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Hi Adrian,

Safe? Well it should be as it's basically built on the same platform as the Qashqai, and that's a five-star car in the EuroNCAP safety tests. It should also be reliable as the day is long and pretty frugal too.

Aside from that though, it's pretty offensive to the eye in my opinion and about as exciting as a bucket of wet sand. There are other, far more interesting, options out there.

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Hi Niall,

Well, that kind of depends what you want it for. If you're looking at it because you want a big, four-door family SUV then, no. You see, that Pathfinder is based on the Navara pickup and it's a pretty crude device, lacking the kind of refinement and comfort you'd get from, say, a Land Rover Discovery. That said, if you're looking for something to do a bit of hard work and the occasional bit of off-roading, then go right ahead - it's perfect for that kind of life. Just watch the clutch, it seems to be a weak point and can be rather expensive to fix.

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Hi Rachel,

There only seems to be one specific problem with the Note and that's with the air conditioning system, which can spring a leak and drop water into the foot well. Unnoticed and left alone that can lead to mould forming in the car and a distinctly smelly cabin.

Other than that, the Note is built in the same Sunderland factory (in the UK) that makes the Qashqai and Juke - and used to make the Micra - so quality is of a very high level.

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Hi Patrick,

Generally Chevriolet Lacettis (and Chevrolets in general) are pretty solidly built, but they're a long, long way from being the most inspiring car around. Essentially, they're cheap, cheerless but solid transport, just as they were when they were still badged as Daewoos.

As for choosing between an Almera and a Lancer, we'd go for the Almera simply because it has a (slightly) nicer interior and is (slightly) nicer to drive.

Hope that helps

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Hi Ano,

It depends on your priorities. The Almera isn't very interesting, but it is hugely reliable and roomy, so it’s a sensible choice. The Golf is more stylish, better to drive and has a classier cabin, but is perhaps around 90 per cent as reliable, overall, as the Nissan.

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Hi Bartlomiej,

Well, it kinda depends what you mean by SUV. If you mean large, the likes of the Hyundai Santa Fe, Honda CR-V etc, then it's probably best to wait until the new 1.6-litre, front-wheel drive version of the Honda arrives later this year, as that will be a big, spacious SUV that has emissions of under 120g/km, although the lack of four-wheel drive might not appeal.

If it's the smaller ones you're looking at then I'd suggest a Skoda Yeti. It bridges the gap, size-wise, between the very small Nissan Juke and the large stuff like Mazda's CX-5 and the Kia Sportage. Go for the 1.6 TDI Greenline version and you'll have a spacious, rugged, practical family car with Band A4 tax (€200 a year) and it should do a pretty steady 50mpg most of the time.

Want something a bit more flash? The MINI Countryman, with its 1.6-litre diesel engine, is super-frugal, but you do need to spend a bit on options to get the right look.

It may also be worth waiting a couple of months until the new Renault Captur and Peugeot 2008 arrive on sale, as both should prove very affordable to run.

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Hi Sean,

Well, generally we'd say that the only problem with the Almera is that it's just about the dullest car ever made. And that's not just our view; Nissan itself basically admitted as much when it decided that a conventional five-door hatch was just not good enough anymore and replaced it with the Qashqai.

Still, the Almera is a spacious, comfy five-or-four-door family car and I guess there's nothing wrong with that. There are a few reported problems though. The headlights can mist up and stop working, so check them for condensation. The rocker cover gaskets can leak oil and the radiators are occasionally leaky and clog-prone. Timing chains need to be tightened at 9,000-mile intervals or the engine develops a misfire. Faulty oxygen sensors can lead to engine management issues and are a surprisingly expensive fix. Front brakes can wear unevenly and the handbrake mechanism can cause the rear handbrake calipers to get sticky.

That's about it though. Almeras have a rep for being pretty reliable.

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Hi Yvonne,

The Qashqai+2 is actually a very nice car, but a proper seven-seater it's not. Those two seats in the boot are really for occasional use only and frankly I think you're going to have trouble wrestling a bulky, heavy infant car seat back there.

Of the other two, there are lots of Zafiras around to choose from so I'd be very, very fussy in choosing one with the colour and spec you like as well as a full service history. You can always walk away and find another one if you need to. But actually, of the three, we'd go for the Corolla Verso. It's not exciting to drive or look at but Toyotas tend to be indestructible and the space inside is simply cavernous.

Hope that helps

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Hi Davina,

There are quite a lot of 2007 Almeras around and yours does have significantly higher mileage than most currently on offer, so I'd say you're looking at a value of about €5,000.

Hope that helps

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Hi Alan,

We don't know of any widespread common issues with this car. It's built on Nissan/Renault mechanicals that are quite well proven. It's moderately spacious for the money, but it's not a car we'd often consider, as there are plenty of other better cars available for the same price. Apparently many unsold examples found their way from Ireland to the UK, where they were never marketed as a new car.

In summary: not bad really, but not recommended either.

Let us know how you get on.