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Honda Accord, Passat or Mondeo?

Hi,

Two weeks ago I was down to three choices for looking at secondhand 2011-2013 saloon cars: Honda Accord i-DTEC 2.2-litre diesel (150hp), Volkswagen Passat TDI 2.0-litre diesel (140hp) and Ford Mondeo TDCi 2.0-litre diesel (163hp). But on Saturday I test drove a very nice 2012 Vauxhall Insignia 2.0-litre diesel (160hp), which was very nice to drive.

Just wondering how would this compare to the three above in terms of reliability, handling and resale value. Which would you choose between these four?

Best regards

Barry

Barry Gilbert (Dublin)

Aug 2015 Filed under: choosing used car

Expert answer

Hi Barry,

The Insignia's really nice and I do have something of a soft spot for it. A car that feels more sophisticated and more engaging the more you drive it. The Passat and Mondeo are nice choices too, but to be honest, the one I'd go for out of all of them would be the Accord. Comfy, smooth, frugal, nice to drive and above all it will almost certainly never break down. There's nothing quite so nice as the feeling you get from driving an utterly indestructible car.


Does it still make sense to import cars from the UK?

Do you still think it makes sense to import cars from UK given the high VRT charges?

Paul Jones (Louth)

Aug 2015 Filed under: importing

Expert answer

Hi Paul,

Sometimes it can, actually. It's all a matter of doing your sums carefully. Yes, the drop in the value of the Euro has made things much more marginal, but the fact is that UK cars are often still good value compared to Irish equivalents. Just do your homework, don't forget to include travel and accommodation costs in your calculations and keep your fingers crossed come VRT inspection time.


Ford Focus or Citroen C4?

With a budget of around €3,000, I'm looking to buy a Citroen C4 hatchback or a Ford Focus hatchback around 2006-07 1.6 diesel. Would you recommend one over the other? I heard that the Focus can be troublesome but I can't find a bad review on the C4. I've been told I should go for a better make car 2005 with that budget but how can you tell which ultimately is a better buy? Will there be more problems with an 05 than an 07?

Moza Walsh (Galway)

Aug 2015 Filed under: choosing used car

Expert answer

Hi Moza,

You won't necessarily get more trouble from an 05 than an 07 - it's all down to the condition and history of the individual car. 

You're right to say that there are no major problems with the C4 - it's actually pretty well made - but check it for any electrical gremlins. The 1.6 diesel is shared with the Ford Focus (and several other cars) so any problems are basically identical - water pump and oil 'sludge' are the common issues. I'd say the Focus has a slight edge in terms of reliability and quality but it's a close run thing. 

If you want a 'better make' and reliability is your primary concern then you need to be buying either Japanese or Korean. Corolla, Civic, Almera etc.


The car I just bought has no NCT...

I just bought a 2003 Peugeot 206 1.1, but its last NCT was in 2013. What does this mean, as it is to be tested every year. Can you help me?

John Dignam (DUBLIN IRELAND)

Aug 2015 Filed under: NCT

Expert answer

Hi John,

You need to be very careful buying a car without an NCT. For all its flaw the test does go some way to ensure that cars on the road are at least basically roadworthy and a car without an NCT can be hiding all sorts of problems. 

You also need an NCT to be able to tax (and in most cases insure) your car so you need to get it booked in as soon as possible. If you're buying it from a dealer or garage, they really should have the car NCT'd before selling it. If you bought it privately then the previous owner has missed at least one NCT test and either needs to produce an Off The Road certificate or you're into a legally murky area.

Anyway, the short answer for you is to get the car tested and sorted ASAP.


Which seven-seater to go for?

We are looking for a used petrol seven-seater (we do low mileage) and have narrowed it down to two cars: Nissan Qashqai, 2011, 1.6 petrol, 27,000km or Toyota Corolla Verso, 2012, 1.6 petrol, 35,000 miles (import from the North). Both cars seem to be in good nick and drive well and I am guessing will be in the same tax bracket. The Verso is a couple of thousand more expensive, but within our budget.

Cónal McGovern (DUBLIN IRELAND)

Jul 2015 Filed under: family car

Expert answer

Hi Cónal,

Ok, it depends what you need. Do you need to use all seven seats regularly? Get the Verso, as it has at least decent space in the third row. If you just need a couple of vey occasional flip-up seats for short journeys then the Qashqai is nicer to look at and better to drive.


Can you help me find insurance for my older car?

Hi there, it's John Hewitt again!

