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What's up with insurance on my Citroen C4?

Hi, my wife just bought a Citroen C4; it is a great car to drive, but when time came to insure the car it went up €280 on last year's insurance on a 2007 Nissan Almera. Both cars are in Group 15 and Citroen C4 is rated as a safer car. Are we missing something here about the C4?

Thank you

Aidan

Aidan Dempsey (Athy)

May 2020 Filed under: insurance

Expert answer

Hi Aidan,

Insurance is a perennial bugbear and, unfortunately, we don’t have much of an answer for you. It could be that, when damaged, the C4 is more expensive to repair than the Almera, or simply that Irish insurers view anything that’s not a dull four-door saloon as ’sporty’ in some vague way. I’m afraid that the only thing to do is the old ’shop-around’ routine when it comes to renewal. I think it would also be worth having a word with your current insurer, find out exactly why your insurance went up (this might take a bit of drilling down through layers of ‘computer says no’) and make it very clear how dissatisfied you are, and that you’re planning to move your insurance at renewal time. 


How economical is the Nissan Almera?

What is the fuel economy of the 1.5-litre petrol Nissan Almera?

Paul Tobin (Wexford)

Nov 2016 Filed under: fuel economy and emissions

Expert answer

Hi Paul,

I’m assuming you’re looking at about a 2005 model year? If so, the official combined fuel economy figure was 42.2mpg, or 6.7 litres per 100km, but the actual fuel consumption will depend significantly on both the condition of the vehicle and your own driving style.


With €10,000 I need room for my bike, please!

Upgrading from a 2001 Nissan Almera 1.5-litre petrol. I cycle to work so only drive at weekends so thinking I should probably stick to petrol. I'd like to come up to a 2010 model with a maximum budget of €10,000. Maybe a hatchback to fit my bike; what do you recommend?

Claire

Claire Towey (Dublin)

Jan 2016 Filed under: choosing used car

Expert answer

Hi Claire,

Well, with a bike, why not go for a compact estate instead of a hatch? Same driving experience and same running costs, but a bigger boot by far. Best of the breed is a Kia cee'd SW, which is hugely reliable and has a massive boot. With you just driving at the weekends, I'd say it's worth trying to track down a petrol model, rather than the more popular diesel.


Ford Focus or Citroen C4?

With a budget of around €3,000, I'm looking to buy a Citroen C4 hatchback or a Ford Focus hatchback around 2006-07 1.6 diesel. Would you recommend one over the other? I heard that the Focus can be troublesome but I can't find a bad review on the C4. I've been told I should go for a better make car 2005 with that budget but how can you tell which ultimately is a better buy? Will there be more problems with an 05 than an 07?

Moza Walsh (Galway)

Aug 2015 Filed under: choosing used car

Expert answer

Hi Moza,

You won't necessarily get more trouble from an 05 than an 07 - it's all down to the condition and history of the individual car. 

You're right to say that there are no major problems with the C4 - it's actually pretty well made - but check it for any electrical gremlins. The 1.6 diesel is shared with the Ford Focus (and several other cars) so any problems are basically identical - water pump and oil 'sludge' are the common issues. I'd say the Focus has a slight edge in terms of reliability and quality but it's a close run thing. 

If you want a 'better make' and reliability is your primary concern then you need to be buying either Japanese or Korean. Corolla, Civic, Almera etc.


What's wrong with my Almera's steering?

I have a 2003 Nissan Almera and it has a new timing chain. It now drives fine for 15 minutes, then loses power and the power steering stops working. What could be the problem?

CIARA SCULLY (Galway)

Jul 2015 Filed under: fault

Expert answer

Hi Ciara,

It sounds to us like the issue might well be with the power steering pump alone, which would suggest that it's nothing to do with the fact you had the timing chain replaced. I'd suggest bringing the car back to the garage the work was done at for it to be checked out.

Let us know how you get on


Why has the engine light come on in my Nissan Almera?

I have a 2006 Nissan Almera 1.5 petrol. Today the engine light came on and I lost power. It has struggled to start since. What do I do?

Daniel Kavanagh (Dublin)

Apr 2015 Filed under: fault

Expert answer

Hi Daniel,

I'm afraid that it's not possible to analyse that sort of problem from afar. You need to get the car into a garage and hooked up to a diagnostic machine. That'll result in an error code to help the mechanic identify the cause of the problem. It's most likely a sensor of some description, but it needs to be recitifed in any case.

Let us know how you get on


How much oil should a Nissan Almera 1.4 use in a year?

How much oil should a Nissan Almera 1.4 use in a year?

Gus Mc Cormick (Dublin)

Mar 2015 Filed under: servicing

Expert answer

Hi Gus,

That's not an easy question to answer I'm afraid. All models are different, and even then examples of the same car could vary wildly depending on how they are driven and maintained. We wouldn't like to try to put a figure on it. However, if you find yourself topping up the oil by more than a litre a month you really should get the engine looked at.

Hope that helps in some small way


How can I up my Almera's performance?

Hi guys, I have a 2007 Nissan Almera 1.5 SXE; are there any parts I can get to make it have a bit more power? Would it be possible to get a turbocharger installed in that model or K&N filter? Don't know if it's possible.

Thanks, it's so sluggish and I can't afford to insure anything bigger at the moment.

Michael Shannon (Daingean)

Feb 2015 Filed under: insurance

Expert answer

Hi Michael,

Well, if you can't afford to insure anything bigger then a turbo's a no-go. Legally, you have to inform your insurer of any modifications made to your car, and if an increase in swept capacity is a no-go then no insurer is going to let you strap on a turbo.

A K&N filter or similar would be fine though and should readily be available for an Almera. While you're at it, why not put the turbo budget to a proper service, some high-quality oil and new tyres? All far better options for improving performance and nothing that will bother your insurance provider.


What trade-in value should I get for my Nissan Almera?

What trade in value am I looking to get for a 2004 Nissan Almera Sport? It has an NCT until September and 76,000 miles on the clock. Very clean car.

Louise O'Brien (Daingean)

Jun 2014 Filed under: used car values

Expert answer

Hi Louise,

Not a huge amount I'm afraid. Although your car is at the lower end of the mileage spectrum for an Almera of that age, you're still only going to get about €3,500 if you sell it yourself and probably only around half that if you trade in.


Nissan Note or Almera?

I was thinking of buying a 2007 Nissan Note or Almera; what do you think?

Mark Blighe (Rathcormac)

May 2014 Filed under: choosing used car

Expert answer

Hi Mark,

Of the two, I'd go for the Note. The Almera is a reliable old workhorse but it's about as dull as a car can get. The Note, by contrast, is nicer to look at, pleasant to drive and massively spacious and practical. There are a few things to keep an eye on though,  which is surprisingly given Nissan's reputation for reliability. Electrical gremlins, including needing a complete reset and reboot of the ECU, are not uncommon, while the folding rear seat mechanism can jam. There have been reports of problems with the diesel engines on early models too.


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