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Hi Niall,

Probably around €8k retail or €6,500 - €7,000 as a trade-in.

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Hi Sandra,

The rule of thumb is to never buy on year and mileage but always on condition and history. If one has a full service history, every receipt, stamp and cert in a neat little folder, go for that one.

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Hi Brendan,

If it's in really good nick you should get between €1,500 and €2,000 for it.

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Hi Teresa,

There's a pretty broad spread of values for 407s of that age - it depends on the engine, trim and above all condition and history. The ballpark is from €5,500 to €8,500. A diesel model will be worth considerably more than a petrol one and a full service history is essential.

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Hi William,

They're generally very solid cars, A4s, and the fact that this one comes with a full service history bodes well. The weak points are the electrics (so check to make sure that everything with a button or a wire works properly) and the cooling system (so try and go for a good long test drive and let the engine heat up properly to see if the radiator is doing its job). 

On the dynamic front, there's no doubt that a BMW 3 Series is a more engaging drive, but the Audi's robustness and practicality make it a very sensible second hand buy.

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Hi Paul,

It depends on condition and service history of course. We've seen Sharans priced up around the €6,000 mark at that age, which would suggest a trade in of €4-4,500. However that's a very good price for one and I suspect you'd get less than that. 

The good news is that Toyota currently has an offer in place that gives a €3,000 trade-in on almost any car. So, strike fast and you should get a reasonable trade in. More details on that here.

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Hi Louise,

I suspect that the sensor that reports a fault to your car's computer has been disturbed or possibly even not plugged back in after the work was done on the car. However, you really need to get the car back to the garage that did the work as soon as possible to have it checked over and rectified. It is their responsibility to make sure it's all ok.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi John,

OK, there's good news and bad news here. The good news is that the four marques of which you've spoken have all really lifted their quality and reliability games. Renault especially has come on a long way since the dark, unreliable days of the early 2000s. While electrical gremlins are pretty much guaranteed further down the line, that's something you could equally say of any Mercedes-Benz, BMW or Audi.

Dacia tend also to make very reliable cars, in no small part because they're so simple and lacking in the sort of high-end electronics that festoon other models. The brand regularly features very high up in the European JD Power customer satisfaction rankings.

Fiat tends to do less well in those rankings, but much of that is down to a dealer network that's still trying to get its head around modern customer service requirements. The fact is that Fiats these days are no more or less well made or reliable than any other brand (mostly - more on that in a tic). Certainly, we know of many Fiat customers who've had trouble-free motoring for many, many years.

Citroen too has really lifted its game and the latest generations, such as the C4 Picasso and C4 Cactus are really well put together. Long term reliability is still an unknown of course for these new models, but in general, longevity seems to be on the up.

However, just as these Franco-Italian brands have improved, so too have the Japanese and Koreans. There is still a distinct gap in overall solidity between the Japanese brands (Honda especially) and everyone else. It's still the case that if you want genuinely trouble-free motoring, the Japanese are still kings, with the Koreans and Skoda hot on their heels.

That said, I reckon if you bought any Fiat, looked after it properly and made sure it was fully serviced to schedule, you wouldn't have any major problems.

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Hi Eilish,

You should make around €6,500 to €7,000 on a trade in, assuming it's in top condition and has a full service history. If you're used to a Corolla, then the Auris will feel pretty familiar and it's not a bad car at all - comfy, spacious and very economical. The i30 feels a touch more sophisticated though, and is a little sweeter to drive.

Further reading:

Hyundai i30 review

Toyota Auris review

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Hi Michael,

Well, if you can't afford to insure anything bigger then a turbo's a no-go. Legally, you have to inform your insurer of any modifications made to your car, and if an increase in swept capacity is a no-go then no insurer is going to let you strap on a turbo.

A K&N filter or similar would be fine though and should readily be available for an Almera. While you're at it, why not put the turbo budget to a proper service, some high-quality oil and new tyres? All far better options for improving performance and nothing that will bother your insurance provider.