VRT rate to import a Land Rover Defender?
Hello,
We are planning to buy a 2012 Land Rover Defender N1 from the UK. It's a five-seat utility model. Will the VRT charge be 13.5 per cent?
Alan Walsh (Oranmore )Jun 2020 Filed under: VRT
Expert answer
Hi Alan,
It should be, as the vehicle would have conformed to the N1 regulations when it was first registered, but to be safe I’d check with your local motor tax office before making any firm decisions.
Looking for a three-seat LR Defender...
I am looking to buy a three-seat Land Rover Defender. I work abroad for a foreign company so I'm wondering if I would be able to apply for Commercial Road Tax?
John Keogh (Cork)Jun 2020 Filed under: commercial vehicle
Expert answer
Hi John,
A Defender with only three seats in the front and no glass panels in the back would certainly qualify as a commercial vehicle, so as long as you can show that you require it for work, and that you’re not using it for social, domestic, or pleasure use, then you should be fine.
Do I have to alter an LCV to go private?
Are there any physical changes i.e. replacing missing seats for say NCT purposes in order to switch from crew cab to private? I presume the commercial tax test is the same as NCT?
Many thanks
Richard Spicer (Bray)Jun 2020 Filed under: commercial vehicle
Expert answer
Hi Richard,
There are no issues in terms of seats etc if you want to run a commercial vehicle as a private car — it’s simply a change in the rate of tax that you pay, and all you have to do is talk to your local motor tax office. You’ll be charged a tax rate based on the cubic capacity of the engine. As for the NCT, you’ll still have to get the vehicle tested on the Light Commercial Vehicle test, every year. Even if it’s taxed privately, it needs that rather than an NCT.
Can I import a Land Cruiser as commercial?
Hi there,
Wondering if you can clarify something for me about importing a Toyota Land Cruiser from the UK for commercial use in Ireland. Does the vehicle need to have been commercially registered in the UK, which I think is N1, before it can be imported and taxed as commercial in Ireland? I've tried searching for commercial vehicles in the UK but there are only a handful of vehicles listed whereas there are thousands of the same model vehicle (Toyota Land Cruiser) listed as having been privately registered.
Many thanks in advance
Ken
Ken O'Sullivan (Lahinch)Jun 2020 Filed under: commercial vehicle
Expert answer
Hi Ken,
It depends on what exactly we’re talking about here. If it’s a two-seat Land Cruiser with a cargo bay in the back, then Revenue should treat it as a purely commercial vehicle for VRT purposes, even if you later go on to tax it as a private vehicle. If, though, it’s a four-seat model that has been categorised as an N1 in the UK, Revenue won’t accept it as a van here anymore, and it’ll be charged at the full passenger car VRT rate.
Which big tow car to go for on moving?
We are moving from the UK to Ireland soon and are gobsmacked (for the want of of a better word) to find that our two trusty vehicles, the 2005 Chrysler Grand Voyager (diesel) and 2005 Mercdes C-Class Elegance (petrol) are going to cost in excess of €6,000 jointly to tax! The cars are not even worth a fraction of that, so we sadly have to replace them (in this throw-away world we have always been proud to keep our vehicles beyond their life expectancies).
So, what car can you recommend for a family of six, that would be able to tow a horse box, but would be the cheapest to tax as we relocate to the Emerald Isle?
Jo Sheedy
Surrey, UK
Joanna Sheedy (Epsom)Jun 2020 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Joanne,
If it’s just the one car you want, then I think your best bet would be a Ford S-Max or Galaxy, or possibly a SEAT Alhambra. All three cars do all the important family hauling work really well, and the two Fords will tow a maximum 2,000kg load, while the Alhambra can haul as much as 2,400kg.
If you want to go down the two-car route, then maybe go for a Mercedes E-Class Estate, with the fold-down seats in the boot, as the family machine and a Volkswagen Amarok pickup (the early model with the 2.0-litre turbo engine so as to keep the tax costs down) as the tow-car. It can haul a whopping 3,500kg, but is also comfy and refined enough to be a daily driver.
Read our Mercedes E-Class reviews
What is the 2013 Honda Civic diesel like?
What is the 2013 Honda Civic i-DTEC like?
