Expert answer

Hi Clodagh, we weren't sure of this, so we put it to the Road Safety Authority.

Their spokesperson told us the following: "It is legal but not safe. Lap belts pose a serious threat to a child's welfare and in a collision there is a risk of spinal injury. The medical community call it 'Lap Belt Syndrome'. Ideally the child should be in a three point belt using a booster seat or cushion. check out www.rsa.ie and the child safety in cars information on the Road Safety Education Section for more details."

Expert answer

There has been a huge move towards diesel cars here in Ireland because of the change to the road tax and VRT laws in July 2008.

Since then, as you may or may not know, road tax and VRT are calculated according to a car's CO₂ emissions and because diesel cars use less fuel than petrol ones, their emissions tend to be lower.

When your father bought the Mazda6 in 2008 it may well have been better value than the diesel model. Now, there is much less difference between the price.

Before we move away from Mazda, there is now a very good range of diesel engines in the new Mazda6 and that might make the most cost-effective swap if he was happy with the car he has because you will most likely get the best trade-in price from a Mazda dealer. However, by the sounds of things he wants a change.

Covering only 10,000km a year we previously might have said that there was no real need to buy a diesel because you would not save the extra price of the car in fuel.

This point remains true, but the difference now is that the market has changed so much to diesel that petrol cars are likely to lose their value faster and become increasingly unwanted by used car buyers, so at this size of car, we would say yes, move to diesel. Also, if you do buy new, your father will most likely benefit from lower road tax.

Without knowing a budget it is difficult to point you in the right direction but from the cars you mention I'm guessing the budget is between €25,000 - €35,000. This does offer a lot of choice.

The 2004/2005 BMW 320d is certainly an option. Since the current shape model came out in 2005, we would encourage you to look at these, or even a 2006. The prices of these are quite competitive at the moment. A 2005 320d SE at a SIMI dealer would probably cost you between €15,000 - €17,000.

BMWs are always tempting to buy used, but you must choose one that has been properly serviced and cared for, because they can become more expensive to put right as they get older. The choice of used 320d models at the moment is vast so if you do go down that route, shop around. It is a great car and with the small mileage your Dad does it is unlikely to end up costing you too much.

If you want to go down the new route, there are a few that would spring to mind. The first is the Skoda Superb. This car is really brilliant and huge too. It is well made and loaded with equipment. If your Dad likes comfort then this will be right up his street.

Our choice would be the 2.0-litre TDI Comfort for €27,805. It is excellent value for money and comes with lots of creature comforts (cruise control, climate control, etc.), a 170hp diesel that is powerful, yet still frugal at 5.8 l/100km. Road tax on this car is €302 per year. For me, if I were heading out to buy a family saloon today, I wouldn't pass the Superb.

You mentioned some other cars there. The Jetta isn't a bad car, but it's been out a few years now and is probably due an update, so I wouldn't buy that new. The Audi A4 is nice. A new one is going to cost you from €34,060 before you start looking at optional extras, so a 2009 model would make sense with all the options already added. €35,000 should get you a nice 2009 TDI version with lots of the toys thrown in.

Please feel free to come back to us with more details if you like (just add a comment below), but for me I would probably have the Superb.

Expert answer

Hi Pat, 

We contacted Lexus on your behalf. They told us that they now have a policy of "not commenting to media on individual customer / prospect related queries" but they did tell us that but they did tell us that "any prospective customer should note that cars sourced abroad, ie not through the Lexus Ireland channel, do not come with roadside assistance for Ireland whereas cars sourced through our channel come with "Lexus Euro Assistance 24", our 3 year Pan-European roadside assistance programme."

I realise that this doesn't really answer your question, but since you are buying from a Toyota dealer and they would be getting the car through Lexus Ireland I imagine that you would get the standard cover.

You may want to contact Lexus Ireland and seek clarification on this. They can be reached on (01) 4567905. 

As for the car itself, the offer on this model is very good and this is a fine car. I would recommend it. 

Expert answer

Hi Madeline,

It would be great to get a little more information from you on this if possible (you can post it in the comment section below). Are you considering buying a car that was imported and registered a while back and is now being sold on without an NCT or is this a car that has just been imported?

In either case, it's always a good idea to have an independent expert check over the car for you before you commit to buying. The AA provides this service - as do other companies - but even a mechanic you trust would be a good start.

