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Hi Gabriel,

Well, it depends on two things - who's doing the offering and what kind of history comes with the car. If it has a full service history and is in good nick, and the vendor is someone you can trust, then it could be a good buy - Astras are generally robust and quite pleasant to drive too. If you have even the slightest doubts though, get an AA inspection. It's not expensive, and it could save you a bundle of cash and hassle in the long term. Any reputable vendor, even a private one, who's selling a decent car should have no objections to the AA calling round to check the car out. If they do, you know it's a bad 'un so can walk away.

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Hi Kieran,

Tread carefully. On the upside, the 407 is still slick to look at and terrific to drive. On the downside, the diesel engines can give troubles (turbos, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valves and injectors) so any diesel 407 that idles lumpily or doesn't accelerate cleanly is to be avoided. In spite of the myriad buttons in the cabin, and some cheap plastics, it's actually pretty well built inside, so any uneven panel fit or loud rattles could be a sign of accident damage. Watch also for rounded-off security bolts on the alloy wheels - many a 407 owner got over-enthusiastic with the wheel brace when faced with a flat. Make absolutely sure that it comes with a full and complete service history.

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Hi Des,

As with all Suzukis the Grand Vitara is impressively well bolted together and there are very few reports of any major reliability issues. The only recurrent problems seem to be glitches in the electrical system, but as long as the car you're looking at has a full service history, you should be OK. There are only two major downsides: the interior looks and feels pretty cheap and old-fashioned compared to some rivals, while the 1.9-litre diesel engine (which Suzuki actually bought in from Renault) can be very thirsty, as the Vitara is no lightweight.

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Hi Kevin,

Absolutely, an impressively reliable car. What the old-shape Sportage lacks in style compared to the current model, it makes up for in solidity of construction and also being quite a pleasant car to drive. Check underneath for damage caused by over-enthusiastic off-roading (a 4x4 Sportage really will tackle the tough stuff too) and make sure it has a full service history so that the remains of the seven-year warranty are intact. The cabins can be prone to wear and tear too, so check carefully for anything falling off inside, but mechanically they’re very robust.

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Hi Aisling,

No, it should be OK as long as you are absolutely on-the-ball when it comes to making sure that it has a full service history. The Tiguan is essentially a tall Golf, so all of the mechanical bits are pretty robust and well proven, but watch for some small niggles. The electronic handbrake (if fitted) has been known to fail. The rear door handles can stick open, but that should have been sorted under warranty and the air conditioning can fail, but that's usually just the dashboard switches and not the deeper mechanical bits of the system. Oh, and check carefully underneath for signs of off-roading damage - Tiguans aren't really designed for proper mud-plugging, but the four-wheel drive system sometimes fools people into thinking that they're Land Rovers...

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Hi Padraic,

The general consensus seems to be that no, it doesn't. A lot of cars of the early 2000s had issues with dual-mass flywheels, but the technology seems to have matured to the point where it has become reliable. Of course, tread carefully and make sure that any Santa Fe you're looking at has a full service history and is in good condition, but it's worth pointing out two things - one, a 2010 Santa Fe still has a year's worth of its full manufacturer's warranty left to run and, two: you can get dual-to-single-mass flywheel conversion kits if you think it's going to be a problem.

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Hi Louis,

We thought it best to send this one to Toyota's tech people as they have more experience than most. Here's what they told us:

"It depends on the vehicle and how it's driven, but as long as the vehicle is in regular use and is serviced then the battery life is expected to be over 10 years. High mileage batteries can last longer than vehicles that do low mileage or are not in frequent use. Like any other battery type if it is in regular use and kept conditioned this will extend the battery life."

Hope that's of interest

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Hi Aoife,

We asked Toyota Ireland what it thought would be reasonable oil consumption, and though you haven't told us the age of your car it was suggested that a rate of a quarter litre of oil per 1,000 kilometres was normal. Toyota suggested that, if you suspect there is an issue, bring the car to a dealer and as for an oil consumption test to be carried out.

Hope that helps

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Hi Marion,

Yes, pretty excellent really. The A3 is nice to drive, exceptionally well built and holds its value well. That 1.2 TSI petrol engine is also excellent, as long as you're not doing mega-mileage. Just be careful that you buy one with a full service history and don't forget that you can buy a Golf, Octavia or Leon that is mechanically identical for less money.

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Hi Jim,

How long is a piece of string? Sorry, but it is actually a tricky question to answer because it kind of involves asking 'which Range Rover?' That is to say that Land Rover's build quality, while it has consistently been improving over the past decade, can still be a touch variable. Many Range Rovers will get through big mileages with no trouble, while others simply won't.

The good news is (and I'm talking about post-2002 models here) that generally Range Rover unreliability has gone from trouble with major items such as brakes and suspension to minor niggles involving electrical components. Basically, if you're buying a Rangie make sure all the buttons work as they should and then budget a substantial amount of money to fix them when they don't. Engines, gearboxes and other bits are generally fine as long as the car has been serviced fully and has history to back that up. You won't get the flawless reliability that you'd get from a Toyota Land Cruiser for instance, but Rangies are certainly more solid than some of the rumours would have it.