Expert answer

Hi Keith,

I'm afraid we have no information at all on the arrival of Jaecoo in Ireland nor on the distributor.

Expert answer

Hi Steven,

We can help you estimate it, but please do note that it is only an estimate and you're kind of at the mercy of Revenue.

First up, we can be certain that car will be in the top band for VRT due to its CO₂ emissions, so that means VRT at 41 per cent.

That's 41 per cent of the so-called Open Market Selling Price (OMSP), which is the value Revenue reckons the car is worth following registration in Ireland.

It's a tricky thing to guess for a rare car such the F-Type, but for the purposes of our calculations let's say it's €45,000. That would mean VRT of €18,450.

The NOx levy is separate to that, but small in comparison.

And if you're bringing the car from England, Scotland or Wales them you'll also be hit with VAT at 23 per cent and import duty at 10 per cent (though these are calculated from the 'customs value' of the car, not the OMSP).

Most cars coming from Northern Ireland shouldn't be liable for VAT or import duty, within certain restrictions.

Make sure you do your homework on all this before committing to bringing the car in.

Expert answer

Hi Callum,

That engine has a timing belt, but it is in fact a "dry" belt, not a wet one. It does not run in oil. For your information, there is an additional (small) timing chain in the cylinder head linking the camshafts, but that's essentially maintenance free and it's only the belt you need to think about changing. 

Come back to us with the engine code or power output and we can look up the replacement schedule for you.

Expert answer

Hi Cathal,

We'd be fools to suggest that you can be 100 per cent sure you won't have a problem if you do x, y and z, I'm afraid as there's just no guarantees with DPFs.

Saying that, modern cars such as the Tucson and Octavia you mentioned have way better DPF regen logic than they used to, along with more sophisticated exhaust monitoring than before so that's a good start, as is knowing the type of driving that's needed for diesel cars with DPFs – as you've indicated you understand.

You could ask the dealer selling the car (assuming you're not buying privately) for a diagnostic readout with the DPF information, but they're under no obligation to do that and some may not even know how.

My advice would be to insist on a detailed service history, scrutinise that for anything related to the DPF, then ask the seller if any work on the DPF has ever been done. Finally, take it for a decent test drive and, if possible, get someone else to drive it while you follow to observe the exhaust for any excess and obvious regen activity. You may see nothing with such modern cars, however.

The key thing here is to only buy a DPF-equipped car if you spend a portion of your normal driving at higher speeds, allowing the whole exhaust to get hot and work effectively.

Expert answer

Hi Daniel,

As it goes by engine size in that scenario, then the annual motor tax bill would be €1,034.

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Hi Chevalier,

We have no way of knowing which setup your car's engine has remotely, but you are correct in that some of the engines from that year use a chain for the high-pressure fuel pump drive while others use a belt - alongside the main timing belt.

It doesn't really matter which your engine has, unfortunately, as the chain must be replaced just as often as the timing belt - at least every 200,000km or 10 years, whichever comes first.

Expert answer

Hi Homg,

Yes, ownership by a company counts as private ownership, but only if the vehicle was actually registered and used in the North after importation for, as Revenue puts it “a reasonable amount of time”. If that's the case then no VAT or import duty should be payable on importing it south of the border.

If the company in question is a car dealer, however, and they have not brought the car into the North according to the Windsor Framework, then VAT and import duty may indeed be payable.

Expert answer

Hi Michael,

New Audi prices may be the same across all its dealers, but each and every one of them will do deals differently, especially when there's a trade-in involved. No harm shopping around.

We know that Audi has an extended warranty, and it's briefly mentioned on Audi Ireland's website, but there's no further information about its cost that we can see. We've sent a message to our contact there to get an answer on that one for you. We'd certainly advocate for extended warranties on high-end cars.

Finally, only you can decide on which of the A6 Sportback e-trons you like, but do you need to absolutely max out the range you can get from the car? Enough to live without the reassurance of quattro four-wheel drive? If so, then perhaps invest in a set of winter tyres and wheels to use when you need them.

I'd just go for the quattro and accept it won't be quite as efficient.

Expert answer

Hi Vincent,

I'm afraid it's not possible to get the Duster with both the hybrid powertrain and four-wheel drive. If you need 4x4 then you'll have to go for the petrol engine called "TCe 130", which costs from €33,390 as a 4x4 against €32,090 for the entry-level (front-wheel-drive) Duster Hybrid - called "HEV 140" by Dacia.

The 4x4 model can tow up to 1,500kg of braked trailer, while the front-wheel-drive hybrid version is limited to 750kg.

Expert answer

Hi Donal,

For the benefit of our other readers, ERAD stands for Electric Rear Axle Drive, which is effectively the electric motor used on the rear axle of the plug-in-hybrid XC90 T8 (and other Volvo PHEVs) to give it all-wheel drive and fully electric operation. And yes, they are a known weak point of the car.

There is some evidence that Volvo will help with repair or replacement for cars with a full service history, but it seems to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis as there has been no official recall or statement on it from Volvo. Do not rely on this.

We'd strongly recommend you avoid early cars unless the ERAD unit has been replaced relatively recently, but Volvo did make improvements as early as 2018, and the facelifted cars from 2020 on (badged “Recharge”) are a relatively safe bet.

Look not only for a regular service history, but also for maintenance details relating specifically to the rear axle.

The D5/B5 cars are certainly a better bet in terms of dependability, but obviously come with higher running costs and motor tax.