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Hi Gustavo,

Well, reliability and running costs are not necessarily the same thing. The ultimate in reliability is probably a Toyota Land Cruiser, but that’s hardly cheap to run or to tax… I think there’s a couple of good options here, though. Sticking with Toyota, the Auris is a solid bet, and even more so if you go for the Hybrid model, which will help keep your tax and fuel costs down. Get the Tourer estate model if you need maximum family space.

The Honda Civic is also a very good bet, and the 1.6 iDTEC diesel is probably the best model to go for to keep fuel and tax bills down. Again, if you want maximum space for the kids and their things, track down the (rather handsome) estate version.

Skoda’s Octavia is solidly reliable too (again, the Combi estate is the one to go for) and you can choose from 1.6 TDI diesel, or an excellent 1.2 TSI petrol turbo, both of which are frugal and tax-efficient. Just check its history to see if it’s been used as a taxi — many have been.

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Hi there,

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Hi Gearoid,

Unfortunately, we can’t track down archive pricing for the commercial model, as yet, but if it helps, the passenger Discovery range was priced between €56,945 and €79,010 in 2009.

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Hi Paul,

A very tricky one, and as ever with Irish insurers, you’re quickly going to run up against a brick wall of intransigence. My best advice would be to get in touch with a good local insurance broker, as they can often find ways around issues such as this, and can sometimes track down policies that mere mortals cannot find.

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Hi Tomas,

Yes, it is an issue and could potentially be a very serious issue with your kind of mileage and driving profile. The problem is that you need to generate heat in the exhaust system to keep the diesel particulate filter clear, and low mileages and low speeds just don’t do that. You can get around that, a bit, by doing a regular long motorway or main road run, keeping to a low-ish gear for a while, but that’s not convenient for everyone.

Basically speaking, I think you’re best sticking with petrol if at all possible and there are some big-car petrol options out there if you look around and get a little lucky. Try and track down a Skoda Octavia with the 1.2 TSI turbo petrol engine, perhaps? Or maybe consider a Toyota Prius — they’re pretty big inside (although the boot is not massive).

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Hi Tony,

Well, it would certainly be worth trying to track down a petrol-engined 3 Series Touring estate, but as you rightly point out these are rarer than hens’ molars at the moment. Same story for the Audi A4 Avant and Mercedes C-Class Estate too, I’m afraid. Would you consider a VW Passat Estate? Or a Skoda Superb? A bit of a step down in class terms, I’ll grant you, but good, solid cars and you can track them down with the 1.4 TSI turbo petrol engine. 

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Hi Roland,

It’s a simple choice — the Porsche. Not that we don’t love the E46 M3 and its snarling straight-six soundtrack, but the problem will be finding a good one. With prices dropping, a lot have fallen into disreputable hands, and for a car that needs careful and constant maintenance, that’s bad news.

Not that there are no bad Porsches out there, but the 996 is almost (almost) an investment. Prices are starting to nudge upward, so search for the best possible one you can find, don’t buy without a really solid Porsche service history (or one from a reputable independent specialist) and be prepared to spend a reasonable amount keeping it maintained. Do that, and it might just increase in value over the next few years.

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Hi Simon,

If you want the ultimate performance car driving course then I think that the Porsche Centre in Silverstone is the best one to go for. They’ve expanded the track there in recent years, so there’s more room to play, and it’s impossible to beat the appeal of a Porsche when it comes to honing your driving skills. Closer to home, the BMW course at Mondello is excellent, and obviously far more convenient, and it’s well worth checking out Rally School Ireland up in Monaghan, too.

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Hi Pat,

It depends on the seats you're using and how old your kids are. I'd suspect you may struggle, but it's worth going down for a test-drive mob-handed, with the kids and their seats, and see if you can all fit. If not, a good idea is to track down a Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate with the pop-up seats in the boot.  Seven seats without the MPV misery. 

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Hi Philip,

It is a problem, right enough, but while Mercedes security systems are good, they're not infallible, and any car is vulnerable to this kind of electronic attack.The only thing you can reasonably do is to stand as close to the car as possible when flipping the lock, so as to minimise the signal spread and make it harder to 'capture' the signal between the key and the car. If it's a keyless-entry car, keep the key as far away from the car as possible when it's parked up outside.

Beyond that though, the sad and unpleasant truth is that if a determined and well-equipped thief really wants your car, they're going to have it... Maybe consider getting a tracking device fitted, and police forces are generally advising going back to the more old-fashioned methods such as a steering wheel bar or a driveway post. Anything that makes the crooks' life harder is a good idea.

(Oh, and no limit to the number of questions either. We are generally inundated with questions so once you don't expect an instant answer we'll all be happy.)