I just won a Mitsubishi Shogun!
Hi
I just won a prize of a Mitsubishi Shogun 3.2. I worked out the VRT at just over €400 is this about right? I want to take out the back seats and use it as a commercial SUV as I have a car already and I just want to use it to tow stuff. It was first registered in March 2010 and has 150,000 miles on the clock. What are the steps I have to take? The car was delivered to me today.
Anita Jackson (Schull)Jul 2024 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Anita,
I'm not sure we have all the information here, but if I understand it correctly, it's a UK or Northern Ireland registered car that you've won and you're living in Ireland.
If it is registered as a passenger car then you'll have to import it as that and pay VRT and the NOx levy at least. If it was used in the North by someone other than a car dealer then that should be it, but if it has come from England, Scotland or Wales then you'll also have to pay VAT and import duty.
With such an old diesel, the NOx levy could be up to €4,850, and I'm not sure how you calculated €400 for VRT. It's likely to be in the top band at 41 per cent of the Open Market Selling Price (i.e. the value Revenue places on the car in Ireland). Even if it's deemed to be worth only €5,000 (which is unlikely), the VRT would be €2,050.
If you decide to pay all these costs and register the Shogun here, then you can go about converting it to a commercial SUV, but that won't be cheap either I'm afraid as the work has to be certified afterwards.
Which Toyota should I go for?
I do slightly over 15,000km/year. I want to get a new or rather 'new' second hand car. I was thinking Toyota Avensis diesel. But I've heard about issues with the newer engine. And I'm not sure I need a diesel at all. Could you suggest a reliable second hand saloon/SUV with a decent engine? I was considering the C-HR also or a hybrid in general. Any guidance on even the fuel type I should go for would be a help!
Thanks
Stephen Kelly (Dublin18)Jul 2024 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Stephen,
I suspect a hybrid would really suit you at that relatively low annual mileage. I certainly wouldn't recommend diesel for you now unless you spend most of that mileage at quite high speed on the motorway. Away from that, a hybrid should be more efficient - and nicer to drive, too.
The Toyota Camry is a lovely option if within budget, but the C-HR is a fine car too. Maybe come back to us with your budget, the type of driving you do and how many people you need to carry on most journeys and we can help narrow things down for you.
Will I go hybrid instead of diesel?
Hi there,
Since options for new diesel cars are decreasing daily, can conventional hybrids such as the Toyota Corolla and the upcoming Honda Civic be as efficient for long motorway commutes? I would do over 50,000km annually and 75 per cent of that would be motorway.
Ideally my next car would be fully electric, but between the lack of availability, ever increasing purchase cost, electricity unit prices and finance nearly on parity with fossil fuel costs and the fact almost every large battery EV seems to be an SUV, I would need to look at all options.
David Delaney (Kells)Sep 2022 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi David,
It's a tricky time for choosing a new car in your situation for sure, especially given your high mileage. I feel that a diesel would still be a little more economical for you than the latest hybrids unless you keep your speeds down. If you spend most of that at 120km/h then a good diesel is hard to beat from an economy point of view. Saying that, the Corolla and new Civic are both very efficient cars and, if you adapt your driving style to their powertrains, then it is possible to return some trully outstanding fuel economy figures. And it must be said, with one eye on future values, a hybrid might be a more shrewd choice.
In your situation as described, I'd shy away from purely-electric cars for now as well. I'd be worried about relying on the public charging network to support such high mileage.
EV or hybrid with €50,000 to spend?
Hi there,
My parents are in the market for a new car (sub €50k). They like the height of the crossovers/SUVs and are interested in a hybrid or electric model. They do about 18k km per annum, mostly on country roads, and the odd road trip to Dublin (300km each way). Wondering would you recommend full EV (Skoda Enyaq) or hybrid (Peugeot 3008 &and VW Tiguan)?
Many thanks,
Michael, Ennis
Michael Sweeney (Tulla)Feb 2022 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Michael,
So long as they have off-street parking and are willing to get a charger installed at home, then I'd suggest that a full-on electric car will suit them. For that outlay, there are loads of good options to consider:
Which front-wheel-drive electric SUV for us?
Thinking of making the move to an electric car for our main family vehicle, but quite hilly where we live and concerned about rear-wheel drive only in some of the options, and all-wheel-drive electric cars are very expensive at the moment. Thinking of an SUV or crossover - what would be the recommended front-wheel-drive make/model in this scenario?
Willing to put on winter tyres etc.
John Paul (Letterkenny)Nov 2021 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi John Paul,
You’re dead right in that four-wheel-drive EVs are currently rather expensive — the best value ones around at the moment are the Volkswagen ID.4 GTX, the Skoda Enyaq Sportline iV 80x and the Tesla Model 3 Long Range, all of which are in the region of €57,000 to €59.000. Which is quite a lot of money, even if all three are excellent cars.
