Would an electric car work for us?
Hi there,
My wife drives a 2005 Toyota RAV4 1.8 petrol. Over a year ago she changed jobs from a 6km commute to one with a 48km commute each way. This is half motorway and then mainly country roads. This coupled with kid taxi duties means she does nearly 650km a week (Mon to Fri) and spends around €75 a week on petrol. I do 900km a week and already have a car loan for a diesel car.
So my question is, an electric car feasible for someone with that commute and no option to charge at work, except for probably emergencies, and monthly repayments must be €300 or less? Which I assume means that the new Ioniq and new Leaf are out of reach.
David Delaney (Kells)Feb 2017 Filed under: electric cars
Expert answer
Hi David,
Yes, you could just about do 48km each way in an electric car, certainly in the Ioniq and just about in the 30kWh Nissan Leaf, although it would be hugely helpful if there could be some way of charging up at work. A Renault Zoe might do the trick too.
Hyundai asks for a minimum €5,000-odd deposit on a new Ioniq, and the repayments are quite steep so that one might be out of the question, although they come down to around €360 if you can put a €10,000 deposit down. A basic Nissan Leaf, with €6,762 down, will cost you just €264 a month, which might leave enough wriggle room to go for the bigger battery, and Nissan has some tempting free insurance offers on at the moment, while Renault asks just €179 a month for a Zoe, but the battery rental is extra and it comes with some quite tight mileage stipulations.
The other, possibly better, option would be to go half-electric. Toyota can put you into a Prius or an Auris Hybrid for as little as €199 to €263 a month (again, depending on deposits etc.) or you can get the rather impressive new Kia Niro for €353 a month with a €9,000 deposit. All of those should average as much as 60mpg, which would put a big dent in your fuel costs.
Read our relevant reviews here to help you choose:
What's the best electric car right now?
Which is the best electric car in relation to performance and most importantly cost to buy and running cost?
Alma Bermingham (Dublin)Feb 2017 Filed under: electric cars
Expert answer
Hi Alma,
The Nissan Leaf is the most affordable electric car, but the cheapest versions have limited range (less than 160km on a single charge). The new Renault Zoe has a brilliant claimed range of 400km, but that's quite pricey for a small car. The BMW i3 is probably the best electric car around at the moment, but is very expensive, sadly. So, I think the best one for affordability and useable range is probably the Hyundai Ioniq. It gets an easy 200km in real-world driving, it's roomy and not too expensive. Read our test drives of each below:
What to look for on Megane estate?
When was the Renault Megane Estate TomTom 1.5 diesel introduced to the market? Is there anything a potential buyer ought be aware of?
Robert Foley (Cork)Jan 2017 Filed under: reliability
Expert answer
Hi Robert,
The estate (or 'Grand Megane' as Renault insisted on calling it) TomTom edition was announced in 2009 and introduced to the market in 2010. It was much better built and more reliable than the previous Megane, but there are still some weak points to keep an eye out for. Those include fragile fuel line clips, burned out coil packs on the 1.6 petrol, particulate filter problems on the 1.5 diesel, electrical problems especially with the windows and the heating system and premature clutch wear.
Which €25,000 crossover to go for?
Hi,
I am looking at buying a second-hand (161 or 162) SUV, value approx €25,000. I drive 80 miles a day on fairly good roads for work, and mainly rural roads. Have had test drives on both the Nissan Qashqai and Renault Kadjar and they are both a bit big, although the Renault Captur is too small.
Any suggestions on "inbetween" sizes? Don't have kids so big boots and roomy cabins are not important. More interested in sturdy and reliable.
Thanks
C Power (Wexford)Jan 2017 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi there,
Have you thought of a Toyota C-HR? Size wise and reliability wise it would seem to suit you perfectly, and it's also sweet to drive with a really nice cabin. It's technically a brand new model but Toyota registered a lot in late 2016 as dealer demos so you ought to be able to pick up a bargain 'nearly new' if you shop around. Otherwise I think your best bet would be a Skoda Yeti.
Year 2001 Renault Laguna and Fluence?
What are the Renault Laguna and Renault Fluence like from the year 2011?
Lorraine Myler (Cappagh)Jan 2017 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Lorraine,
They're OK from the point of view of reliability (although the 1.5 diesel can suffer from blown turbos and you need to keep an eye on the electrical systems), but if they're the same price then go for the Laguna - it's a much more sophisticated and better-driving car than the Fluence.
