Expert answer

Hi there,

Welcome to Ireland! I'd suggest you have a look for a Honda Civic 1.4 petrol automatic. That's probably the best balance between reliability (Civics are very reliable), economy and sticking within your budget. The higher road tax comes from the changeover to a carbon emissions based system in 2008. Prior to that cars were taxed according to their engine size, but the Civic's 1.4-litre petrol engine should keep your tax bills down to a reasonable level. Sadly, there's nothing you can do to change the NCT test - every car requires one every two years once it's more than four years old, and every year once it's more than ten years old. Again, the Honda will help here - they're really well built so less likely to develop problems that would cause you to fail an NCT test, as long as you look after it and keep it serviced.

Expert answer

Hi Rao,

At a rough guess that should give you a budget of between €10,000 and €12,000, which is healthy enough. If you've been a Toyota owner in the past I'm assuming you want to stick with something that'll be reliable so my first suggestion is an Auris hatchback. They're spacious inside, so pass the two kids test with ease and the 1.33-litre petrol version should be economical enough for your commuting style. 

Also consider a Honda Civic. If anything, Hondas tend to be even better built than Toyotas and while the Civic's avant-garde styling may be a bit of an acquired taste, its spacious and practical cabin is a boon for family life. A 2.2-litre diesel may sound like overkill but it's a terrific engine and has low emissions and therefore is cheap to tax. 

Finally, if you want something with a bit more space, how about a Kia cee'd SW estate? Reliably solid, and with that seven-year warranty, pleasant to drive and the estate version has a massive boot.

Let us know how you get on

Expert answer

Hi Paul,

A figure of 24mpg equates to 11.77 litres per 100km. That means that you'll burn through roughly 14.2 litres of fuel every time you do 120km. At today's average fuel price for petrol of 147.9c per litre, that means each 120km trip is going to cost you €20.88 in fuel.

Of course, that's also assuming that your Lexus is going to do a constant 24mpg all the time while you're on your 120km journey, which it won't. Hopefully the average will average out, but depending how you drive, what the traffic's like and how many hills you have to go up or down, you could land a bit either side of that figure.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Pat,

If you're doing low mileage then you are way better off sticking with petrol. Even taking the higher tax into account, you'll still never make back the higher purchase price in fuel savings and with low mileage you're almost certainly going to run into diesel particulate filter issues. 

The good news is that the 1.6 Avensis is pretty economical for a small petrol engine in a big car. Drive it gently and you should regularly see the sunny side of 40mpg.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Rosie,

Ah, toddler and baby. Been there. You probably don't need anything much bigger than a family hatchback, really. Probably best to track down a nice Skoda Octavia hatchback - the boot's big enough to cope with buggies and (eventually) bikes and scooters but they're not expensive to run. If your mileage is low, consider a petrol one as the lower purchase price will more than cover the extra cost of the fuel.

What do you think?

Expert answer

Hi Paddy,

There aren't any major reported problems on the 1.4 TSI petrol Passat, but just watch the fuel consumption; it's a big car with a small (albeit turbocharged) engine so you may need to work it harder than you think to keep up with traffic. The DSG gearbox can give some problems though. Take a test drive and make sure that the automatic changes are crisp and almost seamless. If not, suspect a dodgy box an walk away.

Expert answer

Hi Ali,

That sounds to us like the distributor is playing up. It's a common problem on early petrol Hondas.

Let us know if that fixes it.

Expert answer

Hi Bernadette,

You're most likely looking at a value of between €5,000 and €7,000 for your Corolla. If you're looking to trim your running costs then downsizing to a Yaris could be a good idea. You just need to do your sums carefully to make sure that the cost of upgrading (the price of the new car minus your trade in) isn't more than what you could potentially save in terms of petrol and road tax over the same period. 

Choosing an Auris isn't downsizing - it's the car that replaced the hatchback Corolla and is the same size. The only way it could save you money is if you went for the diesel version and that would only work if you're doing big mileages - 15,000km a year or more.

So, with that in mind, it may be worth looking at simply keeping your current car. A mileage of 89,000km is barely run in for a Corolla and it may be worth looking at simply getting your existing car serviced, valeted and maybe updated (new alloys? a nicer stereo?). It may work out cheaper in the long run.

Expert answer

Hi Emer,

Both are excellent in terms of reliability (they are after all a Mazda and a Toyota), but it's the Mazda that will be more fuel efficient. Simple physics really; while there's not much difference in the overall weight, the RAV4, being an SUV, is taller and therefore less aerodynamic. Unless you need (and I mean REALLY need) the RAV's extra ground clearance and rough road abilities, then a Mazda6 (especially the estate one) should prove a reliable, spacious and enjoyable ownership prospect. 

Let us know which way you go

Expert answer

Hi Alanna,

I reckon the Qashqai +2 might be the best one to go for. The extra seats are pretty small but the boot on the +2 is simply massive when they're folded flat, so that's helpful when you're lugging around two small ones and their various chattels. Don't worry about running costs too much - the Qashqai looks like an SUV but it's really a hatchback with attitude and the 1.5 diesel engine is reliable, economical and has reasonably low emissions too.

That Toyota 1.4 diesel you mentioned would indeed be much less powerful than your Mazda's engine - it's about 20hp down and noticeably so. Volkswagen Jettas are indeed reliable, but I reckon that the Nissan would be slightly more so, so make that your first choice.

Let us know how you get on