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Hi Martina,

Both cars you've chosen there are pretty much neck and neck in every area, bar one. The Passat is arguably a little more 'premium' in its feel, the Mondeo is better to drive and we'd say a touch better looking (though obviously that's subjective!).

Both are impressively well built and have excellent reliability credentials. The area that separates them is quite simply fuel consumption. The Mondoe's 2.0 TDCi engine will be a bit more usefully grunty than that Passat's 105hp 1.6 TDI unit, but the Volkswagen's engine will prove to be a lot more economical. You should be able to average close to 60mpg in the Passat, which should be around 5-10mpg better than the Mondeo will manage. To illustrate it, we once managed to drive from Galway to Glasgow, back to Galway and up to Dublin on one tank in a Passat 1.6 TDI.

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Hi Ed,

Do you mean a Jaguar XF? The XK was the fast V8 coupe, and never had a diesel engine. If it is the XF, then they’re pretty solid cars. The diesel engine needs careful checking to make sure that the diesel particulate filter is working properly, and that the cam belt has been changed every 160,000km. Also listen for clonking suspension and check for cracked alloys, and make sure all the electrics are working properly. If it has a full service, then it should be fine.

As for the Merc, that generation of E-Class was very badly built, and you need to check and make sure that it’s been back in for all its ‘service recalls.’ Check for leaks from the transmission and the radiator, and the air mass sensor often triggers an engine warning light. Electronics are deeply suspect, and if the car vibrates under acceleration, the gearbox could need replacing.

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Hi Jonny,

Right, there's a couple of easy answers to this question and they are Volkswagen Polo, Toyota Yaris and Ford Fiesta. There are tonnes of them around, they're all safe and the Yaris can be had with a 1.0-litre engine so low tax and insurance rates are assured.

But... But there are a couple of possibilities that are a bit more fun and a little more interesting. How about a Suzuki Swift? Not as spacious as the above trio, but as your child is only one that's not really an issue for now. Besides it's way more fun to drive than any of the others and Suzukis are super reliable.

Or you could go for something a bit more trendy and exciting. €5,000 is the absolute bottom end price for a Fiat 500 but you might be able to track one down, and it's fun and funky as well as safe and cheap to run. Or there's the mother of all fun hatches, the MINI. €5,000 gets you lots of choice but we'd go for a MINI One (it avoids the extra insurance loading of a Cooper) and have a good shop around to find one with decent equipment. Fun, just about spacious enough (if you juggle the seats around), safe and with a great chassis and great all-round visibility, it's ideal for a learner.

Come back to us if need help to narrow things down further.

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Hi Hugh,

Odds are that this is being caused by the switch that operates the warning. Open the door and take a look for a spring-loaded switch and inspect it for damage. After that it's worth checking the wiring to it. Then it's probably best to consult a mechanic or auto-electrician.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Grainne,

Well, if you could tell us the exact make and model you’re looking at,  we can tell you. All motor tax rates since 2008 are calculated on the CO₂ emissions of the car (unless it’s a commercial version) and that can be affected by everything from the engine to the gearbox to items of trim and equipment. The more detail you can give us, the more precise an answer we can give. For reference, read our Motor Road Tax Prices in Ireland Explained guide.

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Hi Andrew,

We spoke with someone from BMW and the official line is they were testing their system with rates that they've predicted. The figures were not due to stay live. However, you can be full sure they're close to the real thing! If you are truly interested in a price we can put you in touch with someone in BMW to discuss it with.

Following our discussion via email, best of luck with your new purchase. I hope the new VRT rate doesn't shaft you unduly...

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Hi Enda,

Despite the premium image, the Lexus IS isn't all that bad. Servicing rates are generally cheaper than other premium brands, which helps offset more regular service intervals. It's also a highly reliable model, so you should only be paying for routine maintenance. It's not too bad on fuel either considering.

Hope that helps

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Hi Ciaran,

The Nissan Skyline saloon did not really get caught up in the upsurge of popularity experienced by other rear-wheel drive Japanese four-doors towards the end of the Celtic Tiger era so is still a fairly rare model. This would go some way to explaining why the Revenue Online Service (ROS) value seems so low. The Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) is based on an 'average' for that particular model, but with so few cars having been imported it can be difficult to determine a true average.

Regarding the car you have highlighted, and taking into account current exchange rates and the VRT calculated by ROS that car would cost €5,824, which seems expensive to our eyes.

A thorough search of all the classified adverts we could find revealed a few similar cars, albeit with higher mileage, in the region of €3,500 - €4,000.

The one you're looking at does have some nice additions such as the wheels, suspension and spoiler, but whether they and the low mileage warrant a near €2,000 premium is a question only you can answer.

Let us know how you get on.

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Hi Shane,

First of all, DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) utilises the ABS sensors to operate, so if you have DSC then you have ABS. We checked with MINI Ireland about standard equipment on the Cooper S and they confirmed that the September 2008 to 2009 model year version did indeed have DSC as standard, which incorporates ABS, as well as Anti Skid Control (ASC) and Dynamic Traction Control (DTC).

Hope that helps.

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Hi Andrew,

According to Ciaran Allen, Sales Manager of Mercedes-Benz, "Stop/start is the main factor in reducing CO₂ and is available now on manual models. We are not expecting full availability on stop/start including seven-speed auto until August production - September arrival. Because of our market seasonality August and September are not big production months for us, so while it will be available we really consider E-Class seven-speed as a 2012 car. The model price won't be reduced but the auto road tax will go from band C to band B."

Hope that answers your question?