Expert answer

Hi Pat,

First up, we thoroughly recommend the Peugeot 3008 itself. It's an excellent family car with a high quality, well thought out interior and it drives pretty well.

However, we're not sure that the Ecomatique version makes any sense in Ireland, unless you absolutely have to drive an automatic car. It's not a conventional smooth automatic gearbox; instead it features a robotised manual, which means that the clutch and gear change are operated automatically. Sounds great in theory, but in practice the gear changes feel slower and progress is jerkier than in a manual car. That's partly perception and you can learn to smooth out the changes yourself, but overall we reckon it detracts from the driving experience.

On the positive side, the Ecomatique 3008 is a little more economical than the regular 1.6 HDi 110hp version. However, it's only a difference of 0.2 litres per 100km on the official combined cycle. Given that the Ecomatique is more expensive to buy in the first place, you'd have to cover a lot of distance to start making savings and even then we'd argue that in real world conditions the manual version will be just as econonomical.

In some countries, the Ecomatique's lower CO₂ emissions would reduce your tax bill, but it's still in band B in Ireland, just like the regular version.

Hope that helps with your decision. If you'd like to know more, feel free to add a comment in the box below.

Expert answer

On the manual version of the 520d you will pay €156 annual road tax. If you get an automatic version from 2009, annual road tax will be €302. This is considerably less than you would have paid under the old system, which based on the engine size of the car (1,995cc) would have meant that road tax would have been €614 per year.

Expert answer

Yes, your car is eligible for the scrappage scheme. The best car you could get, if your budget stretches, is the Renault Fluence, which would cost €15,800 under the scrappage scheme. 

Renault also has a special option for taxi drivers:

"Renault has a specific extended warranty programme of up to 5 years with unlimited mileage for taxis.

Renault Ireland is the first car company on the Irish market to offer very high mileage customers like taxi drivers who purchase a Renault, this extended warranty programme. Drivers can opt for a 4^th year or 5^th year extended warranty with unlimited mileage from €529.00."

Hope that helps.

Expert answer

There are lots of suggestions, but we need to know what your budget is. Pop the details into the comment box below.

Thanks

Expert answer

Hi there,

There are very few small diesel cars available under the scrappage scheme that match your budget, but there are quite a few small petrol models that run the diesels close in terms of fuel economy. 

You could have the Fiat 500 for €9,995 under the scheme, which although it is petrol, is Band A, with just €102 per year road tax. 

You could have a Fiat Grande Punto, a much larger car, for €9,995 or, if you really wanted a diesel one you could have that for €12,495.

The Ford Ka, a similar car to the 500, would cost just €7,995 under the scheme, with the even better Fiesta costing €11,700, but again these are petrol models. 

Similarly, the Renault Clio is a smashing little car and a petrol one will cost you just €8,990 under the scheme, but a diesel one will cost you €12,200. 

The Hyundai i10, a five-door model, is also worth a look. The 1.2-litre, 78bhp petrol i10 is a good little car and comes with a choice of manual or automatic transmissions. Hyundai will add a further €2,000 to the Government's €1,500 discount, so the i10 effectively starts at €8,495. 

Our advice is that you forget about a diesel under scrappage unless you are prepared to up your budget. 

Out of that lot, I'd take a strong look at the Fiesta, or if you must stick to €10,000, perhaps the Ford Ka or the Fiat 500.

Expert answer

Hi Michael,

We found an identical car to yours with the same mileage for sale for €8,950. You probably won't get offered that much as a trade in, but you could have an overall budget of about €17,000.

In terms of the Mazda6, that is a really good car and there weren't too many of the diesel models sold initially. The petrol models sold in higher numbers initially because they were cheaper than the diesel ones at the time.

You would pay about €16,950 for a 1.8-litre petrol model like the one we found here at a SIMI dealer.

Here is another excellent one in Cork, for €16,900.

Diesel models cost quite a bit more, with a 2008 model at a SIMI dealer costing closer to €20,000.

For the mileage you do, you could get away with a petrol model without totally breaking the bank and you certainly won't save in fuel costs by spending the extra on the diesel model. Granted, road tax will be higher on the petrol.

You could probably get into a 2008 Passat BlueMotion with your budget and that too would be a good car. Yes, I've heard of some occasional issues with the latest Passat, such as a problem with the power steering and with the electric parking brake, but they have been pretty well dealt with by Volkswagen.

Expert answer

Hi Edward,

There is no such thing as a cheap used BMW. I just recently sold a 2002 BMW 318i Touring and I loved it, but the repair bills when things went wrong were high, even from independent garages, so you need to bear this in mind.

