Need to change units in my Citroen C3.
How do I change from miles to km on my 2009 Citroen C3 Picasso?
Patricia Burton-legge (Llanybydder)Aug 2018 Filed under: mileage
Expert answer
Hi Patricia,
If you access the menu for the central digital display (you should be able to get to this by using the button on the end of the windscreen wiper stalk), there should be an option to Change Units, which should allow you to switch between miles and kilometres. If you get stuck, have a look at the owner's handbook. That’s always a help.
What to do with my converted UK campervan?
Hello,
I have a 2005 Citroen Relay 2.2-litre van I converted to a campervan in the UK. I am looking into registering it here, as I have moved back permanently. I went through the UK DVLA and converted it officially, but they did not change the vehicle category. It is N1. I checked this with them when I got the log book back and they said it remains as is, a commerical vehicle.
Here I understand I need to go through the whole palaver again and get an engineer to sign off the conversion, so it is MI, passenger vehicle. If I am looking at this thing correctly, I would be paying €900+ tax? Onto insurance, any idea what I would be paying on this size vehicle? I have two years' no claims driving it in the UK. Do they accept UK no claims here? It's hard to find the information online as you need to enter your reg and as it doesn't have an Irish reg yet, I have met some dead ends. The van is not worth much and it looks like it will cost me a whole lot more to run it here than in the UK. I am trying to get an idea before I start spending money, if it's a good idea to keep it, leave it on the drive or see if I can take it back or sell it to a UK driver. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
E O'Mahony O'Mahony (Cork City)Jul 2018 Filed under: commercial vehicle
Expert answer
Hi there,
Why do Irish car buyers not get discounts?
Hi,
I wonder if you could explain something I don't really understand about the Irish car buying market, even though I have a big interest in cars and the industry. Why is it that Irish car buyers hardly ever seem to get the sort of discounts that buyers in Britain do? I'm not just referring to the fact that overall new and used prices are cheaper there.
I wanted to buy a new or nearly new Peugeot 508 here recently and thought I would get a reasonable discount, which I pushed for, as that model does not sell as well as many of it's rivals and I thought the Peugeot dealer would be delighted to sell a saloon seeing as the market for them is declining so much and so many people now want SUVs instead. Alas, I could not get any sort of decent discount for a new or nearly new 508. It is well known that in Britain the buyer often gets a sizeable discount for car types or models that lag behind many rivals in sales, or for certain brands such as Vauxhall/Opel and Citroen. From what I observe and hear, you don't get decent discounts either for certain makes and models here in Ireland.
Higher VRT and other taxes here, don't explain these differences alone. I thought with Brexit and the vast increase in used and nearly new imports that Irish dealers would be more price competitive, but I'm surprised also that the prices of good fresh second hand cars here haven't come down more in this backdrop. For some good reasons, I'd prefer to buy here than from abroad, but it just seems that Irish car buyers can't catch the breaks that UK buyers get at all! Do you agree with me or can you kindly explain these differences in both markets?
Thanks, JC
JC Holohan (Waterford)Jun 2018 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi JC,
The big issue, really, is the size of the market. In the UK, vast dealer groups, with multiple outlets, are the norm and, obviously, these groups can be more cost-efficient and can potentially offer bigger discounts. Although there are dealer groups in Ireland, the norm is still very much the individual family-run business. That’s equally true on the import side of things — although there are now importers here that are tied directly to the car maker itself, many are still private, individual, locally-owned companies and those struggle to match the sort of discounting that is more common in the UK market. Plus, the fact that we buy in and around 100,000 to 130,000 cars a year here means that there’s less volume to spread discounts across. The UK market shifts two million cars a year — a considerable difference. VRT and VAT costs also play into it, as the wholesale price is often kept artificially lower to try and keep the added tax price down as much as possible.
I have a €3,500 budget for an economical car...
I have a budget of €3,000-€3,500 and want to buy a used car. What is a decent mileage I could expect for a diesel car registered on 2008 and after? Which brands are good and reliable?
Thanks
Vis Heg (Galway)Jun 2018 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Vis,
There’s plenty of choice at that price level for a 2008-onward diesel, but the mileage you’ll get will vary hugely according to how you drive. For instance, you could get a 1.6 HDi diesel Citroen C5 saloon within your budget, and that’s capable of doing 60mpg or better, but again that comes down to how you actually drive it. In terms of reliability, you’ll never beat a Japanese brand for that, so go for a Honda Civic 2.2 CDTi, a Mazda3 1.6 D, or a Toyota Auris or Corolla 1.4 D-4D.
