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Hi Gursimren,

Generally speaking you can’t. It’s a system Chrysler inherited from Mercedes and while you can inhibit the traction control up to a point, it’s never fully off. There is a bit of a cheat mode, though, which involves starting the car, let it creep forward in D, select neutral, and then turn the ignition key to the ‘start’ position again, as if you’re trying to start the engine. That should switch the engine into ‘Performance Mode’ and you should hear an electronic beep that tells you you've done it. The system should then reset once you turn the engine off again.

Please be aware that we don’t recommend you do this, as the car has been set up to function with the traction control switched on. 

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Hi Angela,

Yes, it does. The SV model has a reversing camera, and the SVE has a full 360-degree ‘surround view’ system. Prices for both models start from €23,990 (although it’s worth remembering that there is an all-new Leaf launching early next year).

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Hi Caroline,

That model has CO₂ emissions of 194g/km so it’ll cost you €1,250 to tax for a year.

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Hi Rob,

If it’s the original manufacturer warranty, then yes — they’re pan-European warranties (mostly, check the small print) and will be honoured by any dealer within the EU. If it’s a warranty offered individually by a dealer, then possibly not. Definitely not if it’s from an independent dealer, but there might be a chance if it’s one offered by an Audi or Volvo franchised dealer in the UK. 

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Hi Robert,

It’s Motability you need to ask, I’m afraid, not us. I’m sure you can change the car if needed, but there may well be a cost of change to be paid, depending on what car you want to put them into. I’d suggest ringing Motability Ireland, have a chat with them, and go through the fine print of the contract.

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Hi Eugene,

The new i3’s battery is rated at 20kWh so 20x18c gives you a cost of €3.60 for a from-flat-to-full charge. That should be good for at least 200km, or about 1.8c per kilometre driven.

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Hi Anthony,

Assuming it’s the five-speed manual model with four-wheel drive then it has CO₂ emissions of 165g/km, and that means Band D tax at €570 a year.

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Hi Dave,

It sounds as if it could be an issue with the actual fan that blows the air (both with and without air conditioning on) through the vents. Sometimes the blades of the fan can warp, or even melt slightly if you’ve been running the heat at full blast for a while (such as when defrosting the car on an icy day), and that can cause an odd harmonic effect in the airflow. Or, it’s also possible that leaves or some other sort of road debris has gotten in past the filter and is causing the whistling effect.

Either way, you need to get it looked at. It is possible to take the fan cover off and inspect it yourself at home (a Haynes manual is an invaluable aid here), but we’d always recommend asking a professional first.

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Hi Leo,

Yes, they will. Warranties on new cars are almost invariably pan-European, and backed by the factory in Germany, so as long as it’s under the original factory warranty, a dealer in Ireland should have no trouble honouring it. It would only be where the UK dealer was offering a specific warranty on an older car that you would normally have an issue.

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Hi Paul,

Residuals for hybrids probably depend slightly on where you live — if you’re in a major urban area, then they should be extremely good, in a rural area maybe slightly less so. Anyway, for that budget I’d unhesitatingly recommend the Lexus GS 300h. Smooth, silent, incredibly comfortable, beautifully made and utterly reliable. Hard to beat, really.