Expert answer

Hi Phillip,

Cars registered in 2007 (assuming this Freelander is classified as a passenger vehicle, not a commercial vehicle) are taxed according to their engine size. The Freelander's 2.2-litre engine is actually 2,179cc, so it falls into the 2,101- to 2,200cc category, which, since January 2013, costs €951 per annum.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Alanna,

Anything pre-2008 with a petrol engine is pretty hard to shift on these days, sadly, so I'd reckon you're looking at a value of possibly as little as €5,500 for the Mazda3 at the moment. To get the best from it, I'd suggest staying within the Mazda family (a Mazda dealer will usually give you a better trade-in on a Mazda than will another dealer) and trade up to a Mazda6 Estate. Loads of space, brilliant to drive, reliable and, with the 2.2-litre 129hp diesel, very economical too. SUV? Do you live up a mountain or at the far end of a rutted dirt road? No? Then you don't need one - stick to the family car market and the Mazda6 size class (which also includes cars like the Toyota Avensis, Ford Mondeo, Volkswagen Passat and Opel Insignia) is  where you'll get the best bang for your buck.

Let us know how you get on

Expert answer

Hi Patrick,

Sadly, probably not a lot. I'd say around €2,500 to €3,000.

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Hi James,

Short answer is that it will be really expensive to get insured on anything at the age of 20. Sorry, but it's the way of the world and all us old geezers have been through it. 

The best advice I can give you is to shop carefully around and check out some of the specific young driver policies that are now available. It might be worth swapping the Passat for something a bit smaller and with a smaller engine too, if that's possible.

Let us know how you get on

Expert answer

Hi Mim,

By and large, yes. The 1.6 FSI engine was actually pretty peachy to drive, if rather underpowered. As with all underpowered cars, watch carefully for signs of abuse and hard-running by drivers frustrated with the lack of oomph. 

It seems to be a very solidly reliable car, but there are some reports in owner forums of problems with the cam belt tensioner repeatedly failing and needing to be replaced at almost every major service, while there are also some reports that the direct fuel injection system means that the inlet valves can become sticky with carbon deposits. That seems to be about it, though.

Expert answer

Hi Bill,

Is that the 1.8-litre engine? If so, then it had an official fuel economy figure of 32mpg. I say ‘had’ because that’s a 16-year-old car and a huge amount is going to depend on how well it’s been looked after. Generally speaking, I’d say that you should expect around 25mpg from it around town, and maybe 35mpg on a longer run.

Expert answer

Hi Dermot,

That’s kind of an open-ended question because it depends hugely on whether you want to get into a PCP deal (which effectively makes you come back in three years’ time to trade in for a new car), an old fashioned hire-purchase agreement (which doesn’t, but is more expensive per month than the PCP), or whether you want to go with a bank or credit union loan. It also depends on your own circumstances and, substantially, on the car you’re looking at buying.

As an example, Volkswagen is currently offering 3.9 per cent APR interest on a  PCP deal on a new Polo hatchback, but just 0.9 per cent on the larger Tiguan, Golf and Passat. Or even 0 per cent on the Jetta. Alternatively, you can get a very sharp 0 per cent Hire Purchase deal on a new Kia cee’d, which is an excellent car for not a lot of money.

To be honest, almost every car maker is currently offering some pretty decent deals, so it comes down to what you want and what you can afford. Come back to us with more detail and we'd be happy to help.

Read our guide to Different Car Finance Options in Ireland

Expert answer

Hi Noreen,

We spoke to Opel Ireland and this is the official line: "Overall sales of the Mokka have exceeded our expectations in terms of supply during the launch period. We expect the supply of Mokka to return to normal by the last quarter of this year."

I've passed the contact details on to you.

Expert answer

Hi Patrick,

I've always had a bit of a soft-spot for the current C5. No, it's not as sharp to drive as a Mondeo or Passat, but it's a lovely, comfy car with tremendous long-haul refinement. Pick of the bunch is the 1.6 HDi diesel model and you should get an easy 50mpg out of it.

As for faults, check for a chuffing sound from the engine when it's running, as that could indicate that the fuel injectors are in need of replacing. Make sure it's had a cambelt change and watch for diesel particulate filter warning lights, which indicate that it needs a good long run at high engine speed to burn the collected diesel soot out of the filter. Suspension problems are quite common - usually worn ball-joints or bushes. Other than that, they're pretty solid.

Expert answer

Hi Richard,

By and large, yes, the Insignia's a reliable old thing, but there are a couple of checks to make. Ensure that the engine is pulling strongly in all the low gears, as the turbo can give trouble, especially with the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve. If it's a specced up model with heated seats, check that the one on the driver's side works as they can be fragile. The lesser-used passenger one doesn't seem to give much trouble.

The 'Service Car Now' light seems to be a recurring problem and can come on a bit randomly - usually because the dealer forgets to reset the oil monitor at the last service. The boot seals, especially on the hatchback, can be iffy and allow water in especially when opening the boot when there's standing water on the car. It's a design flaw. There was also a recall to sort out an alarm system issue causing it to go off randomly (often at 2 in the morning...) so make sure that's been done.