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Hi Gerry,

The new-look Skoda Octavia is now in Irish showrooms.

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Hi Tony,

How come the Prius wasn't used for a couple of years? That's the first question you'll be asked. If it's in good condition and still works fine, and you can show a current NCT, then there's no particular reason that a dealer wouldn't take it as a trade in, but you'll need to be honest and open about the history of the car. 

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Hi Anthony,

The thing is, it shouldn’t make a difference, but it probably will. Our advice to buyers, and it’s the sensible advice, is to basically ignore the mileage and concentrate on the paperwork. If a car comes with a thick sheaf of service book stamps and receipts showing that it has been properly cared for, then the mileage is more or less irrelevant. A well cared for car with huge miles will always be a better car than a low-miles one that’s been abused.

Unfortunately, not everyone listens to us and so, yes, high miles or kilometres can still be an issue. I think the best thing you can do is to go and have a chat with your local dealer and see what they say. If your car is impeccably kept and serviced, then they may say that mileage will only be a minor factor and you can keep the car you’ve got for a bit yet. If they say otherwise, then it may be time to swap.

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Hi Debra,

It’s kind of difficult for us to diagnose a car over the internet unfortunately, but it sounds as if you may have a whole host of problems there. You’re quite right in that rattles are often something to do with either the timing belt or chain or the camshaft mechanism, but if you’re getting multiple fault codes on a diagnostic it could be that there’s a bigger issue that is causing lots of systems to develop issues. Have you brought it to a Volkswagen main dealer yet? That would be our recommended course of action.

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Hi Ebere,

You’ll need two crucial documents. You’ll need the V5C form, which is the vehicle’s identity papers (it’s the red, pink and blue form with the car’s reg number, VIN number etc.) and you’ll need an invoice showing the date and location of sale and the amount paid for the car.

Other than that, you’ll need the usual proof of identity for yourself (passport or driver's licence, utility bill with your home address etc.).

I’d suggest you have a good careful read of two pages before you start out:

1 - from www.citizensinformation.ie

2 - from www.revenue.ie

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Hi Martin,

Dealer seal isn't really worth it in my opinion because for most of the year Irish roads aren't gritted and salted. I know they are this week, but a regular trip to the car wash will do just as good a job as 'dealer seal.' Protect coating is pretty similar. You'd be better off just keeping the car in good condition and taking care of stone chips etc as and when they occur. Step back protection is like any form of payment protection insurance - it has its uses, but buy carefully and make sure you study the small print with great care. 

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Hi David,

No, you would only have to pay VAT if the car were younger than six months old or had mileage of less than 6,000km. You will need to show that VAT has been paid when the car was originally purchased in the UK though.

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Hi Martin,

It’s going to be a lower-slung, 'coupe' version of the X1 SUV, with a higher price tag and a coupe-like roofline in the mould of the bigger BMW X4 and X6. It’ll mostly carry over the engines and chassis from the X1, which means the entry level model could be the 150hp 2.0-litre 18d engine. We’ll have more details towards the end of September after the car is officially unveiled for the first time at the Paris Motor Show.

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Conor,

It’ll be arriving in 2017, and we should see a full production version appear, if not at the Paris Motor Show in September, then at the Detroit show in January.

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Hi Niall,

Because each dealer’s business is different. Most, if not all, used cars on a dealer’s forecourt will have come in as a trade-in, so the price that the dealer needs to ask (in order to cover their costs and turn a profit) will be different. The amount that they offered the previous owner for that trade-in will be based not just on the intrinsic value of the car itself, but on a number of other factors, especially how many of that make and model the dealer might already have in stock and has to sell before that one moves on. Plus, each dealer has differing overheads such as ground rent, investments in showrooms, staffing levels etc. Beyond that, some dealers offer comprehensive and proper warranties on their used stock, the cost of which has to be factored into the price of each car.

Which is not to excuse dealers from random pricing. One of the great limitations of the Irish used car market is that, unlike the UK where we have access to thinhs such as the CAP Guide and Glass’ to give solid indications for second hand trade values, in Ireland it’s a much more suck-it-and-see, sure-it’ll-be-grand approach.