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Hi Cyril,

The A4’s a nice car, very comfortable and refined, but it’s not as roomy as the Passat. Don’t go for the 120hp, as it’s just underpowered. As for reliability and problems, it’s a solid car, but you need to keep an eye on the diesel particulate filter (DPF), water leaks from the air conditioning unit, glove box lids that don’t fit properly and worn seatbelt sockets. Check for signs of uneven tyre wear, and noisy suspension is probably the anti-roll bar drop links. No other major problems to report.

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Hi Yvonne,

It’s going to be very hard to find a car that’s taller but not bigger overall. Most car makers cluster around the same size and dimensions within a given class, so unless you go for a larger car altogether, you’re unlikely  to find anything else that is more than a few millimetres different either way.

Your best bet might be to have a look at the Opel Mokka X, which is similarly sized to the 2008, but a little bit higher in its ride height. Why not go and check out out and see if it suits?

Relevant reviews:

Ford EcoSport review

Peugeot 2008 review

Opel Mokka X review

New Peugeot 3008 review

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Hi John,

The Skoda. Both the Volvo and the Volkswagen are decent, solidly built and generally reliable cars, but Skoda always seems to beat Volkswagen in major reliability surveys, so go for the Octavia if reliability is paramount.

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Hi Tim,

Yes, it is actually. Certainly not the prettiest vehicle out there, nor the most dynamic to drive, but it’s reliable, well made and absolutely massive inside. As far as space-per-Euro goes, it’s pretty hard to beat.

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Hi Declan,

If it is, you’ll get a letter from Volkswagen to ask you to book the car in for an inspection. If you’re still concerned, contact your local dealer to check.

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Hi Jill,

No. There are two standard ISOFIX points in the Kodiaq, in the outer two middle row seats, and a third, optional, point in the front passenger seat. Nothing in the centre rear seat, however, and no ISOFIX at all in the folding third row.

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Hi Fionna,

Well, to be honest, I would have thought that a Passat was an ideal car for a family of four. What you need is four roomy seats and and a a big boot - and the Passat has those. If you fancy something that looks a bit more like a family car, and here I mean an SUV or an MPV, then stop for a tic and have a think. Are you buying an image? After all, a ‘normal’ saloon such as a Passat (and the Mazda6, Toyota Avensis, Hyundai i40 and Kia Optima all make good alternatives) is generally speaking just as good at family duties and has lower overall running costs. Worth thinking about, at any rate.

Here are some of our reviews to get you thinking:

Volkswagen Passat review

Mazda6 review

Toyota Avensis review

Kia Optima review

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Hi Debra,

It’s kind of difficult for us to diagnose a car over the internet unfortunately, but it sounds as if you may have a whole host of problems there. You’re quite right in that rattles are often something to do with either the timing belt or chain or the camshaft mechanism, but if you’re getting multiple fault codes on a diagnostic it could be that there’s a bigger issue that is causing lots of systems to develop issues. Have you brought it to a Volkswagen main dealer yet? That would be our recommended course of action.

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Hi Ebere,

You’ll need two crucial documents. You’ll need the V5C form, which is the vehicle’s identity papers (it’s the red, pink and blue form with the car’s reg number, VIN number etc.) and you’ll need an invoice showing the date and location of sale and the amount paid for the car.

Other than that, you’ll need the usual proof of identity for yourself (passport or driver's licence, utility bill with your home address etc.).

I’d suggest you have a good careful read of two pages before you start out:

1 - from www.citizensinformation.ie

2 - from www.revenue.ie

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Hi Mike,