Expert answer

Hi Chris.

The price sounds about right for both cars at that mileage. You would pay quite a bit less if you got something with higher mileage. But that aside I would normally say that you should go for the Polo because it feels a little more substantial and might have a bit more street credibility for your daughter. However, with the Yaris you are still getting the current model, while there is a newer version of the Polo so for the time being it will hold its value a little better I'd expect. 

Obviously, safety will be an important consideration, and the Yaris scored higher in the Euro NCAP safety tests, achieving five stars compared to the Polo's four, so perhaps a reason to choose the Yaris. 

Toyota Yaris NCAP result

Volkswagen Polo NCAP result

Hope that helps.

Expert answer

Hi Pete,

You don't mention the mileage or condition of your Focus, but the value to a dealer could be anything from €1,000 - €2,000 depending on those factors and what you are trading the car in against.

I think that with your 100km a day you are probably better off with a diesel car in terms of saving money on fuel. There are a few options in your price range. The Volkswagen Golf Diesel is one option. We like this 2006 model with really small mileage on it for €13,750.

But down in Cork there is probably a better buy in this 2007 Ford Focus 1.6-litre diesel (which is a better engine than the 1.8-litre unit) and this car has just 16,000 miles on the clock and is within your budget we would hope. If you liked your Focus before then I am sure you would love this newer model and at the price and mileage it would be hard to ignore.

Expert answer

Hi Marie,

We had a chat on the phone to get more information and now know that you would prefer to sell the L200 privately and use the cash to buy your next vehicle, so your budget is about €10,000 - €12,000.

The difficulty in getting something with height is that the SUVs going back a few years tended to be diesel with fairly large engines, so before 2008 these engines were in some cases cheaper to tax than they are now. Emissions were higher, but you were charged - as you are probably aware - for the size of your engine. I'm sure you don't want to get landed with a high road tax bill per year, but we will explore some options. 

The first is a 2004 Toyota RAV4. There is a model in a dealership in Louth, which I realise is quite far from you, but this diesel model is a beaut and is at a SIMI dealer so this brings with its some safeguards. This RAV4 is under €10,000 and has low mileage, though is going to cost €823 to tax each year. 

The Kia Sportage fiesel would be a great little buy for you. This small SUV has proven to be very reliable and very well liked by owners. This one in Cork is a little over your budget, but as a cash buyer I would think you could bargain down the asking price of €13,900. 

A car that you might not have thought of, but I have always rated as a good little car, is the Fiat Sedici. This small SUV has four-wheel drive, a diesel engine and is cheap to buy and run. We found a 2009 model in Laois with just 23,000 miles on the clock and the asking price is just €11,750. This would be a nice little runabout and it still retains some of the height of the SUV. This will cost you €447 per year to tax. 

Another good choice, although the annual tax will be the same as the RAV4's, is the Nissan X-Trail. This is a really nice example from 2005 that has a 2.2-litre diesel engine and would be a nice vehicle to own. Again, if you couldn't cope with the high annual road tax then it might not be the best option for you. 

I'd be inclined, if it were me, to buy that RAV4, as it would be a nice vehicle to own. 

I hope this helps!

Expert answer

Hi Mary,

A 2007 TDi Golf with your mileage would retail at a main dealer for about €13,000 - €14,000. You will most likely get offered a bit less than this, so perhaps you could expect around €12,000. You don't mention a budget but we can give you a few ideas. Most of the equivalent cars, post 2008 will be cheap to tax. 

For example, a 2009 1.6 TDi Golf, which has emissions of 118g/km (Band A) would cost you around €22,000. Here is an example of one from a main dealer in Naas. This would also be the newer shape model too, although I am not sure you want to go for another Golf? You could get something of a similar theme with the Skoda Octavia. A 2008 model like this costs around €17,000 and would give you a little more space and would still be in Band B with road tax of €156. 

Something slightly more SUV-like would be nice too. The Nissan Qashqai has a great reputation and owners love them. You could have a 2008 Qashqai, like this would cost around €19,000 and this example here has very low mileage. This still has emissions of 139g/km, so would only cost €156 to tax each year. This would be a great buy and isn't a major jump, financially. 

I think you might like the Qashqai, so perhaps you should give it a go?

I hope this helps. 

Expert answer

Hi Colin,

We asked Mazda if this is a common problem with this car and apparently it is not. The advice was to bring your car to a Mazda dealer for the reversing light to be checked out.

Hope that helps.

Expert answer

Hi Richard,

Firstly the car needs to be safe; it needs to be good value; and it needs to be reliable. We tend to encourage buying from SIMI dealers because you do have a little more comeback and the cars tend to be a little better, so having a look on the beepbeep.ie website we found a few options. 

