How many Audi R8s were sold in 2007?
How many Audi R8 were registered in Ireland in 2007
Joe Keane (Limerick)May 2011 Filed under: miscellaneous
Expert answer
Hi Joe,
There were four new Audi R8s bought in Ireland in 2007. Two were silver, one was grey and the other black. All were bought in Dublin.
Hope that's of some help to you
What will I buy with my lottery winnings?
Hi there, I'm in a dilemma. Ahead of winning the Lotto jackpot tonight I am at my wits end trying to figure out what car to buy. I believe the Ford S-Max is very highly regarded but it doesn't inspire me aesthetically. What can you suggest in its class with money being no object of course,
Clodagh Monks, Cork
Clodagh Monks (Cork)Mar 2011 Filed under: lottery win
Expert answer
Hi Clodagh,
If you are after a seven-seater then there really is only one car for you to buy with your lotto winnings and that is the €191,955 Audi Q7 6.0-litre V12 Diesel with 500hp.
Easy really. That is the most expensive seven-seater on sale here right now!
Newer VW Passat or older BMW 3 Series?
Hi Shane & Paddy,
I am looking at changing my car. I've a 2002 BMW 318Ci with 106,000 miles on the clock. It has Bluetooth, multi-function steering wheel, alloys, cruise control etc. Due to on-street parking it has some damage to the rear driver's side panel and the alloys need to be dipped to look their best. We have a baby on the way so need something with back doors.
I have looked at a 2007 2.0-litre Passat saloon: 90,000km, leather interior, heated seats, cruise control and Bluetooth and the garage is asking €11,950. I also saw a 2005 BMW 320i SE saloon with leather seats, cruise control etc. and they are asking €11,950 too. I was also thinking of looking at Audi A4s but haven't yet.
Assuming I can get approx €5,000 for my current car then €11-12,000 is the total budget. Should I do the repair work on the damage and alloys now to improve value? Can you recommend someone?
What can I expect to get for private sale and trade-in? What would you recommend as replacement? We do mostly city driving with a country trip once a month or so. Petrol or diesel? Head says newer Passat but I like driving the BMW and think the Passat / A4 might be less enjoyable to drive.
Sorry for all the questions!
Thanks. Enda
Enda Lowry (Dublin)Mar 2011 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Enda,
This was a long one, so I thought I would answer by video. Click on the link to see the answer!
Is a second-hand Audi A4 a good buy?
Hi, I've been looking at upgrading my car and have been looking at Audi A4 around 2005/2006. They are all quite high mileage but is this something I need to be concerned about? I have been looking at this one, which seems a good deal and has 79,000 miles on the clock - what do you think? I do roughly 5-7,000 miles per year so not too worried about fuel costs. Is there anything else I should watch out for or take into account?
Ciaran Reid (Mulhuddart)Feb 2011 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Ciaran,
There were a lot of used Audi A4s brought into Ireland over the last few years, mainly by personal import. I remember seeing a statistic at the time stating that there were more used Audis being imported into Ireland than there were new Audis being sold. The quality of these imported cars varied quite a lot. Two members of my own family bought cars from the years that you mention and while they have been fine, when something does go wrong (through wear and tear) the costs of parts can be pricey.
The car you have shown us is petrol powered, which might make it tricky to sell on again, especially since you will probably reach 100,000 miles reasonably soon in it. It has had three owners too in quite a short space of time, so I would want a full history check done on the car and I'd want to know if there have been any problems.
I think if everything checks out on that car then you could be on to a winner, although I would probably be inclined to look at a diesel with slightly higher miles because resale value might be better.
Hope that's of help
Has the new Audi A6 got offset pedals?
If you've driven the new Audi A6, does it have the horrible off-set clutch pedal like the A4 / A5?
T Charles (Dublin)Feb 2011 Filed under: gearbox
Expert answer
Hi there,
We only drove one Audi A6 with a manual gearbox on the launch event and I didn't particularly notice that the pedals were offset. However, the cars that we drove were left-hand drive, so it could be that the car's pedals are offset when in right-hand drive. I can't say that it was anything that ever bothered me in the A4 or A5 before.
Which dealers offer PCP finance in Ireland?
Which dealers offer PCP finance in Ireland?
