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Hi Richie,

Yes, thanks to an odd quirk in our tax system, if you’re taxing a commercial vehicle for personal use (and a 110 Utility counts as one), then you revert to the old tax system, based on engine capacity, so with a 2.2-litre engine you’re looking at €951 a year. Pretty steep all the same, but a bit better than €2,350…

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Hi David,

Short answer, yes — the Discovery would be far, far more refined and comfortable than most pick-ups. That said, pick-ups are improving all the time, and models such as the VW Amarok are starting to get into the same ballpark as cars like the Discovery when it comes to comfort and quietness. They’ve still a little way to go yet, though.

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Hi Gerard,

It depends on whether you’re registering it as a commercial vehicle or a passenger car. If it’s a commercial vehicle, it’ll qualify for the standard €333 annual van-rate tax, but if it’s a private car then it’ll actually (and oddly) revert to the old engine capacity system, which could be a bit pricey. The Defender (annoyingly) doesn’t feature on Revenue’s VRT ready-reckoner, so an OMSP is tricky to predict, but given the way Defender values have gone of late, it will probably be between €10-18,000.

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Hi Fergus,

There should be no difference in VRT between a Transporter van and a a crew cab conversion. While the N1 commercial vehicle rules were tightened up this year to close off the loophole that allowed such big (often luxurious) 4x4s as a Land Rover Discovery or a VW Touareg to be registered as a commercial, ‘genuine’ vans with a crewcab setup should still qualify for the commercial 13.3 per cent VRT charge. Just make sure the vehicle has a ‘BE’ bodywork code and make sure to use a reputable specialist to do the conversion. 

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Hi Gearoid,

Unfortunately, we can’t track down archive pricing for the commercial model, as yet, but if it helps, the passenger Discovery range was priced between €56,945 and €79,010 in 2009.

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Hi Justin,

If reliability is a key factor, then leave out the Land Rover. We love the Discovery to bits, but they just have a poor reputation for reliability. Of the other two, the Audi would likely be the most reliable overall, but we have a big soft spot for the XC90, which isn’t far behind on reliability and has the edge when it comes to safety, plus there’s a little more room in the third-row seats. Make sure it comes with a full service history, and if it’s a four-wheel-drive model, get it checked to make sure that the clutch that controls the system hasn’t burned out.

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Hi Caroline,

That model has CO₂ emissions of 194g/km so it’ll cost you €1,250 to tax for a year.

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Hi Anthony,

Assuming it’s the five-speed manual model with four-wheel drive then it has CO₂ emissions of 165g/km, and that means Band D tax at €570 a year.

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Hi Enda,

There's a growing number of options for seven-seat SUVs. The new Skoda Kodiaq is excellent and €50k would buy you one with a lot of toys. The Kia Sorento is also in that price bracket and is big, roomy and hugely comfortable. Ditto the Hyundai Santa Fe. Peugeot's incoming new 5008 is worth a look too. Here are our reviews of them all to help you out:

Skoda Kodiaq review

Kia Sorento review

Hyundai Santa Fe review

Peugeot 5008 review

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Hi Jonathan,

The 2.2 diesel Outlander has a timing belt, not a chain, so that will need inspecting depending on the mileage. As for cars with proper 4x4 ability, try a Land Rover Freelander 2 (more reliable than you’d think), Jeep Cherokee, Nissan X-Trail or Toyota RAV4.