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Hi Jean,

We don't believe anything has changed on that front to help alleviate the situation.

The 12-volt battery in Toyota hybrids is not charged by an alternator turned by the engine as it would be in a traditional petrol engine. Instead, its charge is maintained by the hybrid system itself, via a DC-DC converter, though this is not done particularly quickly – and can only be done when the car is 'running' (even with the engine off, but with 'READY' showing in the instruments).

Unfortunately, during lots of short journeys, with relatively more opening and closing and other drains on the battery, there isn't enough time for the system to keep up with the discharging of the 12-volt battery. This is exacerbated by the fact that these cars use a much smaller-capacity battery than an equivalent petrol car would to start with, so they have a lot less in reserve.

It's not ideal, but the advice is to make sure the cars get a longer run periodically.

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Hi Stephen,

First up, I'm afraid your previous residence in the North can't help you if you've moved south years ago. There is a "Transfer of Residence" scheme in place that allows you bring your car with you when you move, but it can't be done years after the move.

We need the OMSP (Open Market Selling Price) and the VRT band to do the calculation - and this is just an estimate. The OMSP is the value Revenue believes the car to be worth in Ireland after registration, so that's not a fixed thing. Let's round it up to €20,000 for the sake of our calculations.

You didn't state whether it's petrol or diesel. In both cases the CO₂ rating from 2016 will have to be 'uplifted' to align with the newer WLTP scheme. We believe the petrol model would be in Band 18 (156-170g/km after uplifting) at 30 per cent of OMSP and the diesel would be in Band 16 at 25 per cent. 

The former then would be €6,000 VRT and the latter €5,000 - if the OMSP is €20,000.

Do not forget that you will also have to pay the NOx levy on top of all this, which will be way more expensive on the diesel model.

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Hi Ciara,

We need the CO₂ rating to determine the motor tax.

According to our data, that car's original CO₂ rating would have been 176g/km, but that was on the old "NEDC" system and when a car is imported into Ireland now its CO₂ figure is 'uplifted' by Revenue to align it with the newer WLTP scheme. Doing that would raise your ASX's rating to 197g/km, which would mean motor tax of €790 each year.

The importation paperwork should have shown which CO₂ rating the car now has according to Revenue so you can check it. If it's not the above figure, look up the motor tax on our Motor Road Tax Prices in Ireland Explained feature or come back to us if you have other questions.

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Hi Diana and thanks for this message.

I'm a little perplexed by it though as we quite strongly believe that hybrids are not electric cars and should not be classified as such. The latest SIMI figures on this page state a 52 per cent increase in the number of EV registrations, and that is indeed fully electric cars. That figure does not include hybrids of any sort.

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Hi Martin,

We wish all readers were so detailed in their requirements, as it makes it easy to choose a suitable car for you.

In your position, I'd be inclined to buy as new and long-range a used Nissan Leaf as I can find to use as your second car for ferrying the kids about. It's not huge inside but should be grand for a couple of child seats in the back so long as the front-seat passengers are not really tall.

It'll be exceptionally cheap and easy to run as you already have a charger at home and maintenance will be minimal as well.

And you'll get a bike rack on any car within reason.

If you'd rather not have another EV, then perhaps consider a large hatchback such as the Skoda Octavia. It's massive inside and in the boot so could fill in all the gaps you've mentioned, and there are plenty of different models available, including plug-in hybrids, so it might offer you an extra dimension of versatility, but with the option of keeping your costs low at the same time.

Come back to us to let us know if we're on the right track (you can submit another question or send us a private message via the Contact Us page).

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Hi Derek,

We can only give you another estimate, I'm afraid, as there's no way to know what Revenue will actually value it at when it comes to its inspection.

There's a similar car on sale on Carzone as I write listed at about €37,000. Taking that as the OMSP (Open Market Selling Price) and the CO₂ output putting it into Band 18 for VRT (156-170g/km) at 30 per cent of the OMSP, then the VRT bill would in theory be €11,100.

That's before the NOx levy, though it's only a few hundred Euro on a modern petrol car such as that.

Adjust what you think Revenue will value the car at (the OMSP) to see what effect it has on the VRT calculation, but I agree with you that €3,500-4,500 seems low and you should be prepared for more.

Expert answer

Hi Christopher,

That is mostly correct, though the car must be registered to someone at the Northern Irish address and I don't believe that petrol receipts will suffice as proof. An MOT in the North should though. Revenue isn't very precise in its information around this, unfortunately.

Expert answer

Hi Mary,

A diesel would probably continue to give you the best economy given your usage, but we'd worry about long-term maintenance for sure as modern diesels have expensive components that can get gummed or clogged up.

If you're willing to make that compromise, then you could do a lot worse than a 2018 Honda Civic 1.6 diesel. Lovely car. It also came with a 1.0-litre petrol engine, but it has known 'wet belt' issues so we would not recommend it.  

You could afford a 2019 Hyundai i30 with either a 1.6-litre diesel or a 1.0-litre petrol engine and that's a very good bet in terms of reliability. Same for the related Kia Ceed, though they're rarer.

Even less common is the Mazda3 of the same year. It's a lovely looking car, of great quality and though it comes with a 2.0-litre petrol engine, it's an efficient and reliable option.

If you liked your Peugeot, you could move up six or seven years to a newer 308, though best to stick with diesel if you are doing that as the 1.2 'Puretech' petrol engine can have wet belt issues like the Honda.

One of the last of the Renault Megane hatchbacks is another good option, available with petrol or diesel power depending on your preference.

The SEAT Leon is possibly our favourite find for you at this price point with good petrol and diesel engine options and great comfort. You can't ignore the Skoda Octavia for the same reasons, and it's even bigger.

Lots to think about there so come back to us and let us know if we're on the right track. We've only selected mid-sized hatchbacks, while there would be plenty of crossovers and small SUVs in budget as well.

Expert answer

Hi Francis,

Towing is certainly one of the strong points of diesel power with their low-down torque, but any hybrid with a big electric motor should be good too thanks to the instant-torque characteristics of the motor. For example, if you like the CX-60, Mazda does a plug-in-hybrid version with the same towing rating. You may find it difficult to find a non-plug-in hybrid to match the same rating though.

Come back to us with your budget and the weight you need to be able to tow, and we'll take a look around for other options for you. And let us know if you're willing to consider a PHEV.

Expert answer

Hi John,

The early Macan S certainly used a Porsche-developed engine, and even the later examples were hardly just Audi/Volkswagen engines with a different cover. 

Not that every engine Porsche has developed itself is reliable, but that V6 is generally solid so long as it has been maintained properly.