is the new Hyundai i20 a good car?
Hi, I would like to know if the Hyundai i20 is a good car to buy in 1.2 petrol guise (new), or should I stick to the Fiesta, Corsa, Polo etc? My commute is 21km dual carriageway. Would the petrol be ok or should I look at the diesel?
Peter O'Shea (Mallow, Cork)Dec 2016 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Peter,
With a short commute like that, you’re definitely better off with petrol and the Hyundai i20 is a fine car – roomy and well made and quite good to drive. Here are some of our reviews to help you decide:
Ford Fiesta or Renault Clio for reliability?
Hi,
Looking for a reliable small car; thinking of Ford Fiesta or Renault Clio with a petrol engine; which is more durable?
John.
John Scanlon (Dublin)Nov 2016 Filed under: reliability
Expert answer
Hi John,
It probably depends what year you’re talking about, but if you mean the current models then I’d say there’s not an awful lot in it in reliability terms. I’d suggest that the Fiesta will just shade the Clio in overall reliability but there won’t be a huge difference. If we’re talking much older versions, then it’s the Fiesta by miles.
Correct tyre pressure for my Ford Fiesta?
What is the correct tyre pressure or a Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi manufactured in 2004?
Paul Codd (Morden)Nov 2016 Filed under: tyres
Expert answer
Hi Paul,
It depends on the wheels, but assuming you have a 175/65 14-inch tyre, then you need 31psi of pressure on the front tyres and 26psi for the rears.
Thinking of replacing my Polo with a Fiesta...
Hi, I currently have a 2003 Volkswagen Polo, 1.2 65hp. I am thinking of trading it in and getting a Ford Fiesta. Is it as reliable as the Polo? Also, is the base 1.25 60hp engine enough for a car that is heavier and bigger than my Polo?
Tim Singleton (Banteer, Cork)Nov 2016 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Tim,
The Fiesta should be mostly as reliable as the Polo. In extremis, I'd say the Polo will still have a slight edge overall in terms of quality, but as long as you buy a Fiesta with a full service history and look after it properly it should be fine. The base 60hp engine is very slow though, so unless all of your driving is in town, we'd suggest upgrading to the 82hp version.
How much to tax a 141 Ford Fiesta petrol?
How much to tax a 141 Ford Fiesta petrol for the year?
Breda Markey (Dublin)Sep 2016 Filed under: taxation
Expert answer
Hi Breda,
It depends which version you mean, but assuming it’s a 60hp 1.25-litre model then it has CO2 emissions of 120g/km so will cost €200 a year to tax.
How much VRT on a 2015 Fiesta diesel?
Any idea how much VRT I will pay on a 2015 Ford Fiesta Zetec 1.5 diesel?
John Brennan (Kilrush Co.clare)Jul 2016 Filed under: VRT
Expert answer
Hi John,
Well, it depends of course on what Revenue decides the Open Market Selling Price is (and there's usually no predicting on that score...), but they seem to be worth around €15,000 on the Irish market, so with 98g/km and 15 per cent VRT, that suggests a payment of around €2,250.
How do you rate the Ford Fiesta 1.4 diesel?
I am thinking of buying a 2008 Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi. How do you rate that engine and do they give much trouble?
Martin Doyle (Portlaoise)Jul 2016 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Martin,
There are a couple of things to check - that engine needs a lower auxiliary belt change at around 120,000km so make sure that's been done. You need to be watchful for the diesel particulate filter clogging up and the return pipes for the fuel injectors can leak, so if there's a strong smell of diesel when you lift the bonnet, those will need replacing.
Can you tell me about the new Ford Ka+?
New Ford Ka: when is it in Ireland and what are the prices please?
Also, is a new Fiesta on the way? When and what price?
Fergal Reidy (Celbridge)Jun 2016 Filed under: future cars
Expert answer
Hi Fergal,
The new Ka+ will be here in June and will cost from €13,050. You can find out much, much more about it in our Ford Ka+ news item. The new Fiesta is a bit more of an unknown and we certainly don’t have prices for it yet. It’s due to launch in Europe in the first quarter of 2017, but Ford Ireland may decide to keep its powder dry and launch it here closer to the 172 registration change in July of next year. It’s likely to be a little larger than the current car (although not by much, as the same basic structure is being retained) and the engine line up will be entirely the new-generation three-cylinder EcoBoost petrol and the four-cylinder 1.5-litre TDCi diesels. It’s likely to also be more expensive than the current car – the fact that Ford is launching a five-door Ka at a cheap-ish price, and the continuing efforts to push the Ford brand upmarket (Vignale, Mustang, GT, Edge etc.) means that the next Fiesta will probably be more sophisticated but more expensive too.
How much is my low-mileage Fiesta worth?
If I was to trade in my 2001 Ford Fiesta with just 29,800 miles on the clock, how much would I get?
Pauline Lennon (Bettystown Co Meath)May 2016 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi Pauline,
A really tough question to answer. Normally the price for a Fiesta of that age ranges from as little as €500 to as much as €1,500 so with the incredibly low mileage you should be looking at the upper end of that range.
Which compact MPV suits us best?
Hi,
My wife, daughter Daisy (four years old) and myself are thinking of updating our 2005 Ford Focus C-Max 1.6 with 105,000km in the next few months. We recently test drove a 2012 C-Max 1.6 diesel Titanium with about 40,000km on the clock. It was a nice car at €17,500 with a €2,000 trade in for our own so really €15,500. I said we were paying cash, but we could not get more discount. Do you think that’s a fair offer or do you think I could haggle more, as most websites say Ford will barter with you?
Second question. The Ford B-Max seems to be cheaper than the C-Max. Apart from the sliding doors and height of the cabin on the B-Max, is there any other difference? To a layman they both offer the same inside and out. I have read and seen reviews for both cars and there are no major negatives there.
Third Question. We are thinking of trading up and not spending more than €15,000. What is the best option realistically for us in your opinion? Should we consider a different vehicle altogether? We like the higher ride in these cars because it's easier for both adult and child to get in.
Regards,
Ben O’Connor
Ben O Connor (Dundrum, Dublin)Apr 2016 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Ben,
Well, you can always haggle more and if the dealer isn’t budging, then simply shop around. There are plenty of examples of the C-Max out there to choose from, so don’t get hung up on just the one car if you feel like you’re not getting a good deal. While that does seem like a fair enough price, €17k is top end for a 2012 C-Max, so it had better (a) be perfect, (b) have a full service history and (c) come with a decent warranty.
As for the B-Max, yes there’s quite a big difference. The B-Maxis based on the Fiesta, the C-Max on the Focus so you can see from just that fact that the levels of space on the inside and in the boot are significantly different. Plus the C-Max is a far more comfortable car on a long journey than the B-Max, which can also be sluggish to drive as those sliding doors are actually pretty heavy for such a small car.
As for other cars worth looking at (and I’m assuming you mean against the five-seat C-Max, not the seven-seat Grand C-Max), the Volkswagen Golf Plus offers lots of space and plenty of comfort, as does the five-seat version of the Citroen C4 Picasso.
Here are a few reviews to help you decide: