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Hi Elaine,

That is high-ish mileage for a two-year old car, but if it comes with a full service history then that should soften the blow a bit. I’d say you’re looking at a trade-in value of around €27-29,000.

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Hi Anthony,

According to the EuroNCAP crash test experts, the three best-performing cars tested in 2016 were the Toyota Prius, Hyundai Ioniq and Volkswagen Tiguan. That said, the NCAP crash test is a laboratory test, and its parameters can be designed in to a car's structure. Only two car makers still have teams that investigate real-world accidents involving their cars and they are Volvo and Mercedes-Benz. Generally speaking, if I'm thinking of safety above all else, those are the two brands I'd look at. 

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Hi Alma,

The Nissan Leaf is the most affordable electric car, but the cheapest versions have limited range (less than 160km on a single charge). The new Renault Zoe has a brilliant claimed range of 400km, but that's quite pricey for a small car. The BMW i3 is probably the best electric car around at the moment, but is very expensive, sadly. So, I think the best one for affordability and useable range is probably the Hyundai Ioniq. It gets an easy 200km in real-world driving, it's roomy and not too expensive. Read our test drives of each below:

BMW i3 review

Hyundai Ioniq Electric review

Nissan Leaf review

Renault Zoe review

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Hi Jason,

You need to go through a specific process for importing a car from the UK and Northern Ireland. Within seven days of the car’s arrival here, you need to have informed Revenue and booked an inspection for the purposes of assessing the car’s value for Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) at your nearest NCT centre. Then you have a 30 days to complete the process, pay the VRT and get your new number plates. The Citizens Information website has a lot of useful details on this process so have a look here.

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Hi Seamus,

By any chance is yours the automatic version, with the larger 18-inch wheels? We tested the manual gearbox version that did indeed at the time have a CO₂ emissions rating of 147g/km, whereas the automatic model, with four-wheel drive, was rated at above 180g/km. 

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Hi Fionna,

Well, to be honest, I would have thought that a Passat was an ideal car for a family of four. What you need is four roomy seats and and a a big boot - and the Passat has those. If you fancy something that looks a bit more like a family car, and here I mean an SUV or an MPV, then stop for a tic and have a think. Are you buying an image? After all, a ‘normal’ saloon such as a Passat (and the Mazda6, Toyota Avensis, Hyundai i40 and Kia Optima all make good alternatives) is generally speaking just as good at family duties and has lower overall running costs. Worth thinking about, at any rate.

Here are some of our reviews to get you thinking:

Volkswagen Passat review

Mazda6 review

Toyota Avensis review

Kia Optima review

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Hi Tom,

None of which we’re aware, mostly because the Tucson is too new a model (we presume you’re talking about the current version) for there to be any data on common issues. Hyundais all come with an unlimited mileage five-year warranty though, so any issues that do arise should be sorted pretty easily.

If it’s the older model of Tucson that you’re looking at, it was also enormously reliable with very few reported issues (mostly to do with the stereo system and the fuel gauge, oddly) so as long as you buy one with a full service history, I wouldn’t have any worries there either.

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Hi Tony,

How come the Prius wasn't used for a couple of years? That's the first question you'll be asked. If it's in good condition and still works fine, and you can show a current NCT, then there's no particular reason that a dealer wouldn't take it as a trade in, but you'll need to be honest and open about the history of the car. 

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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:

Hyundai i20 review

Ford Fiesta review

Opel Corsa review

Volkswagen Polo review

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Hi Dervla,

It should be worth somewhere in the region of €2,500.