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Hi there,

Right, I'll be honest - we had to get on to Nissan Ireland for help with this, but it came through in spades.

Over and above the SV model, the SVE added Xenon headlights, Intelligent Key, illuminated passenger sunvisor, seven-speaker BOSE audio system, 17-inch alloys and rear parking sensors.

The engine has a timing chain, not a belt, so it doesn't need replacement,  but it does need to be inspected at regular intervals. Any Qashqai with a full service history should be fine on that score.

In terms of economy, the 1.6 petrol Qashqai got 44mpg overall while the 1.6 diesel got 55mpg, or 60mpg if it was fitted with the stop-start system.

Hope that all helps

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Hi Brian,

Well, it's all down to the CO₂ emissions because it's that on which the rate of VRT will be applied. You need to do your homework though as cars that can be quite affordable in the UK can be wildly over-priced in the Irish market leading to you paying more VRT than you really should do.

Ideally, you need to be spending above €30k on a car to make it truly worth your while on importing a car, thanks to the exchange rate. The BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class are all well worth looking at, as well as higher-spec versions of the likes of the Skoda Superb, Volkswagen Passat and Mazda6. 

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Hi Mike,

Yes, yes, yes and oh, yes. Basically, it’s almost exactly like an A4 (same engines, same platform, same buttons, switches and touch-screen), but much more roomy (space for three child car seats abreast on the back seat and a massive 600-litre boot) and a lot cheaper to buy. Perhaps a touch noisier than the Audi, and maybe a little less precise to the steering, but you won’t feel short-changed.

Read our Skoda Superb Combi review here

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Hi F D,

Somewhere around the €18,000 mark I would think. 

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Hi Martina,

Your Q5 should still be worth at least €30-35,000  and I can’t see anything wrong with upgrading to the 151 version – hard to go wrong with a Q5.

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Hi Alison,

Audi has never had a 'Sport' trim on the current A3, so I suspect if you've seen one advertised it's the seller getting confused and mis-labelling the S line trim. Over and above standard specification, the SE trim adds 16-inch alloy wheels, nicer seat trim, front fog lights, rear floor mats, aluminium interior trim, a front centre armrest, extra map lights, cruise control, rear parking sensors, a colour display for the trip computer and an iPod connector.

S line gives you Xenon headlamps with LED running lights and LED rear lights, 18-inch alloys, black cloth headlining, Audi Drive Select (which means you can toggle between Sport, Normal, Comfort and Eco modes), a three-spoke flat-bottomed steering wheel, sportier exterior body kit, bucket seats, S line logos everywhere and lower, firmer S line suspension.

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Hi Evaldas,

Timing belts are often referred to as tooted belts, it's not a new thing, though I am surprised that it was called that in the service history instead of cambelt or timing belt. For peace of mind, call the garage that made that remark and confirm that they do indeed mean the timing belt. I'd be 99% certain they do.

Warranties don't usually cover serviceable items such as the timing belt.

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Hi Patrick,

Well, the Passat is definitely better value - and it's only a little less spacious than the Audi. But you are trying to compare two quite different cars - one a regular family car, one a premium executive model. It depends on what you want more; value for money or something more prestigious and luxurious. Both are excellent cars though - reliable and nice to drive. 

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Hi Pat,

We checked with Audi Ireland and it sounds like a leaking slave cylinder, though very hard to say without seeing it. It also could have consequential damage caused to the clutch itself so best to get it sorted as soon as possible.

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Hi Brendan,

There is no specific market data for Ireland in this respect. The old rule of thumb still holds true - if you want ultimate reliability, buy a Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Suzuki, Subaru or Mazda. You could probably pretty easily add Kia and Hyundai to that list too now.

The best I can do for you is to point you towards the results of the JD Power Vehicle Dependability Study for the UK market in 2015. An independent research agency, JD Power ranks the various brands surveyed by problems per 100 cars - although it's worth remembering that those problems can range from minor electrical niggles to total engine failure, so you can't read everything into the stats. The last set of figures, ranked from best-performing to worst, were: