Expert answer

Hi Cathal,

You are indeed entitled to a refund, but not immediately. Under the Sale of Goods and Supply Of Services Act, if a product is “not of merchantable quality” then you are entitled to a repair, replacement or a refund. It will be up to you and the dealer from whom you bought the car to discuss which of these will be the case, and most dealers will try at least to repair the car at first, as obviously that’s usually the most cost-effective route from their perspective.

You can demand a refund and nothing else, but I’d make sure you have a good solicitor on your side before doing that as technically if the dealer is offering you a repair then they are fulfilling their duties under the act.

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Hi Karen,

I wouldn’t be cautious as such, but you should make sure that they will stand over any issues that the NCT flags up. Obviously, if it flies through the test then there’s no problem, but don’t let them try and fob off any issues on you. If they’re selling the car to you, in whatever form, they should be prepared to back that up. If they won’t do so, ask why they’re happy to sell the car, but not to stand over its quality.

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Hi Cathal,

The Qashqai is a reliable car, as are pretty much all Nissans, but the Corolla will still have the reliability edge. If reliability is ultimately your priority, then go for the Corolla. That said, if you really want the Qashqai, as long as it comes with a full service history and you keep it regularly serviced, we wouldn’t expect to see any major issues occur.

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Hi Anthony,

The thing is, it shouldn’t make a difference, but it probably will. Our advice to buyers, and it’s the sensible advice, is to basically ignore the mileage and concentrate on the paperwork. If a car comes with a thick sheaf of service book stamps and receipts showing that it has been properly cared for, then the mileage is more or less irrelevant. A well cared for car with huge miles will always be a better car than a low-miles one that’s been abused.

Unfortunately, not everyone listens to us and so, yes, high miles or kilometres can still be an issue. I think the best thing you can do is to go and have a chat with your local dealer and see what they say. If your car is impeccably kept and serviced, then they may say that mileage will only be a minor factor and you can keep the car you’ve got for a bit yet. If they say otherwise, then it may be time to swap.

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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.

READ: 2009 Renault Megane review

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Hi Martin,

Dealer seal isn't really worth it in my opinion because for most of the year Irish roads aren't gritted and salted. I know they are this week, but a regular trip to the car wash will do just as good a job as 'dealer seal.' Protect coating is pretty similar. You'd be better off just keeping the car in good condition and taking care of stone chips etc as and when they occur. Step back protection is like any form of payment protection insurance - it has its uses, but buy carefully and make sure you study the small print with great care. 

Expert answer

Hi Conor,

The two best SUVs of similar elevation to the Freelander would be the Honda CR-V and the Nissan X-Trail. Both are excellent choices (and the X-Trail can be had with seven seats), but the Honda’s more spirited driving experience nudges it for us. Also worth looking at a Land Rover Discovery Sport (effectively the third-generation Freelander), although they’re pricier than the Honda or Nissan.

As for choosing a buying time, yes, if you wait until the end of January, depending on how new car sales go, there should be a few more trade-ins and the like cluttering up dealer lots so you might get a sharper deal. Any of the big car rental companies will set you up with a good deal on a long-term rent, and Enterprise is probably the best place to start.

Here are a few of our reviews to help you choose:

Honda CR-V review

Nissan X-Trail review

Land Rover Discovery Sport review

Expert answer

Hi Dave,

If you find the overall aesthetics of a car matter to you then the Kuga ST Line is the best version of the new line-up to go for. It looks especially good in darker colours. We’re also fans of the Volkswagen Tiguan, though it is at the more expensive end of the market. A similarly good looking car, and more affordable, is the SEAT Ateca. Here are our reviews to help you decide:

Ford Kuga ST Line review

Ford Kuga Vignale review

Volkswagen Tiguan review

SEAT Ateca review

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Hi Martin,

There are certainly no concrete plans that we’ve heard of. There was some discussion of the subject, back in 2014 when the UK did away with paper tax discs, that Ireland might move to a similar system, and the abolition of being able to carry over unused vehicle tax from one owner to another is kind of the first step on that road. Dublin City Council this year suggested that we should start moving towards paperless tax but plans haven’t gone any farther than that for now.

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Hi Asier,

It would of course depend on the year, which you haven’t given us I’m afraid, but the ballpark runs from €1,400 for a 2004 model to around €6,000 for a 2008 model.