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Hi Pádraig,

It kind of depends on what car you’re driving, and how well serviced and maintained it is. The general rule of thumb is that steady, constant speed is the best for economy, but the slower the better. If you want the ultimate in economy set the cruise control for 80-90km/h but be prepared to live on the inside lane with the trucks if you’re doing that. That said, most cars run pretty efficiently at 110-120km/h, so as long as you accelerate gently, and don’t keep braking hard then speeding up, you should do fine. 

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Hi Afeez,

I’m assuming that’s a 1.6 HDI diesel model? If so you need to watch for excessive black smoke from the exhaust, which could indicate a blown turbo. Check too to see if the diesel particulate filter is working properly — if it’s a low-mileage car (and that is quite low miles) then it may not have been driven regularly enough to keep the filter clean, and they’re expensive to fix and clean. If it has air conditioning then that needs specific servicing so check that has been done and, if you notice that the car pulls to the left at higher speed, then it might need new front tyres. Other than that check that all switches and buttons are working properly, and that the car has a full and complete service history.

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Hi Stephen,

The timing belt needs to be replaced every 210,000 kilometres, regardless of time. The cabin filter needs replacing every 60,000km/24 months, but there is no set service interval for the air conditioning system itself.

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Hi Patricia,

A price of €6,000 for a 2010 Ceed from a private seller isn’t bad, but it’s worth pointing out that there are dealers offering similar models for similar money, so that’s worth bearing in mind. Ceeds are very reliable, and a 2012 car should, if it’s been serviced at a Kia dealer the entire time, still have two years of its original manufacturer's warranty to run. Keep an eye out for creaking and squeaking interior panels and issues with the stereo system, but other than that they’re pretty robust.

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Hi Liam,

Renault’s satnav software is usually supplied by TomTom, so theoretically an update of the navigation software should do the trick, but there could be an issue that local authorities are altering or moving speed limits and not supplying the information to the mapping companies. You could complain to TomTom directly, and see if that gets you anywhere, but one quick observation — if a 60km/h limit is displaying as 40, is there a chance the satnav is set to miles per hour, not kilometres per hour?

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Hi Jim,

It should do, but it would be no bad idea to check with your nearest Hyundai dealer first. In theory, the Hyundai five-year warranty is a pan-European one, so it should transfer without any issues, but of course there is always fine print attached to these things, so check the documentation that comes with the car, and make sure  that it’s been serviced at a Hyundai main dealer in the past.

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Hi Martin,

Sadly, in many cases, this is regular practice. While Hyundai offers a very good five-year unlimited mileage warranty, it’s only valid if you keep the car serviced with a Hyundai dealer, and that will be the case whether the part or component in question was specifically serviced or not. Now, there could be a case to be answered that the gearbox, failing as it did that early on in the car’s life, had some sort of manufacturing defect or fault, and in that case you could potentially argue that the car should not have been sold in the first case in that condition, but you’d need to consult a solicitor before taking it any further.

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Hi Jonathan,

In general, yes. The AA carries out an independent, unbiased inspection of cars, which can flag up any faults, and any issues in the car’s history or service record. That said, you should check the fine print to see exactly what level of inspection has been carried out — they vary, and can be tailored to individual requirements, so make sure you know exactly what’s been checked and what hasn’t.

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Hi Joan,

The N47 engine, BMW’s mainstay 2.0-litre turbodiesel, did indeed give terrible trouble early in its life, mostly with the timing chain that was supposedly maintenance-free, but turned out to be nothing of the sort. Now, theoretically, the issue has been long since dealt with (any N47 from 2007 onwards should, emphasis on the should, not suffer from this issue), but it’s wise to be at least a little cautious. I’d recommend buying from a main BMW dealer, as the car will then come with the full two-year warranty, which will cover any potential issues. Make sure you keep it serviced with a main BMW dealer in future too, as if there are any problems, you will have some chance of getting them to stand over the engine.

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Hi Wendy,