Expert answer

The next Santa Fe will be called the ix45 as far as we know, with the ix55 being a larger seven-seater above that model at the top of the range. These will be European-spec models and will be different to what you get in the US. It is possible that the ix45 will be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, which is at the end of next month, but we haven't seen images as yet. 

Expert answer

SIMI are the Society of the Irish Motor Industry and as such, buying from one of its members is the closest you can get to total security when buying a used car. Of course there are no guarantees when buying a used car but at least here you are getting a car that has gone through a thorough car history check, and the dealers also have signed up to SIMIs code of conduct so they are answerable to a higher power. 

A spokesperson for SIMI outlined some of the benefits of buying from a SIMI dealer. "SIMI have high membership standards. To become a member of SIMI the garage must pass an audit and inspection. The dealer must submit among other documentation a tax clearance certificate, proof of planning permission, and be nominated by 3 existing members. Should a dispute arise we have a standards department that will investigate the consumers complaint. The first step is mediation between the customer and the garage. If that does not resolve the issue we have an independent tribunal that is headed up by a former rights commissioner and also a consumer group. The tribunal decision is binding on the SIMI garage."

Cars from SIMI dealers tend to be better, but this is not to say that there are not good independent dealers who choose not to become members of the SIMI and pay their fees. There are good independent car history check websites around such as Cartell.ie and Motorcheck.ie and for a fee there are several layers of check you can do on these cars. So, no, we wouldn't say to avoid non-SIMI dealers, but SIMI dealers do come with some security as-standard. 

If you want to come back to us with an idea of your budget and needs, feel free and we will guide you a litte bit more.

Expert answer

Hello Raymond,

One word: tax. The United States and our near neighbours the UK aren't subject to anything like the taxation that we are when it comes to cars. The base price of our cars before you add VAT and Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) have always been among the lowest in Europe. But when you add the taxes obviously the cars start becoming expensive. 

But also, because these taxes are also on optional extras (including safety features) then car distributors often have to bring in very basic versions so that the ordinary buyer can afford them. Hence, items that you would normally see as standard in other markets have often been taken out, even if this is something like ESP, which is a life-saving safety device. 

Those selling the cars have to do this because of how much of the car's value is going to the Government coffers. It has long been an issue in Ireland and one that the EU have taken a strong interest in too, because it sees it as double taxation on an item, which is against EU law. 

There are also other issues in relation to strengths of currencies at any given time and also that the USA has a manufacturing supply, so specific US-built cars are sold there and aren't treated as imported vehicles. Of course the US is a massive market and hence economies of scale come into play, where as Ireland is a tiny market in comparison.

Prices have come down here because at least now cars are taxed on their CO₂ emissions and not their engine size, which was the case until July 2008 and made little sense. It meant that nobody bought diesel cars but instead bought small, underpowered petrol ones instead. 

With petrol (or should I say 'gas') much cheaper in the US, it has always been easier to buy V6, V8 or even V12 petrol cars there too.

Obviously it isn't ideal for us here in Ireland, but in Europe there are many countries just like us, including Denmark, Norway and Portugal so we are not alone. Just count yourself lucky that you are buying in the US!

I hope this answers your question.

Expert answer

We have always found Mick's Garage to be very well regarded in the industry and great value too. Halfords also has an online store . Mick's Garage are 100 percent Irish so we would recommend them first and foremost. 

Expert answer

Hi Patricia,

Buying a car from the UK can be cost effective. I have done it twice myself and certainly saved money. But like any car purchase you really need to make sure that you do your homework properly and exercise lots of caution. The more you can do in terms of a background check on your car the better.

We would advise you to avoid buying privately in the UK as this could prove riskier. Buy from a main dealer, where there is a proper warrranty and usually a full service history. You are still likely to save money yet there will be greater piece of mind.

Services like MotorCheck.ie offer a very thorough check on UK cars too, so they are worth spending a few Euro on for some added piece of mind. The actual purchase itself isn't really very complicated. You just need to factor in some additional costs like a flight over and a ferry back and then you need to have a good idea of how much you will be paying for the car in Vehicle Registraion Tax (VRT) when you import the car. You can pretty much do this down to the last cent these days on the Revenue on-line calculator.

Research is key; do this and you can perhaps not totally avoid risk, but certainly reduce it.

Expert answer

Yes, your car is eligible for the scrappage scheme. The best car you could get, if your budget stretches, is the Renault Fluence, which would cost €15,800 under the scrappage scheme. 

Renault also has a special option for taxi drivers:

"Renault has a specific extended warranty programme of up to 5 years with unlimited mileage for taxis.

Renault Ireland is the first car company on the Irish market to offer very high mileage customers like taxi drivers who purchase a Renault, this extended warranty programme. Drivers can opt for a 4^th year or 5^th year extended warranty with unlimited mileage from €529.00."

Hope that helps.