Katie Dyer (Enniscorthy)Jan 2011 Filed under: finance
Expert answer
Hi Katie,
The Volkswagen Group is offering a PCP scheme in Ireland at the moment. It trialled the scheme last year with the Volkswagen Polo, but a number of offers across the range will be in place soon. Audi also has an offer on several of its cars, such as the A1.
Hope that's of some help.
What seven-seat four-wheel drive options are there?
My wife is looking for a seven-seat four-wheel drive, but not a BMW X5 or Jeep type car. Are there any other options?
Eamonn Crawford (Clonmel)
Jan 2011 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hello Eamonn,
I am a little unsure of what you mean. Do you want a seven-seat car that has four-wheel drive but one that isn't an SUV?
There aren't all that many four-wheel drive seven-seaters around. Obviously the BMW X5, which you mentioned, the Volvo XC90, the Land Rover Discovery, the Hyundai Santa Fe, Audi Q7, Mitsubishi Outlander, Kia Sorento, Chevrolet Captiva, Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota LandCruiser.
A four-wheel drive seven-seat car is something that is harder to come by. The Mercedes-Benz R-Class seats seven and can be had with four-wheel drive.
Let us know if that's the sort of thing you're looking for.
Which estates have seven seats?
Can you recommend any estate car (not SUV or MPV) that can seat seven?
Paul Stack (Co Kildare)Dec 2010 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Paul,
I am not sure if you want a new car or a used car. In terms of a new car, there aren't all that many seven seat estates anymore. First up is the Peugeot 308 SW, which is available with a third row of seats. However, it doesn't seem to be offered on Peugeot's online price list anymore - since the 3008 arrived it doesn't really have a large audience. We did contact Peugeot though and if you do want a 308 SW with seven seats the car is available on special order. A 1.6 HDi 308 SW seven seater will cost from €25,725 plus delivery and a 2.0 HDi will cost from €28,150.
But you can have a 2008 307 SW model for very little money. This one is just €9,990 for a 1.6-litre diesel.
Mercedes-Benz still does a seven-seat option for the E-Class Estate, but the third row is best suited to kids. That range starts at €46,500 before you start putting in optional extras.
Here is a quite nice 2004 model though: low mileage, a nice 2.7-litre diesel engine and it is a decent price too.
Add more detail in the comment box below if you'd like to know more.
Thanks a lot.
When is the new Audi A6 arriving?
When is the new Audi A6 due?
Tom Weafer (Dublin)Nov 2010 Filed under: future cars
Expert answer
Hi Tom,
As it turns out, Audi will reveal the new A6 to us in just a couple of weeks!
Stay tuned...
A new estate with a diesel engine and four-wheel drive?
I want to buy a new station wagon with a diesel engine, automatic transmission and four-wheel drive. There seem to be very few options, e.g the Volvo XC70, which is too expensive. Can you recommend any alternatives?
Pat Norris (Clonakilty)Oct 2010 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Pat,
This is a very particular car that you are looking for, but thankfully there are some options for you without spending the sort of money that you would need for a Volvo XC70. For a start you could choose something from the Audi range, which has some Avant models with quattro all-wheel drive. You could have an Audi A4 allroad quattro, which could be just about right for what you need as it has a good 2.0-litre diesel engine and has an elevated ride height so it can cope with the odd muddy field. It is a handsome thing too. This starts at €45,400 and while it isn't very well known it is a cracking car.
A cheaper option but along the same lines would be the Skoda Octavia Scout, which has a 140hp diesel engine, a decent 4x4 system and loads of luggage space. The emissions are a little high though, at 173g/km, which makes it Band E in terms of road tax.
Another really good choice would be the Subaru Outback, which comes with a superb 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine and all-wheel drive. Subaru is really talented at making this sort of vehicle and I've driven this car and really rate it. It has 150hp, 350Nm of torque and it still comes with reasonable emissions of 156g/km, putting it in motor tax Band D. There is no automatic option for this car though, so that perhaps rules it out for you.
If you could cope without an automatic transmission then the Subaru would be the best buy, but I guess the Audi with quattro in an A4 Avant is your best choice. However, you are going to have difficulty with the A4 allroad in terms of you cannot have an automatic in the 2.0-litre TDI it seems, only in the 2.0-litre FSI petrol or the 3.0-litre TDI.
Hope that helps anyway