Is a 10-year-old car worth selling on?

HELPDESK:Answering all your motoring queries

From ND, Dublin: I have a 1999 VW Passat 1.6 petrol with 58,000 miles and timing belt done at 38,000 (it was sitting up for two years and timing belt had decayed). It was serviced last week with no issues, and has six months’ motor tax left and NCT due May 2011. I was looking at trading it in and buying a Mazda6 for €5,000 with 50,000-60,000 miles on the clock. Any idea what I would or should get for the Passat? And should I sell it or keep it? What’s your opinion on a second-hand Mazda 6?

That’s very low mileage on the Passat, but even with six months’ tax and the NCT you are only likely to get about €3,000 for the car unless you find a generous dealer with a definite potential buyer for the car. If you are buying a replacement, I don’t understand why you would want to keep the car, with the added costs that might follow both in tax and NCT, not to mention potential replacement parts. Take the money. In terms of the Mazda6, I think it might be closer to €6,500 for a good version with that sort of mileage, but it’s a solid purchase. I always liked the Mazda6 and the brand scores very well in reliability and customer satisfaction ratings. I would have no qualms about that purchase, provided you inspect the car thoroughly and make sure it has a valid history. Car check websites such as motorcheck.ie are a godsend for Irish car buyers these days for peace of mind. Happy motoring.

From EF: We are a family of four – two adults, one teenager and a one-year old – looking for a new car, also the main car for my mother in law who is disabled. We have a primary cert for disabled passenger scheme, which allows VRT and VAT off the car. It will cover lots of mileage, 60,000km per year; must have a large boot; must have low tax; and be diesel. Our budget is €15,000.

Paddy Comyn writes:The car that sticks out for me is the Skoda Yeti. Given that you need it to do a lot of miles and the boot needs to be decent, the Yeti would really fit the bill. It is a super car.

The high roof line makes it easy to get in and out of, visibility is good and the engine will be able to cope with the mileage. Given you can claim back the VAT and VRT of the car, the price of a diesel Yeti should be quite within your grasp. I know there is a massive demand on the Yeti right now so you might need to wait a little while, but this would be a smashing choice for you.

Send your queries to Motors Helpdesk, The Irish Times, Tara St, Dublin 2 or email motorshelp@irishtimes.com