Expert answer

Hi Pat,

Short answer is no, we don’t know. And nor does anyone, as yet. It seems more than likely that the Government will be making tweaks to the tax system this year, and SIMI (the Society of the Irish Motor Industry) has been lobbying for a movement of around ten per cent at the top end of each tax band. The EU has stated that the transition to WLTP has to be ‘revenue neutral’ so theoretically, something HAS to be done to mitigate any major increases in cost for consumers.

There’s always a but, though… The Government could theoretically say that leaving the system as is pushes people towards electric and hybrid models, and therefore is part of the overall environmental strategy, or they could decide that for the moment the tax system can continue to be based on the existing NEDC2 correlated figure.

We shall have to wait and see.

Expert answer

Hi Dwnis,

The recommended interval is at least every 210,000 kilometres, regardless of time.

Expert answer

Hi Simon,

We’ve double-checked this with Audi, and yes — under certain circumstances you can have both the upgrade pack and the free auto gearbox on your A4. The 191 complimentary Style Pack includes a metallic paint finish, ambient lighting pack, heated front sports seats, comfort armrest and front parking sensors. The Audi A4 Style Pack also comes complete with 18-inch alloy wheels on SE models and 19-inch alloys on the S line, offering a customer saving of over €4,000 for the SE and €4,500 for S line model. It’s only available in limited quantities though, and only up to the 28th of February.

As for the automatic gearbox offer, that’s a dealer-led promotion, where dealers are offering this on certain models, so you might need to ring-around your nearest Audi dealers to make sure you can avail of that on the car you want.

Expert answer

Hi Johnny,

If you have the first-generation Audi A3 1.6 petrol, then it's likely to be one of two things. The idle speed could be set too low or there's a seal missing from an unused engine bay harness 14-pin multi-plug allowing water in. Both are cheap and easy fixes for any mechanic to carry out.

Naturally, something else could be causing the problem, but these are known issues with that engine.

Expert answer

Hi Tom,

It kind of depends on what price range you’re looking at. The more expensive you go, the more available such options are. The likes of a BMW 5 Series or an Audi A6 would be the easiest to find with all of these options on the one car, but it becomes much more problematic if you’re shopping lower down the price lists. Come back to us and let us know your budget for more useful assistance.

Expert answer

Hi Bharat,

That car's engine uses a timing chain, which does not usually require scheduled replacement.

Expert answer

Hi there,

By 2009 all cars on sale will have been on the current CO₂-based tax system, so if you think you’re paying too much, then you need to go back and check up the figures for the model you own. The A3, in 2009, came with a choice of four petrol engines — 1.4, 1.8 and 2.0-litre turbos - and an older naturally-aspirated 1.6 petrol. There’s quite a bit of difference between the engines when it comes to CO₂ figures. The 1.4 turbo has rated CO₂ emissions of 139g/km, which would mean motor tax of €280 a year, which I guess isn’t too bad. The older 1.6 engine, in spite of having 20hp less, has CO₂ emissions of 162g/km, putting it in Band D, with an annual tax bill of €570. The 1.8 160hp engine has 155g/km emissions, which just scrapes into Band C, with €390 a year tax, while the 2.0-litre turbo, with its 200hp engine, is in the same boat as the 102hp 1.6 engine, with 166g/km and tax of €570.

If you let us know the precise spec and engine of your car, we might be able to help out more. 

Expert answer

Hi Pat,

As it happens, Audi Ireland has just announced that the new Q3 will start at €39,600. We don't have the full price list yet, but you can read more in this news story.

Expert answer

Hi Anne,

There are loads of different reasons why a stop-start system won't work as you might expect it to. Most of the time it's down to the condition of the battery or the drain on it, though it could be due to the ambient temperature, too. Here are a couple of items on the site to read through before you consider having the car looked at:

Why won't my car's stop-start system work?

Why does my stop-start not always work?

Expert answer

Hi Roseanna,

First things first — if you’re doing mostly urban and motorway miles, you really don’t need an SUV. A more conventional hatchback, saloon, or estate is going to be more comfortable, better value, more economical and a better-engineered vehicle all round. If you’re looking for something with practicality then the likes of a Skoda Octavia Combi estate, a Volkswagen Golf Estate, a Kia Ceed SW, or the new Ford Focus Estate all have much bigger boots than any small-to-medium SUV (more than 600 litres, all of them, compared to around 450 litres for, say, a Nissan Qashqai), and they’re all better to drive and more frugal.

However, if you’re hooked on SUVs then we’d recommend a SEAT Ateca (plain wrapper, but it’s roomy, comfy and nice to drive) or a Toyota C-HR (small on the inside, relatively, but hugely stylish and the hybrid version is frugal). If you’re looking to ‘posh-up’ a bit, then the incoming new Audi Q3 is a bit of a stunner, or if you want something smaller and more affordable than any of those, try the updated Fiat 500X, which is kinda cute and charming.

Here are our relevant reviews for you to read more:

Skoda Octavia Combi review

Volkswagen Golf Estate review

Kia Ceed Sportswagon review

Ford Focus Estate review

Nissan Qashqai reviews

SEAT Ateca reviews

Toyota C-HR reviews

Audi Q3 reviews

Fiat 500X reviews