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Hi Liam.

Suzuki knows how to build a solidly reliable car (indeed the old Baleno saloon holds a decent claim to being the world's only truly indestructible car) and the Jimny is no different. It's also been in production since 1998, so all the bugs should have been worked out by now. The only weak point seems to be minor electrical grumbles, and apparently the passenger electric window motor and switch are both on the fragile side. Other than that, just watch out for Jimnys that have had a hard life off-roading or as farm hack-abouts. 

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Hi Ronan,

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Hi Patrick,

The Optima is a pretty good car, really. It’s not the most dynamic saloon around, but it’s nice to drive, roomy, comfortable, good value and very good looking on the outside. Read our Kia Optima review here.

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Hi Keith,

No, it's not a waste of time at all. It's almost always better value to keep and fix an existing car rather than pay the cost-of-change to upgrade to something newer. That said, if you're convinced you need a better solution, then you won't do better than to go for one of the many car-vans on offer now. The Renault Kangoo and Citroen Berlingo are the best known versions, but there are also similar models available from Fiat, Volkswagen and Peugeot.  My personal pick would be the Fiat Doblo, fitted with the 1.6- or 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel engines. You'll find the cabin surprisingly comfy, it's quite pleasant to drive, very economical and good on tax and massively spacious in the back. There's even a seven-seat version available if you want to be really popular at the school gate.

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Hi Stephen,

At the time, they were very reliable and solidly built, but I’d be slightly wary now, especially if it’s a car with patchy service history. The diesel models develop problems with both the injection system and the air mass sensor, while the 1.6 petrol was underpowered and consequently has to strain to push the car around, leading to excessive wear and tear (especially to the front driveshafts).

The good news is that there aren’t too many fiddly electronic system to go wrong, but check the car over very carefully and if there are too many holes in the service record, walk away.

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Hi Catherine,

A rough estimate of your C4's value should give you a budget of around €12,000 (and you might even do a bit better than that if you're lucky). Even at that level though, there is a plethora of cars matching your description out there. How about we start with something really classy? A BMW 316i maybe? Plenty out there, all priced around €11k and the 1.6-litre engine means reasonable tax and fuel economy even though it's a petrol engine.

Or you might need something a bit more spacious and economical. So we found a Citroen C5 Tourer estate with the 1.6-litre HDi diesel engine. It's a 2008 model so you'll be on the new CO₂-based tax system, it's massive inside and very comfy. Well built too.

Finally, you might fancy something a bit more compact and cheaper to run, and that budget opens up a world of Ford Focus saloons and estates with either the 1.6-litre petrol or 1.8 diesel engines. Simple, spacious, reliable and plentiful, you won't go wrong with that one.

WHat do you think?

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Hi David,

We reckon the Impreza (and what a cracking car that was) should be worth between €2,000 - €3,000 to you, but getting a dealer to take it as a trade-in could be tricky - at least if you want to get the best price for it. It basically depends on the dealer in question. You might be better off going through the Irish Subaru Drivers' Club (http://www.isdc.ie) and seeing if one of its members is in the market for a car like yours. Subaru's appeal is still something of a niche thing and preaching to the converted may help you get a better price.

Whatever, it'll be worth it to get your hands on an RX-8. It's still one of the most fun, and coolest, cars we've driven in years and the day it went out of production (just recently) left more than a couple of damp eyes around here. Remind us to tell you some time about a late run across a deserted North Wales to catch the Hollyhead ferry in a 192hp RX-8...

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Hi Catherine,

OK, so what you need here is something spacious (kids, even just the one, take up a heroic amount of space, as you know), something economical for all that annual mileage and something comfy so that your buttocks survive all that mileage. I think you should stay with the current rough size of car, as some of the best bargains can be found in the mid-size saloon segment.

First up is a Volkswagen Passat. Ideally, you'd get the 1.6 TDI BlueMotion version, a car in which we once managed to drive from Galway to Glasgow and back on one tank of fuel. Or, what about a Ford Mondeo? You'll easily get a 2.0 TDCi model for that money, and there are very few cars quite so comfy on a long journey. Even BMWs and Mercs can't always match the Mondeo for seat comfort.

Of course, if you fancy the high life, and are prepared to compromise on space a little, then there's the BMW 3 Series. You'll get a 320d or 318d for that kind of budget, but shop around to make sure you get one in a dark metallic, with leather and preferably an automatic gearbox.

Finally, there's the Mazda6. Bit of an unsung hero of this segment, it's brilliant to drive, spacious, good looking and you should be able to track one down with Mazda's excellent 2.2-litre diesel engine under the bonnet. Reliable as it gets, it should chomp through your annual mileage with nary a worry. Find the even more handsome estate version if you can.

Come back to us if you need help narrowing this down.

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I'm not sure I'd recommend a pickup for you, as, until the very recent arrivals of the Volkswagen Amarok and Ford Ranger, they were all a bit crude and dreadful. They're commercial vehicles, not family cars. That said, if you want something truly rugged, then what about a Land Rover Defender 130 with a crew cab? Iconic looks and unbeatable toughness, but they can be expensive to buy and run.

Actually my recommendation would be to track down an old-shape Kia Sportage. It's surprisingly good at going off-road, comfy and decent to drive on the road and circa €8,000 should pick you up a good one, potentially with still a bit of Kia's famous warranty left to run. Not as stylish as the current Spprtage it's true, but invest in a sturdy rubber liner for the boot and you should have the ideal log-carrying device.

Hope that helps

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Hi there,

This is a bit of a tricky one as few car makers quote door aperture size or angles, but there are a couple of models that spring to mind with especially easy access. In new car terms the best is probably the new Ford B-Max. Because it lacks a B-pillar (the metal post usually found between the front and rear doors) it means that, when you open the front and rear doors, you end up with a massive 1.5-metre long aperture in the side of the car, making access to front or rear especially easy. Actually, Ford has traditionally been very good at making cars that are easy to access for those with limited mobility due to either age or medical conditions. Part of the design of all new Fords for some time now has involved the designers wearing a special suit that restricts their joint and movement so that they can experience what it's like to try and get in and out of a car without full mobility in their limbs.

On a personal note, and if you're looking for something cheaper than a new B-Max, I seem to recall that the last-generation Daihatsu Charade had massive doors that opened to more than 80 degrees, making entry and exit spectacularly easy. Cheap as chips to buy and run and surprisingly good fun to drive too, it's a shame Daihatsu abandoned the Irish market in the face of shrinking sales.

Hope that helps