Expert answer

Hi Richard,

It certainly sounds like you're the ideal candidate for a hybrid. Indeed, with less than 12,000km a year, you could easily live with a plug-in hybrid or a fully electric car if you wanted to install a home charger. 

A hybrid such as the Camry or Lexus would be nearly as efficient as your diesel Mercedes in most situations, and likely to mean much lower running costs in the long term. I'd certainly recommend a hybrid over a purely petrol alternative. 

In terms of new vs. nearly new, there are pros and cons to both. Nearly new cars have usually suffered a big chunk of their depreciation already, though you can't finance them the same way as you can a new car and of course, you're limited in choice to what's on the market at that moment in time rather than choosing your ideal specification. 

On that front, it's worth noting that the Toyota Camry is no longer on sale as a new car, though the Lexus ES is and it's an exceptionally well-made car. Almost all other hybrids in this sector are plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), however, so you'd ideally need to have a way to charge them up at home for them to be of use.

Expert answer

Hi Mike,

There's nothing stopping you from using any car for business purposes, but there are no official commercial versions of the BYD cars on sale at this time. Though you've not said what you will use the vehicle for, I'd suggest that the Seal saloon is not suited for carrying bulky goods at all, as lovely as it is as a car. 

The Seal U SUV is much better suited as it has a large boot and rear seats that can be folded down. You could in theory have those rear seats removed completely and turn it into a commercial, but as it's so new we don't know of anyone that has done that. 

The Seal U runs on petrol, obviously, which you couldn't claim VAT back on, so that may rule it out for many.

Come back to us with more details if you need more assistance.

Expert answer

Hi Ciara,

In general, larger cars come with better seats, and the Auris is in a class above the Clio in size terms so that would normally hold true. However, there's two years between these cars and over 100,000km, to the benefit of the Clio, and that really goes against the Toyota as its seats (and everything else of course) will have been through a lot more use. On top of that, the Clio is one of the bigger and more substantial cars in its sector.

In this case, and without knowing anything about the condition or service history of both (just as important as mileage and year), I'd suggest the Clio would be a better bet for you. Both are similarly economical.

A quick look on Carzone.ie for a diesel hatchback for under €9,000 reveals plenty of good alternatives to the above, including the Nissan Note and Pulsar and Honda Civic. There are loads of others with higher mileages on the clock already. From what I've seen, the Honda Civic seems like a really good option.

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Hi Lorraine,

The MG is certainly worth a look as it's exceptionally good value and also quite a spacious car. The Hyundai is perhaps a better-known quantity with a wider dealer network, but MG offers a great new-car warranty as well so don't be put off by that. If you're tempted by all the mod cons for that price I expect the MG might win for you, though make sure you go drive both for yourself to see which you prefer.

Buying new suits some people and not others. If you're buying with finance then it works well, and there's nothing quite like that new-car feel either. But others don't want to pay for the early years of depreciation that a new car comes with.

Of the used cars you mentioned, the Karoq and Ateca were never offered as hybrids. The Formentor was available as a plug-in hybrid if you'd consider that. It's a lovely car for sure. 

Expert answer

Hi Mary,

The MG is undoubtedly more powerful, as the numbers suggest, but the Mazda doesn't feel appreciably slower at all, and the Mazda is nicer to drive both in town and out of it. The MG is a little 'softer' on the road perhaps, meaning it's a fraction more comfortable over bumps, but there's not much in it.

Overall I prefer how the Mazda drives and it feels like a higher-quality product. The MG hits back with its low price and it's also a little more spacious.

They're both very economical cars with little to separate them in that way.

I highly recommend you drive both for yourself before deciding. 

Read our Mazda2 Hybrid review

Read our MG3 Hybrid+ review

Expert answer

Hi Damien,

First up, the BMW i3 is a great option for your needs based on what you told us. It's a cracking compact car that will cost you nothing to run and is an idea runabout. And yes, I'd agree that the fully electric version is the best one, especially when you have access to other cars in the household for longer journeys. 

I really like the 4 Series Gran Coupe as well, but understand the reticence to trust the diesel engines. Would you consider a petrol one instead perhaps? The NOx levy on the diesel on importation can be expensive as well. Because of potential engine issues I'd be inclined to stick with a local BMW dealer and get as good a warranty as you can.

