Volkswagen Problems

The Tiguan is good enough, but Mazda's CX-5 is even better.

There have been big problems with the earlier Golf models, especially with the DSG gearbox and some electronics. Without a long-term record, it's impossible to judge the reliability of the current car and so we say it's best to keep it only through the warranty safety net.

We're always keen on owner feedback although the current Polo is light years away from your old-timer.

With that budget you'll be buying second-hand in that class, and that makes the Hyundai i30 the best choice with plenty of warranty still to run. We do not recommend the Golf after the factory warranty. A turbodiesel gets better economy but you need to drive 30,000 kilometres a year for the total cost to beat a petrol car.

By law carmakers are allowed to fit speedos that read up to 10 percent over the actual speed of the car, in other words they can read up to 110km/h when the real speed is 100km/h, but they cannot have a speedo that indicates a speed less than the actual speed of the car. They tend to err towards the plus 10 per cent error because that covers all of the possible errors that could affect the reading. You will find that virtually all cars are the same; it's not just VW. One way out is to refer to the app as your staff do, or use the speed readout on your sat-nav, which will be more accurate.

The GTI is a much better drive and a much better car. But if price comes first you'll will get a great fantastic deal on a Pulsar, including the ST-S that comes with the SSS engine and is still hugely overstocked.

The recall you refer to related to cars fitted with the 7-speed gearbox, not the 6-speed. You could attempt to negotiate with VW over your concerns on the basis of goodwill, but your car is six years old and has been worked on by so many different people that I don’t think you have much of a chance of success.

We've had many complaints about Volkswagen service, but not the ignition. We would welcome any feedback to pass along to VW.

I would go for the Qashqai ahead of the Tiguan and Compass.

The Polo will be a top choice but don't overlook the Honda Jazz. It's a different style of car, not feeling as solid as the VW, but lively with good outward vision.