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Hi Colm,

We discussed this with BMW Ireland and it was checked, but I'm afraid that it is not possible for a BMW dealer to retrofit this feature - it must be done at the factory.

Sorry not to have better news for you

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Hi Elaine,

Yes, in that it’s perfectly fine to buy a car imported from the UK as long as you’re happy that the vehicle’s condition and history are all in order, but we’d be wary of buying a car that is still on its UK plates. There are strict time limits of 30 days from the point of a car’s arrival in the State to the point where its VRT must be paid and its new numberplates fitted, so be very wary of any private seller or any dealer who hasn’t done that before they sell the car to you. A reputable seller would usually have completed the process before selling the car on.

Also, well worth checking an import's history through Cartell.ie

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Hi Terry,

We don't actually have insurance groups for cars in Ireland; it's down to the driver and their experience and claims history when it comes to setting the price. If it helps, that model varies from Group 18 to Group 21 in the UK depending on whether it has the 109- or 115hp version of the 1.6-litre diesel engine.

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Hi Rafal,

There are no problems that suggest themselves as a likely culprit. The Bora is more or less mechanically identical to the Golf, so has the same solidity and suffers the same basic niggles - if there were a problem causing Bora NCT failures, it would be happening to Golfs too. Certainly, Volkswagen Ireland is unaware of any particular Bora issue when we asked for a comment. 

The only thing we can think of is that the Bora has slightly stiffer, sportier suspension than the Golf and that could potentially lead to wear and tear on things like bushings and track rod ends. Given the age of the cars you're looking at, that could be the problem, although in fairness, any 10 to 14-year old car could be suffering from that kind of problem, especially if it's an original Irish car.

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Hi Ruadhan,

That, I'm afraid, is a question with too many variable answers. Second-hand vehicle values are like stock market values - they go up and down and often rather unpredictably. There are a few rules of thumb, though...

1. It's got to be diesel. Yes, we (and others) have tried to educate the motoring populace that diesel power doesn't automatically mean better economy or lower running costs, but right now the market is diesel-crazy and if it doesn't sip from the black pump, it's not going to hold on to its value.

2. The lowest depreciating cars are, obviously, the most popular models. So the likes of the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf, Nissan Qashqai, Hyundai Santa Fe, BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and so on will always hold on to their value the best. Check the list of the top-ten best-selling cars on the market - these are your depreciation heroes.

3. What about depreciation villains? Anything that the market doesn't trust, really. Estates tend to fare especially poorly, anything with a French badge is suspect and if it's Italian, forget it. You'll lose your shirt on any of these.

4. Spec is king. You can have the most in-demand car going but if it's painted bright yellow and has green seats, you're never going to shift it. So, to keep depreciation at bay, stick with dark metallics and subtle interior tones. Pale cabin colours tend to fare less well when it comes to wear and tear, so the market prefers blacks and greys on the inside too. If it's an executive car, it has to have an automatic gearbox. Anything with factory-fit air conditioning and Bluetooth telephony is looking good, leather is always helpful but other expensive toys don't always help a car hang on to its value.

Hope that's all of interest

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Hi Noel,

Yes, unreservedly. One of the most reliable cars around and also comfy, nice to drive and, in the current version, really rather handsome too. The only issue has traditionally been a very limited engine range. On older versions, 1.8- and 2.0-litre petrols were your lot, more recently there has been 2.0 and 2.4 petrols and a 2.2 diesel. Currently, only the 2.2 diesel (in 150- and 180hp forms) is on sale in Ireland. As long as that doesn't bother you, go right ahead.

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Hi Heather,

We spoke with Volvo Ireland about this and apparently it could be one of a handful of things wrong, ranging from inexpensive to quite costly. The best thing to do is bring the car into your local Volvo dealer so it can be hooked up to a diagnostic machine. This will quickly tell you what is wrong and they'll then tell you the price.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi John,

OK, you can get a 2008 5 Series for under €13,000, but they will probably be even higher mileage than your old one and will most likely be from private vendors, rather than a dealer offering you a warranty and after-sales care. You takes your chances etc.

You may be better served by looking at the UK again - more cars, generally better prices but how about this: why not use the insurance payout to get yourself on the new car buying ladder? BMW Ireland has some cracking PCP deals on both the 5 and 3 Series and that €13k would be a decent deposit to get you off to a good start.

Worth thinking about anyway.

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Hi Jack,

Well, I guess there's a couple of things here. In the first place, "The Best Built Cars In The World" is an advertising tagline, and such things aren't exactly given under oath... In a more serious sense though, just take a look at the recent JD Power customer satisfaction rankings (in the UK market, but quite applicable to the Irish scene). Out of more than 130 individual models analysed, there were three Toyota or Lexus models in the top ten, and even the lowest-scoring Toyota model, the Aygo, scores better than the industry average.

Are Toyotas really the actual best built cars in the world? No, simply because it's more or less impossible to scientifically assess that claim. But are they impressively reliable, robust and well made? Yes, they most definitely are.

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Hi Jim,

Basically, it's the same as buying an ex-rental. The good news is that all the scheduled servicing and maintenance should have been carried out in full and on time, but the bad news is that you just don't know who's been driving it previously and what kind of driving they've been doing. Generally speaking, someone being given a loan car by their insurer will probably just have had a shunt and will likely be in a careful mood, but you just never know. Check everything very carefully, from the cabin for unexpected wear and tear to the suspension for alignment issues or other damage. This could be a good one to break out the AA inspection on, just to be on the safe side.

Let us know how you get on