Help desk with Michael McAleer.
From Danny Kennedy: I currently drive a 2004 Nissan X-Trail (petrol model). I am considering moving up in two years to a 2006 registered seven-seater vehicle, be it a SUV or a MPV. I am looking for something that will have a large bootspace when only five seats are in use, and still some reasonable bootspace when all seven seats are in use. What would your recommendations be as regards suitable SUV/MPVs, and what level of cash might I expect to put with the X-Trail as a trade-in?
First to the trade-in. Prices at the moment are very fickle, and it depends on the individual dealer and how much used stock the dealership is carrying. If it is in good condition, then I guess you could hope for between €13,000 and €16,000 depending on its condition, specification and mileage. Even then, these figures will greatly depend on whether a dealer already has an X-Trail in stock.
In terms of your next buy, there are not that many seven-seat SUVs from 2006, as these have been a more recent phenomenon. You could pick up a 2006 Land Rover Discovery but I really think you are better in a people carrier if you want some bootspace, even with seven seats in action. Therefore I would suggest you look at a 2006 Ford Galaxy or Renault Espace. There are other seven-seat options, but none of them really have a boot worth mentioning when the back row is in play.
You could probably get a Galaxy diesel from 2006 with relatively low mileage for about €27,500 before taking the trade-in into account, while the Espace would be closer to €30,000 due to the more limited availability. If you can get either in good condition then they are good buys, but my money would probably go to the Galaxy. Remember to shop around and don't be fooled by higher trade-in prices: it's the ultimate cost of change that counts.
From T Bennett: We're considering a Renault Twingo, as we rented one in France when we visited and found it fun and practical. I could never understand why it was never sold over here. What is your opinion?
We reviewed it in Motors some months back. You can find our previous car reviews by using the archive on our website, irishtimes.comand typing in "road test" and, for example, "Renault Twingo".
It's a nice little town car that's not wildly different from the rest of the small cars on sale these days. It has the same cute looks, though inside it is slightly better finished than some of its rivals. We've yet to get a reasonable answer as to why they never bothered building right-hand drive models.
If a Twingo is what you have set your heart on, then opt for the Dynamique version rather than the entry level Royale. Apart from a longer list of standard features, the engine output is different in both cars due to better compression on the Dynamique.
That means it's quicker and more appealing to used buyers than the entry version.
From D Murphy, Limerick: Why do car firms all seem to choose 250km/h as the limited top speed. A friend says it's because speed cameras can't snap you above that speed.
The speed camera story is an urban myth. They can just as easily shoot you at 300km/h as at 70km/h.
I've no conclusive reason for the 250km/h limit other than the fact that 150mph was the target speed for many manufacturers for many years and, once that was achieved, some wanted to better it.
Mercedes was first to introduce the 250km/h limited top speed, on its 500 E. Some firms don't follow this tradition and Porsche, for example, does not apply a limiter to the speed of its top sports cars.
It seems the reason to call time on the speed race was a fear that every car would be capable of going at speeds far in excess of what the average driver is able to handle, even on an autobahn in Germany.
These days the real challenge and goal for the car industry is to do with fuel consumption, and the Holy Grail for now is 100mpg.
That's where the top brains of the car industry are focusing their attention these days.