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Hi Janos,

It doesn’t. At least not normally. A conventional, passenger X5 has motor tax of €570 a year (assuming it's the xDrive30d model with CO₂ emissions of 158g/km). If it has tax of €333 according to a seller, then that means it’s been converted to a commercial vehicle, and can only be used as such. X5s can be converted to five-seat commercials (under the older, pre-July 2019 tax regulations), but in many cases a €333 tax figure may mean that it’s only a two-seater. And, legally, it cannot be used for personal or family use if it’s taxed as a commercial. 

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Hi Maria,

Basically the same rules apply irrespective of the vehicle itself. If it’s currently registered and taxed as a commercial, then you can indeed tax it as a private vehicle. To do that, you revert to the old by-engine-capacity tax system, which might be bad news depending on which version of the Ibiza we’re talking about. If it has a 1.2-litre engine, you’re fine — you’ll actually pay the same €330 rate as if it were a commercial. If it’s a 1.4, though, then you’ll have to pay €385.

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Hi Rory,

OK, the car that most obviously fits your criteria is the Toyota Yaris Hybrid. However, the cheapest one we’ve seen for sale is a 2015 model for €12,995 so that’s a bit over budget and already four years old. A Toyota Auris Hybrid would also seem to fit the bill, but again you’re looking at a much older car to fit your budget — probably a 2012 or 2013 car, so that’s not going to have the modern electronic systems you’re looking for.

I think the best bet might be to go small — like really small. Like Volkswagen Up or Skoda Citigo or SEAT Mii small. You’ll easily find one of those in budget, with a small petrol engine (1.0) and, if you shop around a bit, with the high-tech options you’re looking for.

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Hi Nick,

Theoretically yes, it is possible to convert an estate into a van. Obviously you’d have to remove the back seats and weld a plate in place over the floor. There are also some minimum dimensions that must be adhered to for the vehicle to qualify as an N1 commercial. Sadly (and oddly) the requisite page on the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) website is returning a 404 'not found' right now. The good news is that your local motor tax office (MTO) will have all the relevant details that you’ll need to be sure that the car you’re thinking of converting qualifies. The conversion work will have to be carried out by someone with the appropriate qualifications and standards (again, the MTO can help there) and you’ll have to bring it for a CVRT test every year, not the usual NCT.

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Hi Bernie,

As long as it’s registered as a commercial vehicle and used only (and strictly only) for work purposes, it’ll cost €333 a year to tax. If you want to use it for family or social driving, then it goes onto the old by-engine-capacity tax system, which is €951 a year on that vehicle. 

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Hi Aaron,

How about a Ford Kuga? That budget would get you into a nearly-new 191 or 182 1.5 TDCi, and it’s a bit of an underrated car — good to drive, roomy and nicely built. A sum of €23,000 obviously buys you a lot of either the ubiquitous Hyundai Tucson or Nissan Qashqai. How about a Mazda CX-5 instead? Gorgeous to look at, great to drive and with a 150hp engine, it’s not slow either. You could also think of a Peugeot 3008, a SEAT Ateca, a previous-generation Toyota RAV4 (better to drive than you might think), or a Volkswagen T-Roc. 

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Hi Joe,

We sent this one on to Honda Ireland and here was the response:

"Yes a swivel passenger seat can fit in a Honda CR-V. However we would ask the customer to speak to their mobility solutions provider too, as it depends on the design and the size of the seat."

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Hi Sean,

According to the documentation, the Tumeric Yellow example in our video is €65,865 before options (it has over €20k of options on it!). It doesn't appear to be listed on the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Ireland website, though, which has the four-seat Ocean model starting at €67,300.

Best bet is to contact your nearest dealer to get an up to date price. 

Expert answer

Hi Lee,

There’s a lot of weighing up in this, but it’s mostly about the finances. The car will, to all intents and purposes, be identical in either scenario, PCP deals are tempting, because of their low monthly repayments, but don’t forget that they are a lease, not a purchase, so you have to keep the vehicle to an agreed standard and condition, or there will be penalty costs at the end of the three years.

There shouldn’t be any issue in terms of depreciation, but obviously a 2017 car will be worth less than a new car at the end of three years, but then you’ve paid less up front for it in the first place, so it should more or less balance out.

Of course, buying from the UK, you won't be able to trade in your current car, so you'll have to factor in the hassle of selling that yourself.

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Hi John,

I think a word with your accountant would be the best option as there are hoops to be jumped through for registering and taxing a car as a commercial, especially a five-seater. The bigger issue by far could be getting you insured, as most insurers will see the words ‘Range Rover Sport’ and '21-years old’ and run a mile.