With regards to cars imported from Japan: in my experience, when they arrive in Ireland first, they are generally in very good condition.

As with any used car purchase though, if something doesn't feel right, just walk away from the deal.

Expert answer

Camshaft sensors in most cars are really easy to change, though as with all things under the bonnet we'd always recommend that you bring your car to an expert unless you know what you are doing.

In most cases this work would take 10-15 minutes.

Without the car in front of me, or a workshop manual, I would hesitate to give you more precise instructions, but usually the sensor is held on by just one or two bolts and an electrical connector.

Assuming that is the case, remove the bolts and connector and reverse the procedure for the replacement sensor. Be careful that you do not damage the new sensor.

You should be aware that some cars may need their on-board computer (the Engine Control Unit - or ECU) reset following this operation. Ideally this would be done by a main dealer or garage with the correct equipment.

What has lead you to diagnose a problem with the sensor? (You can reply in the comment box below)

Expert answer

Well you haven’t said what your budget is but there are plenty of interesting cars that are available under the scrappage scheme.

Alfa Romeo’s Mito is a small premium hatchback, and its clean 1.3-litre diesel engine puts it in Band A; the 1.4-litre petrol and 1.6-litre diesel models fall into Band B. Prices start at €18,995 before you take away the government discount.

The Audi A3 with the 1.2-litre TFSI petrol, the 1.6-litre diesel and 2.0-litre diesel all qualify for scrappage, as does the Cabriolet version. The A3 3-door starts from €25,195 before scrappage discount, it’s €26,195 as a 5-door Sportback model, and €32,785 for the Cabriolet version before the €1,500 discount.

The A4 with a 2.0-litre diesel engine in either 120bhp, 136bhp and 170bhp all fall under Band B in either saloon or Avant form. Prices start from €34,060 (€32,560 with scrappage) for the diesel saloon and €36,460 (€34,960 with scrappage) for the Avant. The stunning A5, with a 170bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine, falls into Band B. Prices start at €44,265 (€42,765 with scrappage). You can also have the Audi A6 2.0-litre TDi with 136bhp, which is in Band B. This huge car starts from €39,735 (€38,235 with scrappage). The Audi TT diesel is a really superb car to drive. At €44,175 for the Coupé (€42,675 with scrappage), this is a brilliant buy and that fact that it costs €156 per year to tax makes it all the sweeter.

BMW also has a huge number of models that qualify for the scrappage scheme. Its 2.0-litre diesel is used in various power outputs across the 1-Series, 3-Series and 5-Series and these all have emissions of less than 140g/km, even when fitted with an automatic transmission.

The 1-Series is available with clean diesel engines ranging in power from 115bhp to 177bhp. Prices start at €24,900 for the 3-door 116d, €23,400 with the scrappage discount.

The BMW 3-Series starts from €33,310 for the 316d. All its models get €1,500 off from the government through scrappage. Largest of all is the 520d. Although there is a new model coming later in the year, the run-out models of the 520d are expected to sell well, especially with a price tag of €40,220.

Mercedes-Benz has a number of models that qualify under the scrappage scheme. The standout model is the C-Class Blue Efficiency 200 (136bhp), 220 (170bhp) and 250 (240bhp) manual versions, the E-Class 200, 220 and 250 manual version and the E-Class Coupé 220 and 250 models with manual transmission. Prices start at €36,500 (€35,000 with scrappage) for the C200 CDi, €41,200 (€39,700) for the E200 CDi and €47,700 (€46,200) for the E-Class Coupé E250 CDi.

Finally, what about the Volkswagen Scirocco? You can have the 1.4-litre TSi petrol or 2.0-litre TDi Sport model under the scrappage scheme. Prices start at €25,190 for the Scirocco (€23,690 with scrappage),

To answer your question though, which is fastest? We think it is the BMW 123d Coupe. It has emissions of 138g/km yet has a top speed of 238km/h and 0-100km/h time of 6.9 seconds. This is faster than the Audi TT TDi, which has a top speed of 226km/h and 0-100km/h time of 7.5 seconds.

Expert answer

Having been the owner of a few old BMWs in my time I feel your pain. I know that going to a main dealer can give the best work without a doubt but it can also be horrifically expensive too. If you have paid a few grand for your car, you probably don't want to be faced will bills of €1000+ from a main dealer, which can happen if there is a major repair. What we would say that if its a service then there are some very good offers from main dealers at the moment on this and it might be worth checking with them first. 

However if you want to try independent, we contacted the guys over at E30owners.com and they told us of their list of favoured independents and they are as follows:

Chelmsford Motors Ranelagh Dublin 2

Courtney BMW North Circular Road Dublin 3

Bavarian Autotech Abbeyfeal Limerick

We have also heard very good things about AC Car Sales on South Circular Road in Dublin 

www.accarsales.ie/

Expert answer

When you are starting off you need something that is as reliable as possible and won't cost you too much to tax, run or repair. Usually, the advice would be to make it Japanese because when you are spending a small amount of money you want the most reliable car possible and the Japanese car manufacturers have been making cheap, small runabouts better than anyone else for decades. Something like a Toyota Starlet or Nissan Micra won't be glamorous, but will usually start first time and they are pretty easy to get parts for.

I can understand why you would want the Ka, as it looks funky and its styling has aged really well. If you are going to look at a Ka, there are a few things we would urge you to pay attention to. Firstly, check if this car has power steering because early models didn't have it as standard and one without power steering could be a headache (or rather arm-ache) to park. Rust can also be a problem too so check for this on the door sills and rear wings and on the tailgate. Check the suspension is ok too as this is a costly enough repair to put right. 

Obviously as you are spending quite a small amount of money you can't expect it to be perfect but check these things and that the engine is running reasonably smoothly and this should be quite a nice little car. 

Expert answer

There has been a lot of debate about the benefits of hybrid cars, but few would disagree that they are a step in the right direction. The principle of the current crop of hybrids, for those that don't know, is that a standard petrol engine is combined with an electric motor, with the result being better fuel consumption and lower emissions. The original Toyota Prius was the first mass-produced hybrid on sale and Toyota has just released the third generation of the model and it promises to be more refined and cleaner than ever.

There are other alternatives such as the Honda Civic Hybrid, which isn't bad either, or the Honda Insight, while at the top end of the scale Lexus does three hybrids, the GS 450h, the LS 600h and the RX 450h. In the case of the Lexus hybrid technology it's as much about giving the cars higher performance as it is increasing efficiency.

A hybrid is cleaner in so far as official emissions figures are very low. The Prius emits less then 90g/km, which will make it the cleanest petrol car on sale in Ireland. In some cases you could get better fuel economy from a diesel engine though.

With a budget of €40,000 you could easily get into the new Prius when it arrives in October, as the car is expected to cost about €28,000 and this will be a very cheap car to run, so it seems the natural choice. Bear in mind that even cleaner technologies will arrive soon, including those in the Opel Ampera and even a new plug-in version of the Prius.

Expert answer

Family drivers have this instinct to cocoon them in as much metal as possible for fear of being in an accident so I understand where you are coming from.

The NCAP rating you mention is the European New Car Assessment Programme where the safety of cars is tested by crashing them into walls and pillars and all sorts under strict repeatable conditions. It's been a while since the Range Rover has been crash tested by the organisation, eight years in fact, so it was the first generation of the current Range Rover model and it managed four stars in the test. In summary, the model was good at protecting those in the car, but not those outside it. NCAP said in their report at the time:

"The Range Rover has an immensely strong body that provides for its occupants safe, well balanced protection in severe frontal and lateral impacts. Each of its doors could be opened normally after the tests and the amount of intrusion was slight. However, the driver experienced fairly high impact forces on his chest and, in a real crash, these pose a risk of injury. The child restraints worked well generally. But, unfortunately, the level of protection given to pedestrians proved to be dire."

The 2010 model is quite different from the 2002 version and is loaded with safety kit. Four-wheel, anti-lock disc brakes are standard, as is all-terrain traction control. Additionally, an adaptive cruise control system with Brake Assist will alert the driver if the car in front of the Range Rover starts to decelerate. When the system detects a crash is imminent, it primes the brakes so less force is required from the driver to apply full braking power. If no action is taken by the driver, the system will lightly apply the brakes to lessen the severity of the impact.

When it comes to airbags, the 2010 Range Rover is practically stuffed with them. In the front row there are front, side and side curtain airbags, plus a driver's knee airbag. In the second row, side-curtain airbags are standard.

Hope that all helps put your mind at ease.