Expert answer

Hi Paul,

I asked Dave and Neil on the team to answer this as well as myself so you get a cross-section of opinion. Here's what Neil said: "There’s no point in going for the Audi over the Golf. Sure, it has more power and 4WD but it’s no more fun to drive, and will be more expensive to run. The GTI is the better of those two. However, the M340i — Touring especially — is one of the best BMWs that has ever been made, and I reckon if you have the chance to own one, you should take it. "

Dave was in agreement: "I’m with Neil on this one, the move to the Audi or the Golf 8.5 R from the Golf 7.5 isn’t going to deliver as much overall fun, even if the performance figures increase. The BMW is not only a lovely thing, but it’s a different style and should be much sweeter overall. "

I have to admit, I'd agree with them both. The S3 is good, but very subtle, perhaps too subtle? The 8.5 GTI is notably changed from the 7.5 (I'm the only one of us that has driven it so far and it's a cracker), but even so, I'd find it difficult to ignore the allure of the BMW's six-cylinder engine and rear-lead chassis balance.

Do let us know which way you go on this.

Expert answer

Hi Karen,

I'm afraid we are no better-placed to make that decision for you as we know nothing about the car or the dealership. If the dealership says it replaced the belt then it's not likely to be lying about that, and you could pay an independent mechanic to take off the timing belt's top cover to inspect the belt. 

I'd be as worried about oil and filter changes, which are crucial for the long life of an engine.

If you have any doubts, walk away from the deal, as there will be other cars.

Expert answer

Hi John,

It should be changed at least every 210,000km, regardless of time. 

Expert answer

Hi Teresa,

We used to get so many queries on this subject that we published a feature called Why won't my car's stop-start system work?

If you read that you'll discover that the systems are highly sensitive to battery charge and load, even when working perfectly. Could it be that you often have high-load items switched on? Things like heated seats, air conditioning, rear window demister, that sort of thing.

Now, in a DSG-equipped automatic car, you shouldn't need to put the car into neutral to get the stop-start system to work - that's only on manual cars. You can leave it in D (drive). What does affect it, however, is how firmly you are holding your foot on the brake pedal when at a standstill. Sometimes it's necessary to give the brake pedal a firm push before the engine will cut out.

Other things to watch out for: if you move the steering wheel, it is likely to cause the engine to restart. And if you're in the Sport driving mode or you've selected the Sport gearbox setting, then stop-start might not work either.

If none of the above changes your experience, I suggest getting a mechanic to come out in the car with you to check it over and observe how you drive, and then let them do the same.

Best of luck with it - come back to us and let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Avdirrahman,

It's every 210,000 kilometres regardless of time.

Expert answer

Hi Tony,

Are you sure you’re putting the details in correctly? As we’ve just run a quick calculation for a 2016 Golf Match 1.6 TDI and it’s giving us a VRT charge of just under €4,000, which sounds a lot more like what we’d expect.

Did you perhaps put in the wrong NOx emissions figure? We’re estimating that at 129mg/km, but if you put in a higher figure that could give you a much higher combined VRT charge and NOx levy.

On the other part of your question: yes — you pay VRT in addition to the cost of buying the car, and it’s calculated as a percentage of the Irish market price (as defined by Revenue) not the price you actually paid for the car.

Expert answer

Hi Bevan,

Sadly, insurance is the critical thing here, and it’s the bit we can help you with least as Irish insurers — as ever — ladle on the risk when it comes to young drivers. Any ballpark figure we give you could be €1,000 — or more — out.

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Hi Catherine,

In general, yes, the 2006 Polo is quite reliable. However, you have to adjust your expectations given that it would be over 14 years old now. Go for as simple a model as you can find and best to go for petrol rather than diesel to keep the maintenance costs low.

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Hi Dermot,

Volkswagen Ireland has not released the updated pricing as yet, but we understand it won't change very much for that model. The cost of the car is about €30,000 and the WLTP emissions rating is 124g/km. That means 15.75 per cent VRT, which would be €4,725 on that price. 

Expert answer

Hi Michelle,

At that kind of mileage, at motorway speeds, most people will find a diesel car more economical. Just make sure you go for as new a model as possible within budget so you know you're driving the cleanest and most future-proof car you can that still fits your needs.