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Hi Jim,

You don’t reclaim the UK VAT if you’re exporting a brand new car to Ireland, you simply don’t pay it in the first place. According to HMRC, you won’t be liable for UK VAT on your purchase if you take it out of the UK within two months of buying and don’t drive the vehicle in the UK unless you register and tax it. You’ll also have to fill out a VAT 411 form.

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Hi Martin,

There are certainly no concrete plans that we’ve heard of. There was some discussion of the subject, back in 2014 when the UK did away with paper tax discs, that Ireland might move to a similar system, and the abolition of being able to carry over unused vehicle tax from one owner to another is kind of the first step on that road. Dublin City Council this year suggested that we should start moving towards paperless tax but plans haven’t gone any farther than that for now.

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Hi Philip,

Volkswagen and its associated brands are currently working their way through the lists of cars to be recalled and modified to enable them to reach the required standards for emissions at all times, and not just on the official test, as was revealed by the ‘Dieselgate’ scandal. The original plan was to have all cars recalled and modified by the end of this year, but that schedule has slipped significantly.

If your car is one of those due for work, you will get a letter in the post in due course advising you to book an appointment at your nearest Skoda dealer.

As for compensation? Unlike American Volkswagen owners, European owners as yet are not being offered any, primarily because the laws are rather different on this side of the Atlantic, but owners (via the courts), national governments and the EU are all pressing Volkswagen on the issue of compensation payments so there may yet be something in the offing.

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Hi Fidelis,

Well, it depends on the year, but assuming you mean a 2014 model, you’ll pay around €5,300 in VRT.

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Hi Daniel,

Yes, it certainly would. The Tucson hasn’t become Ireland’s best selling new car this year for nothing. It’s handsome, roomy, well-made, well-equipped and well-priced. On the flip side, it’s not especially inspiring to drive and it’s worth considering an upgrade to the 2.0-litre diesel engine as the 1.7 CRDi unit is quite underpowered. Oh, and also consider a Kia Sportage as it’s basically the same as the Hyundai, mechanically, but comes with the longer seven-year warranty. Here are a few reviews to give you more information:

Hyundai Tucson 1.7 CRDi review

Hyundai Tucson 2.0 CRDi 4WD review

Kia Sportage review

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Hi Liz,

It will depend on your insurance company, but the sad fact is that insurers in Ireland are still wrong-headedly welded to the idea that a bigger engine automatically makes you a higher insurance risk. 

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Hi Donal,

The best compromise of value and oomph is probably to be found somewhere in the Volkswagen Group. I'd say if you want to mix a decent 2.0 diesel engine with low emissions and an auto box try out a SEAT Leon FR, preferably in very handsome ST estate form. It makes 150hp, but has Band A4 emissions. 

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Hi Con,

No, at least not yet. Ford’s ‘One Ford’ policy on models means that there’s a faint chance the next-generation Explorer might make it to this side of the Atlantic, but for now Ford’s biggest SUV in the Irish market is the Edge.

Read our review of the Ford Edge here

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Hi Brendan,

Well, bearing in mind we have literally no idea what the market or running costs are like in Luxembourg, we reckon that a 2.0-litre Golf sounds like the best option there, especially if funds would stretch to either a GTI or GTD.

Read our Mercedes-Benz GLA review here

Read our Audi A3 Saloon review here

Read our Volkswagen Golf GTI review here

Read our Volkswagen Golf GTD review here

Read our BMW 1 Series review here

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Hi Shariq,

Yes, it is worth it, but it is a hassle. There are specialist car-finding agencies (such as Palmdale, for instance) who for a fee will locate and source a car for you, and they’ll even deliver it for another fee on top, and the word from them is that even on everyday models it’s now possible to make a significant saving thanks to the value of Sterling relative to the Euro. If you’re buying a premium model, or spending more than €20,000 on a car then it’s a no-brainder – you can save as much as €4-5,000 even when you’ve paid for VRT, air and ferry tickets.