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Hi Sandra,

Both are lovely, and if the prices are more or less the same, we’d go for the 5 Series as it’s bigger, comfier and slightly nicer to drive. Make utterly sure it comes with a full service history, though, and beware of issues with the infamous timing chain.

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Hi Peter,

If reliability and part prices are key, I’d go with the Golf. They’re pretty well built, solidly reliable and not too expensive to service. Nothing much wrong with either the Volvo or the Audi, but you will pay a servicing and parts premium for having the posher badges.

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Hi Mark,

I would imagine so. That’s pretty big mileage right enough, although not so bad on an annualised basis (22,00km a year, roughly), but as long as the service history is chock full of stamps and receipts, and you keep up that level of servicing, then I’d say 500k kilometres is pretty easily on the cards.

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Hi Colette,

Keep an eye out for turbo issues on the 1.5 diesel, and listen very carefully for any knocking coming from the suspension. Some of the interior fittings can be a bit fragile too. Other than that, they’re pretty solid, as long as you buy with a full service history. Oh and, yes, they’re economical — you should easily get 45-50mpg in daily driving.

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Hi Vinnie,

If we’re talking about petrol 318i and 320i then there’s not an enormous difference — it’s the same 2.0-litre petrol engine, with either 130hp or 150hp on offer. Obviously the 320i’s a bit quicker, but not by all that much, and the 318i is economical if you drive it gently. Reliability is decent, and you don’t have to worry about he timing chain issues that afflicted diesel models, but at that age make absolutely sure that you’re buying a car with full service history. 

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Hi David,

This Avensis is generally rock solid. The only thing we'd be wary of is the mileage. That seems quite low for one of those of that age. Make sure the condition of the interior backs it up and consider doing a history check on Cartell.ie. These were often used as taxis remember.

General advice for buying any used car is check that all the switches work and get as detailed a service history as you can for the car.

Hope that helps.

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Hi Siobhain,

The RAV4 has a great reputation for reliability so once it has been fully serviced there should be no worries on that front. There are a few things to look out for though, including leaky sunroofs and diesel engines low on power because of failed sensors. Also, if it's a diesel RAV4 that has a tow bar fitted look for receipts and any work done to replace the flywheel and clutch, as these sometimes fail on tow cars. If it was a tow car and has not had this work done try to get a warranty.

In terms of price, without knowing its specification and engine, it looks to be at the top of the pricing for that year. There are others for less and with lower mileage available, though really you should be buying on condition and history above mileage alone.

If we can be of further assistance please do come back to us.

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Hi Samm,

That’s a bit of a tight budget, so I think the best thing is to find something Japanese. Either a Honda Jazz or a Nissan Micra auto, from circa 2007, should do the trick and both are hugely reliable. Just make sure you buy one with a full service history.

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Hi Mervyn,

It will depend hugely on the condition and service history, but somewhere around the €1,000 mark.

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Hi Seamus,

As discussed via email, it's imperative that this car has had a full service history. Assuming there's been just one owner since new then the high mileage is possibly a good sign that this car has had few issues. Its predecessor was notoriously troublesome, though this model seems better. Watch out though for build quality issues like the doors closing properly and make sure the access card works as expected.

Other than that, check every single electric switch and system.

Even so, we'd only feel comfortable going for such a high mileage example if it really was a bargain - or you managed to get a warranty thrown in.

Let us know how you get on