If you want to go front-wheel drive, but keep the SUV body shape, then there are still some very good options all the same. The Kia e-Niro, the Kia e-Soul and the Hyundai Kona Electric all share the same battery, electric motor and front-wheel-drive platform, and all are excellent cars. The Niro is fractionally the more practical, the Soul arguably the best to drive and the Kona a pretty good compromise between the two.
Or you could try the MG ZS if you want something a bit cheaper, but bear in mind that a new, longer-range model is coming in the new year that will bump up its price from €28,995 to €31,000.
Mind you, you’ve said you’re happy to put winter tyres on, and this should really bring the various rear-wheel-drive models back into play. With the right tyres, and given the hefty two-tonne weight of larger models such as the ID.4 and Enyaq, you’re unlikely to experience any major traction issues, so don’t count those models out.
Reliability of the 2018 Audi Q7 e-tron?
Hi,
Just wondering if you have any advice on what to watch out for when buying a 2018-regstered Audi Q7 e-tron (diesel plug in-hybrid)? The motivation for buying it was an SUV with three ISOFIX points on the back seat while leaving a decent boot for buggies and scooters. Other seven seaters left too small a boot.
David Mulvany (Kells)Oct 2021 Filed under: reliability
Expert answer
Hi David,
There are no major reported problems with the Q7 e-tron, and Audis in general tend to have very high levels of both quality and reliability. That said, as it’s a plug-in hybrid, check and see how much running it has done on electric. If the previous owners were especially conscientious about plugging it in and running on the battery, that could mean that the engine hasn’t actually been run very much, and that can lead to niggling reliability issues down the line. Sounds odd, but it’s true — regular, gentle running is best for long-term engine life.
Other than that, make sure that all the electric and electronic systems are all working as they should, as these are complex vehicles and difficult and expensive to put right if they develop problems.
Is there a new Ford Mondeo coming?
Is there a new Ford Mondeo coming real soon? Why is Ford being so coy about it? Any idea of prices and showroom date?
Fergal Reidy (Co. Kildare)Aug 2021 Filed under: future cars
Expert answer
Hi Fergal,
The answer is yes. And maybe no. And maybe… maybe. We know that Ford will replace the current Mondeo with a new model, but that it will be a crossover, possibly retaining the Mondeo name in some way, or possibly being called the Evos. We know that it will be a tall-ish crossover, rather than a full-on SUV, kind of in the mould of the Subaru Outback, but what we don’t know is whether or not this new Mondeo (or Evos) will be coming to Europe. Right now, it’s being readied for a launch in the Chinese market, as both a petrol and hybrid car.
Ford has committed to going all-electric in Europe, so it’s hard to see how such a car would fit into those plans. It’s more likely that the next-gen Kuga will effectively be the Mondeo replacement for us, with the larger Mustang Mach-E taking on the range-topping duties.
Can I tax a commercial as a private SUV?
Hi
I'm hoping you can help me with something. I recently found your crew cab and commercial article and found it very interesting. I'm currently in an odd position. I'm looking for a crew cab SUV that would be used for work and domestic but I am not a registered business. So the crew cab would need to be reverted back to the original (much higher) tax bracket. I've heard that a PPS number can be used as a tax number and that would be the main hurdle handled. I was wondering if you or your readers have any experience doing this?
The last thing I want is buying an SUV only to find out I can't tax it.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Thank you,
Tom
Tom (Co. Kildare)Aug 2021 Filed under: commercial vehicle
Expert answer
Hi Tom,
Apparently it's quite easy to tax a commercial vehicle as a private one, simply by informing your local motor tax office. Beware, however, of the challenge of insuring the vehicle, as many readers have told us that is a big issue for private drivers.
Which full-size new seven-seater to go for?
Hi
I currently have a Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace but would like to upgrade to a seven-seater with seven full-sized seats as I'm expecting my fourth child. I'm looking at the SEAT Alhambra, which ticks a lot of boxes, but would prefer a petrol or hybrid option. I can't go electric as parking is on-street and there's no option to plug in. Looking at a 2021 Alhambra so would consider something in a similar price range.
Any advice appreciated,
Karen
Karen Golden (Dublin 6)Jun 2021 Filed under: choosing new car
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
Which cars can fit three child seats?
Hi,
What cars are capable of putting three child seats across the back seats? Ages new born, 2 and 4 years old. So none would be in booster seat just yet. Is it just SUVS or vans? I'm hoping there are some estates capable of this!
Thanks John
John Smyth (Dun Laoghaire)Mar 2021 Filed under: child or baby seats
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.