Expert answer

Hi William,

Yes, the Q5 and the BMW X3 are both solidly reliable and good to drive, but if your budget is around the €40k mark, can I suggest instead shopping for a Honda CR-V or Kia Sorento? Not only would both of those be more reliable, long-term, than either of the German cars, for your budget you’ll also get a brand new one, and the 1.6 i-DTEC Honda is very economical. Some reviews for your consideration:

Audi Q5 review

Audi Q3 review

BMW X3 review

Honda CR-V review

Kia Sorento review

Expert answer

Hi Kim,

At the moment, I'd say the Kia Sorento, which is big, comfy, smooth and has the requisite seven seats. Hang on though, because the new Skoda Kodiaq and Peugeot 5008 are imminent and those are both cars with big appeal. Relevant reviews:

Skoda Kodiaq review

Kia Sorento review

Expert answer

Hi Tony,

No, they're not. Admittedly, any larger vehicle that puts the point of impact further away from you is going to be in some small way a little safer, but go to the EuroNCAP crash test website and have a look at the ratings. You'll see that SUVs don't do any better than any other body style. Safety depends on a lot of factors. 

Expert answer

Hi Anthony,

According to the EuroNCAP crash test experts, the three best-performing cars tested in 2016 were the Toyota Prius, Hyundai Ioniq and Volkswagen Tiguan. That said, the NCAP crash test is a laboratory test, and its parameters can be designed in to a car's structure. Only two car makers still have teams that investigate real-world accidents involving their cars and they are Volvo and Mercedes-Benz. Generally speaking, if I'm thinking of safety above all else, those are the two brands I'd look at. 

Expert answer

Hi Jason,

You need to go through a specific process for importing a car from the UK and Northern Ireland. Within seven days of the car’s arrival here, you need to have informed Revenue and booked an inspection for the purposes of assessing the car’s value for Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) at your nearest NCT centre. Then you have a 30 days to complete the process, pay the VRT and get your new number plates. The Citizens Information website has a lot of useful details on this process so have a look here.

Expert answer

Hi there,

Have you thought of a Toyota C-HR? Size wise and reliability wise it would seem to suit you perfectly, and it's also sweet to drive with a really nice cabin. It's technically a brand new model but Toyota registered a lot in late 2016 as dealer demos so you ought to be able to pick up a bargain 'nearly new' if you shop around. Otherwise I think your best bet would be a Skoda Yeti. 

Skoda Yeti review

Toyota C-HR 1.2 review

Toyota C-HR Hybrid review

Expert answer

Hi Fionna,

Well, to be honest, I would have thought that a Passat was an ideal car for a family of four. What you need is four roomy seats and and a a big boot - and the Passat has those. If you fancy something that looks a bit more like a family car, and here I mean an SUV or an MPV, then stop for a tic and have a think. Are you buying an image? After all, a ‘normal’ saloon such as a Passat (and the Mazda6, Toyota Avensis, Hyundai i40 and Kia Optima all make good alternatives) is generally speaking just as good at family duties and has lower overall running costs. Worth thinking about, at any rate.

Here are some of our reviews to get you thinking:

Volkswagen Passat review

Mazda6 review

Toyota Avensis review

Kia Optima review

Expert answer

Hi Richard,

We asked Eddie Coleman of Conlan Crotty Murray & Company Chartered Accountants for some help on this one and here was his response:

"For a self-employed VAT-registered sole trader the most tax efficient vehicle to purchase for business use would be a small commercial van/SUV.  As the private use element of the vehicle is likely to be minimal VAT could be recovered on such a vehicle in the proportion that business use bears to the total usage of the vehicle.  As there should be a high business usage of the vehicle most of the running costs of the vehicle, such as insurance, fuel, maintenance, etc. could be expensed for tax purposes, again in the proportion that business usage bears to overall use of the vehicle.

If an individual decides that a small commercial vehicle is not appropriate and decides to purchase a car then there would be very limited tax deductibility for VAT purposes.  If a car falling into Category A, B or C is acquired, then 20 per cent of the VAT paid on purchase of the vehicle could be recovered where at least 60 per cent or more of the usage of the car is for business purposes.  There is a potential claw back of the VAT recovered if the car is sold within two years of acquisition.

If the car is acquired by way of a hire purchase agreement or loan finance then the vehicle is treated as owned by the individual.  The capital cost in those instances can be claimed by way of an annual capital allowance write-off equivalent to 12.5 per cent of the cost of the vehicle, restricted to business use as a proportion of overall use of the vehicle.  If a new vehicle is being acquired then it may be possible to do so by way of a finance lease.  In such circumstances it may be possible to write-off the capital cost of the vehicle over a shorter time frame, again subject to business use restriction on the allowable tax deduction."

Expert answer

Hi Therese,

Both will hold their value pretty solidly, although the Hyundai might just do a shade better as it's a more popular brand overall. We'd still prefer the Kia though - it has the nicer cabin and is fractionally the nicer to drive. Here are our reviews to help you further:

Hyundai Santa Fe review

Kia Sorento review

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