Expert answer

Hi Niall,

The Mazda3 is the better car, to be honest. It’s bigger inside, much more refined and a little sharper to drive. The CX-3 is nice, but it’s basically a Mazda2 with ambition, so you are essentially getting a smaller car with a smaller interior. Now, I know you say you’re going to be own your own a lot in the car, so perhaps that’s not so important, but even so, the 3 is the superior machine in this case.

Saying all that, we realise that the CX-3 looks fantastic so we'd understand if you were tempted.

Here are our reviews to give you more food for thought:

Mazda3 1.5 diesel hatchback review

Mazda3 2.2 diesel saloon review

Mazda3 1.5 petrol hatchback review

Mazda CX-3 1.5 diesel review

Expert answer

Hi Donal,

The best compromise of value and oomph is probably to be found somewhere in the Volkswagen Group. I'd say if you want to mix a decent 2.0 diesel engine with low emissions and an auto box try out a SEAT Leon FR, preferably in very handsome ST estate form. It makes 150hp, but has Band A4 emissions. 

Expert answer

Hi Michael,

I’d suggest that a Passat GTE or 330e would be about perfect with that kind of mileage and usage. It will help, of course, if you have a driveway where you can fit a charging point, but once the batteries have drained and you’re running on normal hybrid power, both of those cars will average better than 40mpg. Here are our reviews:

BMW 330e review

Volkswagen Passat GTE review

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Hi F D,

It's simply because the UK market generally doesn't like compact four -door saloons. It's much more of a hatchback and estate market, so Toyota hasn't sold the Corolla in the UK since the Auris came along. It's the same reason you won't find a Renault Fluence or an Astra Saloon on sale there either. 

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Hi Philip,

You’ve pretty much summed it up there. I guess it depends where your priorities lie – performance or comfort. There’s no doubting the sheer thrust of the 300hp Audi, but I would suggest that if it’s performance you crave, skip the Cabriolet and buy the Saloon, which is much better to drive. If it’s the open top that you fancy, then go for the Mercedes, forget about performance (although the Merc is hardly a slouch in that regard) and instead revel in the comfort.

Read our Audi S3 Cabriolet review

Read our Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet review

Read our Mercedes-AMG C 63 Cabriolet review

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Hi Brendan,

Well, bearing in mind we have literally no idea what the market or running costs are like in Luxembourg, we reckon that a 2.0-litre Golf sounds like the best option there, especially if funds would stretch to either a GTI or GTD.

Read our Mercedes-Benz GLA review here

Read our Audi A3 Saloon review here

Read our Volkswagen Golf GTI review here

Read our Volkswagen Golf GTD review here

Read our BMW 1 Series review here

Expert answer

Hi Jerome,

We don’t have a definite answer for you as yet but it looks unlikely – the UK market, which doesn’t like saloons very much, isn’t as yet taking the four-door Tipo, so it’s unlikely that Fiat will invest the money to tool up for right-hand drive.

If the UK reverses that decision, then we might see the saloon here too. 

Expert answer

Hi Aiden,

That’s a good-sized budget so you should be able to get a good-sized car. In terms of car-vans, the best ones are the Citroen Berlingo and the Volkswagen Caddy Life, but both are noisier than a conventional car, and less comfortable over long distances. With that in mind, I reckon you need an estate – have a look for a Mazda6 Tourer, Ford Mondeo Estate or Volkswagen Passat Estate – or keep an eye out for the best of breed, the Skoda Superb Combi. All are comfortable, roomy and have frugal diesel options.

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Hi Mick,

Well, given the list of priorities you’ve given me, either the Octavia or the i40 would seem ideal, although it’s the Hyundai that will hold on to its warranty longer, as it has a five-year warranty compared to the Skoda’s three-year one. The Skoda is by a very slim margin the nicer of the two to drive though, so you’ll need to bear that in mind. That said, the i40 is more refined overall (not to mention being a bigger car, with more space in inside), so it’s really a matter of deciding which of your priorities gets top billing.

Expert answer

Hi Siobhan,

We've blanked out the reg in your question for the owner's privacy. A quick and free check with Cartell.ie reveals that the car is a 2004 Volkswagen Passat Saloon, powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine (1,595cc), producing 102hp. We can also find out that it costs €514 a year to tax. For a detailed history check go to Cartell.ie and sign up for one of its paid products.