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Hi Michael,

The problem is that it’s not an open and transparent system. Because there is no official guide for second hand prices in the Ireland (such as the UK’s Glass’s Guide) it means that Revenue can set a value that they see fit, both for vehicles and for extras. Sadly, and I’m sorry that this isn’t much use to you, any value we might ascribe to such extras is a pure guess, and could be completely at variance with what Revenue eventually says. It’s an unpleasant quirk of an outdated vehicle taxation system.

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Hi Johnson,

The current motor tax bands run from A to G, based on the CO₂ emissions of the vehicle, with bands A and B — the ones into which the majority of cars on sale fit — split into sub-bands.

A starts with an electric-only band of A0 (which costs €120 a year) and then goes to A1 (up to 80g/km at €170 a year), A2 (80-100g/km, €180), A3 (100 - 110g/km, €190) and A4 (110-120g/km, €200).

Band B is spilt into B1 (120-130g/km, €270) and B2 (130-140g/km, €280).

After that it’s Band C (140-155g/km, €390), Band D (155-170g/km, €570), Band E (170-190g/km, €750), Band F (190-225g/km, €1,200) and Band G (over 225g/km, €2,350).

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Hi Michael,

There is a complete new car price list section on the Society Of The Irish Motor Industry’s BeepBeep.ie page, but for the most up to date prices, you’d be better off going to an individual manufacturer's website — have a poke around the various menus and you’ll usually find a current price list.

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Hi Bobby,

That model, depending on the engine and spec, is going to be worth in and around €10,000 on the Irish market, so you’re probably looking at a VRT cost of in and around €2,500.

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Hi Robert,

Great choice. We published our Irish road test of that very car only last week and it's a good option for those that don't need diesel. The 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine features something called Active Cylinder Technology (ACT), which automatically shuts down two of the engine's four cylinders when the car is cruising or the engine is on light load. This saves fuel and is nothing to worry about in the least. By displaying when the engine switches into that mode it educates the driver as to when the car is being driven in its most efficient mode.

Anything else specific you need to know, just shout.

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Hi Steve,

Unfortunately no, we can’t. The Irish insurance sector is byzantine at best, and downright mendacious at worst. With a high-performance vehicle such as the XKR, you’re probably looking at at least a four-figure premium, in spite of your good record, but we’d suggest getting in touch with a good broker, who may be able to squirrel out deals that others can’t.

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Hi Michael,

I'm afraid that's not information that we have access to. That's a UK car so the only ones that would have that information is the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licencing Authority) and the British Transport Police, neither of which are in the habit of disclosing such private information to the public.

It makes no difference that it is a British car; the same limitations would apply to an Irish one.

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Hi Marie,

The timing belt interval for the 1.5 dCi engine is every 120,000km or five years, so you would expect to see that this car will have had the belt changed in 2014 at the latest. As for the mileage, it’s certainly not impossible for a car to have covered only low miles, but if you have any concerns then get a history check done by a company such as Cartell.ie, and ask to have a look at all of the service stamps and records for the car. If any are missing, be suspicious. If it’s an original Irish market car, then check its previous NCT certificates, which should have recorded the mileage at each inspection.

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Hi Noel,

You’ll need to check the turbo dump valve is working (irregular idle speed is the giveaway), listen for rattles that could be the cam belt tensioner and a knocking sound underneath that might be the exhaust working loose. The MINI needs a catalytic converter replacement at 115,000km so make sure that’s been done, and any vibration from the engine (up through the pedals and gear shift) could be a flywheel on the way out. Misfires or rough running usually means a coil pack needs replacing.

Clutches wear out easily, as do the wheel bearings (listen for rumbling noises), and the power steering pump can fail.

As for spec, UK cars are the same as Irish cars in basic spec, but a UK car is likely to have had more optional extras fitted.

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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.