I need a diesel car to replace my Opel Astra
I currently drive a 2008 Opel Astra SXI with 44,000km on the clock. I commute in to Blackrock everyday from Maynooth and with the recent increase in petrol prices I just wonder if is worth my while, as it's costing me €80 a week in petrol, plus tax, insurance etc. I'm thinking of changing cars, to a diesel model. How much do you think I would get for a private sale or trade-in on the Astra?
Any suggestions on what to get instead? I really love the Astra, so ideally something similar in drive and style. Would it be worthwhile looking at the diesel Astra?
Chloe Walsh (Maynootth)Mar 2011 Filed under: diesel
Expert answer
Hi Chloe,
The fact that you really seem to like your car would signify that perhaps you should simply change to the 1.7-litre diesel SXi version of your car and save yourself a few quid in the process. You will probably get around €11,000 - €11,500 for your car at current market prices, but that should leave you well placed to replace it with a diesel model without too much trouble.
There weren't too many SXI models in Ireland with diesel engines but there do appear to be a few Vauxhalls imported with this spec that might work for you unless you had any particular objections to driving a Vauxhall over an Opel.
You could have a diesel version for in and around the same money so perhaps you could even get into a slightly newer model if you were prepared to invest a few more quid, but since money saving seems to be the aim here then maybe just swap into a diesel.
Aside from that you could perhaps look at getting a Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion, which is incredibly fuel efficient. This would make a great buy for you really and something like this would be very cheap to run.
I hope this helps,
Mitsubishi Colt or Toyota Yaris?
Just looking for advice on which is the best small automatic car. My wife is looking at a Mitsubishi Colt versus a Toyota Yaris. I've heard some bad reports on the Yaris automatic and I am wondering if these are unfounded. She currently has a Nissan Micra 1.2 Auto.
Tom Brady (Drogheda)Mar 2011 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Tom,
Is this a new or used car you would be buying? A new Toyota Yaris comes with the MultiMode transmission and a 1.3-litre VVTi petrol engine, which will cost you €18,285.
A Mitsubishi Colt automatic with a 1.3-litre engine will cost you €15,450 and that is quite a bit less.
A Ford Fiesta 1.4 Style Auto would come in at €18,735 and this would be a really nice car.
The best bet for us would be a Hyundai i20 1.4 Deluxe Auto, which comes in at €16,995 and that is a super little car. If it is a straight choice between the Yaris and Colt I think I'd save the €2,835 and have the Colt.
Come back to us if you're buying second-hand, as the story may be a different one.
Should I buy a 2006 Mazda RX-8?
Hey guys,
I have a 2006 Opel Astra GTC SXI 1.7 diesel. I have been very unlucky with it and have gotten a lot of problems so I am ultimately thinking of trading it in. I saw a nice 2006 Mazda RX 8 1.3 petrol and liked the look of it. Just wanted to ask your opinion on how reliable they are. If I have any trouble would I have to bring it to a main dealer because of the Wankel engine; are parts expensive, depreciation etc? Any help/advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Alan Clanty (Limerick)Feb 2011 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hiya Alan,
In a word, no we wouldn't recommend a used one. While the RX-8 is a great car and was super when it came out new, it has been a total disaster in terms of reliability. It drinks oil and fuel and there is a list of problems with it. There is a fair amount of evidence that the engines on these cars aren't lasting much more than 80,000- to 100,000 kilometres and there have been problems with starting the engines too.
We would love to recommend the RX-8 as a second-hand buy but there is a strong chance you would be heart broken and given the fact that you have had grief before then I reckon you don't want that to happen again.
What car has three ISOFIX points?
Hi
We hope to trade in our 2005 Skoda Octavia during the summer for a car that has three isofix points in the back. We would prefer not to get a seven-seater as we don't need that many seats. Our wishlist would include the three isofix points, a big boot to accomodate a double buggy, low tax and fuel efficiency. We have been looking at the Peugeot 307 SW. The trade in value of our present car seems to be in around the €5,000 mark. We can afford to add another €,5000 to that.
Any advice greatly appreciated! Many thanks.
Feena Farrell (Kilcock)Feb 2011 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi there Feena,
The Peugeot 307 SW would be a good solution for you and it is great value and cheap to run. The 1.6-litre diesel engine is the best-seller in that model, is fuel-efficient and has low road tax. You would get one for within your budget alright. My sister has driven one for the last few years and apart from some loose bits of trim it has been a very solid car. Unfortunately there are only two ISOFIX points in the centre row.
Absolutely brilliant is the Fiat Multipla. Is it a little on the unusual side, but has a really clever 3+3 layout that your kids will really enjoy. The difficulty is that there are only two ISOFIX points in this too.
A little bit of research seems to suggest that there are normally only ISOFIX on the outer seats in the second row of a car. There are exceptions though, with the latest Renault Scenic (late 2009 on) having three ISOFIX points in the second row of seats. But this is outside your budget.
The Citroen C4 Picasso can take three ISOFIX seats across the rear and this might be a little bit outside your budget too, but perhaps you could haggle a little. Here is an example of one.
However, I reckon the solution for you is a Honda FR-V, which has three ISOFIX points across the six seats and it is a really good car. It only came as a petrol model early on, but if you don't do too many miles it should be okay. Here is one from 2006 within your budget.
