HELPDESK: MICHAEL McALEERanswers all your motoring queries
From D Kelly: Is it just in my area that petrol prices have started to spike again? It’s not getting a lot of attention but I’m now paying nearly €1.20 a litre. When it went over €1 about three years ago, it made the news. Then it fell a little – now it has crept back up. Shouldn’t we be keeping an eye?
The overall fall in inflation and in consumer prices has distracted attention from the rise in pump prices of late. It’s something that needs to be watched very carefully and motorists need to pay far more attention to the sizeable price differences between stations.
There are some stations charging as much as €1.23 a litre for petrol – madness when you consider that within a few miles you can find a station charging €1.16. For a family car, the difference is about €5 per fill. Work that out over a year and you start to see the cost.
So many people ignore the differences in price, thinking it’s only a matter of a few cent, but they forget that most family cars have tanks of between 50 and 70 litres.
You can shop around without leaving home by using websites like pumps.ie to find the best price in your area.
The only way consumers will keep a check on forecourt filling prices is if retailers know that buyers are paying attention to the pump prices.
From A Booth: I have recently retired and no longer need a big car as I do very little mileage. I’m considering something small for shopping runs and visiting friends. I don’t plan to change my car more than once every seven or eight years from now one (hopefully).
However, I do need to tow a small trailer as I do a lot of gardening and help friends as well. It will only be carrying a lawnmower and some spades and so on. I have been considering a Toyota Aygo. Is that a good choice? What about its towing capability?
The Aygo is a good choice for town driving and low mileage, but we are told it does not have any towing capabilities, so you are best to look to the larger Yaris, with a towing capacity of 750kg for a braked trailer. That should be more than adequate.
It does mean some extra cash outlay but the increased space inside will also make it more flexible, for long-term ownership.
Smaller models like the Aygo are great for nipping about town but lack much of the practicality that most people will need at some point. That’s what makes them ideal second cars, but perhaps not quite the perfect sole car for someone like you. And it’s not just the Aygo. Most models at this size are unable to tow a trailer and have limited bootspace.
I would point you towards the Yaris, with its increased bootspace, or something like the Skoda Fabia.
From P Stone, Louth: Following on from last week’s query, I’m also looking for an estate. However, I need a seven-seater. I know the Volvo V70 and Peugeot 307SW can be adjusted with two seats in the back. But are there any other options?
In terms of traditional estates, there are only those models on the market at present, although some older rivals do feature optional seats in the boot, such as the Mercedes E-Class from the mid-1990s that offered a third row option.
Most people have turned to the people carrier as an alternative. Alternatively, there are several SUVs that offer a third-row of seats, such as the Hyundai Santa Fe.
From MT: Quick question for you. I’m coming to the end of my research and it’s between a 2003 Audi TT 1.8 convertible in good condition with 40,000 miles on the clock, listed for €16,500 or a Mazda MX-5 convertible with nearly 55,000 miles, from the same year, for €10,000. Is the Audi worth the difference?
Both cars are good, but I would opt for the Mazda myself. Despite the higher mileage, I think it’s more fun to drive and Mazda has a well-earned reputation for reliability so you shouldn’t have many problems. The prices of both are within the market average for these models. I would suspect you could bargain for a better price on both, but either way, I’d go for the MX-5 and spend the savings on a road trip around Ireland, especially if the weather stays this good.