Expert answer

Hi Roy,

You haven’t said whether this is a BMW 420i (petrol) or a 420d (diesel), so we’ve checked both. For a 420d diesel, the VRT charge is going to be in the region of €3,900 depending on the specific spec of the car. For a petrol 420i, it’s going to be pretty similar — around €3,500. There will be NOx tax charges on top of that, but thankfully even the older 4 Series diesel models were very NOx-efficient, just 23mg/km officially, so that’ll only be an extra €115 onto the VRT for the diesel. Oddly, the petrol 420i was actually a little worse off for NOx (28mg/km) so that’ll cost you €140 extra.

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Hi Patrick,

We have indeed reviewed the A-Class Saloon and you can read our thoughts on the car here. As for whether it’s good value for money, it kind of depends on how you look at it. Compared to other similarly-priced cars — Volkswagen Passat, Skoda Superb, or Opel Insignia for example — it’s not good value as you’re paying the same or more for a smaller car, probably with less standard equipment. That three-pointed star on the bonnet costs a fair bit… On the other hand, viewing the A-Class Saloon as a slightly smaller (but not that much so) alternative to the C-Class saloon — an entirely valid point of view — it’s actually really good value. Models available range from the basic A 180 petrol and A 180 d diesel versions, through A 200 and A 200 d, all the way up to the slightly rabid 300hp A 35 AMG model. 

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Hi Nigel,

We know of an issue with the clutch assembly that causes what sounds like engine noise in the naturally aspirated 1.0-litre Polo engine. In the 1.0 TSI models, apparently a fault with the engine control unit (ECU) can cause whining from the engine as well. Neither of those sound like the problem you have, though.

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Hi Frank,

The bad news here is that a 1966 Mustang probably has CO₂ emissions similar to that of a medium-sized coal-fired power station. The good news, though, is that for any car that’s more than 30 years old, you pay a flat-fee VRT charge of just €200. Big sigh of relief all round, I expect. There are some other charges that you’ll have to pay, though, as the car is coming in from outside the EU. You’ll have to pay VAT and customs duty, but thankfully these are calculated on the actual price paid for the car, not the Revenue-calculated OMSP price, which makes things much more straightforward. Customs duty works out at ten per cent of the purchase price, and then VAT will be 23 per cent of the purchase price plus the shipping cost. 

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Hi Christopher,

OK, the flat rate of VRT only applies to larger vehicles and camper vans. For a Berlingo or similar, you’ll be paying the ‘car-derived’ rate, which is 13.3 per cent of the Irish market selling price, as defined by Revenue. You only have to pay VAT on a new, or nearly-new, vehicle, so if it’s more than six months old, with fewer than 6,000km on the clock, then you won’t have to pay VAT.

Mind you, this is being written in early October, so if Brexit actually does happen on the 31st of this month, all bets could be off.

Expert answer

Hi Lana,

I assume a mechanic took a look into the cylinder using a boroscope or similar to confirm that there is oil on the piston. Without knowing any details on your car or the engine, we'd suggest that some serious engine work is required. A good mechanic will advise where to start. 

Expert answer

Hi Philip,

Well, you’re right about Toyotas being reliable. In fact, if reliability is your ultimate goal, then Toyota, Honda and Subaru are usually your safest bets. That said, Skoda is rarely that far behind the big Japanese names in reliability terms, and often is the best-performing European marque in that regard. In terms of load capacity, the answer is almost, but not quite. The roomiest boot in the in the Toyota range right now belongs to the Corolla Touring Sports estate. Now, this is one of our favourite cars right now — good looking, good to drive and with a seriously frugal and future-proofed hybrid engine, but with a 598-litre boot, it’s some 62 litres short of the Superb Combi. Still worth considering though, as, if you can live without the extra litres in the back, then it’s a more cost-effective purchase than the Skoda.

Another alternative is the new RAV4 Hybrid. Again, this is smaller than the Superb in the back — 580 litres when loaded up to the windows — but the boot is big and square, and again the hybrid engine is frugal and it’s got reliability on its side. 

Worth remembering though that Skoda is refreshing the Superb this year (order books are open now for delivery later in the year) and there will be a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid in fact, this time around, so it might be worth waiting for that before making a final decision.

Relevant reviews:

Toyota Corolla 1.8 Hybrid Touring Sports estate (2019) review

Toyota RAV4 Hybrid AWD-i (2019) review

Skoda Superb 2.0 TDI Evo Combi (2020) review

Expert answer

Hi Leo,

It kind of depends on how big your kids are and what kind of car seats they need. If you need three individual seats in the back, I’d recommend something like a VW Golf SV or a similar mid-size MPV. Or you could go for another Alhambra of course — it’s a great car. 

I’m assuming you want a change from the Alhambra though, and, MPVs in general, so how about a medium-sized estate? Lots of space, roomy back seat, but smoother and more agile to drive, with better fuel economy. How about a Skoda Superb Combi? Vast boot, massive back seat for packing the kids in and one of the nicest cars on the road. 

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Hi Kris,

The problem is that Irish insurers are a bit blunt-force when it comes to deciding their rates, and generally speaking (and completely erroneously) they simply tend to go by engine size. So even though there are plenty of older 1.9-2.0-litre diesel engines with similar power outputs to a more modern 1.6, they’ll probably quote you more just because it’s a bigger engine. Stupid, but then that pretty much sums up the insurance industry in Ireland. All I can suggest is either biting the bullet and getting a 1.6 that maybe you’re not as keen on, or finding a really good local broker who can help you track down quotes that us mere mortals can’t find. 

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Hi Cathy,

Many cars develop similar problems, usually because of battery condition or load. Our feature on the subject, Why won't my car's stop-start system work? may help you further.