Expert answer

Hi Harvey,

I'd thoroughly recommend the Volkswagen Multivan for your needs. It comes in two lengths with seven seats. Both are highly versatile, and the boot is big even if you're using all the seats, especially the one with the “long overhang” body.

We've taken this car away on long holiday trips and it has been nothing short of phenomenal. We're only a family of five, but we all fitted in comfortably as well as a few bikes and way too much stuff for a couple of weeks away camping.

What's more, there are diesel and plug-in hybrid versions available, depending on your needs, and it drives more like a car than any of the actual van-based people carriers out there.

The Tourneo would do the job, too, but it's not as flexible and nowhere near as nice to drive.

Go test drive one for yourself and let us know what you think.

Expert answer

Hi Dave,

Given you'll be on the motorway for an hour each way, presumably a few days a week at least, a diesel car seems to make the most sense in your case.

We'd also suggest that you stick to a car rather than an SUV as it will be better to drive, generally more comfortable and definitely more efficient.

Scouring the classifieds for options, here's what we reckon might suit:

Honda Civic 1.6 diesel
Hyundai i40 1.7 diesel
Kia Optima 1.6 diesel
SEAT Leon 1.6 diesel
Skoda Octavia 1.6 diesel
Volkswagen Passat 2.0 diesel
Volkswagen Golf 1.6 diesel

Come back to us if you'd actually rather stick with a premium marque. The above are a good bet in general when it comes to reliability, though as ever, take your time to choose a good example with a detailed service history, and take test drives as well.

Expert answer

Hi Nicholas,

When the vehicle is presented at an NCT centre for inspection, on importation, it doesn't matter what the UK registration document says. If the vehicle has been converted to a two-seat commercial with a bulkhead and no rear seats, then it is likely to be treated as such.

Assuming there is no paperwork relating to the conversion; however, it may be advisable to get an engineer's report beforehand. The NSAI has a list of Approved Test Centres here that should be able to help with that. https://www.nsai.ie/certification/automotive/national-type-approva/atc/

You are supposed to book the vehicle in for an inspection with the NCTS within seven days of its arrival and have it re-registered within 30 days, so keep all that in mind when you're booking appointments.

Do let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Cathal,

The Audi Q3 is a bit smaller than the Kia and Hyundai mentioned so make sure you try one out for size if you're serious about that. The equivalent Skoda (to the Sportage and Tucson) is the Karoq, though the larger Kodiaq would also be in budget.

I'd have a little more confidence in the Kia and Hyundai in terms of reliability in comparison to the Audi and Skoda, but only a little as all of these are decent cars. The Hyundai is the most common by far, which means you could afford to be picky in terms of mileage, condition and specification. The Sportage and Tucson are effectively identical under the skin, though the Sportage may come with more of the original warranty in tact, which is another consideration.

In terms of alternatives, we've always liked the Mazda CX-5 for how it drives and, if you're not set on diesel, then the Toyota RAV4 hybrid shouldn't be ignored, either.

Feel free to come back to us if you need further help narrowing things down.

Let us know how many in the family and on which car seats if applicable, plus your annual mileage.

Expert answer

Hi Justin,

So long as you don't need the extra seats of the XC90 then I'd highly recommend the V90 instead. It drives better, is three years newer than the XC90 you're looking at and its running costs are lower.

Expert answer

Hi Jacqui,

That's highly unlikely unless you actually convert the vehicle by removing its rear seats and fitting a bulkhead and then have it reclassified as a commercial vehicle. Even if you did all that, the annual commercial vehicle tax fee only applies to vehicles used solely for the purpose of a business, which you'd need to prove. No personal use is allowed at all.

Expert answer

Hi Dermot,

The conversion work would either have to be done (and certified) before importation (in which case it could be imported as a commercial) or the Land Cruiser would have to be imported as a passenger car and the conversion carried out afterwards. Either way it's a lot of hassle for sure.

As a passenger car, the Land Cruiser would likely attract 30 per cent VRT. That's 30 per cent of the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) as determined by Revenue. If we assume that's €8,000, then the VRT would be €2,400. And the NOx levy would be on top of that - up to a maximum of €4,850 for diesel cars if you can't prove it has a lower level of NOx emissions.

Expert answer

Hi Dan,

The rules from Revenue are clear: if a commercial vehicle is used for any private reason whatsoever, no matter how infrequently, it must be taxed for private use. If the X5 you are referring to is already registered as a commercial vehicle, then, bizarre as it sounds, the private motor tax will be determined based on the engine size - yes, even if it's a post-2008 model.

