I’m now trying to buy a second-hand family car and am at a bit of a loss as I’ve never bought a car before (my first car was inherited and our last one was bought by my husband). This is a long-winded way of asking if you’d have any advice regarding a reliable petrol or hybrid car that one can buy second-hand for under €25,000. And while you don’t need a diesel – and mention petrol or hybrid – that will limit your choice of older cars, first registered when diesel dominated sales. Don’t buy the lines about other buyers: this is not like the housing market, and you’re not buying a rare classic; there will be plenty more car options out there. While it’s true that a smaller, lighter, more efficient car can make up some of that loss of battery size and capacity, size still very much matters.

Source: The Irish Times February 24, 2026 15:30 UTC