Which SUV for up to €23,000?
Looking for a mid-size SUV worth up to €23,000, at max two years old. Something stylish inside and out, quick and reliable. What should I go for?
Aaron Joyce (Limerick)Jul 2019 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
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.
Amarok, Ranger or Navara pick-up?
Hi there, hoping you can guide me in the right direction as I am torn between the VW Amarok, Ranger and the Nissan NP 300. I wont be using it for construction just merely for leisurely use so efficiency will have a part to play in my decision.
Looking for your advice.
Regards,
Ronan
Ronan Scroope (Cork)Jun 2019 Filed under: pick-up
Expert answer
Hi Ronan,
Well, to be honest, if efficiency is your thing, then don’t buy a pick-up truck — they’re all pretty big and thirsty and around 30mpg is the best you’re going to get from any of them. Of the three you’ve mentioned, the VW Amarok is the best — the most space in the cab, the best comfort, the best on-road handling and ride. The Ranger comes in a decent second, the Nissan a little further behind in third.
Relevant reviews:
Volkswagen Polo or Toyota Auris Hybrid?
Not sure which car to go for. Previously had 2016 Toyota Auris Hybrid and found it very economical and a comfortable drive. Unfortunately it was stolen. However, I'm driving a rental 191 Volkswagen Polo and liking the drive. Which car would you recommend: another 2016 Auris Hybrid or 2018 petrol Volkswagen Polo?
Thanks
Antoinette Kiely (Dublin)Jun 2019 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Antoinette,
The thing is that they’re two very different cars — the Polo is a significantly smaller vehicle than the Auris. So, if you need the space, and you like the hybrid aspect, then definitely go for another Auris. If you’re happy with the space in the Polo, and you can live without the hybrid bit, then the Polo is a very fine car.
Starting price of this VW California?
Hi,
Just wondering what the starting price is of the Volkswagen California Ocean Celebration model?
Kind regards
Sean
Sean Fallon (Wexford)Jun 2019 Filed under: pricing
Expert answer
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.
Looking for a new estate car...
Hi,
I am looking for a new estate car and would like to hear your opinion. I have been driving an Octavia Combi (1.6-litre TDI diesel, Ambition) for the past six years. I do approx. 25,000km per year, not many of those on the motorway. I really like the Skoda but would prefer something with a little more power and spec. I am thinking a 2.0-litre diesel in a high spec and have my eye on a one-to -two-year-old Superb or Passat. Any advice when choosing between those two? Also, I see if I go maybe one year older I could get an Audi A4 Avant. Would the A4 be a better option for comfort/spec over the other two?
Interested to hear your opinion.
Thanks.
M Lowe (Carrick On Shannon)May 2019 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi there,
The A4 would be a little better in terms of comfort, but not in terms of space or practicality, and to be honest the benefits are pretty marginal. Either the Passat or the Superb make fantastic estate cars. The Superb has an edge on luggage capacity (around 60 litres extra), but the Passat is a little sharper to drive, and has arguably a nicer interior. A marginal decision then, but we’d probably go for the Superb on balance. Or, just to throw a spanner in the works, have a look at the excellent Mazda6 Tourer before deciding…
A few reviews to help you decide:
Can I avoid VRT importing my own car?
Dear Team,
I moved to Ireland and brought my German car with me. It is a Volkswagen Caddy, built December 2014 with 115,000km reading on the clock. I had the idea of registering the car in Ireland, since I will be living permanently in Ireland for the next two years. Checking the VRT calculation online gave me a bit of a shock, since filling in the car information, as the system declared a VRT tax of €3,300. Could you please explain to me how to get around this tax? As I understood, since the car belonged to me before, it is not an import of a car (either new or used) in the normal sense?
Thanks a lot for your help
Regards
Dagmar Quandt
Dagmar Quandt (Galway)Apr 2019 Filed under: VRT
Expert answer
Hi Dagmar,
Thankfully, you’re absolutely right. As long as you can provide proof of transfer of residence to Revenue (such as a letter confirming your employment, proof of address etc), then you can import the car with no VRT cost whatsoever.
