Expert answer

Hi Vishwa,

We've not come across this issue for ourselves. Kia Ireland said the same thing and that you really should talk direct to its customer service department about this. The contact is Stuart Kirwan. We'll send you his contact details via email.

Hope you get a satisfactory reply.

Expert answer

Hi Jack,

The scrappage scheme is over sadly, though Renault is running a similar offer until the end of June. You can get another €1,500 off if you're trading in a car that's over eight years old. Even without that offer you're more likely to maximise the value of that Laguna at a Renault dealer.

Saying all that, I'm sure you know that the Laguna isn't worth a whole lot at that age so it's probably not worth going for a new Renault just because you'll get a better trade-in price for it. If you do decide to go down the new Volkswagen Golf route, check with the dealer how much they'd be willing to knock off the price of the Golf by taking the Laguna. If it's a tiny amount then consider selling the Laguna privately. It's more hassle, but you're likely to get a better price.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Justin,

It's not surprising to hear that the car won't go off-road - few do!

In terms of safety, the 2005 Volvo trumps the Discovery with a better Euro NCAP crash test rating.

The Volvo has a marginally better reliability record too, though most Discovery problems (affecting electrics and software) seem to apply to individual cars. Saying that it's worth ensuring its air suspension is in perfect working order. On the XC90 the injectors can play up, and they're expensive to repair, so get suspicious if the car doesn't start quickly.

Evidence points to the Volvo having the lower running costs too, with slightly better fuel economy and of course lower annual road tax due to the smaller engine. Maintenance will be costly enough in both cases, as could be insurance.

In cold hard facts it looks like the Volvo wins this battle Justin, but we'd not be put off the Discovery so easily - it's a great all-rounder as well.

Let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Patrick,

We put this question to the official vehicle records experts, Cartell.ie. Jeff Ahern, Cartell's Director, responded in detail:

"Until the arrival of Cartell.ie in 2006 and subsequent car history checking companies in 2007/8, it was extremely difficult to get the history of a vehicle both in Ireland and the UK. Moreover, the fact that a car was imported was hidden from the Irish consumer. Now that is not the case. It is easy to trace the history of a vehicle within Ireland and the UK. That said, a study was carried out into the number of UK vehicles hitting Irish roads that were written off and clocked. The figures were quite startling in that up to 1 in 10 vehicles imported from the UK were written off and 11% had a mileage discrepancy. This affected a large number of people who had bought these vehicles before the advent of car history checking and therefore a stigma still persists with UK vehicles." 

"Furthermore the above issue was compounded by the data on the Vehicle Registration Certificate (VRC) in that it only shows the number of Irish owners and not any additional owners from the UK, which allowed some dealers to manipulate or gloss over the additional history."

"However, vehicles are now being advertised for at least the same price as their Irish counterparts. The UK car will often have a higher specification. But let's not forget that most Irish people know that whoever brought a car in from the UK should have paid less for it anyway and therefore they are inclined to want a similar discount when you are selling it on. And as a car ages, the extras become more of a selling tool than an earner as the depreciation had reduced their value." 

"So in summary, a UK car can have a higher specification and should be worth more than a similar Irish model of same year and mileage, but in practice - and due to the above - it will be worth the same or less. Don't forget too that a person could easily check an Irish car with a full service history by contacting the dealer who could be in their local area rather than having to ring the UK, which isn't an issue nowadays with the internet, but perception and ease are everything. "

Hope that all helps

Expert answer

Hi Damien,

Both are good cars so you're starting from the right place. They're not too dissimilar as they share so much under the skin, but there are differences. Admittedly these are quite personal. Graeme Lambert works for us, and as he's the only one in the team that has driven both cars he's best placed to comment:

"Forgetting deals, spec and warranties, the Hyundai i40 is probably the one to go for. It is more refined and smoother on the road than the Kia Optima and has a better quality interior. Saying all that I really prefer the look of the Kia..."

Sorry if that confuses things, but the best advice is to go drive them for yourself.

Let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Damien,

Personally I'd have the 1.5-litre diesel version. It drives well and returns good economy. If you don't do a lot of miles the 1.6-litre petrol model might still be worth taking a look at, especially if you get a good deal on it.

The Qashqai received a mid-life facelift in 2010, and it's worth getting the updated car if your budget stretches to it. Along with a mildly restyled face the interior got a few useful changes. You'll find both the old and new car were sold in 2010 though so make sure you know what you're looking at.

Good alternatives (depending on your budget of course) include the current shape Kia Sportage and the Skoda Yeti and the Peugeot 3008.

Hope that helps.

Expert answer

Hi Jimmy,

We've done some ringing around for you based on extra information you provided us with (2010 Volvo S40 1.6 diesel). First of all, you can't do anything about different brands charging different amounts; that's a fact of life. We talked to several Volvo dealers around the country to compare pricing and they all quote similar amounts to the numbers you gave us. It seems expensive for the first service for sure, but at least you know it's standard across the network.

While we didn't ring every dealer in Ireland, we did get a quote from Bandon Motors (www.bandonmotors.com) that was much cheaper for the first service - though the same after that. Best bet is to ring all the Volvo dealers you are within easy driving distance of.

Of course, failing all that you could take the car to a non-Volvo garage, but I'm guessing you'd like the main dealer stamp in your service history.

Let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Justin,

Let's break it down into chunks. First of all, safety. Here are the crash test results from Euro NCAP:

Skoda: five stars on new system

Saab: five stars on old system

Volvo: four stars on old system

Looks like the Volvo loses out there, though it's a safe car by most standards.

In terms of reliability, the Skoda has no reported issues. The Saab doesn't fare so well, with plenty of electrical issues and problems with the suspension. Check for uneven tyre wear and that all the switches are working - every single one. The Volvo is a little better, but has a few known problems, with random electrical gremlins and several recalls. If you're serious about that one get confirmation that the recall work has been completed. Also, it should have its timing belt, tensioners and pulleys changed every four years so best to check that it has been done.

Assuming you're looking at the 105hp Superb, then the combined cycle consumption was quoted at about 5.7 litres/100km (50mpg) and it is a frugal car. The 150hp Saab uses a fraction more fuel (5.8 litres/100km) on the combined cycle, while the 136hp Volvo also uses 5.7 litre/100km.

So in summary, for us it would be between the Skoda and the Volvo. They're both comfortable and spacious, though we'd trust the reliability of the Superb more given the data.

Hope that helps.

Expert answer

Hi Ciaran,

The Nissan Skyline saloon did not really get caught up in the upsurge of popularity experienced by other rear-wheel drive Japanese four-doors towards the end of the Celtic Tiger era so is still a fairly rare model. This would go some way to explaining why the Revenue Online Service (ROS) value seems so low. The Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) is based on an 'average' for that particular model, but with so few cars having been imported it can be difficult to determine a true average.

Regarding the car you have highlighted, and taking into account current exchange rates and the VRT calculated by ROS that car would cost €5,824, which seems expensive to our eyes.

A thorough search of all the classified adverts we could find revealed a few similar cars, albeit with higher mileage, in the region of €3,500 - €4,000.

The one you're looking at does have some nice additions such as the wheels, suspension and spoiler, but whether they and the low mileage warrant a near €2,000 premium is a question only you can answer.

Let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Ruairi,

As we say to all readers with similar questions, all trade-ins are only worth what the dealer thinks they're worth, so take this as a guideline only.

There seems to be a massive variation in pricing on the the 116i from 2005, varying from €7,000 - €9,000 on dealer forecourts. That indicates you should ask for in the region of €8,000 and be prepared to go down a little, though not much.

Make sure you try a few places to get the best deal.

Please do let us know how you get on with it