In the case of the X5, if it's powered by the popular 3.0-litre diesel engine, that would mean an annual motor tax bill of €1,494.

If you're thinking about buying a regular X5 and re-classifying it as a commercial, that would only be possible if the rear seats are removed permanently, and a bulkhead is put in place behind the front seats. Even so, it would have to be taxed privately if you intend to use it for any private reason.

Expert answer

Hi Niall,

With your requirements and budget, you'll certainly be looking at a used EV rather than a new one, which may mean buying a car that doesn't have much of its original regular warranty remaining (as the industry default is three years - though there are exceptions). However, the car makers include a longer warranty on the drive battery to reassure buyers of their longevity. Typically, this is for eight years and 160,000km (from new), though the precise figures vary from model to model.

You've not specified if any of your kids are in small seats or boosters so we assume three of them can fit across in one row of a normal car (do come back to us if we're wrong on that as that will limit your options considerably).

In terms of your driving use, and assuming you'll get a home charger to cover day-to-day charging, you're going to have to plan to use the public charging network on your longer journeys. Very few used EVs in your budget will do 400km on a charge all year around with five people on board.

Most should require just one top-up on that trip, however, taking no longer to charge than it will to get the kids all out and into the bathroom and for you to grab a coffee.

I'm sure you'd have to stop a few times on a 1,000km trip regardless of charging up the car.

Taking a look at what's on the market for under €25,000, here are some options we'd recommend:

Cupra Born: This is a five-seat, five-door hatchback about the same size as a Volkswagen Golf on the outside (and indeed it's the same underneath as the Volkswagen ID.3), but it has way more rear-seat space. Your budget gets you a 2022 example using the 58kWh battery pack, which means a realistic range of about 300km between charges.

Read our Cupra Born reviews here

Hyundai Kona Electric: The Kona is a five-door, five-seat crossover you should find as new as 2023 available within budget. That's the last of the previous-generation model. It's smaller in the boot and back seat than the Cupra mentioned above, but it is efficient. There are even some available with a 64kWh battery for a realistic range between charges of nearly 400km.

Read our Hyundai Kona reviews here

Kia e-Niro: This is another five-seat crossover, actually sharing its underpinnings with the Hyundai. However, the Niro is noticeably bigger inside the cabin and boot. There are loads of 2022 examples around with a 64kWh battery - meaning a real-world range of nearly 400km again. Sidebar: the Kia e-Soul is a stylish alternative sharing most of the same components, though it's less practical as a family car.

Read our Kia Niro reviews here
Read our Kia Soul reviews here

Skoda Enyaq: The Enyaq is a fantastic family car with much more space in the cabin and boot than all of the above. Sadly, there are very few about at your budget, though we did find a couple so it might be worth holding out for. The compromise is that you'll only be able to afford the 58kWh model, which should manage a little over 300km between charges.

Read our Skoda Enyaq reviews here

Volkswagen ID.3/ID.4: The ID.3 is VW's equivalent to the Cupra Born above and there are more of them about, most with the same 58kWh battery. Saying that, we did find a few with the 77kWh battery pack, enabling a much longer range. The ID.4 is notably larger inside and comparable with the Skoda Enyaq. It's not common within budget though.

Read our Volkswagen ID reviews

Hopefully that's some useful food for thought. Don't hesitate to come back to us if you want us to help narrow down your search.

Expert answer

Hi Paul,

Revenue is likely to treat that vehicle as a company car – not a van – due to it having rear seats, a high specification and suitability for use as a regular car. That's irrelevant of what you actually do with it.

BIK is calculated using the Original Market Value (OMV), a percentage determined by the car's CO₂ emissions and the annual business mileage. In the case of the Amarok Aventura, the CO₂ is 267g/km, and the retail-on-the-road price is €76,820 before options.

Such a high emissions rating puts this vehicle into the highest band for BIK, category E, and the percentage then depends on the annual business mileage from a high of 37.5 per cent for up to 26,000km to a low of 15 per cent for over 52,001km (it's 30 per cent for 26,001-39,000km and 22.5 per cent for 39,001-52,000km). You must keep records.

Say for example you do 25,000km a year for business reasons. That means 37.5 per cent of €76,820 as the calculated “cash equivalent” (€28,807.50) and that is then added to your total pay from a tax calculation point of view.

You can bring that down by doing more business mileage or choosing a more efficient – or cheaper – vehicle.

There are plenty of other bits and pieces to take into consideration, so it's worth taking a look at Revenue's own Private use of employer provided vehicles page for up-to-date information.