Value of a 2009 Citroen C4?
Value of a 2009 Citroen C4 with 200,000 kilometres on the clock?
Bali Bhao (Kilkenny)Apr 2018 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi Bali,
A lot hinges on the service history and general condition of the car, of course, but it should be worth in the region of about €4,500 to €5,000, maybe €3,000 as a trade-in.
What to replace my Renault Scenic with?
I have an ageing Renault Scenic petrol automatic. Apart from poor mpg, it is brilliant - comfortable (I've fitted cruise control) with very good options for load carrying. What do I replace it with?
John Wiloughby (Stroud)Jan 2018 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi John,
Well, there are lots of good options. If you still like MPVs and like Renaults then the new Scenic is a bit of a cracker. Very comfy, and you can get it with an impressive 115hp 1.2 petrol turbocharged engine that should be rather more economical than what you’ve been used to. And it comes with cruise control as standard now.
Other, similar models worth considering are the Citroen C4 Picasso/Grand Picasso, VW Touran, Kia Carens or the Toyota Verso. Here are our relevant reviews:
Will I go for a new Kia Carens?
I currently have a 141 Kia Carens [up on DoneDeal, no phonecalls]. I require a car that will fit three highback boosters across the middle row and two pop up seats for car pooling. I like the style of the Kia and of course the seven-year warranty. I want to know what to expect to pay to upgrade to a 171 model or should I look at other cars? Do certain seven-seat cars have better resale value?
Bgt Ryan Kiely (Tipperary,)Jun 2017 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Ryan,
Your Carens is going to be worth in the region of €16,000 to €18,000 as a trade in, and the cheapest new Carens is €28,000, so you’re looking at finding or financing €10-12k to trade up.
Generally speaking, all seven-seaters hold their value pretty well, not least because we’re still going through something of a baby boom at the moment and families are keen to trade-up to cars that can handle multiple child car seats. The best for resale are the Volkswagen Touran, Toyota Verso, Citroen C4 Picasso and your Carens.
If you like it, I’d stick with it for your new car — the Carens is one of the best compact seven-seaters around.
Does my Citroen C3 need a timing belt?
Hi,
I have a 2008 Citroen C3 1.1 with 83,000 miles on the clock; does it need a timing belt yet?
Tommy Eccles (Lucan)Mar 2017 Filed under: servicing
Expert answer
Hi Tommy,
Yes - it's recommended that you change the timing belt every 80,000 miles (130,00km) or ten years.
Looking at the Toyota Proace Verso for a taxi.
Looking at the Toyota Proace Verso for a taxi; is it value for money?
Dave Taaffe (Dublin)Jan 2017 Filed under: taxi
Expert answer
Hi Dave,
Generally speaking it is, but much will depend on who you go to for a disabled access conversion. Worth remembering that the new Toyota Proace Verso is mechanically identical to the Citroen SpaceTourer and the Peugeot Expert, so it might be worth having a shop around to see if there are any sharper deals going on those.
Which new seven-seat MPVs would you go for?
I currently have a Ford Galaxy and looking to get a new/nearly new seven-seater. Have you done a review on seven-seaters? What would you recommend?
Luke Tyrrell (Dublin)Jan 2017 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Luke,
We certainly have done a few reviews... The closest cars to your Galaxy in terms of size and space are the Ford S-Max (a little smaller, but still very roomy) and the SEAT Alhambra (not as swish to drive as the Galaxy, but very spacious and with sliding side doors). There's also the Volkswagen Sharan, which is basically identical to the Alhambra, but a little more expensive. It wasn't on sale in Ireland for a while but it's back now and there are a few second hand ones knocking about.
If you fancy something a little smaller, then try the Opel Zafira Tourer. It's a really underrated car - nice to drive, well made and with decent cabin space.
After that, you're into the smaller MPVs such as the Volkswagen Touran, Kia Carens and so on. Good cars, but much smaller than your Galaxy so you'd be trading down in size terms.
With our practical hats on, we'd go for the SEAT - it's big and useful and those sliding side doors are great.
Here are the reviews themselves if you'd like more detail:
A few others worth considering as well: