Which of these would be a good starter car?
Hi, my girlfriend who is 22 has recently got her first provisional licence and completed her mandatory 12 lessons. Any advice on a good starter car for her, for under €1,000 if possible? Taking into account tax and insurance costs I've been looking at Cinquecentos, Micras, Polos and the Daewoo Lanos as they're 1.0-litre or under. Any of these worth considering, orany that should definitely be avoided?
Thanks
Ciaran Mc Cashin (Drogheda)Apr 2012 Filed under: learner
Expert answer
Hi Ciaran,
You can't go too far wrong with a good Nissan Micra or Volkswagen Polo, even at that price. They are reasonable to insure, pretty reliable and the Micra in particular is great on fuel. We'd stay away from the Daewoo Lanos and though the Fiat Cinquecento is bursting with character they can be troublesome. Others to consider are the Suzuki Swift and Volkswagen Lupo.
Come back to us with a shortlist if you want and we can help further.
Would an engine check light put you off buying a car?
Hi, please help me! I am planning on buying a 2003 Volkswagen Polo, but it has engine check light on. What could be the reason? Is it ok to buy the car?
Mar 2012 Filed under: fault
Expert answer
Hi Meenesh,
It's highly likely that this points to a fairly minor issue, though it's impossible to diagnose from here. You most definitely should not buy this car until the reason for the light being on is found and the problem fixed. Most decent mechanics and garages will have diagnostic equipment to hook up to the car, which will tell them what's causing the light to come on.
Insist that the seller does that before you commit to anything. If they do get it sorted out, make sure the engine check light still comes on when the ignition is turned on, but then goes out when the car is started, as an unscrupulous seller could just remove the bulb!
Best of luck
Is €8,800 expensive for a Toyota Corolla?
Is €8,800 dear for a 2006 diesel Toyota Corolla hatchback?
Mar 2012 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi Rosie,
It really depends on the condition, which engine it has and how many kilometres are on the clock. A quick look on Carzone.ie shows 2006 diesel Toyota Corolla hatchbacks going from €6,000 to €11,000.
Come back to us with more details if you want and we'll take a look.
How do I fit three child seats in the back of my car?
Third child on the way, eldest child is in full-size booster seat, what cars will fit three across? Ford says its cars can but you need a degree in engineering to fit them. I have discussed this question with a number of car seat retailers who all lean toward a seven seater.
Neil Batt (Dublin )Mar 2012 Filed under: child or baby seats
Expert answer
Hi Neil,
We're surprised we don't get this one more often to be honest! The simple solution would of course be to go for a car with three rows of seats - or something wide like the Fiat Multipla. I realise that might not suit though. It appears from our research that somebody has sensed a gap in the market and created a solution in the guise of www.multimac.co.uk.
Essentially the system is bolted to you existing car (with your rear seats still in place) and thanks to the narrower child seats can fit up to four children across the rear bench. The system is not cheap, coming in at over €2,000 by the time you add the required accessories, but it is likely to be cheaper than buying a new car.
We hope this helps.
I need something bigger for the family. What do you think?
Time to change my Mazda RX8 as I need something bigger for the family. What do you think is my best option from this lot? Mazda6 2.0 diesel, Ford Focus 1.6, Audi A3 1.9 TDI or Hyundai i30? All are 2008-09 and almost same in price.
Sean Naughton (Co. Limerick)Mar 2012 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Sean,
With those options in front of us and no clue to each car's mileage and condition then we'd say there's a strong case for the Mazda6. It's significantly more spacious than all the other cars you listed for a start. That 2.0-litre diesel engine has plenty of grunt and is relatively economical, while the Mazda6 has a great reputation for reliability.
Hope that's of help
What should I do with my 2008 Ford S-MAX?
We have a 2008 Ford S-MAX Titanium diesel auto with 100,000km on it. I have been looking around for ages at alternatives. In your view would we be better to sell this car now while it is still relatively young or would we be better to hold on for another couple of years?
I do not want to end up in the situation where no garage will give anything for it as it is too old and I do not want to have to spend loads to maintain it now it is getting older.
By the way what would I get for it as a trade-in or private sale? It is ours from new with full service history.
Thanks,
Andrew
Andrew Kelly (Limerick)Mar 2012 Filed under: family car
Expert answer
Hi Andrew,
First of all, the relatively straightforward stuff. There are less Titanium models around than LX and Zetec so it's worth a little more. Autos are quite rare as well so it's not easy to accurately predict the value. However, we reckon you could advertise it for €16,999 as a private sale (and accept a little less) and expect an offer as low as €13,000 in trade-in. Bear in mind though that you should focus on the cost to change if you're going down the trade-in route.
