When will the new Toyota Prius be here?
Hi folks,
Do you know when the new Prius will be available for test drives in Ireland? I presume, while I'm writing, that the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV will not be available in Ireland? I saw an interesting review of it online recently.
Cheers
Philip
Philip Donegan (Ballina)Mar 2023 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Philip,
The Prius is due to land in Ireland in June so I'd expect cars available to test in dealers by early July. Have you seen our first drive review of the car?
And yes, you're right about the Mitsubishi - the brand is no longer being sold here.
Will I go hybrid instead of diesel?
Hi there,
Since options for new diesel cars are decreasing daily, can conventional hybrids such as the Toyota Corolla and the upcoming Honda Civic be as efficient for long motorway commutes? I would do over 50,000km annually and 75 per cent of that would be motorway.
Ideally my next car would be fully electric, but between the lack of availability, ever increasing purchase cost, electricity unit prices and finance nearly on parity with fossil fuel costs and the fact almost every large battery EV seems to be an SUV, I would need to look at all options.
David Delaney (Kells)Sep 2022 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi David,
It's a tricky time for choosing a new car in your situation for sure, especially given your high mileage. I feel that a diesel would still be a little more economical for you than the latest hybrids unless you keep your speeds down. If you spend most of that at 120km/h then a good diesel is hard to beat from an economy point of view. Saying that, the Corolla and new Civic are both very efficient cars and, if you adapt your driving style to their powertrains, then it is possible to return some trully outstanding fuel economy figures. And it must be said, with one eye on future values, a hybrid might be a more shrewd choice.
In your situation as described, I'd shy away from purely-electric cars for now as well. I'd be worried about relying on the public charging network to support such high mileage.
Lexus RX vs Toyota RAV4?
Hi folks.
Reading your review of the NX 450h, I'm wondering how it compares to the RAV4 PHEV? The NX is marginally, possibly insignificantly bigger and substantially dearer but they both have (as far as I can see) similar powerplants. Both with Toyota's reliability. Anyway, I'd be interested in hearing how you would compare them.
Thank you
Philip
Philip Donegan (Ballina)Mar 2022 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Philip,
Well-spotted!
Yes, they essentially share the same powertrain, but otherwise they're quite different. The Lexus justifies its higher price with a more luxurious interior and driving experience. It's quieter, too.
Looking for outright comfort in a car...
I am trying to identify the car that will provide the best possible ride quality for my wife who suffers from chronic pain due to multiple injuries.
So far she has found an Audi A3 and Audi A4 too hard, a Mercedes A 220 much better but with a seat that pushes her neck forward, a Volvo V40 R-Design with the best seat for her so far but too harsh a ride.
Perhaps you cannot say precisely what brand and model of car might be more suitable but the factors that overall might offer the best solution. Under consideration at the moment are a Volvo XC40 or XC60 and a Subaru Forester.
Thanks.
Seamus - Dublin 14
Seamus Connolly (Dublin 14)Mar 2021 Filed under: comfort
Expert answer
Hi Seamus,
This is obviously a tricky decision, and we wish your wife all the best in coping with this. When it comes to ride quality, the most important factors are the stiffness, overall, of the suspension, the size of the wheels, and the sidewall depth of the tyres. Basically, smaller wheels and normal suspension is the rule of thumb if you’re trying to get a car with a soft ride quality.
SUVs are actually generally quite bad for ride quality. That sounds counter-intuitive, because of course they’re taller and have longer-travel suspension, but the problem is that the springs and dampers have to be stiffened up to prevent the higher centre of gravity from inducing too much body roll. I would therefore suggest that keeping away from SUVs would be a good bet.
That said, the Subaru Forester you’ve mentioned below does indeed have a soft ride quality, again as long as you avoid the larger alloy wheel options. Ditto the smaller Subaru XV, which is helpfully lower to the ground and can get away with slightly softer suspension rates. Citroen, of course, is famed for having pillowy-soft ride quality, and the current C5 Aircross is pretty soft and springy, and has great seats into the bargain. You should definitely look at a Toyota Camry as well (very soft, and again with great seats) and the Skoda Superb.
Avoid anything that has a sporty designation (S line, R-Line, M Sport etc) as that will almost automatically have stiffer springs and bigger wheels.
Hope that helps. Below are links to our reviews of the cars mentioned above:
Private tax on a 2015 Toyota Hilux?
Just wondering what price it would be to tax a 2015 3.0-litre Toyota Hilux van for private use?
Thanks in advance
Stephen Mulvey (Dunboyne)Mar 2021 Filed under: taxation
Expert answer
Hi Stephen,
As a private car, you’ll have to tax that according to the engine capacity, so that means a €1,494 annual bill I’m afraid.
Read Buying a commercial vehicle for private use for more
Thinking of buying an old Toyota Hilux...
Hi,
I already have a car in my name for private use and I'm thinking of buying an old 2002 Toyota Hilux to have some fun driving an old truck. So, I have two questions: can I register its ownership without having a company? Can I purchase classic insurance for this Hilux?
Thanks in advance!!
Renato Dultra (Maynooth)Feb 2021 Filed under: commercial vehicle
Expert answer
Hi Renato,
Yes, absolutely — you can register a Hilux for personal use, but just remember that you’ll have to tax it as a private vehicle, which means you’ll be taxing it on the engine capacity, not the CO2 emissions. If it’s a 3.0-litre Hilux, that’s going to be pricey. Insurance can be an issue too, so get hold of a good broker to help you find the right policy.
Classic insurance is a non-runner, sadly. In Ireland, a car has to be more than 30 years old to qualify for classic status.
When is the updated Camry coming here?
Have you got any idea when the updated 2021 Toyota Camry will be on sale in Ireland?
Thanks
David C (Co-Louth)Feb 2021 Filed under:
Expert answer
Hi David,
Our contact at Toyota Ireland suggested it might not be until January 2022.
So a Hilux taxed privately is by engine size?
Do I understand correctly that if I tax a two-door, two-seat brand new Toyota Hilux as private, it's taxed per the engine size of 2,393cc, not per the CO2 emission rating?
Thank you.
Martin Heff (Tipperary)Feb 2021 Filed under: taxation
Expert answer
Hi Martin,
That's 100 per cent correct. It would make the Hilux €1,034 per annum to tax. More reading for you, though it sounds like you already know your stuff:
Chain or timing belt in a 2009 Avensis?
Does a 2009 Toyota Avensis 2.0 D-4D have a timing belt or timing chain?
David Culligan (Navan)Jan 2021 Filed under: servicing
Expert answer
Hi David,
Whether it's the older or newer Avensis (2009 was a changeover year), that engine used a timing chain.
Best finance option for Toyota Hilux pickup?
Hello,
I am planning on buying a Toyota Hilux, which I need for farming. It is €25,000. What is my best way to finance? I was thinking hire purchase.
Deirdre Shea (Killarney)Jan 2021 Filed under: finance
Expert answer
Hi Deirdre,
Hire purchase is definitely a sensible way to finance a Hilux purchase, not least because I assume that you want to own the vehicle outright at the end of the finance period? A PCP plan would give you lower monthly repayments, but would pretty much lock you into coming back in three years’ time to trade-in and, given the condition limits set as part of a PCP deal, it’s probably not the best thing for a hard-working farm truck. It’s well worth having a chat to your local Credit Union and bank first, though, just to be certain you’re not missing out on a good deal on a loan.