Which new hybrid SUV to go for?
I am a disabled driver and use hand controls for the brake and accelerator. For the last 12 years I have driven a Honda Accord 2.0 petrol automatic. It has been a fantastic car and now has 260k km on the clock. I am looking for a higher vehicle, an SUV, and am looking at the Honda CR-V Hybrid, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and the Volkswagen Tiguan (I could wait for the hybrid later in the year). I live in rural Ireland and handling on twisty roads is important and accelerating to pass slower moving cars on those all too few straight stretches of road. Is this a good shortlist, and if so, which would you recommend?
Robert Joyce (Clifden)Mar 2019 Filed under: hybrid
Expert answer
Hi Robert,
Yes, it’s a very solid shortlist, although obviously we can’t comment either way on the Tiguan plug-in hybrid as we’ve not driven one yet. As for the Honda and the Toyota, the Honda is roomier and rather more engaging to drive (better for all those twisty roads) so is probably the one we’d go for. The new RAV4 is well worth looking at, though, and it has impressive performance, so it’s good for all that overtaking. Links to our reviews below:
What's up with this Polo's handbrake?
Asking for a parent: they have a new 191 VW Polo and the car is still moving when just the handbrake is on (a traditional manual handbrake, not an electronic one);, is this something that is a known issue with new Volkswagen Polos? Cure from manufacturer garage is a nut to prevent it from slipping?!
Simon Mac Mahon (Dublin)Mar 2019 Filed under: brakes
Expert answer
Hi Simon,
We don't know of any common issue with these, but to be honest it sounds like the issue is one of two things.
1 - The handbrake lever is not being pulled up enough (I doubt that is the case, but you never know!)
2 - The handbrake cable needs to be adjusted. As this is a new car, then the garage that sold it really should sort it out for no fee. If it's out of adjustment under the car near the lever then they may need to check the mechanism within the rear hubs to see if something has gone wrong with the adjusters.
Hope you get it sorted out.
Have you a list of all the hybrids in Ireland?
Do you have a list of hybrids?
Thanks
Tony O'Brien (Shankill, Dublin 18)Feb 2019 Filed under: hybrid
Expert answer
Hi Tony,
Currently you can buy the following hybrids on the Irish market: Toyota Corolla, CH-R, RAV4, Prius, Yaris, and there are probably a few run-out examples of the Auris Hybrid out there still in dealerships. There’s also the Kia Niro and the Hyundai Ioniq. There’s the full Lexus range — CT, IS, RC, GS, ES, LS, NX, RX and LC. There’s the Ford Mondeo Hybrid, too. There’s the new Honda CR-V Hybrid, some Mercedes diesel-hybrids and petrol plug-in hybrids, oh and the new AMG 53 six-cylinder mild hybrids.
Suzuki does mild hybrids too — for the Baleno, Swift and Ignis. Then there are the plug-in hybrids — Kia Niro and Hyundai Ioniq again, plus the Volvo XC90 and XC60 T8 models, along with the S90 and V90; the BMW i8, 330e, 530e, X5 40e, 225xe, and the MINI Countryman S E; there’s also the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport plug-ins, the Mitsubishi Outlander, the Volkswagen Golf and Passat GTE, the Audi Q7 e-tron and the Porsche Panamera and Cayenne.
I bet I've forgotten some...
Can I retrofit a better wheel to my VW Golf?
Hi,
I have a quick question: does any company in Dublin do retrofiting of steering wheels on Volkswagen Golfs? I have a standard wheel on my car but I want to put a multifunction one on.
Thanks
Mateo Starcevic (Dublin)Feb 2019 Filed under: aftermarket
Expert answer
Hi Mateo,
I think the best thing to do is to go and have a word with your nearest Volkswagen dealer. I suspect that it may not be as simple as whipping off your wheel and hooking the new one on — there are complex systems and a lot of wiring to work out, so I’d say that a word with the experts would be the best place to start.