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Hi Sean,

The simple answer is no. According to the Road Safety Authority (RSA): "Any person getting their first learner permit with a start date on or after 4th April 2011 must complete a minimum 12 hours of Essential Driver Training".

However, there's no harm in a little extra training!

Good luck with getting your full licence.

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Hi Enda,

This was a long one, so I thought I would answer by video. Click on the link to see the answer!

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Hi Chloe,

The fact that you really seem to like your car would signify that perhaps you should simply change to the 1.7-litre diesel SXi version of your car and save yourself a few quid in the process. You will probably get around €11,000 - €11,500 for your car at current market prices, but that should leave you well placed to replace it with a diesel model without too much trouble.

There weren't too many SXI models in Ireland with diesel engines but there do appear to be a few Vauxhalls imported with this spec that might work for you unless you had any particular objections to driving a Vauxhall over an Opel. 

You could have a diesel version for in and around the same money so perhaps you could even get into a slightly newer model if you were prepared to invest a few more quid, but since money saving seems to be the aim here then maybe just swap into a diesel. 

Aside from that you could perhaps look at getting a Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion, which is incredibly fuel efficient. This would make a great buy for you really and something like this would be very cheap to run. 

I hope this helps,

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Hi Adrian,

From April 4 2011 all new first time learner permit holders for cars will be required to undertake mandatory essential driver training (EDT) with an approved driving instructor (ADI). The course will be 12 hours. The learner will be able to take the lessons at any point during the learning process and can practise with an accompanying driver during the time while taking lessons. Evidence of completing the lessons will be signed off in a learner's logbook by the ADI. Evidence of having taken the lessons will have to be presented before taking a driving test.

Hope that clears it up

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Hi Des,

You've identified two great choices there. With our own money we'd buy the Skoda Superb Combi. It's a cracking estate car with a huge amount of room, great quality, good comfort and the 1.6 TDI engine is refined and economical. Unless you intend to tow regularly I wouldn't worry too much about the performance. This engine may not have a lot of power (105hp), but it has plenty of torque low down in the rev range, which is far more useful in everyday driving.

Admittedly, the Opel will feel faster and it's a nice car too, but make sure you test drive as many alternatives as you can. Where as Skoda only appears to offer one version of the Superb Combi that qualifies for the scrappage scheme, Ford has several Mondeo Estates that do - and it's a great car.

Worth paying a little more for is the brand new Volkswagen Passat Estate. It's a fabulous car and there are several Band A and Band B options.

If you need any more assistance come back to us of course.

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Hi Keith,

There are some really good independent dealers around these days, because there are so many people who bought high-end cars during the boom years and they find that they now want to spend less on servicing. With a 2001 Jaguar X-Type I wouldn't be rushing to a Jaguar dealership to get it serviced. These guys GTi Direct have a good reputation for servicing high-end cars at a good price, so maybe they would be worth checking out.

I hope this helps. 

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Hi Sean,

The answer really depends on the type of four-wheel drive you have. Most road-biased SUVs and crossovers with four-wheel drive apportion the engine output to the wheels with the most grip. Some won't use four-wheel drive unless slip is detected anyway. In those cars it makes sense to leave the car in four-wheel drive mode all the time, certainly in the snowy weather we have right now. Best to not get stuck rather than turning on the four-wheel drive when you might already be having an issue.

Some four-wheel drives have a 'differential lock', which makes sure that all the wheels receive equal amounts of power. That should only be used in really tricky conditions, as the car won't be very responsive to turning and the tyres would wear out quicker on a normal road in that mode.

Hope that helps, but feel free to ask us more.

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Hi William,

The official fuel economy figures for the 520d manual and automatic are as follows. The first figure in each case is for the manual model and the number in brackets is when fitted with the eight-speed automatic with Steptronic.

Fuel Consumption in EU Cycle

Urban: 

5.9 (6.4) l/100km

47.8 (44.1) mpg

Extra-urban:

4.3 (4.5) l/100km

65.6 (62.7) mpg

Combined:

4.9 (5.2) l/100km

57.6 (54) mpg

CO₂

129 (137) g/km

As you can see there is very little difference. As regards the M Sport model, we don't know how the new version of the 5 Series M Sport rides as yet, but I collect one this Tuesday so I will come back to you on how it drives then.

I hope this helps,

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Hi Marie,

We had a chat on the phone to get more information and now know that you would prefer to sell the L200 privately and use the cash to buy your next vehicle, so your budget is about €10,000 - €12,000.

The difficulty in getting something with height is that the SUVs going back a few years tended to be diesel with fairly large engines, so before 2008 these engines were in some cases cheaper to tax than they are now. Emissions were higher, but you were charged - as you are probably aware - for the size of your engine. I'm sure you don't want to get landed with a high road tax bill per year, but we will explore some options. 

The first is a 2004 Toyota RAV4. There is a model in a dealership in Louth, which I realise is quite far from you, but this diesel model is a beaut and is at a SIMI dealer so this brings with its some safeguards. This RAV4 is under €10,000 and has low mileage, though is going to cost €823 to tax each year. 

The Kia Sportage fiesel would be a great little buy for you. This small SUV has proven to be very reliable and very well liked by owners. This one in Cork is a little over your budget, but as a cash buyer I would think you could bargain down the asking price of €13,900. 

A car that you might not have thought of, but I have always rated as a good little car, is the Fiat Sedici. This small SUV has four-wheel drive, a diesel engine and is cheap to buy and run. We found a 2009 model in Laois with just 23,000 miles on the clock and the asking price is just €11,750. This would be a nice little runabout and it still retains some of the height of the SUV. This will cost you €447 per year to tax. 

Another good choice, although the annual tax will be the same as the RAV4's, is the Nissan X-Trail. This is a really nice example from 2005 that has a 2.2-litre diesel engine and would be a nice vehicle to own. Again, if you couldn't cope with the high annual road tax then it might not be the best option for you. 

I'd be inclined, if it were me, to buy that RAV4, as it would be a nice vehicle to own. 

I hope this helps!

Expert answer

Hi Aoife,

First up, the usual cause of exhaust fumes as you've described is a damaged seal on your rear hatch. Opening the car's windows changes the airflow so that it makes it worse. Check if the rubber seal is properly in place and if it is, if it appears to be damaged in anyway. A loose-fitting hatch will cause the same thing.

With regards to the timing belt, the price will vary massively depending on the type of garage you take the car to. Phone around is the best advice, but they should be quoting about 3-4 hours of labour.

I hope that all helps.