FRANCIS GANNON (COUNTY MEATH)May 2020 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Francis,
It’s actually pretty brilliant — that 1.6 iDTEC engine is one of the best diesels we’ve ever sat behind. It’s smooth, has plenty of performance and is very economical. Plus, Honda engines were never implicated in any diesel emissions cheating, so your conscience can remain untroubled. The rest of the car is rather lovely too. Honda’s quality is a given and that generation of Civic is both massively roomy and massively versatile with those clever flip-up ‘Magic’ rear seats. It’s also good to drive — not as agile as a Ford Focus, but solid and planted, with nice steering feel and good comfort levels, too. The only demerits are a bit too much road noise and a slightly messy dashboard layout.
Is the Volkswagen Up suitable for me?
Hi there,
I'm looking to buy a newer car than my 2007 1.2 Renault Clio. I spend roughly half the week in a small city and the other half in a small country village, about 25 minutes from the nearest town. I do a short motorway trip about twice a week. I'd love something like a Volkswagen Up, but am worried this would be too small and lack enough power for my amount of driving, which is roughly 21,000km per year.
What would you advise?
Many thanks, Eimear.
Eimear Molloy (Kilkenny/Waterford)May 2020 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Eimear,
I’m happy to report that you’re wrong — the Up (and the equivalent Skoda and SEAT versions) is one of those small car’s that’s oddly good on the motorway. OK, with 60hp you’re not going to be winning any Grands Prix, but it’s entirely adequate, keeps up with other traffic and is pretty decently economical too. Indeed, it’s probably a better bet than buying a basic Clio or similarly-sized car, which will be bigger and heavier but won’t necessarily be that much more powerful.
What to replace by Octavia RS TDI with?
Hi, I'm doing approx. 30,000km per year. I have a 2016 Octavia RS 2.0-litre TDI 184hp at the moment and am going to change over the next few months - pandemic allowing etc! What would you recommend? Are hybrids worth looking at for example?
Mark McNally (Galway)May 2020 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Mark,
If you’re prepared to wait a bit, there is an all-new Octavia RS coming, which will be available as a plug-in hybrid with 245hp. Now, it will depend on how you rack up those 30,000km as to whether a plug-in hybrid would suit you — if it’s all motorway miles then probably not, but if you do a lot of short-hauls around town, and can charge at home, then it could be ideal.
There’s also the diesel version of the new Ford Focus ST to consider, the new Golf GTI and SEAT Leon Cupra (all sharing their bits and pieces with the Octavia, of course), or what about a Hyundai i30 N — one of our favourite hot hatches? A few reviews to help you decide:
Ford Galaxy or Hyundai Santa Fe?
Ford Galaxy or Hyundai Santa Fe? I have not been able to do test drives yet, but would appreciate your view as well. I need something to drive in the city as well as for family trips (kids are 4, 10, 12 and 14). I know kids would be happiest with a V-Class, but I need something for daily commute as well. Am trying to find the right type of car. SUVs are not large enough, MPVs seem a bit big and not as fun to drive (or perhaps not), while vans are only suitable for longer trips, I think.
Thank you.
Emir Cehajic (Sarajevo)May 2020 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Emir,
You’re quite right — with kids of those ages, most seven-seat SUVs simply aren’t roomy enough, unless you go for something genuinely massive and expensive, such as a Land Rover Discovery. So, I’d say the Ford Galaxy is indeed your best choice — lots of space, seven proper seats for seven proper people and it's good to drive too. Other options well worth looking at are the VW Sharan and SEAT Alhambra, and — if you can afford the running costs — the old Mercedes R-Class.
Looking for used automatic car...
Hi, I am looking for a used automatic hatchback petrol car for my wife. She's a learner and would prefer a small automatic hatchback. Would you mind helping me to find the best automatic car from year 2015 to 2017? We went through your reviews and made a list of cars thatsuits our needs. They are Hyundai i10, Skoda Citigo, Kia Picanto, Toyota Yaris, SEAT Ibiza, SEAT Mii, Opel Corsa, Peugeot 108 and Renault Clio etc. I was wondering if you could suggest me the best option?
Nithin Mathew (New Ross, Wexford)Apr 2020 Filed under: automatic
Expert answer
Hi Nithin,
You’re kind of shopping in two separate segments of the market, there — small city cars (such as the Up and the i10) and larger superminis (such as the Yaris and Clio). If it’s one of the small ones you want, then the decision is kind of made for you. The Up is one of our favourites, but there’s no automatic option, so the Hyundai it has to be. No bad thing — it’s an excellent car.
If you fancy something a little larger and roomier, then I’d suggest going for the Toyota Yaris Hybrid — it gets you the automatic transmission you want, plus you’re future-proofing yourself a little with the hybrid powertrain.