Expert answer

Hi John,

This one took a little bit of research, but according to Peugeot, it was the first to market a car with a diesel particulate filter in Ireland with the 607 saloon. Then in 2002 Peugeot introduced the DPF on its 307 2.0-litre HDi model. They came into general use around 2005 onwards. Ford told us that its cars came with DPFs from then on. 

I am not sure of your budget, but perhaps a Ford Focus C-Max diesel would make sense? This car would be a top choice for you. 

Ford Focus C-Max

I hope this helps, but come back to us for more information if needed

Expert answer

The satnav giants are TomTom and Garmin and it is a bit like Coke vs Pepsi, in so far as people generally like one over the other. We tend to like TomTom here and the latest and greatest is the new Go LIVE 1000, which has live traffic updates and will change your route depending on the weather conditions, incidents and speed cameras. 

The Go Live 1000 costs €279 and TomTom LIVE is free for the first 12 months and then €49.95 for the second year of subscription. 

I have a couple of TomToms and they are great. Also if you have an iPhone, the TomTom App is really good and that means you don't need to carry two devices around.

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.