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Hi Stasys,

Cheaper motor tax is available for classic cars, but it starts when they are over 30 years old. Read this for more information: Motor Road Tax Prices in Ireland Explained

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Hi Pat,

To be fair to the 2 Series Gran Coupe, it’s a coupé in name only — really it’s a 1 Series saloon and is likely to be treated as such by the trade. The conceptually similar Mercedes CLA has solid residuals so we wouldn’t be too worried in that respect.

As far as insurance is concerned, Irish insurers will always find a way to hammer you, but the combination of the relatively mild engine and your own age should ensure that you don’t get hit too hard. And, of course, shop around for other quotes if you do get a big bill.

Of course the right 2 Series to buy is the gorgeous little, rear-drive two-door actual coupe, but perhaps that’s a discussion for another day...

Read our BMW 2 Series reviews here

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Hi Julie,

In many ways, diesel would be the safe bet, but with your 90km per day driving pattern, I’d suggest that you’re potentially an ideal candidate for switching to electric. Certainly, a current Kia e-Niro or Hyundai Kona Electric would do your five-day daily commute on almost one charge (although realistically you’d probably top it up much more regularly than that). As long as you have a driveway where you can install a home charging point (and a charging point at work would be helpful too), then I’d say it’s well worth looking at electric. The savings on fuel alone will help to balance out the cost of purchase. 

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Hi Sue,

Sounds to us that the battery could be in poor condition. Lots of cars develop issues with their stop-start systems. We get so many questions about it that we wrote a feature about it all - Why won't my car's stop-start system work?

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Hi Peter,

Very roughly speaking, its performance is equivalent to an old 1.4 or even 1.6-litre petrol engine with no turbocharger.

You might find our review (with video) of the Octavia 1.0 TSI interesting.

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Hi Dave,

I'm surprised to hear that from a new truck where the battery will be in good condition, but stop-start systems regularly don't work as people expect. The system measures loads of variables before deciding whether the engine will be stopped, including the temperature of the engine and even the outside temperature. If it's cold weather, it may not work at all. If you're using items that are a big electrical drain, it may not operate. 

Read our Why won't my car's stop-start system work? feature

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Hi Don,

The differences are around €5,000 in terms of a new car price. The Sport, on top of the Luna, gets built-in navigation, contrast stitching on the dash, blue ambient background light, paddle shifts for the CVT gearbox, power operated driver's seat, heated front seats, 18-inch alloys, rear privacy glass, sportier exterior styling, contrast-colour roof and bi-beam LED headlights. 

Read our Toyota RAV4 reviews here

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Hi Sherry,

It should not, no, though you are likely to get a warning light in the dashboard.

Read our Why won't my car's stop-start system work? feature on why that might be happening.

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Hi Philip,

Well, as ever, beauty (and general appreciation or enthusiasm) is in the eye of the beholder. In fact the Supra is very much a Toyota, even though it does share a lot of BMW parts. The whole car was engineered and developed separately by Toyota and it’s chief engineer, Tetsuya Tada. Basically, BMW and Toyota agreed at the start of the project on a common set of parts, and then went entirely their own ways in terms of design and development. It does feel very different to drive compared to the BMW Z4 — sharper (thanks to the stiffer body structure), but also a little softer and more pliant on the road. It’s actually rather lovely. As for reliability? When we first drove the car Tada told us that it had passed all of Toyota’s quality control and reliability checks, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. 

Read our Toyota Supra reviews here

Read our BMW Z4 reviews here

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Hi Philip,

Well, Tesla already sells a Model S long range that will go for a claimed 610km...