Expert answer

Hi Eric and thanks for the question,

Our advice would be to have this car thoroughly checked out mechanically. It sounds fine, but don't buy it if you yourself plan to rack up say 20,000km a year and bear in mind that it's not going to be worth a lot when you go to sell it in a few years, so I hope you're getting a good deal.

Also, it's worth getting a Cartell.ie history check to confirm its mileage and that it was not used as a taxi.

Let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Enda,

I wouldn't be massively worried about the mileage so long as you're not planning on putting up huge mileage yourself. Buy on condition and history. If you have any suspicions that it might have been a taxi have it checked on Cartell.ie.

As to the value, it won't be worth a lot at that mileage - and don't expect to sell it on for much when you're finished with it - but we can't value it without knowing its condition and year.

Let me know how you get on.

Expert answer

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.

Expert answer

Hi Tommy,

First up, gearboxes: a six-speed gearbox in a given car usually means it is officially more economical than it would be if it had a five-speed gearbox, but that really will depend on the type of roads it's driven on and the driver's own style. It's not correct to say that a six-speed Renault, for example, is automatically more economical than a five-speed Ford though, as there are many more factors to consider. Best to look at the official combined consumption figures as a gauge - even though they're not usually achievable in the real world they are a good measure of one car against another.

A quick search on Carzone.ie reveals that your budget may get you into a 2009 Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi. There are plenty of different trim levels and 90- or 110hp derivatives available so take a close look at the specifications, history and mileage. Most of those are now in Band A4 with emissions of less than 120g/km and fuel consumption as low as 4.3 litres/100km (65.7mpg).

In terms of Golfs, it looks like you'd be lucky to get a 2008 version (the old one) for that same money, which means it'd have to be a 1.9- or 2.0-litre TDI engine. These cost more to tax (especially if you go pre-2008) and are a little less econonomical than the Focus above.

There don't seem to be many Renault Méganes fitting your description and budget, though a look elsewhere reveals that you may find a 2010 version at this price powered by the 1.5-litre dCi engine. This came in 86- and 110hp guises. The former is virtually as economical as the Focus and the latter only uses a little more fuel.

Finally, the Citroen C4: in terms of economy, the 2008 1.6 HDi 92hp engine is up there with the Focus etc, though there are more powerful versions available too.

In summary, if fuel economy is your priority then it's probably best to stay away from the older Golf, with its larger engine. The others are all very close and so it comes down to personal preference. We'd go for the Focus, not least because of the much wider choice of examples on the used market.

Come back to us if you need more assistance narrowing your search.

Expert answer

Hi Cristian,

Road tax on this model is based on the engine size. The Passat 1.8 has an engine capacity of 1,781cc, which means the annual tax bill is €636. This increased from €592 on January 1st this year following the Budget.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Val,

The answer probably boils down to personal preference and the trim levels being compared. Also, Volkswagen offers the 1.2 TSI in both 85- and 105hp guises, while the Focus 1.0 EcoBoost comes in 100- and 125hp states of tune. Purely in terms of numbers, the 100hp Focus is the most economical, though not by very much, and all four sit in Band A4 for tax.

Personally speaking, the new Golf moves the game on in terms of fit and finish, plus refinement and it's quite well equipped. The Focus still has an edge in terms of driver appeal, but there's not such a wide gap between them to make that a deciding point for most.

Best bet is to go test drive examples of both cars for as long as you can - and in as close a specification to what your budget allows as possible. I'd put my own money into a Golf.

Expert answer

Hi Gerry,

I'm afraid we've not driven the X3 sDrive. For those not in the know, that's the rear-wheel drive version of the BMW. It's offered in Ireland in '18d' format only, which means a 143hp 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine. It comes in manual and automatic guises and in SE or M Sport trim levels with on-the-road prices starting from €43,690.

Non-quattro Audi Q5s are powered by a 143hp 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine as well. While there are more trim levels offered (base, SE and S Line) this car can not be specified with an automatic transmission. On-the-road prices start from €41,760.

For the record, with a manual gearbox, both cars are in Band B2 for tax purposes though the X3 uses marginally less fuel on the combined consumption cycle (5.1- vs. 5.4 litres/100km) and it's a second quicker accelerating to 100km/h at 9.9 seconds.

Hope that helps in some way

Expert answer

Hi Tommy,

First of all a quick list of possibilities we found on Carzone.ie that we would consider wise buys:

- Audi A4 - Good to drive and plenty about, though you'd have to look at 2005 - 2007 within your budget. Not all that spacious either.

- Audi A6 - Hugely spacious and comfortable, but again you'd have to settle for an older car with higher mileage, which could bring unexpected costs.

- BMW 3 Series - Most examples at this price are 2005-2007. Economical diesels and great to drive, but we'd worry about potential bills - and not as spacious as non-premium brands.

- BMW 5 Series - We'd be sorely tempted by this 2005-2007 model as it's such a great car. Seek out a low mileage example with a full service history and a warranty though.

- Citroen C5 - Comfy big car with decent specification and well-proven diesel engines. Not a huge number on the market, though at least you could afford a 2008 car.

- Ford Mondeo - One of the default options here. It's big, comfortable, good to drive and there are loads and loads about. Relatively cheap and easy to maintain too.

- Honda Accord - Relatively unknown here, but the 2.2-litre diesel engine is a gem and the car is very reliable and comfortable. Look for a post-2008 one to keep your tax bill down.

- Mazda6 - This is probably the car we'd put our own money on. Go for a post-2008 diesel example in a decent specification. It's spacious, well-equipped and great to drive. Reliable too.

- Toyota Avensis - Your budget might get you one of the last of the old models from 2009, though taxi drivers tend to snap these up as well. Make sure you check the history and mileage with Cartell.ie.

- Volkswagen Passat - Plenty about and it's a spacious and comfortable car, but there have been a few niggles with the electrics that'd steer us elsewhere.

There you have it. Come back to us if you'd like more help narrowing down your search.

Expert answer

As this Honda Civic is a pre-2008 car its motor tax is engine capacity rather than emissions based. With the 1.7-litre diesel engine the Civic will cost €544 a year to tax (up from €506 as of January 1, 2013).

We hope this helps.

Expert answer

Hi Brian,

It depends where you’re doing most of your driving. The Toyota Prius+ has CO₂ emissions of just 106g/km, and can get 60mpg if driven very, very gently, but it’ll be way too thirsty if you’re doing lots of motorway miles. The best diesel-engined MPVs are probably the 1.6 TDI VW Touran, the 1.6 HDi Citroen C3 Picasso, or the 1.5 dCi Renault Scenic.