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Hi Nathan,

Generally the Ford 1.6-litre diesel (also used by Mazda, Peugeot, Citroen, Volvo and MINI down the years) is a rugged and reliable unit, but there are a few things to bear in mind. First off, this is an engine that needs a regular diet of high-grade synthetic engine oil, otherwise a nasty sludge can build up in various parts of the engine, choking performance. Make sure you check the service history to ensure that a good quality oil has always been used. The stop-start system can occasionally cause starter motor issues, especially if the car has mostly been driven in town. If it has been mostly driven in town, or has very low mileage, be wary of potential issues with the diesel particulate filter, too.

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Hi Frank,

The bad news here is that a 1966 Mustang probably has CO₂ emissions similar to that of a medium-sized coal-fired power station. The good news, though, is that for any car that’s more than 30 years old, you pay a flat-fee VRT charge of just €200. Big sigh of relief all round, I expect. There are some other charges that you’ll have to pay, though, as the car is coming in from outside the EU. You’ll have to pay VAT and customs duty, but thankfully these are calculated on the actual price paid for the car, not the Revenue-calculated OMSP price, which makes things much more straightforward. Customs duty works out at ten per cent of the purchase price, and then VAT will be 23 per cent of the purchase price plus the shipping cost. 

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Hi Eric,

It’s tempting to answer this with a simple ‘good luck’ and leave it at that… The problem, of course, is one of sheer rarity. The Thompson Motor Company at one point claimed to have made 100 Costins before the Wexford-based firm went bankrupt in 1987, but the general consensus is that this was entirely made up. The actual production figure seems to have been around 40, maybe slightly fewer. We can currently find none for sale in Ireland or the UK at the moment, but it could be a question of simply taking your time and trying to make some contact with those in the know. I’d suggest having a chat with the guys at the Irish Veteran & Vintage Car Club and the Irish Jaguar & Daimler Club, and make sure you visit the next Terenure classic show.

Or, alternatively, make friends with cycling superstar Stephen Roche. We think he has two...

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Hi Margot,

Well, you could go for the alternative option to both — the Toyota Auris Hybrid estate. Lots of space and excellent economy. I’ve put my reputation on the line recommending these to a couple of friends recently and so far, I’ve not been told off for sticking them with a bad car...

Other good alternatives are the Peugeot 308 SW, the Kia Ceed SportWagon, the VW Golf Estate and the Skoda Octavia Combi. The only issue, really, is finding any of these — estate sales in Ireland are so small that you may have to consider an import.

Here are our relevant reviews to help you decide:

Toyota Auris Touring Sports review

Peugeot 308 SW review

Volkswagen Golf Estate review

Skoda Octavia reviews

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Hi Shane,

No, not just yet. The new NOx tax (which could add a significant amount of extra cost to importing a car, especially an older one like that 2014 Focus) won’t take effect until the New Year. It will be applied to all new cars and imports from Jan 1st. 

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Hi Catherine,

At the moment, the only Kuga model with standard-fit heated seats is the top-spec Vignale model, but you can have them on a Titanium or ST-Line version by simply ticking the box for the Winter Pack option, which also comes with a ‘Quickclear’ heated windscreen, heated washer jets and a heated steering wheel, for €450.

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Hi David,

Nope, not because it comes from the UK, but because it’s the four-wheel-drive version. The extra weight and friction of the four-wheel-drive system pushes the Kuga’s CO₂ level up to 159g/km, and that incurs a €570 per annum motor tax charge. 

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Hi David,

The recommended interval is 160,000 kilometres or eight years, whichever comes first, so technically it's not due yet. However, in your position, I'd definitely go ahead and change it, just in case.

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Hi Mary,

No, you don’t need to be worried if the seat sides are touching or rubbing together. After all, as the car leans over in corners, the seats will lean too and rub in different ways, so it’s not really an issue. As long as you can safely reach the seatbelt release in an emergency, and as long as the seatbelts are fitting properly across everyone’s shoulders, you should be fine. And of course that there's no danger of one seat pushing the release button for another.

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Hi Aaron,

Not necessarily. Officially the emissions-based taxation system came into force from the 1st of July 2008. Everything registered after that date is automatically on the CO₂-based system. For cars registered between January 1st and June 30th 2008, it’s a little different. Initially, they would have been taxed on the old engine capacity system, but if the tax cost would have been lower under the CO₂ system, then the car should have been switched over at first renewal. If it hasn’t been switched by now, it probably means that it’s more affordable to tax on the old capacity system, so has been left on that one.