Expert answer

Hi Ken,

It is technically possible, and allowed under the regulations, but it’s going to be a costly job. You see, the conversion to N1 commercial status in the first place will have involved not merely taking out the rear seats, but also the mounts for the rear seatbelts. Putting those back in is physically both expensive and time-consuming, even for a professional, but with a car like a Range Rover there are also rear-seat safety systems, such as pyrotechnic seatbelts and rear side airbags to consider.

As I say, you can do it and there are some forms to fill out at the local motor tax office to get it re-designated as a passenger car, plus a bunch of extra motor tax to pay, but it’s going to be an expensive project. 

Expert answer

Hi Karen,

The Alhambra is an excellent choice, and to be honest it’s probably the one we’d go for, though there are no petrol or hybrid versions as you probably know.

However, Ford is just now introducing hybrid versions of both the S-Max and Galaxy and those could well be worth checking out, not least because Ford has some very sharp 212-plate offers around at the moment, so you may be able to nab yourself a bargain.

If you want some other hybrid seven-seat options, you’re really looking at large SUVs, which are expensive to buy and run. The best ones are plug-in hybrids, too, but you did say that you don't have a way to plug a car in at home, so perhaps those are not for you.

Best of luck

Expert answer

Hi John,

In my experience (I test a few hundred cars a year and I have three kids myself), your only proper options are people carriers, MPVs and larger SUVs. We ended up buying a Volkswagen Touran, which was absolutely excellent, but there are plenty of other cars with the same kind of space. The Tiguan Allspace, Skoda Kodiaq and SEAT Tarraco all are virtually the same as that inside and ideal for the job. Watch out for smaller SUVs, such as the Qashqai etc, as their rear seats are no wider or more accommodating than an average estate. 

Now, depending on whether you're using ISOFIX and how wide the child seats are, you might find an estate that will accommodate the three, so don't give up just yet. The only way to know for certain is to bring the seats with you to try out in the backs of a few cars at a dealer or wherever. The Skoda Superb Combi and VW Passat Combi would be worth a try for sure.

Please do let us know in the comments below how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Stuart,

No, you don’t need to re-register it, you simply need to call up your local motor tax office and tell them that you want to tax it as a private car. They’ll then put you on the old by-engine-capacity tax system, and the job’s done. The tricky part is insurance — we’ve been hearing that many people are struggling to find insurers who’ll cover a commercial as a private car, so have a good, careful shop around for cover first.

Expert answer

Hi Seamus,

This is obviously a tricky decision, and we wish your wife all the best in coping with this. When it comes to ride quality, the most important factors are the stiffness, overall, of the suspension, the size of the wheels, and the sidewall depth of the tyres. Basically, smaller wheels and normal suspension is the rule of thumb if you’re trying to get a car with a soft ride quality.

SUVs are actually generally quite bad for ride quality. That sounds counter-intuitive, because of course they’re taller and have longer-travel suspension, but the problem is that the springs and dampers have to be stiffened up to prevent the higher centre of gravity from inducing too much body roll. I would therefore suggest that keeping away from SUVs would be a good bet.

That said, the Subaru Forester you’ve mentioned below does indeed have a soft ride quality, again as long as you avoid the larger alloy wheel options. Ditto the smaller Subaru XV, which is helpfully lower to the ground and can get away with slightly softer suspension rates. Citroen, of course, is famed for having pillowy-soft ride quality, and the current C5 Aircross is pretty soft and springy, and has great seats into the bargain. You should definitely look at a Toyota Camry as well (very soft, and again with great seats) and the Skoda Superb.

Avoid anything that has a sporty designation (S line, R-Line, M Sport etc) as that will almost automatically have stiffer springs and bigger wheels.

Hope that helps. Below are links to our reviews of the cars mentioned above:

Subaru Forester reviews

Citroen C5 Aircross reviews

Subaru XV reviews

Toyota Camry reviews

Skoda Superb reviews

Expert answer

Hi Dan,

OK, so I’m assuming that you mean bringing in a Range Rover Sport from the UK? It’s going to be pretty expensive. A rough VRT calculation suggests you’re looking at around €5,500 minimum for VRT, and then you’ll have to pay import duty (ten per cent) and 21 per cent VAT on top of that. Most likely you’re looking at a total cost of around €9-10,000 to get it registered here.

If you converted it to a commercial, that might help, but it would mean an expensive, full conversion, removing the back seats and bolting in a load floor. You’d also have to get the work done in the UK before the car comes to Ireland, as otherwise you’d have to pay the full passenger car VRT when it gets here. That would lower your VRT rate to 13.3 per cent, and take out the NOx levy, which would help, but you’d still get stung for the VAT and import duty.

Expert answer

Hi Martin, 

That's 100 per cent correct. It would make the Hilux €1,034 per annum to tax. More reading for you, though it sounds like you already know your stuff:

Motor Road Tax Prices in Ireland Explained

Buying a commercial vehicle for private use

Expert answer

Hi Frank,

The process of taxing it is relatively straightforward — just ring up your local motor tax office (list here: https://www.gov.ie/en/service/1fc151-find-your-local-motor-tax-office/) and ask them to switch you over. The problem is twofold — with a 3.0-litre Range Rover Sport, you’re going to be paying the second-highest rate of motor tax (€1,494 per year) because a commercial re-registered for private use is taxed on the old engine capacity-based tax system. Insurance can also be a major issue — it shouldn’t be, but it is, so get hold of a good local broker to help you navigate those waters before you take the leap. 

Read Buying a commercial vehicle for private use for more information.

Expert answer

Hi John,

Without knowing your budget, your seating needs and your range requirements, we can't give you a definitive answer on that. Some reading for you to consider:

Every electric car currently on sale in Ireland

Five of the best electric cars in Ireland (this needs updating as more cars have arrived on the scene since)

Come back to us with your detailed needs and we will try to help you decide on the best option.

Expert answer

Hi Paul,

In theory, all crew-cab vans fall into Category B for VRT purposes, which Revenue defines as: "commercial vehicles, designed and constructed for the carriage of goods and not exceeding 3.5 tonnes. These vehicles are European category N1 and generally have three seats or less. VRT Category B also includes motor caravans.”

In Category B, you’ll be charged 13.3 per cent of the OMSP, the Irish market selling price as defined by Revenue. There are some vans that fall into a slightly different category, and are charged a flat rate of €200, but these are vans that (a) always had less than four seats and (b) have at any time a laden mass greater than 130% of the mass in service. You should be able to find out which category your Vito fits into by quoting the VIN number when booking your VRT inspection.