Expert answer

Hi Michael,

Sorry to tell you that the 156, as much as we love them, have not proven to be very reliable. The Driver Power Survey (carried out in the UK, but usually relevant to the same cars sold here) continuously ranks the Alfa 156 near the bottom for reliability. On closer scrutiny the much talked about electrical problems seem to be niggles rather than serious issues, though blown head gaskets and water leaks have been reported too.

As with any second-hand car, go for the example with the best service history, and make sure with the 156 that it had its 60,000-mile service done at the right time.

Same advice with the 146 really with regards to service history. It's especially important that it has had regular, on time timing belt changes so if there's no history showing this then look elsewhere. Smoky engines are a giveaway to expensive future bills, as are groans and creaks in the suspension. As with the 156, electrical niggles have been widely reported, though it seems that some cars have them and some don't...

In summary, if reliability is the most important aspect of this car purchase to you, then we'd not recommend either of these cars, but if you're already sold on the idea of one of these Alfas then we'd suggest you veer towards the 156.

Hope that helps.

Expert answer

Hi Kayleigh,

The Rio is very good value under the scrappage scheme so I can understand your interest in it. You are getting a five-door family car for €10,565 (excluding delivery and related charges) under the scheme:

http://www.kiamotors.ie/showroom/scrappage/rio scrappage.aspx

The thing about scrappage is that the discount given by the Government is one part, the discount from the car firm is another; whether or not you will get further discount on top of this from the dealer is debatable. We will check in with Kia to see if you get the same level of discount from an Opel dealer - it may well be restricted to Kia outlets.

Let us come back to you on this one.

Expert answer

Hi Anthony,

With a budget of €30,000 you can afford the most expensive five-door Mazda3 officially on sale in Ireland. It's called the Z-Sport and is powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine with 151hp. It's priced at €29,495 plus the usual 'dealer related charges'.

You wouldn't have much left for accessories though...

Mazda's site shows what's available on that front (click here to go straight to the Mazda3 section). There are loads of roof attachments, including a Thule-made bicycle rack. Unfortunately there don't appear to be prices on the site for the accessories so you'll need to contact your local dealer.

Boot space for golf clubs won't be an issue.

If you'd like recommendations for alternatives to this Mazda please let us know in the comment box below and we'll see what we can find.

Expert answer

Hi Liam

A car like yours will retail at a main VW dealer for around €13,500 - €14,000. So, you could probably expect to be offered about €11,000-€12,000 when you trade it in against a Mercedes-Benz, perhaps more if you were trading it in at a VW showroom. Dealerships often have to invest in bodywork and servicing of a trade-in so they don't tend to offer the same as it will retail for and of course they have to try and make some profit too.

Don't get too caught up on how much you are being offered for your car, but rather look at the cost to change. Remember, if you were buying the Mercedes as a straight deal you would probably get a decent discount. This discount may be used against your trade-in to make it seem more appealing.

Pricing a car isn't an exact science, but we would say shop around and don't be afraid to haggle hard!

Expert answer

It is very true that obtaining finance is a major problem at the moment. A survey by the Peugeot dealer network in late 2009 showed that 71 percent of car finance proposals were being rejected compared to 30 percent in September 2008. In the last 12 months GE Money, Friends First and Lombard Ireland all left the market, which is now dominated by the likes of Permanent TSB, Bank of Scotland Ireland and the two main banks, AIB and Bank of Ireland. Evidence also suggests that the credit union has become a prominent lender for private individuals in the car market. It isn't a free for-all from the credit unions, but if you do have a decent savings record with a credit union they are a very good option.

In most dealerships, if you go through the likes of Permanent TSB, then you will usually need a pretty hefty deposit. Volkswagen Group now have their own bank and are said to be getting very high pass rates. As with most cases, it does depend on the state of your own finances and your ability to pay back the loan.

What seems to be clear is that motor finance is available, but like so many of the radio advertisements will say, ‘terms and conditions apply’. Large deposits and tough credit checks have replaced the sort of one-click, one-signature availability of the recent past

Expert answer

Hi Paul,

That is a very interesting question. You only have to look at the difference in pricing through various different genre of cars to see that we have not had cars as cheap here in Ireland in years and even when you compare them to prices in Europe things are favourable. This is of course little solace to those who find obtaining credit virtually impossible.

Manufacturers are constantly streamlining methods of production and there is much greater co-operation between manufacturers in terms of powertrain sharing and platform sharing, but the simple explanation of the reduction in prices here in Ireland is of course the easing of taxation slightly. New cars, as I am sure you are aware, are now taxed according to their CO₂ emissions and this means that cars that might once have been subjected to 30 percent VRT under the old system are now only subject to 16 percent, because of advances in engine technology. When you look at cars like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series now with emissions of less than 140g/km, as long as the present taxation system is in place, prices will remain quite low. Manufacturers are also likely to keep prices low to their retailers as every incentive needs to remain in place to keep sales moving throughout a sluggish global economy.

In answering your question, I would say that the lowering of prices certainly hasn't finished, especially here in Ireland. This year there has been a lot of discounting from manufacturers such as Renault who is aggressively targeting market share. Even when scrappage ends in December I can't see an end to this straight away, as next year, without the scrappage incentives, manufacturers and retailers will need to come up with a whole new set of incentives to draw nervous buyers back into the showrooms.

Expert answer

Hi Paul,

VRT (Vehicle Registration Tax) is the main cost. VRT is chargeable on registration of a motor vehicle in the State. All motor vehicles in the State, other than those brought in temporarily by visitors, must be registered with the Revenue Commissioners. A vehicle must be registered before it can be licensed for road tax purposes.

In the case of cars and small vans, the tax is a percentage of the expected retail price - including all other taxes in the State. This price is known as the Open Market Selling Price or OMSP. The VRO will calculate this tax for you or you may obtain the details online at Vehicle Registration Online Enquiry System.

Full details on how VRT works and all the charges can be found here.

Hope that helps