Expert answer

Hi Damian,

The Scenic's problems are well documented. We're not aware of a good set of data from Irish buyers, but in the UK, the Driver Power Survey 2010 revealed that 20 percent of Scenic owners reported electrical problems and the car scored particularly poorly in terms of reliability and build quality.

It also depends on what model you are talking about. Look out for the following:

1999 - 2003 model: leaky sunroofs, broken wiper motors, automatic gearbox problems and oil leaks.

2003 - 2009 model: ignition coil, auxiliary belt tensioner, timing belt, alternator, fuel filter, crankshaft sensor, oil leaks, idler pulley, water pump, thermostat, catalytic converter, door seal and sunroof leaks, problems with the key card and battery faults.

We're not saying that every version will have all or any of those problems, but these have been reported by previous owners.

Expert answer

Hi Angela,

We spoke to Shane Teskey from Motorcheck.ie and he gave us the following advice:

"Buying a used car through a third party is a risky business and not something we would recommend. Knowing who you're buying a car from is as important as checking the car's history. If you buy through this third party will you have a full 12-month warranty (check the fine print - some warranties aren't worth the paper they're printed on!)?

Have you been given the registration number and V5 documented details? What's the potential saving and would it justify taking a trip to the dealer to inspect the car in person?

Add to this the fact that you risk losing a substantial deposit of €495 and I'd say walk away. Shop local!"

I would echo this, there are so many good used Irish cars around at the moment that I would check all these first, before embarking on anything that sounds like it might be risky. 

Expert answer

Hello Helen

Thank you for your enquiry. In this instance, we are going to look on the website beepbeep.ie, because that is the official classified website of SIMI, the Society of the Irish Motor Industry. Because we are looking at something on a budget we want to get something with as much history on it and as much security as possible for you. On that site, all cars come with a history check and they are also covered by the consumer protection act. 

A couple of things are important here. One is that your car is cheap and the second is that it will be reliable and I suppose, attractive would be good too?

You could never accuse it of being sexy, but this Nissan Micra on sale at a dealership in Drogheda has done 80,000 miles and has had only two owners. It will cost you just €1,550 and will be cheap to run, insure and service:

http://tinyurl.com/3y9m5fh

This Toyota Yaris from 1999 has done 130,000 miles and while that might sound like a lot, this little car is well able for it and this could be a decent little buy that won't cause you too much heartache:

http://tinyurl.com/3ydjl87

How about this? A 1995 Opel Corsa, which has only done 18,466 miles and has an NCT until early next year. That will cost you just €1,250:

http://tinyurl.com/3a59low

However, what I really think would be a great first car for you would be the Ford Ka, which is a great little runabout and still looks funky. This 1999 model has only covered 52,000 miles and has an NCT until 01/11. It is advertised at €1,850 but I reckon you could get it as a straight deal for a little less:

http://tinyurl.com/378vt9h

Let us know if any of these don't float your boat and we will put on our thinking caps again!

Expert answer

Hi Pat

The Nissan Tiida could probably be best described as an experiment that didn't really work in Ireland. Once Nissan had stopped production of the Almera, a car that was very popular in Ireland, Nissan were left with something of a gap in their product range. Rather than leaving this empty they took on the Tiida, which was a car that was sold in markets such as the Middle East, and as the Nissan Versa in the United States and in any market it was sold it was a budget buy.
There is nothing wrong with the Tiida, but it just isn't the most exciting car to drive or probably own and for that reason it has received a pretty lukewarm reception in Ireland.

There is €4,000 off the Tiida at the moment (including government allowance), so that means you would get the Tiida Diesel for €16,480. If you just want a car for getting from A to B then this will do the job perfectly fine.

However, the reason Nissan haven't been overly worried by the Tiida is that they have been selling shedloads of their Qashqai and that is a really excellent vehicle. It sits quite high up, is quite cheap to run and will be reliable. There is a new 2010 model too and there is a €4,000 scrappage offer on that too at the moment.

The Qashqai 1.5d XE costs €23,995 and with €4,000 off that you would be just about under budget and this would be an infinitely better buy than the Tiida, albeit a fair bit more expensive that the Tiida.

You can read our review of the new Qashqai here

http://www.completecar.ie/testdrives/article/Nissan/Qashqai/Qashqai/231/53

And details on the new Qashqai can be found at this part of the Nissan site

http://www.nissan.ie/new_vehicles/pricing.aspx?CarID=137

There are lots of other cars to consider with your budget

You could have a Hyundai i30, which is an excellent 5-door hatchback from €15,995 under the scheme.

The Ford Focus 1.6 Diesel would be well under your budget, or you could try the new Renault Fluence, if you fancied a saloon. Here is a review I did on it for The Irish Times recently http://tiny.cc/30ag3

I am not sure if any of these will float your boat, but please feel free to come back to us for more advice.

Out of this lot, I'd have the Qashqai though.