Do dealers deliver cars usually?
I want to buy a car from a dealer in Dublin and I live in County Laois. Is it the responsibility of the car dealer to bring the car to my house or how does it work? My issue is that I can't drive on motorway from Dublin to County Laois.
Olly Sisi (County Laois)Jul 2016 Filed under: miscellaneous
Expert answer
Hi Olly,
It depends on what kind of deal you can strike with the dealer in question. A good dealer will arrange for the car to be delivered to your door, but it's not a common arrangement and will therefore probably incur an additional cost. Most people just go to the dealer to collect their new car.
I got a bank loan easier than a PCP deal...
Hi,
I was trying to apply for PCP finance in February with Volkswagen Bank and got declined. I then applied for a car loan off AIB and got accept for €6k more! Do you think this would give me a footing to apply for PCP next year with Volkswagen?
They seem very strict!
Kevin
Kevin Hunt (Dublin)Jul 2016 Filed under: finance
Expert answer
Hi Kevin,
The acceptance by AIB might well give you a little more leverage with Volkswagen next time around, not least because it will be another tick on your credit rating. Oddly, it’s usually the other way around – high street banks tend to be harder to get a loan from than car company banks, but acceptance criteria vary hugely across the different financial institutions so you never know until someone puts the details into the computer and someone says yes or no.
Having said all that, you might actually be better off with the bank loan than with the PCP. Although the monthly repayments might be higher, you do have the advantage of owning the car outright from day one, and not having to worry about condition and upkeep.
SEAT Toledo, Skoda Rapid or Renault Fluence?
Trading up from a 2006 Nissan Note to 131-132 Skoda Rapid, SEAT Toledo or Renault Fluence: open to suggestions on which is best choice.
Seamus Neville (Waterford)Jul 2016 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Seamus,
The Skoda and SEAT are basically the same car with different badges. Neither are especially sophisticated, but they're roomy and pleasant to drive and very affordable. Personally I prefer the hatchback versions, but that's just me. Both are preferable to the Fluence, which has never been a very satisfying car and which is about to be replaced by a new saloon version of the Renault Megane.
Relevant reviews:
Should I buy this Audi A7?
Hi,
I am buying an Audi A7 3.0 TDI 245 quattro S tronic version (2011) with 71k miles on the clock. The seller told me that he replaced the complete transmission last year in December from Audi South Dublin and has showed me the invoice as well. I know that Audi parts comes with a two-year warranty so this new transmission will have its warranty valid until 2017.
My question is, shall I go ahead and buy this car? I am wondering if the old transmission would have done any damage to other parts of the car such as turbocharger or engine, torque converter etc. What other things should I look for before finalising this deal?
Looking forward to your reply.
PS: I drove this car last weekend and it is absolutely fine without any issue in gear change etc.
Thanks and regards
Raj
Rajat Parihar (Dublin)Jul 2016 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Raj,
Generally, I wouldn't think that a gearbox issue would damage an engine - it's usually the other way around, and if there were a gearbox issue, the engine management system should pick up on it and adjust things accordingly.
But... Audi gearboxes are usually pretty robust so the fact that this one has failed could be an indication that the car has been abused or not cared for properly. Fair enough, it could be a genuine 'just one of those things' failures, but it might be worth getting the car inspected by an independent engineer such as the AA to allay any fears.
How much to tax a V10-engined Audi R8?
What is the cost of road tax on a 2010 5.2-litre V10 Audi R8?
Liam O'Flaherty (Wexford)Jul 2016 Filed under: taxation
Expert answer
Hi Liam,
It's in the top rate for tax so that means €2,350 I'm afraid.
Will we be charged VAT on UK car import?
Hi,
We are a VAT-registered business in Dublin, If we buy a VAT-qualifying car in the UK that is over six months old and over 6,000km, will we be charged VAT in Ireland?
Declan Coghlan (Dublin)Jul 2016 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Declan,
For a private buyer, once an imported vehicle is older than six months or has more than 6,000km on the odometer then it's no longer liable for Irish VAT. However, it is a little different for a business and Revenue is closely watching such things to ensure that VAT is properly accounted for. We'd advise you seek professional advice from your accountant.
Can I run my Kia cee'd on bio-diesel?
Hi,
Can I run my 2012 Kia cee'd 1.6 CRDi on bio-diesel?
Carl Odlin (Castleblayney)Jul 2016 Filed under: diesel
Expert answer
Hi Carl,
Yes, theoretically you can run any diesel car on bio-diesel, but you need to be careful with where you're sourcing your fuel from - low quality bio-diesel can clog your injectors up.
Do I need to insure a car before scrappage?
Hi,
I'm enquiring about scrappage deals and am wondering if I need to have the car insured as I can't afford a new car until 2017 and the insurance is due for renewal on my car now and as I don't need the car until January I don't know if I need to reinsure it before then.
Rita
Rita Bo (Tipperary)Jul 2016 Filed under: scrappage
Expert answer
Hi Rita,
It varies from offer to offer – most deals specify that you need to be able to demonstrate ownership and use of the car and that it has to be driven onto the forecourt under its own power, so you need to check the fine print of any of the ‘scrappage’ deals you’re looking at to see exactly what proof they need. All will need at least current road tax, but not all will want to see insurance details.
Does the MINI have heavy steering?
Hi,
Are MINI hatches supposed to have quite heavy steering and controls? My car is fine to drive for me, but I never really noticed until I tried my friend's Volkswagen Passat today and it feels toy-like in comparison in that it has extremely light steering. Both cars are 2009.
James Patrick (Wicklow)Jul 2016 Filed under: hatchback
Expert answer
Hi James,
It's all just down to the way the power steering is set up and yes, all MINIs have quite weighty power steering, designed to feel sporty and make the car feel more agile.
What's the most efficient way to use a/c?
I had always assumed that it was bad to keep air conditioning on recirculation - gives rise to stale air and car misting up - but I read recently a suggestion that it should be kept on continuously as this was more efficient.
What do you think?
Thanks
Philip
Philip Donegan (Ballina)Jul 2016 Filed under: miscellaneous
Expert answer
Hi Philip,
Not quite. It's true to say that on a hot day, using the recirculation function can cool the cabin down a little faster as the system isn't pulling in fresh, hot air from outside. But, after a while, you'll notice that the air is becoming quite stale and you may find that the windows are starting to fog up as the oxygen content of the air falls a little. So really the best thing is to use recirculation for the first few minutes until the cabin has cooled down nicely and then switch to bringing in fresh air from the outside.
Of course, if you're really bothered about efficiency, turn the air conditioning off altogether.