Your car is already at the high end of the mileage range for S-MAXs of that age and if you plan on continuing at the same rate then it may well make sense to change now before the car loses all appeal for dealers - as you've pointed out.
Hope all that helps.
BMW, Volkswagen or Toyota Avensis for a taxi?
Which car would be best for a taxi from this lot: 2006 BMW 520d, 2007/2008 Volkswagen Passat or Toyota Avensis (both diesel) - all cars with around 75,000 miles on the clock and costing around €10,000?
Justin O'Gorman (Limerick)Mar 2012 Filed under: taxi
Expert answer
Hi Justin,
I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that the lower mileage car you can find, the better. All three models mentioned are suitable for the job, though there's a reason so many taxis are the Toyota Avensis. It's the one we'd veer towards. The BMW would be a nicer car than either the Passat or the Toyota, but once you start racking up high mileage its maintenance could get expensive.
Hope that helps.
What can I do to ensure a Volvo XC90 is mechanically sound?
Hi, I'm pondering a second-hand Volvo XC90 2.5T AWD from a dealer. It comes at a reasonable price, with a clean Cartell.ie report and a three-month warranty. However, it's at the top of my budget. I know as much about cars as the mice know about the moon - it's big and shiny. What can I do to check if the car will drive me for some time without major faults?
Piotr Berlowski (Dublin)Mar 2012 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Piotr,
On the mechanical front the Volvo XC90 has been subject to a number of manufacturer recalls over the course of its life. Depending on what year car you are looking at some of these will not apply but it is worth questioning the dealer about the most recent recalls to ensure that all work has been done.
To deal with the specific car you are looking at, we would suggest have it checked by a competent mechanic before purchasing. If you do not have a friendly mechanic to hand Cartell.ie offers a 'Four star check', which in addition to the detailed history report also includes a full check by an automotive engineer. At €295 it offers great peace of mind, especially when dealing with a high-end car like the Volvo XC90.
Hope that helps.
Where can I find accessories for a MINI Clubman?
How much can you customise a MINI after it is bought? For example I am buying a second-hand Clubman, but am unsure as to can I get all this famous MINI extras after it is first made. I know I can get some from the dealer but they are expensive. So is there any non-dealer MINI accessories dealers in Ireland or UK?
Peter Molloy (Cork)Mar 2012 Filed under: aftermarket
Expert answer
Hi Peter,
Suppliers of MINI accessories in Ireland appear to be few and far between we are afraid. The guys on miniclub.ie swear by a Ballincollig-based specialist called O'Leary's, but without a website we were not able to get any more information.
Thankfully the UK is swarming with MINI specialists with some offering original equipment at discounted prices while others specialise in aftermarket MINI parts. Here are a few examples:
Hope that helps. Let us know how you get on.
Are cars imported from the UK worth less?
Hello,
Are cars that have been imported from the UK and have been VRT paid and registered here and are now for sale privately here worth less than their original Irish equivalent? If this is true what are the reasons for this?
Patrick Ryan (Tipperary)Mar 2012 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Patrick,
We put this question to the official vehicle records experts, Cartell.ie. Jeff Ahern, Cartell's Director, responded in detail:
"Until the arrival of Cartell.ie in 2006 and subsequent car history checking companies in 2007/8, it was extremely difficult to get the history of a vehicle both in Ireland and the UK. Moreover, the fact that a car was imported was hidden from the Irish consumer. Now that is not the case. It is easy to trace the history of a vehicle within Ireland and the UK. That said, a study was carried out into the number of UK vehicles hitting Irish roads that were written off and clocked. The figures were quite startling in that up to 1 in 10 vehicles imported from the UK were written off and 11% had a mileage discrepancy. This affected a large number of people who had bought these vehicles before the advent of car history checking and therefore a stigma still persists with UK vehicles."
"Furthermore the above issue was compounded by the data on the Vehicle Registration Certificate (VRC) in that it only shows the number of Irish owners and not any additional owners from the UK, which allowed some dealers to manipulate or gloss over the additional history."
"However, vehicles are now being advertised for at least the same price as their Irish counterparts. The UK car will often have a higher specification. But let's not forget that most Irish people know that whoever brought a car in from the UK should have paid less for it anyway and therefore they are inclined to want a similar discount when you are selling it on. And as a car ages, the extras become more of a selling tool than an earner as the depreciation had reduced their value."
"So in summary, a UK car can have a higher specification and should be worth more than a similar Irish model of same year and mileage, but in practice - and due to the above - it will be worth the same or less. Don't forget too that a person could easily check an Irish car with a full service history by contacting the dealer who could be in their local area rather than having to ring the UK, which isn't an issue nowadays with the internet, but perception and ease are everything. "
Hope that all helps