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Showing 131 - 140 results (out of a total of 334) found for "automatic" in Ask Us Anything

I am looking for an automatic four-door.

I am looking for an automatic four-door, not too old, in the South Dublin area.

Stan Quinn (Dublin)

Feb 2016 Filed under: automatic

Expert answer

Hi Stan,

That's quite specific and we don't offer a car finding service I'm afraid, but we'd highly recommend spending some time refining searches on Carzone.ie.

Best of luck


Which auto is best for nervous drivers?

Which is the best automatic car with hill assistance to buy for a nervous driver?

Jean Doyle (Laois)

Jan 2016 Filed under: automatic

Expert answer

Hi Jean,

You've kind of answered your own question there - cars with automatic gearboxes won't roll back on a hill, or at least no more than a foot or two. As long as the gearbox is in D and you apply a little power, you'll start going forwards.


What will I replace my Kia Soul with?

I had a 1998 Honda CRV auto. I changed it in 2014 as it was costing so much to run. To this day I still pine for my Honda. Its reliability was incredible. I got a Kia Soul diesel 1.6 but find it noisy and bumpy on country roads. Also, the boot is too small for country living. Everything I look at is too big and bulky. I want something in a similar size to my Honda, diesel, 1.6 engine, automatic with low tax. I need height as I have bad back issues.

Many thanks. Margaret

Margaret Devereux (Louisburgh, County Mayo)

Jan 2016 Filed under: choosing new car

Expert answer

Hi Margaret,

I know what you mean. The Honda bug is a hard one to shift once it's bitten you. The good news is that Honda has a new car on the market, the HR-V, which is more compact than a CR-V, but still pretty spacious. It's high-riding, so good for your back, and can be had with Honda's terrific 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel engine. Looks nice too. Prices start from €23,995 or on a PCP deal from €255 a month and I'd say it's well worth checking out.

Read our Honda HR-V review here


BMW X3 or Mitsubishi Outlander?

Hello,

I am very interested in buying a diesel 2.0-litre automatic SUV. The two I'm most interested in are the BMW X3 2016 model xDrive and the Mitsubishi Outlander 2016 model. I know the BMW would be faster because it has the higher power output and probably would be better to drive. The thing is though the Outlander has the eight-year warranty and is a lot less expensive. I would wait until the new version of the X3 comes out if I decided to go with that so I probably would have to wait until next year to get one of those. Do you think it would be worth the wait or should I go for the Outlander?

Thanks.

Mary Walsh (Limerick)

Jan 2016 Filed under: choosing new car

Expert answer

Hi Mary,

The Outlander is a decent car, and hugely well equipped, not to mention having seven seats. It's fine to drive, and the recent update has brought better refinement and a higher quality cabin.

There's no question though that an X3 would be sophisticated and more engaging to drive, but it's well worth checking out the new and more affordable X1 - it's much improved over its predecessor and almost as spacious as the X3.

The Mitsubishi should beat both in terms of long term reliability though.

Relevant reviews:

Mitsubishi Outlander review

BMW X3 review

BMW X1 review


Should I go for an old Saab 9-5 auto?

Hi,

I'm thinking of taking a chance on a 2007 or 2008 Saab 9-5 automatic. Any advice appreciated: 2.0-litre petrol or 1.9-litre diesel?

Many thanks

Dave

David Doyle (Dublin)

Jan 2016 Filed under: choosing used car

Expert answer

Hi David,

I'd say overall that the 2.0 petrol will be the more reliable engine, not least because it's an older, more thoroughly developed unit. But beware - horror stories of 9-5 unreliability are legion...


Any advice on 2007 Volkswagen Touareg?

Any advice when looking at a 2007 3.0-litre auto diesel Volkswagen Toureg with 150,000 miles on the clock?

Dan Haslam (Coleraine)

Nov 2015 Filed under: reliability

Expert answer

Hi Dan,

To be honest, the Touareg is not the most reliable thing around. It suffers from electrical maladies and the air suspension is prone to failure. The timing chain on the V6 engines can also be fragile. The front brakes are a bit on the small side for a car that big and heavy so check under the front for damage too. Check for a thumping sensation from the automatic gearbox when changing gears and the centre differential can be weak so listen for whining or rattling noises. They chew through tyres as well, so check for uneven or excessive wear.


How best to import my car from the UK?

Hi, I'm an EU citizen, I lived 10 years in London, UK. I have my own car on GB plates, a 15 year-old Ford Mondeo 2.5 V6 automatic. I have a long MOT on this car. I have owned this car about four months, I have previous insurance, history, etc. What is the best way to register the car in Ireland? Will the MOT be accepted if I have 11 months left?

Thanks,

Laszlo

Laszlo Szabo (Clonbur)

Nov 2015 Filed under: importing

Expert answer

Hi Laszlo,

I'm afraid not. When you import the car into Ireland it will have to pass through an NCT (National Car Test - our equivalent of the MOT) before it can be legally registered here. That shouldn't be a problem though - any car that can pass an MOT should also pass an NCT. The problem is that because you have owned the car for less than six months, you'll get caught for Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) when you bring it in to the country - and on a 2.5-litre V6 engine that's going to be 36 per cent of what the Revenue Commissioners judge the vehicle's market value to be. This could get very expensive and you might be better off selling the car before you move and buying something new here.


How much is a Toyota Aygo auto worth?

How much would a 2007 Toyota Aygo automatic cost now? NCT until 2017 and tax until September 2016.

Gheorghe Gritunic (Dublin)

Oct 2015 Filed under: used car values

Expert answer

Hi Gheorghe,

Around €3,500 to buy. Probably worth about €2,000 as a trade in. 


Tell me more about the 151 Renault Clio.

What is the price of 151 Renault Clio and does it have power steering? Do you have to turn on the lights manually?

Grace Griffin (Co. Dublin)

Oct 2015 Filed under: choosing new car

Expert answer

Hi Grace,

Clio prices start from €15,730 and yes, they all have power steering. All models come with daytime running lights, which illuminate automatically, but if you want automatic, dusk-sensing headlights you'll have to upgrade to a €17,230 Dynamique Nav model.

Renault Clio review


What's wrong with my Opel Vectra?

My Opel Vectra is very sluggish when in first and second gear; could it be timing belt? No engine fault light shows up.

Brian Colman (Dublin )

Sep 2015 Filed under: fault

Expert answer

Hi Brian,

That doesn't sound related to a timing belt problem. A timing belt can either break altogether (potentially causing very expensive engine damage), in which case the engine would not run at all, or it could slip causing the engine to, at best, run poorly all of the time.

Best bet is to bring your car to a good mechanic for a look but it could be as simple as a dirty air filter or bad fuel, neither of which would automatically cause a warning light to come on.

Let us know how you get on