Expert answer

Hi John,

As you're considering changing car, I'm going to assume you have the previous-generation C-HR. Officially this used 4.8 litres/100km, which equates to 58.9mpg.

The new Alfa Romeo Junior hybrid's official figures are remarkably close, and our tester saw 6.5 litres/100km at the car's international launch. Cars are often driven quicker in these scenarios so that bodes well for the Junior to manage well under 6.0 litres/100km for most drivers.

You'll know yourself how the C-HR does at your hands - in comparison to the official numbers - so make a call on which would be more efficient for you based on that.

For what it's worth, we do really like the Junior. Read our first drive of the Junior Ibrida here.

Expert answer

Hi Steven,

We can help you estimate it, but please do note that it is only an estimate and you're kind of at the mercy of Revenue.

First up, we can be certain that car will be in the top band for VRT due to its CO₂ emissions, so that means VRT at 41 per cent.

That's 41 per cent of the so-called Open Market Selling Price (OMSP), which is the value Revenue reckons the car is worth following registration in Ireland.

It's a tricky thing to guess for a rare car such the F-Type, but for the purposes of our calculations let's say it's €45,000. That would mean VRT of €18,450.

The NOx levy is separate to that, but small in comparison.

And if you're bringing the car from England, Scotland or Wales them you'll also be hit with VAT at 23 per cent and import duty at 10 per cent (though these are calculated from the 'customs value' of the car, not the OMSP).

Most cars coming from Northern Ireland shouldn't be liable for VAT or import duty, within certain restrictions.

Make sure you do your homework on all this before committing to bringing the car in.

Expert answer

Hi Cathal,

We'd be fools to suggest that you can be 100 per cent sure you won't have a problem if you do x, y and z, I'm afraid as there's just no guarantees with DPFs.

Saying that, modern cars such as the Tucson and Octavia you mentioned have way better DPF regen logic than they used to, along with more sophisticated exhaust monitoring than before so that's a good start, as is knowing the type of driving that's needed for diesel cars with DPFs – as you've indicated you understand.

You could ask the dealer selling the car (assuming you're not buying privately) for a diagnostic readout with the DPF information, but they're under no obligation to do that and some may not even know how.

My advice would be to insist on a detailed service history, scrutinise that for anything related to the DPF, then ask the seller if any work on the DPF has ever been done. Finally, take it for a decent test drive and, if possible, get someone else to drive it while you follow to observe the exhaust for any excess and obvious regen activity. You may see nothing with such modern cars, however.

The key thing here is to only buy a DPF-equipped car if you spend a portion of your normal driving at higher speeds, allowing the whole exhaust to get hot and work effectively.

Expert answer

Hi Michael,

New Audi prices may be the same across all its dealers, but each and every one of them will do deals differently, especially when there's a trade-in involved. No harm shopping around.

We know that Audi has an extended warranty, and it's briefly mentioned on Audi Ireland's website, but there's no further information about its cost that we can see. We've sent a message to our contact there to get an answer on that one for you. We'd certainly advocate for extended warranties on high-end cars.

Finally, only you can decide on which of the A6 Sportback e-trons you like, but do you need to absolutely max out the range you can get from the car? Enough to live without the reassurance of quattro four-wheel drive? If so, then perhaps invest in a set of winter tyres and wheels to use when you need them.

I'd just go for the quattro and accept it won't be quite as efficient.

Expert answer

Hi Harvey,

I'd thoroughly recommend the Volkswagen Multivan for your needs. It comes in two lengths with seven seats. Both are highly versatile, and the boot is big even if you're using all the seats, especially the one with the “long overhang” body.

We've taken this car away on long holiday trips and it has been nothing short of phenomenal. We're only a family of five, but we all fitted in comfortably as well as a few bikes and way too much stuff for a couple of weeks away camping.

What's more, there are diesel and plug-in hybrid versions available, depending on your needs, and it drives more like a car than any of the actual van-based people carriers out there.

The Tourneo would do the job, too, but it's not as flexible and nowhere near as nice to drive.

Go test drive one for yourself and let us know what you think.

Expert answer

Hi Donal,

For the benefit of our other readers, ERAD stands for Electric Rear Axle Drive, which is effectively the electric motor used on the rear axle of the plug-in-hybrid XC90 T8 (and other Volvo PHEVs) to give it all-wheel drive and fully electric operation. And yes, they are a known weak point of the car.

There is some evidence that Volvo will help with repair or replacement for cars with a full service history, but it seems to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis as there has been no official recall or statement on it from Volvo. Do not rely on this.

We'd strongly recommend you avoid early cars unless the ERAD unit has been replaced relatively recently, but Volvo did make improvements as early as 2018, and the facelifted cars from 2020 on (badged “Recharge”) are a relatively safe bet.

Look not only for a regular service history, but also for maintenance details relating specifically to the rear axle.

The D5/B5 cars are certainly a better bet in terms of dependability, but obviously come with higher running costs and motor tax.

Expert answer

Hi Mary,

Rather bizarrely, there is no published rule on this situation as yet so electric vans are subject to the same annual motor tax as electric cars - i.e. €120 per annum.

Expert answer

Hi Alex,

Offline you mentioned you'd like something stylish as well as solid and spacious. One of the first cars that comes to mind is the Audi Q3, which is decently practical, has a premium badge and is plentiful for your budget of about €20,000. I'd urge you to stick with petrol power given your annual mileage of no more than 15,000km.

The BMW X1 would do the same job, but it's very difficult to find one that isn't diesel. Same story with the Audi A6 Avant and BMW 5 Series Touring estates, both of which we'd prefer over an SUV. And same thing for the excellent Volkswagen Arteon.

A hybrid-powered Lexus NX would be a good option for you, as would the Mazda CX-5, though neither are as common in the classifieds as the Audi above.

Have a look at some of those and test drive as many cars as you can.

Come back to us if you'd like us to help narrow down your search.

Expert answer

Hi Bernard,

The UK and Ireland cars are more or less identical and, according to this official MG Europe document, the 55-litre tank is standard across the board in the new MG HS.

Expert answer

Hi Paddy,

The only new MGs on sale in Ireland right now that have four-wheel drive are the high-performance cars, i.e. the dual-motor MG Cyberster GT and the MG4 XPower. All the SUVs are two-wheel drive.