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Hi Dan,

Yes, UK cars often have higher spec levels than Irish models (although base spec is essentially the same), but you will of course pay extra at VRT time for any toys. Beware the N47 diesel engine timing chain issues though  — don’t buy a car that hasn’t got a full BMW service history.

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Hi Morgan,

Honestly, there is just nothing to look for on these cars, beyond the usual making sure the service history is complete and up to date, and checking underneath for signs of, ahem, over-enthusiastic off-roading. It is worth bearing in mind that these cars are bred for hard work and can get abused by former owners, but as long as you're happy with the history, all should be well. As for long or short wheelbase, it depends what you want it for. If you're planing on carrying kids or other rear seat passengers, then get the long wheelbase model, as the shortie is just a bit pointless in the back. And definitely go for automatic, it'll pay off come resale time.

Hope that helps

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Hi Stephen,

Yes, they're pretty good actually. Mechanically, just keep an eye on the usual diesel particulate filter and make sure that the clutch engages and disengages cleanly and easily. The only other worry is over electrics. There were repeated wiring loom problems with early cars, so if any that you're looking at display even the slightest electrical gremlin, walk away.

Hope that helps

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Hi Andrew,

Whether it's a case of giving us the poor mouth or not I'm not sure but Irish dealers by and large operate on a margin of between 8 and 12 per cent. That can vary wildly between brands, of course. Dacia dealers for instance will probably tell you they work on a margin closer to five per cent, so don't go asking for discounts. Premium brand dealers will obviously have broader margins so there is a little more scope for discounting there. 

The UK market has a number of advantages over us when it comes to seeking out bargains. For a start, there's no VRT to pay, whereas anything from 30 to 50 per cent of every Irish dealer's sale goes straight into the tax man's pocket. Competition in the UK is also much more cut-throat and the big dealers have to compete with the likes of car supermarkets, so they're keener to offer discounts.

If you're looking for bargains at the moment in Ireland, the best thing to do is watch for pre-registrations. To meet their market share targets, many importers are pressuring their dealers to register cars that will then be sold as 'nearly new' or 'demo model' at a significant price cut. The best thing to do is shop at the start of the month, as most pre-registering will be done on the last working day of the previous month and dealers will be keen to off-load pre-registered stock.

Hope all that helps

Expert answer

Hi Amanda,

Yes it will - the new S-Max will have two down-sized engines compared to the current model. A development of the current 1.5 TDCi, as seen in the Fiesta and B-Max, probably developing around 115- to 120hp and a new three-cylinder petrol turbo 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine. Both of those should significantly bring down the running costs of the car, and we'd be very surprised if both don't sneak into Bands A1-A4 for tax.

Quite whether their day-to-day fuel economy will match up to their expected quoted figures is another thing; small engines in big cars tend not to do so well when it comes to real-world economy, but we look forward to finding out. The current S-Max is one of our favourite cars and the new one looks likely to pick up where the outgoing one is leaving off.

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Hi Ciaran,

Keeping your insurance affordable is mostly a matter of shopping around, although at 24 you may well be shopping for a size of car that most insurers will baulk at. You may get a better deal in that respect if you dropped down to a Golf/Focus/Astra-sized car. But if you must have the bigger machine then I'd go for the Mazda. It's sweeter to drive than the other two, vastly more reliable and spacious and practical too.

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Hi Aidan,

I'd suggest either a Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi, a Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI or a Kia cee'd 1.6 CRDi. All of them fall into your price bracket, all are well built, reliable and economical and all are comfy for a lengthy daily commute. You won't go wrong with any of them and there are plenty of each available so shop around and be choosy.

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Hi Derry,

Nothing much to keep an eye on mechanically speaking, as these are well-built and reliable cars. Just watch for kerbed alloys as that could mean that the steering has been knocked out of alignment. Obviously, you'll want a fully-stamped-up service history. As for the S Line model, try before you buy. Yes, the styling add-ons look good, but the A4 already has quite a firm ride quality and the S Line suspension firms that up even more. It may not be to your taste.

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Hi Ian,

We checked this query out with Peugeot Ireland and received this response:

"Please be advised that Tom Raftery Car Sales Shannonbridge & Athlone is not an Authorised Peugeot Dealer for Peugeot New Vehicle Sales, Parts or Aftersales. As we are no longer in contract with Tom Raftery Car Sales, he cannot look after warranty or deliver new Peugeot vehicles or represent himself as an Authorised Peugeot Dealer. Therefore he will not be in a position to offer you any Peugeot special deals for 2013/2014."

"We most certainly will have consumer offers across a number of Peugeot passenger car models for orders pre-Christmas and these offers will be announced in the coming weeks."

In the meantime, please consult our website www.peugeot.ie for your closest Authorised Peugeot Dealer and sincere thanks for considering the Peugeot brand."

Expert answer

Hi Grainne,

I'd say you can expect to get about €8,000 and €9,000 as a trade-in value for your Corolla, although that could vary quite a bit from dealer to dealer. As for the cars you're looking at, a diesel Golf or Octavia would probably be ideal for the type of driving you're looking at doing, but if it's refinement you need, then I'd go for the Volkswagen over the Skoda - there's not a lot in it, but the Golf is that bit quieter.

Hope that helps