Expert answer

Hi Tariq,

Given that these cars would both have electric seats with a full range of motion, your height will not be an issue. Perhaps the Range Rover would provide better visibility.

Either way, your height shouldn't be any sort of factor in what car you choose as most are designed for a wide range of driver sizes.

Expert answer

Hi there

These are two quite different cars in so far as the Toyota is a larger model than the Picanto, although there is a new version of the Kia coming in August and it is bigger.

Perhaps you would like to read our reviews of both the Yaris and Picanto and if you have any more specific questions then you can ask them.

What we would say is that if you are going to buy new then the Kia Picanto will be quite a bit less expensive than the Toyota Yaris.

Expert answer

Yes, these are excellent cars so I would say that you should have little in the way of trouble with them really. Obviously a diesel version might suit better, but if you are getting the petrol model at the right price and your mileage is low then this could be a decent purchase. 

Expert answer

Hi Larry,

That is quite a nice choice of cars to have. They are quite varied. A lot depends on what your needs are though and whether or not you are spending your own money. The biggest car and the best value by a mile is the Skoda Superb Estate. It is simply enormous. A driver's car, and one with the most prestige, would be the BMW 320d Estate, but given that there is a new model on the way, it might not be the best investment to spend the considerable amount of money that it would cost.

The Insignia is good looking and has a great chassis, so it would make a lovely car, but you need the 160hp diesel engine. The Passat is a nice car too. If you asked me to pick one of these, I'd probably have the Skoda Superb. It is simply brilliant.

Here's our review of the Skoda for reference.

Expert answer

Hi Jim,

Personally I have never really been a major fan of the footbrake on the Mercedes-Benz cars, but I wouldn't say that they are hard to manage. They just take a little while to get used to. It certainly wouldn't be a reason not to buy one

The electronic handbrake on the BMW has been very reliable so far, but they again it hasn't really been around long enough for any major problems to surface just yet.

Expert answer

Hi Mark,

It is hard not to look past a BMW 520d Touring. There are a few nice ones around that fit your budget and to be honest this is where I would be looking. You might need one from a dealer if you intend to trade in. They are super cars and cheap to run too.

However, an outside choice as an estate is the Volvo V70. I personally love them as they are timeless and great for the dogs too. I have been drooling looking at this one in Cork all week and I reckon it would be a super buy - look at how low the mileage is!

Failing that, and if you aren't too worried about it being petrol, then a Subaru Outback is a marvellous car; this one has low mileage and is within your budget.

You might notice I didn't mention any Audis there. I figure you want a change, otherwise you wouldn't be asking us!

Best of luck with the change and make sure to tell us what you bought. You will find us on Twitter @completecar.

Expert answer

Hi Mary,

The short answer is that yes it shoud be possible. The scrappage allowance of course would only be allowed on one car and you really do need to move fast to get this sorted because time is against you. Then you could use the Note as part exchange against the same car. You just need to speak to your dealer but they should be able to do this for you.

I hope this helps!

Expert answer

Hi Derek,

Glad you like the site. Let's hope we can live up to your expectations! We got a little bit of extra information from you and you told us that you are trading in a 2000 Mazda 323 five-door and that your budget is around €30,000-€32,000, which is plenty to work with.

Given your criteria, and the fact that you mention the Audi A5, then I've had a look at some of those. You mention petrol models and with your low mileage then you could quite easily run a petrol car, but given the fact that you are concerned about residuals then the diesels in the A5 would make a better choice. There is a lovely 2.7-litre TDI A5 in the classifieds and this is under €30,000. It would be a smashing buy and the fact that it has quite high mileage doesn't really mattter in your case. The 2.7 TDI version would hold its value better than a 2.0T petrol. 

At the other end of things you mention the Mazda6 - an odd contrast to the Audi but still a nice car nonetheless. You are unlikely to find a petrol-powered Mazda6 because Mazda really hasn't sold any in the last few years in Ireland. Plus, it wouldn't be a good use of money because it would be hard to sell on again a few years down the line. The diesel version is so much better anyway these days and you could have a demo 2011 model for well under €30,000. It is a nice car, but to be honest we can find you something a little more interesting. 

How about a Jaguar XF 2.7 D Luxury? What a super car, for €33,000. This is a marvellous example and fully loaded with kit. Another outside bet would be a 2008 Lexus GS 450h. We found a low mileage one that would be great around town and it is super fast. 

After all that, this is the car I think would suit you best. It is petrol, a 320i, but it is a hard-top convertible and it looks awesome. I don't know if you are a BMW fan but this could be a brilliant buy for you. 

Come back to us if we've not hit the nail on the head.

Expert answer

Hi William,

Assuming we're talking about new cars or those that are less than six months old (and have less than 6,000km on the clock):

VAT qualifying cars are those that the UK vendor may sell on without charging for VAT to the following:

• a customer in a country outside the EU
• someone who isn't registered for VAT who will take a new car to another EU country
• a VAT-registered business in the EU

In your case, yes, you'd still have to pay Irish VAT and VRT.

Some light official reading for you around this subject that may explain more:

Revenue.ie: New vehicles purchased by a private individual from a VAT-registered person, including a motor dealer, in another country

HM Revenue & Customs: Sending your motor vehicle to another EU country from the UK

HM Revenue & Customs: Motor dealers and VAT: selling new or used vehicles and extras

Hope that answers your question

Expert answer

Hi Elaine,

Well first things first, the speedometer issue really isn't their problem - there are lot of imports coming in and not all have their speedos changed. Is this garage a Skoda dealer or an independent? If it is a Skoda main dealer then perhaps I would ask them to change it over as part of the deal.

Secondly, sales staff always use the cars on the forecourt. This has been going on for decades. In larger dealerships the staff will usually have their own company cars so this won't happen. I would be a little concerned that the service intervals haven't been adhered to and under no circumstance should you purchase the car until they service it for you.

The advice we would always give is that if you already have some niggling doubts, which you appear to have, then don't buy this car. In terms of the value of your car, take if that if you are getting €2,000 then you are really getting about €1,200, as, if you were a cash buyer (with no trade-in) then you would be expecting to get up to €1,000 off the price of the car anyway.

Come back to us if you need anything else.