suggest that you should see 50-55mpg in normal, daily driving.