Hope that helps.
Older premium car or newer car with lower running costs?
Hello, which do you think is best - to buy a new car around €21,000 or €22,000 with low tax or five-year old Lexus IS petrol or BMW 3 Series petrol for around €14,000 - €15,000 with high tax?
In other words is it better to drive a high quality car that has already suffered most of its depreciation, but has high running costs over a new car with low tax and low running costs, but maybe higher depreciation?
Jerome O'Connor (Wicklow)
Feb 2011 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Jerome,
I have been on the wrong side of buying 'cheap' premium cars and thinking that I was very clever and to be honest it isn't that clever at all. Once things start to go wrong with some of the German models they can end up costing you an arm and a leg. That might not necessarily be the case with the Lexus IS, which, despite all the bad press the company has had of late, are incredibly reliable.
However, if you are at all worried about running costs then there is a lot to be said for buying something new, say like an Opel Astra and getting three years of free servicing.
Come back to us if you need some help choosing.
Is a second-hand Audi A4 a good buy?
Hi, I've been looking at upgrading my car and have been looking at Audi A4 around 2005/2006. They are all quite high mileage but is this something I need to be concerned about? I have been looking at this one, which seems a good deal and has 79,000 miles on the clock - what do you think? I do roughly 5-7,000 miles per year so not too worried about fuel costs. Is there anything else I should watch out for or take into account?
Ciaran Reid (Mulhuddart)Feb 2011 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Ciaran,
There were a lot of used Audi A4s brought into Ireland over the last few years, mainly by personal import. I remember seeing a statistic at the time stating that there were more used Audis being imported into Ireland than there were new Audis being sold. The quality of these imported cars varied quite a lot. Two members of my own family bought cars from the years that you mention and while they have been fine, when something does go wrong (through wear and tear) the costs of parts can be pricey.
The car you have shown us is petrol powered, which might make it tricky to sell on again, especially since you will probably reach 100,000 miles reasonably soon in it. It has had three owners too in quite a short space of time, so I would want a full history check done on the car and I'd want to know if there have been any problems.
I think if everything checks out on that car then you could be on to a winner, although I would probably be inclined to look at a diesel with slightly higher miles because resale value might be better.
Hope that's of help
Which seven-seater will I buy and what will I trade in?
I am looking for a seven seater. Do I change my 2010 Toyota Corolla or my husband's 2005 Citroen Berlingo? I'm looking at a 2009 Opel Zafira.
Shane Oneill (Kildare)
Feb 2011 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Shane,
Well it depends on how much you want to spend really. There is going to be a lot more value in your Corolla than in the 2005 Citroen Berlingo so you wouldn't have to spend much money to get into a Zafira.
There really aren't a lot of 2009 Opel Zafiras around. In fact we found just four on sale in the classifieds. The cheapest of these was just under €17,000 for a petrol version. Since your Corolla would be worth more than this you would want change back from the dealer, which is something that can be hard to achieve.
A much better buy would be something like this diesel Ford S-Max. This car is bigger and better than the Opel Zafira, is closer in price to your Corolla and is a brilliant family car.
Your Citroen Berlingo might fetch between €3,000 - €5,000 depending on mileage and condition and if it is reliable I would keep it until it stops.
I hope this helps!
How much for my 2010 Corolla?
How much should I expect to get for a 2010 Toyota Corolla Terra with 8,500 kilometres on the clock?
Shane Oneill (Kildare)Feb 2011 Filed under: resale value
Expert answer
Hi Shane,
You didn't mention whether it was petrol or diesel, but we'd say as a trade-in around €19,000 for a diesel model and about €1,000 less for a petrol model.
Hope that helps,
What car-based van will I buy?
I currently drive a 2005 Toyota Avensis saloon - 1.6-litre petrol. I travel up to 450 miles every week to work so I'm looking at getting a diesel car, maybe a VW Golf van, Peugeot van or Skoda Octavia. Don't really know to be honest.
I don't mind a van as my girlfriend has a Ford Focus that I could use whenever needed. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Ronan O Connor (Kildare)Feb 2011 Filed under: commercial vehicle
Expert answer
Hi Ronan,
I reckon a Volkswagen Golf Van would do a brilliant job for you. You told us by e-mail that you have another €2,000 to spend on top of the value of your Toyota Avensis so I reckon this one could be a good option.
The Ford Focus van is good too, but I don't imagine you want to be a two Focus family! If I was having a car-van I'd have a Golf.
Hope that helps
I need a good car for commuting in England. Can you help?
I'm moving to England and will have a 100-mile round-trip commute each day. I currently drive a 2006 Ford Mondeo Platinum 1.8-litre petrol, but will be selling that. What would be the best diesel car to buy with a budget of around £3,000 sterling?
Jonathan Kelly (Kildare)Feb 2011 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Jonathan,
You should be able to stay with your Mondeo in the UK, from 2005-2006 with a diesel for around that budget. Obviously there is much greater choice in the UK and lots might be high mileage but don't necessarily let that put you off because some of these might be cars that lived on motorways and as such won't have lived very hard lives.
We found a 2006 Mondeo Estate with 112,000 miles in the classifieds for £3,000 and it was a private sale and that could do a very nice job for you.