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Hi David,

Yes, that M-Class is a particularly nice one, but there's a couple of things to watch for. Mercs of that era can be electrically fragile so beware of anything with a button or a switch and don't dare buy anything without a full and comprehensive service history.

The other thing to worry about is insurance - next year that car will be 10 years old and you'll get hammered for insurance by pretty much all Irish providers. Not a problem for this year but possibly something to keep in mind.

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Hi Brian,

Yes, you can tax and insure it privately, and indeed you should do because if it were taxed as a commercial, you'd be caught rotten if you were stopped with the kids in the back and it's a €4,000 fine. However, you can legally have it assessed for VRT as a commercial so that's a saving. The odd thing is that taxing it as a private car means, under the current rules, you'll revert to the old pre-2008 tax system, which is based on engine capacity. Odd, but there you go.

As for whether or not an import will be cheaper, it probably depends on how many of the specific style of T5 you want are available on the ground here. All I can suggest is that you do your sums, figure out how much the import will cost, and then have a shop around Irish dealers and ask them if they can match the numbers.

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Hi Ola,

That depends on what year it was registered. If it’s an original Irish car registered before Jan 1st 2008, then it’s on the old engine capacity tax system and will cost €710. If it was registered after 2008, or is a UK import brought into the country since then, it’ll be on the CO₂-based tax system and, with CO₂ emissions of 198g/km, it’ll cost a whopping €1,200.

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Hi Angela,

I think a PCP plan would be entirely wrong for you, because they really only work if you're intending to come back in three years' time to trade in again. I'm guessing you don't want to do that.

Your Audi is worth about €2,000 so put that together with your €3,000 and we're looking at a budget of around €5,000. That's great because that will get you into a 2007 Honda Jazz - one of the best small cars around. It's spacious, comfortable, frugal and above all reliable. You simply can't go wrong with one.

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Hi Michael,

I'd say in and around the €15-16,000 mark.

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Hi Adrienne,

OK, let me take that section by section...

(A) Most small crossovers use 1.5- or 1.6-litre diesel engines so you're going to average between 40- and 50mpg in any of them. Ignore the official consumption figures - they're not representative of real-world driving.

(B) Standard spec on most will include at least air conditioning and probably Bluetooth, but the items you've listed will push prices up into the €25-30k region.

(C) Kia, Hyundai and Mitsubishi have the best warranties on the market at the moment - seven, five and eight years respectively. Ford, Renault and Peugeot all offer five-year warranties too, while Fiat offers a four-year one. Most others have three-year cover. In terms of reliability, Japanese and Korean brands will almost always beat their European and American competitors.

Of the cars you're looking at, I'd say the strongest contenders are Honda's new HR-V, the Jeep Renegade, the Peugeot 2008 and the Kia Soul. All well worth a look.

Relevant reviews:

Honda HR-V review

Jeep Renegade review

Peugeot 2008 review

Kia Soul review

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Hi Martha,

It's a sad, but increasingly common story - Irish insurers are currently crushing owners of cars that are 10 years or older simply because, actuarially, they're more likely to be involved in an accident. I'm afraid that, unless more operators come into the Irish market to offer some competition, or unless the Government intervenes (which seems hugely unlikely) then there's very little that can be done. 

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Hi Barry,

We contacted a few Irish insurers and, while the premiums will still probably be high, both Axa and Zurich expressed an interest in your custom. We've put them in touch with you directly.

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Hi Tim,

Nope, they don't. The Kia is noticeably softer and has a nicer ride quality. It's not a lot less precise than the Hyundai though, which is a little stiffer and sportier, so given the rough roads in and around Killarney, I'd recommend the Kia.

Relevant reviews:

Kia Sorento review

Hyundai Santa Fe review

Expert answer

Hi Patrick,

The new DS 4 will be in Irish showrooms in time for the price announcement on December 10. We will be driving it on January 14, 2016, so keep an eye on our Car Reviews page for the first Irish drive.