Michael McAleer answers your queries
From P Stagg:
I've just been to a Renault dealer. Just before I signed off on the car my wife noticed that there was no spare wheel in the boot of the Grand Scenic we were looking at. She just mentioned it in passing but when we got home I spoke to a friend who said it was not standard. Is this the case? They apparently offer a filler system instead. Are these any good?
It's actually a rather strange quirk in the specification of the Grand Scenic here - you get a full spare wheel unless you opt for the panoramic roof. For some reason if you get the roof you lose the spare wheel. Renault says it's a weight issue. However, it does offer the spare wheel - fitted under the car - as an option if you go for the panoramic roof.
In Britain Renault doesn't offer a spare wheel as standard on any of the Grand Scenics. Instead, the aerosol tyre inflation system is standard. There, spare wheel and panoramic roof are both extras.
From M McHugh:
I'm looking for a used car with a good fuel economy. I'm moving out of the city, because of the exorbitant house prices, to a very rural area with no public transport. The car will be used to go to the shops daily and occasional visits to clients (I'm self-employed and work from home). I estimate my annual mileage would be about 30,000, but I don't need anything fancy, just something practical. I wouldn't want to spend more than €10,000. What would you suggest?
Diesel offers you the best fuel economy option and may be worth considering given that you'll be doing the sort of mileage to warrant the extra premium you pay.
There are small diesels on the market, but their prices are out of your range and you may need a larger engine for the mileage and journeys you'll have to make. This would suggest the larger 1.9-litre diesels.
You could opt for a VW Golf 1.9 TDI, of which there are several on the market within your price range, though the mileage can be quite high. Fuel economy runs in the high 50mpg range, though you may find it's not as efficient as time goes on.
Parts and servicing can also be quite steep as time goes on, so perhaps you should identify a local independent mechanic to work on the car for you.
Be wary of buying newer diesel models with high mileage. They may have spent time as taxis or fleet cars, in which case they've been working hard.
Japanese models such as Toyota offer the nearest thing to rock-solid reliability.
May I suggest one more alternative route to consider. It may not suit the image you wish to portray and it may limit the number of people you carry, but a small van may be the most economical option. With significantly lower tax to be paid, you could save a small fortune and buy something a little more up to date.
From P Loughlin:
Is it still worth buying a Japanese import these days? I'm being offered one in a private sale by a colleague at work but I wonder if they have proved reliable over the years.
The market for used Japanese cars has fallen off somewhat as more affluent buyers opt for new cars and buy with their heart rather than their head.
However, there may still be bargains to be had. The rules in Japan are designed to encourage owners to buy new every three, five or seven years. As a result, the already low prices of Japanese cars drop sharply once they are three years old - and once they are seven years old they are of little more than scrap value on the home market.
That means prices will generally be lower than what you would pay for the same Irish registered car.
However, there are a few things to be considered when buying a Japanese import.
Of most importance is the condition of the cars. Driving conditions in Japan are much different from here, with most cars spending their time stuck in traffic and crawling around the clogged city streets, often never going above the maximum limit of 55mph in Japan.
There may also be service issues, as many owners may sell them on after three years without bothering to get them serviced.
Parts used to be an issue with imported cars, but several motor factor stores now specialise in serving this market.
Get as much history for the car as you can before buying and check to see you're getting enough of a discount on a similar Irish registered model .
Send your queries to: Motors Help Desk, The Irish Times, Fleet St, Dublin 2 - or e-mail motorshelp@irish-times.ie