Having said that, you could get something that will be similar, like a Lexus IS 200 perhaps, which should be less costly to put right if things go wrong.

Here is one for €3,975 and it is from a main SIMI dealer.

Or how about this? A nice Subaru Legacy for just €2,950? This would be a great car for the money.

Expert answer

The reason we have talked about the Qashqai+2 a lot of late is that there seems to be quite a few people asking us about seven seats, but not really wanting an MPV. The Verso is an MPV, so as such is usually compared to its main rivals such as the Ford C-MAX and Renault Scenic.

Compared to the Qashqai+2, the Verso comes with a 2.0-litre diesel engine and the Qashqai+2 usually comes with a 1.5-litre diesel engine. The Verso has more power with 125hp against 104hp in the Qashqai+2. The Verso has faster acceleration (about two seconds faster to 100km/h from rest) and in terms of fuel economy the Verso again is slightly more frugal. The CO₂ emissions in are both Band C, with road tax of €302. However the new Qashqai+2 does drop a tax band to Band B.

Both cars have five-star Euro NCAP safety ratings and come with multiple airbags. ESP (electronic stability control) is standard fit on both cars too. The rear-most row of seats would be more generous in the Verso compared to the Qashqai+2 even though they share an almost identical wheelbase. There is also more shoulder room in the second and third row of seats.

In terms of price, a 2009 Verso will cost you about €25,000 - €27,000, while a new Qashqai+2 will cost you from €30,450 for a new one and about €26,000 - €27,000 for a 2009 model.

Both have pretty poor luggage space with the rear-most seats in place, but loads with the third row folded, so it depends how often you intend using the seats.

I hope this helps.

Expert answer

Hello again Angela,

I know Shane answered your last question, but I think I can answer your follow up question. The Golf and Leon are quite similar; the Leon is definitely the prettier car and the Golf the more sensible. I know what you mean about the Leon range, as there are 17 different versions, which seems excessive.

The thing is with SEAT is that it tends to get the older technology from Volkswagen, so the Leon still has an older engine range, namely the 1.9-litre TDI, which is quite a noisy old engine. The 2.0-litre TDI is also available in the Leon, but at a higher cost.

The 1.6-litre 105hp engine in the Golf is a newer and cleaner engine, with better fuel economy. It hasn't made it to the Leon just yet, so the better engine is in the Golf right now.

In terms of running costs, the road tax is slightly less on the Golf, at €104 against the €156 in the Leon. The Golf has slightly better fuel economy (62.8mpg v 56.5mpg) but that is a relatively small difference.

That Leon is great value, but in terms of an investment I would be inclined to go with the Golf, as I would think the residual value will be better with the newer Golf with the newer engine.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hello Brian,

This is an interesting one. I am guessing, as you own and love the 406 Coupé that you don't really want something too mainstream. It might seem obvious to put you into something like a BMW 3 Series Coupé, but I don't think that is what you are after.

As you probably know, you might not get offered very much for your 406 Coupé, which is a shame. Try to sell it privately because these cars do have a loyal following and if you got €2,000 that would no doubt be welcome. There is one for sale with a lot less miles than yours in Dublin for €2,650, so work backwards from there. 

Trading it is probably the easiest. Let's say that you have a budget of €16,000 and see what is around that might suit. 

One, perhaps rather obvious, choice would be to go for a Peugeot 407 Coupé. The diesel model sold really well and remains expensive, but I found a 2007 2.2-litre petrol version with just 21,000 miles on the clock and they are asking just €14,950. You can find it here:

http://tinyurl.com/33k7nl3

That might work given the really small mileage that you do and since you loved your 406 Coupé then this could be a great buy. 

If you want something very pretty and unique, how about an Alfa Romeo Brera? Here is a 2.2-litre petrol model for €17,950, but you could well haggle this price down further. There aren't too many about and while we cannot say that it won't give you the odd headache, it is a real head turner.

http://tinyurl.com/3ydqk89

Even if you're not a BMW guy, it's worth considering a 2006 320d Coupé, which will be reasonably economical for under €16,000. This one is in Monaghan and the mileage is pretty good at 69,000 miles.

http://tinyurl.com/3yr7wgq

I don't think you need a diesel given your mileage. I'd pick a Volkswagen Golf GTI. I know it isn't a coupé, but it is a super car to drive. This one is a 2006 model, but you might sneak into a 2007 version for your budget too. The example we found has the brilliant DSG gearbox, has done just 26,000 miles and is loaded with kit. It is such a rewarding car to drive and, since you live in the city, the gearbox should suit you perfectly giving you the best of both worlds.

http://tinyurl.com/32aftto

Please feel free to come back to us if we are way off the mark!