Used Peugeot 308, Renault Megane or Auris?
Hi, we want to buy a newish car this year with about €10,000. We have looked at a few models including a 2012 Peugeot 308 HDi, 2012 Renault Megane 1.5 dCi and a Toyota Auris 1.4 diesel all with 50k ish miles. Which would be your choice? We do about 20,000 miles a year.
Thank you
Ruairi Mc Carthy (Mullagh Co Cavan)Jan 2017 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Ruairi,
The Auris stands out mostly because it will be the most reliable and also because it has the most interior space. That said, the 1.4 diesel isn't perfect and does develop oil pump issues so check to see if it's had any remedial work done.
Of the other two, the Megane is a solid and sensible choice and the 308 is roomy and very economical. Overall, I'd say the Toyota is the best bet though.
Which new seven-seat MPVs would you go for?
I currently have a Ford Galaxy and looking to get a new/nearly new seven-seater. Have you done a review on seven-seaters? What would you recommend?
Luke Tyrrell (Dublin)Jan 2017 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Luke,
We certainly have done a few reviews... The closest cars to your Galaxy in terms of size and space are the Ford S-Max (a little smaller, but still very roomy) and the SEAT Alhambra (not as swish to drive as the Galaxy, but very spacious and with sliding side doors). There's also the Volkswagen Sharan, which is basically identical to the Alhambra, but a little more expensive. It wasn't on sale in Ireland for a while but it's back now and there are a few second hand ones knocking about.
If you fancy something a little smaller, then try the Opel Zafira Tourer. It's a really underrated car - nice to drive, well made and with decent cabin space.
After that, you're into the smaller MPVs such as the Volkswagen Touran, Kia Carens and so on. Good cars, but much smaller than your Galaxy so you'd be trading down in size terms.
With our practical hats on, we'd go for the SEAT - it's big and useful and those sliding side doors are great.
Here are the reviews themselves if you'd like more detail:
A few others worth considering as well:
Changing my taxi to Renault Fluence - ok?
Hi,
I am changing my taxi currently a Toyota Avensis 1.6 petrol, for a 2010 Renault Fluence 1.5 diesel. Are there any problems I should know about with the Renault?
Thanks
Des Fitzgerald
Des Fitzgerald (Tallaght Dublin)Jan 2017 Filed under: taxi
Expert answer
Hi Des,
You’ll need to check for a blown turbo (lots of smoke, no power) and also check that the diesel particulate filter hasn’t become clogged up if the mileage is low. The electric windows and ventilation fan are fragile, and make sure that the clutch is engaging cleanly as for some reason replacing the clutch is an expensive job on a Fluence.
Is the Renault Megane diesel reliable?
Is a 151 Renault Megane 1.5 diesel a reliable car?
Tom Nelson (Maynooth)Dec 2016 Filed under: reliability
Expert answer
Hi Tom,
Yes, it is. Renault has really gotten on top of the quality issues that plagued the brand in the early 2000s and the fact that the engine (and pretty much all the bits you can’t see) are shared with Nissan should tell you a lot about their potential reliability.
We have heard of that 1.5 engine blowing turbos, but it seems to be a relatively rare issue. Nonetheless, as it ages you should definitely keep an eye on the various electrical and electronic systems as they can throw up niggling problems. That said, if you stick to the service schedule, it should be fine.
Is the Renault Megane 1.5 diesel a good car?
Is the Renault Megane 1.5 diesel a good car?
They seem to be cheaper than other similar makes. The version I'm looking at is a 2010 model.
Colm Nagle.
Colm Nagle (Kerry Ireland )Dec 2016 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Colm,
They’re not bad, but there’s a reason that they’re cheap. Nonetheless, the Megane is a decent and solid car and reliability and quality are far, far better than was once the case with Renault.
I would be very wary of buying without a complete and full service history though, and with the 1.5 dCi diesel engine you need to keep an eye out for a blown turbo (symptoms include black or blue smoke, sluggish power delivery) or engine management system issues (surging or uneven running).
The real reason that they’re cheap though is because, in 2009-2010, Renault Ireland pursued an aggressive strategy of heavy discounting to try and grab as big a slice of the market as possible. It was the classic stack them high sell them cheap idea, and while it racked up some impressive sales figures, it did some terrible damage to residual values. At this stage, the worst of the depreciation will have been and gone, but remember if you’re buying it cheap today, you’ll be trading it in cheap when you’re finished with it.