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Hi Nappa,

It depends. A sume of €4,000 is a small amount of money to pay for what was a truly cutting edge car when it came out, and an especially rewarding car to drive. But it’s also a very complex car, which is now 15 years old, so you need to buy very carefully, don’t buy anything that doesn’t have a full service history and be prepared to spend to keep it maintained and serviced.

As for diesel costs, it depends on how you drive, where you drive and how far you drive, but around 30mpg is what you should expect in terms of fuel economy.

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Hi Jimmy,

Try a Skoda Octavia 1.2 TSI petrol. It's massive inside and has a huge boot, and it can easily reach 50mpg in daily driving, with around 900km to a tank possible.

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Hi Ian,

We checked this query out with Peugeot Ireland and received this response:

"Please be advised that Tom Raftery Car Sales Shannonbridge & Athlone is not an Authorised Peugeot Dealer for Peugeot New Vehicle Sales, Parts or Aftersales. As we are no longer in contract with Tom Raftery Car Sales, he cannot look after warranty or deliver new Peugeot vehicles or represent himself as an Authorised Peugeot Dealer. Therefore he will not be in a position to offer you any Peugeot special deals for 2013/2014."

"We most certainly will have consumer offers across a number of Peugeot passenger car models for orders pre-Christmas and these offers will be announced in the coming weeks."

In the meantime, please consult our website www.peugeot.ie for your closest Authorised Peugeot Dealer and sincere thanks for considering the Peugeot brand."

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Hi John,

It just so happens that I've got the latest 1.4 diesel Toyota Corolla on test this week. Over half a tank it has averaged 5.4 litres/100km (52.3mpg). The car had two to three people in it most of the time over a variety of roads and speeds, though no long motorway journey. That's not bad going. For reference, Toyota Ireland quotes a combined cycle figure of 3.9 litres/100km (72.4mpg) for the Luna model we have on test.

Hope that helps

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Hi Au,

In terms of trade in, you're probably only looking at a value of around €1,500 or so. You might just break the €2,000 barrier if you try and sell it privately, but selling private is never easy. If you love your Leon  then can I simply suggest trading up to a newer one? If you go for a 2009-on second generation Leon, with the 1.6 TDI diesel engine, then you'll have a superbly economical car that will cost you only €200 a year to tax. You already know how robust and reliable SEATs are, so I don't need to remind you of that, but it's worth pointing out that the second-gen Leon was better to drive and more spacious than your current car. My dad has had three now and won't have anything else, so that recommendation is as good as it comes.

Mind you, it could be worth holding fire for a week. The Budget's coming up next week, and there's just a chance that the Society of the Irish Motor Industry's (SIMI) 'Swappage' plan, to give those trading in six-year-old-or-older cars €2,000 off the price of a new one could get approved, and if so then it may be worth trading up to an all-new Leon, which is simply one of the best cars out there. It's even, whisper it, a bit nicer than the Volkswagen Golf...

Here's the latest on the Swappage plan

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Hi Annette,

Our very own Shane O' Donoghue has been out driving the new Fiat 500L MPV this past week, which should be just the thing you're looking for. Tall and spacious, sub-1.4 and with very comfortable seats. Well worth trying. If the 500L doesn't float your boat, then it's always worth having a look at something Swedish (although that will inevitably violate your 1.4 limit) or if you're not keen on a Volvo and their truly wonderful seats, try an Opel. All of Opel's seats, dating back to the 2002 Vectra, have been approved by the Aktion Gesunder Rikter, or German bad back association, and their seats are almost uniformly excellent.

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Hi Vamshi,

It depends on the car, the finance package and how much you can get for it, really. I think your first port of call should be to your accountant or bank manager, who would be in a better position to give you financial advice than us.

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Hi Vamshi,

Cheap to run and good boot space? Look no further than the Kia cee'd estate (or whatever it's called). It's a cracking car with a massive boot (makes the one in the Qashqai look puny) and it's comfy and good to drive too. The cabins get a bit rattly with high mileage, but other than that they're solidly built. €8,000 will get you the pick of the litter, so be picky and shop around and try and buy the youngest one you can afford to make the most of that lengthy seven-year warranty.

Hope that helps

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Hi Dympna,

Not bad at all actually. The Soul has never been a particularly big seller in Ireland but underneath it's basically the same as a Kia cee'd so shares that car's mechanical solidity and its very good 1.6 diesel engine. It's a touch unrefined at times, and the interior quality is a little short of Kia's current standard but it's otherwise spacious, good to drive and very distinctively styled. 

An all-new Soul will be launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in a couple of weeks so there may be an opportunity for some run-out deals on the current model.

Expert answer

Hi Ian,

Right, the bad news is that the Yaris isn't going to be worth all that much at this stage. I'd say if you get €1,000 for it, either cash or as a trade in, you'll be doing well. The good news is that gives you a €4,000 budget and that puts an awful lot of really good cars well within your reach.

Now, funny story. When we had our first boy, he was born in February. That Christmas, I borrowed a Land Rover Discovery to bring us all down to my wife's parents in Waterford. And thanks to all the luggage, buggy, travel cot, bath etc. etc. etc. I couldn't see out of the back of the damned car for a whole week. That's a long winded way of saying you need to maximise your space.

So how about a Citroen Berlingo? €4,000 should get you into a 2005 1.4 petrol model and there's so much space in the back that all that baby gear will fit easily. Don't fancy a van with windows? Then how about a compact estate? There are some nice Chevrolet Lacettis around - not the most exciting car in the world but reliable, comfy, well-equipped and spacious. Your budget should get you into a 2006 or 2007 model. Or, if that's a bit too left field, what about a MkII Ford Focus estate? We found a 2005 1.6 diesel with air conditioning that's in your budget.

Best of luck with the car hunt and the baby!