Expert answer

Hi Dympna,

Really nice car, the Soul and one that's often overlooked as every other car maker rushes out its own compact crossover. The cabin can feel a little cheap in places and it's a bit noisy compared to the likes of the Peugeot 2008, but other than that, it's a canny buy. Not only do you get Kia's excellent seven-year warranty, but you also get a chassis that was tuned by sports car legends Lotus. A good buy.

Hope that helps

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Hi Deirdre,

Well, if you're not actually pulling anything, you shouldn't really need actual four-wheel drive, so I suggest either a Skoda Yeti Greenline or, if you fancy something a little larger, a Mazda CX-5 150hp Sport. Both have CO₂ emissions of 119g/km so cost just the €200 a year to tax. By comparison, a MINI Cooper diesel costs €190. 

If you really need the four-wheel drive, there are all-wheel drive versions of both cars but you're into higher purchase prices and tax bands in both cases.

Come back to us if you'd like more help

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Hi Paul,

Both solidly reliable, but the Octavia would have an edge (albeit a small one) in terms of comfort.

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Hi Dawn,

The problem here is that you need space for three child seats across the back, and it's getting harder and harder to find a car that can accommodate that. The Qashqai is a fab car, no doubt, but yes, unless it's the 1.5 dCi diesel model you're talking about, they can indeed be hard on petrol. Besides, it will also fall down on the three-across-the-back test. The Xsara Picasso should be able to manage three across though, so is the best suggestion out of the ones you've been looking at, but here's another possibility: if you're looking for space on a budget, try going for a van-based MPV such as a Citroen Berlingo or Renault Kangoo. They're surprisingly nice to drive, have masses of space both in the back and boot, and both can be found with 1.4-litre petrol or 1.5- or 1.6-litre diesel engines so tax and, generally, fuel economy shouldn't be an issue. Also, being van-based, they're often more reliable and ruggedly built than their car cousins.

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Hi Cindy,

I would go for either the Skoda or the Opel. The Skoda 1.9 TDI is very economical (50mpg should be pretty easy) and Skodas are well built and reliable. 

The only downside is that if it's pre-2008, it'll have a high rate of tax. That's something that the Opel with the 1.3 CDTi engine avoids, and it's still very economical, albeit slightly less so as you'll have to work the smaller engine a bit harder to keep up with the flow of traffic.

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Hi Anthony,

Right, I've had a long, hard think about this. You've not specified which type of car you're particularly looking for, so if you're after a seven-seat MPV or some kind of 4x4; sorry, I haven't even considered that. 

Oddly, I've also discounted diesel as, at that price level, and with the likely age range, you're looking at older tech engines that didn't have as clear a consumption advantage over their petrol brethren.

You've said cheapest and then specified a price, which suggests to me you mean cheapest to run, which really means reliable and with low tax.

So my best recommendation to you is to track down a 2000-2001 Honda Civic 1.4. Built like a bank vault, spacious and good to drive, economical and the 1.4 capacity means you won't get taken to the cleaners every time you need a new tax disc. Plenty around and most will be within your price range.

What do you think?

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Hi Jack,

Actually, the 300C is really well built. The European market cars were built under licence in Austria and under the skin it's essentially a 1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, so all the components are rock-solid, especially the 3.0-litre diesel engine. Where you need to be careful is in making sure it's been looked after. There are a lot of complicated electronic bits and you need to see a full service history with a car like this, as neglect will lead to problems very quickly. If there's no, or patchy, history, walk away. Also, a good few 300Cs saw service as taxis so beware of abused and damaged interiors or knackered suspension.

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Hi Alan,

If it’s the 2.0-litre TDI, then that’s €710 a year. Unless it’s been imported since 2008, in which case it’ll be €570.

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Hi Aideen,

Wow. That's a request, and frankly, space and time simply don't permit. So I'll boil it down to the two best options for pre-and-post 2008. Pre: Toyota Corolla Verso. Spacious, simple and very reliable. A very hard car to beat.

Post 2008? Ford C-Max (the current model). Perhaps not as utterly reliable as the Toyota, but solidly built, spacious and with an excellent and efficient 1.6 litre diesel. Good cars, both.

Is that enough information for now?

Expert answer

Hi Paul,

Of the two cars mentioned the Kia cee'd SW is undoubtedly the better looking car and it does come with the famous seven-year Kia warranty, but when it comes to taxis we would probably take the consensus of other taxi drivers.

While the Toyota Avensis is top dog in the segment at the moment it is being pushed by the Skoda Octavia with the 1.6 TDI being the engine of choice for its fuel efficiency. When Global Taxis took delivery of 110 Octavias it reckoned each car would offer a fuel saving of €1,400 a year over the old fleet, money that will go into your pocket instead.

As well as that the Octavia offers a huge a mount of space (both passenger and boot wise) for the money, important considerations when you are moving up from The Kesh to pick up a fare at Dublin Airport.

Hope that all helps