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Hi Liam,

OK, first off you don’t need and shouldn’t be buying a diesel. With that kind of mileage, and doing most of it in town, you’ll never get enough efficiency out of the engine and you’ll run into trouble with the particulate filter and more potentially.

Of the three cars you’ve mentioned, I think that the Mercedes B-Class might actually be the most sensible, and it’s certainly the roomiest if you’re concerned about carrying big loads. Worth remembering that for similar money you could probably get yourself into a nice C-Class Estate too, which is only a little smaller inside and a whole lot nicer to drive. I’d be tempted to stick with the Mercedes, too, for safety reasons, if your son is going to start learning to drive.

The Tiguan is another very good option, and there are versions with Volkswagen’s excellent 1.4 turbo petrol engine if you shop around. Again, safe and good to drive, if not quite as roomy as the B-Class. I’d avoid the Duster at this point — it’s diesel only, and not as safe as the Merc or Volkswagen.

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Hi John,

We don’t have precise fuel economy figures for that model, as it was never sold here so never got put through the EU NEDC fuel economy test. Generally, an automatic car will be a little more thirsty than a manual version, but on a car as small as the Note, it probably won’t make a huge difference.

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Hi Patrick,

It depends where on the window the crack is and how big it is. Click here to view the official NCT testing manual - go to page 26 and it clearly shows how cracks in the windscreen are assessed.

Best of luck

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Hi Seamus,

By any chance is yours the automatic version, with the larger 18-inch wheels? We tested the manual gearbox version that did indeed at the time have a CO₂ emissions rating of 147g/km, whereas the automatic model, with four-wheel drive, was rated at above 180g/km. 

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Hi Cathal,

You are indeed entitled to a refund, but not immediately. Under the Sale of Goods and Supply Of Services Act, if a product is “not of merchantable quality” then you are entitled to a repair, replacement or a refund. It will be up to you and the dealer from whom you bought the car to discuss which of these will be the case, and most dealers will try at least to repair the car at first, as obviously that’s usually the most cost-effective route from their perspective.

You can demand a refund and nothing else, but I’d make sure you have a good solicitor on your side before doing that as technically if the dealer is offering you a repair then they are fulfilling their duties under the act.

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Hi Mairead,

It depends which model you mean. An automatic 2.0-litre VVT-i petrol RAV4 from 2008 has CO₂ emissions of 212g/km, so will cost €1,200 a year. The manual version has CO₂ emissions of 202g/km so costs the same. It gets a bit better with the diesels. The 180hp 2.2 diesel has emissions of 185g/km so costs €750 a year while the 150hp version has emissions of 173g/km so costs the same €750.

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Hi Paul,

Somewhere around the €5,000 mark should be a fair price.

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Hi Liam,

This is a bit of a grey area. The NCT manual that the testers are supposed to adhere to makes no mention anywhere of a rear wiper, but generally we find that, if a car has something and it's broken, the testers will often flag it up as a possible failure. We wouldn't take the risk, especially as wipers are so cheap to replace.

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Hi Lurdes,

OK, lots to deal with here. Let’s go through it piece by piece. Theoretically, you will always get better value buying second hand than buying new. 'Buy at three, sell at five' (years old) is the rule of thumb to maximise your value and minimise your exposure to depreciation. But, you’ve been burned in the past by unreliable cars (been there, I feel your pain) so I would say that buying new is actually the best thing for you this time around, especially as you want to hold on to the car for an extended period.

Of the two cars you’ve mentioned, the Toyota Verso should be the most reliable. Nothing much wrong with the Ford, but if reliability is your priority then always buy Japanese. Happily, a manual 1.6 diesel Verso seven-seater is just inside your budget, at €29,100 and there is currently a €3,000 trade-in offer on that model, which means you’ll get a lot more for your old Scenic than you would if you traded it in normally.

There is only one hybrid people carrier so far, and that’s the Toyota Prius+, but to be honest, we couldn’t recommend it. For a start, a new one will bust through your €30k budget barrier, but beyond that it’s a disappointing car – far too thirsty unless all of your mileage is done in town at low speeds. The Verso is a far more versatile car.

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Hi Karen,

Try 'double turning' the key in the actual door lock to see if it opens the boot. Sounds weird, I know, but works for some Fords. Failing that, bring the car to a Ford dealer for some advice. 

There are no specific tests that the boot opens in a car in the NCT, but there is mention of ensuring that the catches are operating properly, to prevent fumes etc. Technically speaking the boot would have to be opened and closed to check that. I'd guess that you may get away with it, but there's a chance you won't as well.

Let us know how you get on