Obviously electric cars don't emit any NOx or CO₂, so it's a bit bizarre if Revenue's site can't deal with that... There is a VRT exemption up to €5,000 and anyway, it's only 7 per cent of the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP).

If you're looking to buy in the North, just make sure the car has been registered and used by a private individual in the North for at least three months before you import it, and that must be verified by documentation. Then no VAT or import duty should be due, just VRT - and the NOx levy if applicable. 

Hopefully all that helps, but come back to us with other specific questions if you need more assistance of course.

Expert answer

Hi Colin,

There's no definitive answer to this one as there are so many moving parts. First up, you'll get maximum value for your own car if you sell it privately. That is far less convenient than trading it in of course, but worth taking into consideration.

If you're going the trade-in route, there's no way to know for sure how much the cost to change will be until you start talking numbers with a dealer. I'd suggest you do that sooner rather than later with a number of different dealers to get a feel for the numbers involved. You don't need to commit to anything to do this. It'll take you time of course, but try to choose a few dealers that are not part of the same group or brand, and do the sums with them on both a new PCP and going for a used model as you mentioned.

Perhaps wait until the Budget announcements next month to see if there is anything new on EV incentives before committing to anything, but don't leave it much longer as some new cars can take a few months to arrive following an order.

The Enyaq is a fine electric car. Good alternatives include the Volkswagen ID.4 and forthcoming new Cupra Tavascan, plus the Renault Scenic. There's loads of choice at that price point.

Expert answer

Hi Raymond,

Following on from our separate conversation, you've confirmed that car is on a Northern Ireland number plate, so I'd assume it has been used in the North by a private individual for quite some time. A quick check of the UK's MOT history service confirms the car was tested in the North since at least 2018.

You'll need documentation to prove all this on importation, but it would appear that you will not be liable for VAT or import duty on this car.

So then it's just VRT and the NOx levy.

It would appear that the NOx rating is 23mg/km, which means a bill of €150 if that's correct.

The CO₂ rating appears to be 190g/km, though that would be on the old pre-WLTP system and it needs to be 'uplifted' by Revenue's calculations. That would bring it into the top band, at 41 per cent of the OMSP (Open Market Selling Price). The OMSP is the value Revenue believes the car to be worth on the Irish market, and it's not always an easy figure to guess accurately.

There don't see to be many similar cars on sale in Ireland now so our job is made more difficult by that. If you assume an OMSP of €12,000 as a worst case then VRT would be 41 per cent of that, at €4,920. Obviously, that final figure depends massively on the OMSP.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Ankit,

Let's go through your list for a start:

Suzuki Swift: Even the top-spec model with loads of options comes in under budget, has adaptive cruise control and can be had with an automatic gearbox. Easy to drive, well-specified, should be reliable, though doesn't feel as substantial as some of the other cars listed. Read our Suzuki Swift reviews here.

Volkswagen Polo: Only the Style and R-Line versions come with adaptive cruise control, but those are slightly out of budget if fitted with the DSG automatic gearbox so unless you stretch the budget this isn't an option. That's a shame as it's probably the best car in this list all things considered. Read our Volkswagen Polo reviews here.

Toyota Yaris: The 1.5-litre hybrid is an automatic by default, and as you've identified, the Luna comes with adaptive cruise control. It's the only version in the Yaris lineup within budget with those items and it's an excellent car. The rear seats aren't huge, but the fronts are fine, it drives fantastically, should be very reliable and the hybrid system is efficient and good to drive. Quite likely the pick of the cars here all things considered. Read our Toyota Yaris reviews here.

Dacia Sandero Stepway: An automatic gearbox is available, and even the most expensive version is well within budget, but this car can't be had with adaptive cruise control - only the non-adaptive type is fitted. Otherwise, it's a spacious and well-equipped car for the money. Read our Dacia Sandero reviews here.

MG3: All versions are automatic and come with adaptive cruise control, so those boxes are ticked. And even the most expensive version is within budget so it's a realistic possibility. It's the most powerful car here, which is probably not important, but it's quite efficient as well. The Yaris is a more polished product, but the MG has a little more space. Read our MG3 reviews here.

Hopefully that's all of help. I'd strongly recommend you and your wife go check out a shortlist of cars in person and test drive them to see which you prefer, as it will come down to personal preference.

Let us know which you go for.

Expert answer

Hi Matthew,

The rules on VAT and import duty don't vary between different types of cars or powertrains.