The first model we have chosen is the Toyota Yaris, which will be ultra reliable and painless to run. There is one in Ardee that is within budget (you should get it for less if you haggle) and while this 2003 model has done 89,000 miles it will be capable of a whole lot more. 

I really like the Ford Fiesta and the model that was around in 2003 onwards is a great little car. This Fiesta is right on budget. 

The Renault Clio from 2004 was a lovely wee car and this one here has just 46,000 miles on the clock. I think they really suit young women, as they are rather chic. 

I guess the sensible choice here would be the Yaris, but I would probably have the Clio. 

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Ray,

VRT is the only charge you have to pay (aside from transportation costs) when you import a car from the UK because once VAT has been paid on an item in the EU it cannot be paid again. As regards the accuracy of the online calculator I would say that it can be hit and miss but this can both work for or against you. 

VRT is calculated as a percentage of the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) and this is pretty much estimated by Revenue based on what cars are selling for and some other combinations that only it seems to know the answers to!

Sometimes the prices can be really high and sometimes they can be thankfully low. You do have the right to appeal a VRT price if you feel it is unduly high. Certainly the calculator will give you a good idea of what you will pay and as such is the same system that a VRT office official will use. From there, they may decide to start charging you for any optional extras that there are on the car and they now have better access to this information. 

Full details of the charges associated with VRT can be found here. 

Take the estimate as a guide price, but be prepared to have to spend a little bit more if your car is subject to a full inspection. 

I hope this helps

Expert answer

Hi Patricia,

It's true that diesel engines are not as well suited to life spent in town and short journeys. Many of the components can become gummed up, reducing performance and increasing fuel consumption. Diesel versions of many cars are more expensive to buy in the first place too, and it's no point paying that premium unless you're going to make it back over longer annual mileages. Finally, petrol cars are generally quieter, making them more relaxed in town.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

SIMI are the Society of the Irish Motor Industry and as such, buying from one of its members is the closest you can get to total security when buying a used car. Of course there are no guarantees when buying a used car but at least here you are getting a car that has gone through a thorough car history check, and the dealers also have signed up to SIMIs code of conduct so they are answerable to a higher power. 

A spokesperson for SIMI outlined some of the benefits of buying from a SIMI dealer. "SIMI have high membership standards. To become a member of SIMI the garage must pass an audit and inspection. The dealer must submit among other documentation a tax clearance certificate, proof of planning permission, and be nominated by 3 existing members. Should a dispute arise we have a standards department that will investigate the consumers complaint. The first step is mediation between the customer and the garage. If that does not resolve the issue we have an independent tribunal that is headed up by a former rights commissioner and also a consumer group. The tribunal decision is binding on the SIMI garage."

Cars from SIMI dealers tend to be better, but this is not to say that there are not good independent dealers who choose not to become members of the SIMI and pay their fees. There are good independent car history check websites around such as Cartell.ie and Motorcheck.ie and for a fee there are several layers of check you can do on these cars. So, no, we wouldn't say to avoid non-SIMI dealers, but SIMI dealers do come with some security as-standard. 

If you want to come back to us with an idea of your budget and needs, feel free and we will guide you a litte bit more.

Expert answer

Hello Raymond,

One word: tax. The United States and our near neighbours the UK aren't subject to anything like the taxation that we are when it comes to cars. The base price of our cars before you add VAT and Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) have always been among the lowest in Europe. But when you add the taxes obviously the cars start becoming expensive. 

But also, because these taxes are also on optional extras (including safety features) then car distributors often have to bring in very basic versions so that the ordinary buyer can afford them. Hence, items that you would normally see as standard in other markets have often been taken out, even if this is something like ESP, which is a life-saving safety device. 

Those selling the cars have to do this because of how much of the car's value is going to the Government coffers. It has long been an issue in Ireland and one that the EU have taken a strong interest in too, because it sees it as double taxation on an item, which is against EU law. 

There are also other issues in relation to strengths of currencies at any given time and also that the USA has a manufacturing supply, so specific US-built cars are sold there and aren't treated as imported vehicles. Of course the US is a massive market and hence economies of scale come into play, where as Ireland is a tiny market in comparison.

Prices have come down here because at least now cars are taxed on their CO₂ emissions and not their engine size, which was the case until July 2008 and made little sense. It meant that nobody bought diesel cars but instead bought small, underpowered petrol ones instead. 

With petrol (or should I say 'gas') much cheaper in the US, it has always been easier to buy V6, V8 or even V12 petrol cars there too.

Obviously it isn't ideal for us here in Ireland, but in Europe there are many countries just like us, including Denmark, Norway and Portugal so we are not alone. Just count yourself lucky that you are buying in the US!

I hope this answers your question.