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Hi Barry,

The Insignia's really nice and I do have something of a soft spot for it. A car that feels more sophisticated and more engaging the more you drive it. The Passat and Mondeo are nice choices too, but to be honest, the one I'd go for out of all of them would be the Accord. Comfy, smooth, frugal, nice to drive and above all it will almost certainly never break down. There's nothing quite so nice as the feeling you get from driving an utterly indestructible car.

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Hi Barry,

OK, all are good, solid choices and in terms of reliability, I'd rate them as Accord the best, the Volkswagen slightly behind and the Ford and Opel together, slightly behind the Volkswagen. The Ford would be the most fun to drive, the Volkswagen probably had the nicest interior but the Opel is arguably the most handsome and, as you point out, really very good to drive. If it were me, I'd go for the Accord - no question. It'll be the most reliable and that sells it for me.

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Hi Pat,

I'd say somewhere between €7,000 and €7,500.

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Hi Moza,

Simple - lots of them about, and they were replaced by a much better, more desirable model (the Insignia). Besides, the youngest possible Vectra is now seven years old, and family-size saloons are not known for holding on to their value. A 50 per cent retained value after just three years is a rarity in that class.

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Hi Ronan,

Go for the Octavia. The Mazda3 is nice to drive and incredibly reliable and the Corolla is about as reliable and unbreakable as a granite rock, but the Octavia has the best interior space and reliability is generally excellent, so go for that. Case in point: once spent two consecutive weekends hauling my young family from Dublin to Waterford to visit relatives. First weekend with a Ford S-Max, second with an Octavia (this would have been 2006) and the Octavia carried the same amount of luggage as the S-Max...

Relevant reviews:

Skoda Octavia review

Toyota Corolla review

Mazda3 review

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Hi Pat,

Crossover SUV? Only one at that price level; the Skoda Yeti has three individual seats across the back. However, while the outer two slide and their backrests tilt, it's not by enough to squeeze in larger booster cushions/seats with a rear-facing baby seat. Perhaps with particularly slim seats it may be possible, but otherwise we'd suggest not. Bring the seats to a Skoda dealership to try it for yourself though.

Estates generally don't have the width any more to take three seats abreast in the back, but there are conversions available (from EP Mooney in Dublin) that will allow a conventional estate (or any car for that matter) to take as many as four child safety seats.

Otherwise you're looking at larger SUVs or at the least, a compact MPV.

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Hi Jerry,

It depends. If you roll it up to a Nissan, Peuegot or Opel dealer in the next few weeks, then it could be worth as much as €4,500 off a new car. As a pure scrap value, at a breakers, it depends entirely on the condition of the car and the various parts that can be stripped from it.

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Hi Aiden,

No, you're not missing anything. French cars, and big French saloons in particular, always suffer staggering depreciation and the 407 is not a car that's especially loved by the used trade. 

There's nothing much mechanically wrong with them but make sure you check that all of the electrical bits and pieces are working, and check the cabin for loose or ill-fitting pieces of trim. Then check the suspension, especially at the front, for any damage. Listen for clonking or knocking noises and check the tyres for signs of uneven wear.

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Hi Enda,

Yeah, he's definitely better off with the petrol version, not least because Toyota's 1.4 diesel is not the best, but its 1.33 petrol is a cracker. You might need to do some digging to track one down though - they're thinner on the ground on a 2010 plate than the diesels. 

Now then, Auris versus Corolla. Yup, they're the same size inside. The boot on the Auris is a little smaller but then it's also more versatile thanks to being a hatchback. The point about air conditioning is probably right - standard spec on Toyotas tends to be quite stingy and Corolla saloons are basically built for emerging markets (no, seriously, we're the only Western European nation that still sells them) so tend to be even more basic again. 

I'd say you'll need to find about €3-4k to finance the upgrade from a 2008 Corolla to a 2010 or 2011 Auris.

Relevant reviews:

Toyota Auris review (2013)

Toyota Auris review (2010)

Toyota Corolla review (2013)

Toyota Corolla review (2010)

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Hi Tony,

Not a bad old lump, the Xsara, but watch for failing clutches, sagging suspension and dodgy electrics. Actually, you could be better off tracking down a well-cared for ZX hatch - they're a little more mechanically robust, and they're much more fun to drive than the Xsara, especially the desirable Volcane.