I'm desperate to get some reasonably priced insurance for my car. The situation is that I own a Renault 19 TR in excellent condition but because it's 24 years old (March 1990) and I use it as my main vehicle it can't come under classic car insurance and no other insurance company will insure it! I'm currently insured with Aviva and have been since 2003, 65 years of age, never made a claim, do less than 3,000 miles a year and have a clean driver's licence yet they still 'hammer' me every year. What price loyalty eh?

In normal circumstances I'd go elsewhere but they know I can't because no one else will insure me just because I use my vehicle on a regular basis. Can you please help me at all?

John Hewitt (Nenagh)

Jul 2015 Filed under: insurance

Expert answer

Hi John,

Sorry to hear you're still having trouble, but if it helps, you're not alone. Aviva (along with Allianz) have announced that they're no longer going to provide cover for new customers with cars older than 14 years. Now, in a statement last week, the company did say that it would continue to cover existing customers with such cars, and would provide cover for existing customers purchasing such cars, but from what you're saying there it seems that Aviva simply doesn't want your business anymore and is therefore giving you quotes deigned to push you into either replacing your car with something younger or moving to another insurer. 

Thankfully there are plenty of such insurers out there, so I'd say give customer loyalty a good kick up the backside (it's a worthless thing these days anyway) and get yourself a better quote from elsewhere. There are insurers out there who will cover you. I've just put a few random details into the One Direct system for instance and got a quote of €840. Too expensive? You'll just have to shop around but the best bet for you could actually be to find a good local insurance broker - they can get access to deals and policies denied to us mere mortals. Beware though, the unfortunate and inevitable downside of Avivia and Allianz's decision is that other insurers are going to start putting extra risk loadings on older cars, so your premium is probably going to be pretty expensive wherever you go.

A representative of AXA insurance asked to be put in touch with you, so hopefully that goes well.

Read the news story about insurance on older cars here


Tell me more about PCP finance.

Hi, do most garages offer PCP finance and do they only offer it on new vehicles or would you be able to get it on a second hand car? I have always got Credit Union loans so haven't a clue about PCP, but it looks good.

Thanks so much

Sabrina

SABRINA O'SULLIVAN (BEARA)

Jul 2015 Filed under: finance

Expert answer

Hi Sabrina,

PCP finance can be a relatively easy way to get finance for a new car, but make sure you read up about its advantages and disadvantages. A good starting point is our own guide to car finance.

There are very few PCP finance options for buyers of used cars. The whole thing is designed around the car manufacturers' desire to get repeat new car business every few years.


What site is best to find a nearly new car?

I am in the market of a nearly new car. Is there any one website where I can be guaranteed to find all of the stock available at any one time from all of the various dealers as there are several websites that seem to filling the same role and don't want to have to keep checking them all.

Mike in Dublin

Mike Osullivan (Dublin)

Jul 2015 Filed under: choosing used car

Expert answer

Hi Mike,

Short answer? No. Most of the main dealers will have their cars advertised on Carzone.ie and beepbeep.ie so those are the main two to keep an eye on. Other than that, it's down to good old fashioned keeping your eyes out for what you want. 


What do you think of the 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer?

Hi, I'm thinking of buying a 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer. It's a 1.8 diesel with 150hp. Just wondering if there are any problems I should look out for with these? It has 67,000km on the clock and has a few extras such as rear spoiler, side skirts and front bumper corner extensions. Just wondering what should i expect to pay for this?

Mike Brennan (Wexford)

Jul 2015 Filed under: choosing used car

Expert answer

Hi Mike,

You'll probably pay in and around the €13,000 mark for it and as far as we're aware these are solidly reliable cars with no common major problems. 


What is the Peugeot 207 CC like?

What is the Peugeot 207 CC 1.6 (cabriolet) like? I've seen a really nice one with very low mileage like new from 2007 and always liked it. I would like to buy it and the dealer is SIMI registered and offering guarantees so all seems good. How does this car average out / run in general? It would be just for myself (female) with a small child (primary school age).

Thanks

H. G. (Wexford)

Jun 2015 Filed under: choosing used car

Expert answer

Hi there,

Well, the 207 CC was certainly better-built than the 206 CC that preceded it, but you have to buy carefully - they're pretty heavy cars, so suspension and steering problems are common, as is high tyre wear. Electrical faults need to be watched out for too, and the roof mechanism is a constant source of angst - although you can manually wind it up or down with a wheelbrace if it gets stuck half-way, which is a common issue. 


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