Expert answer

Hi Emir,

You’re quite right — with kids of those ages, most seven-seat SUVs simply aren’t roomy enough, unless you go for something genuinely massive and expensive, such as a Land Rover Discovery. So, I’d say the Ford Galaxy is indeed your best choice — lots of space, seven proper seats for seven proper people and it's good to drive too. Other options well worth looking at are the VW Sharan and SEAT Alhambra, and — if you can afford the running costs — the old Mercedes R-Class. 

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Expert answer

Hi Nithin,

You’re kind of shopping in two separate segments of the market, there — small city cars (such as the Up and the i10) and larger superminis (such as the Yaris and Clio). If it’s one of the small ones you want, then the decision is kind of made for you. The Up is one of our favourites, but there’s no automatic option, so the Hyundai it has to be. No bad thing — it’s an excellent car.

If you fancy something a little larger and roomier, then I’d suggest going for the Toyota Yaris Hybrid — it gets you the automatic transmission you want, plus you’re future-proofing yourself a little with the hybrid powertrain.

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Hi Lynn,

There are actually a huge number of tax breaks for disabled drivers in Ireland, including exemption from paying Vehicle Registration Tax and VAT on new cars or imports, plus a repayment of any VAT spent on converting or adapting a vehicle to your needs. You’ll need to be able to provide a Primary Medical Certificate, which you may need to wait until you’ve moved here to get, as it’ll have to come from your local Health Service Executive (HSE) office - although it’s possible that a UK cert would also be acceptable.

You can claim back the VRT and VAT on a new vehicle of up to 6,000cc engine capacity, and there’s also a fuel grant of 60c per litre for petrol, and 49c per litre for diesel, which can be reclaimed at the end of each year (up to a maximum of 2,370 litres). You’ll also be exempt from annual road tax, and you can find out more on all of this by getting in touch with your local Motor Tax office.

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Hi Donie,

Yes, you can and, by taxing it as a private vehicle, you will move back to the old by-engine-capacity tax system. Assuming that your Berlingo of choice has a 1.6-litre diesel engine, then it’s going to cost you €514 per year.

Expert answer

Hi Alan,

If you buy the car yourself, then there’s no BIK issue to worry about, even if you are using it for work. As for taxing it, if you’re strictly and only using it for work purposes, then it can be taxed as a commercial vehicle and will set you back a mere €333 in motor tax every year. If you are using it for personal use as well, then strictly speaking you’re supposed to tax it as a private car, which means taxing it on the engine capacity, which means an annual motor tax bill of €994. Also, you need to openly declare to your insurer what the vehicle is being used for.

Expert answer

Hi TJ,

It’s pretty easy, actually. You simply contact your local motor tax office and let them know that you wish to tax the vehicle for private use. They’ll then switch it over to the old by-engine-capacity tax system (€1,080 for a year’s tax for a 2.5-litre) and that’s the job done. You should probably inform your insurers too, although there shouldn’t be any major issues with that.

Expert answer

Hi Anthony,

Basically, if you’re taxing a commercial vehicle for private use, you revert to the old by-engine-capacity tax system, so for a Navara with a 2.5-litre engine, that’ll cost you €1,080 a year, compared to €333 a year for commercial tax. 

Expert answer

Hi Ken,

In terms of insurance, you simply need to contact your insurer and tell them that you’re going to tax the vehicle for private, social and pleasure use. There may be an increase in your premium because of this, but it shouldn’t be massive. As for the tax, all you have to do is contact your local motor tax office and inform them that you want to tax the vehicle for private use. That will put you onto the old by-engine-capacity tax system, so for a 2.0-litre TDCi Kuga, that’ll be €710 a year.

Expert answer

Hi Michael,

You only need to show proof of business use if you’re taxing it purely as a commercial vehicle. If you’re taxing it for private use, then all you have to do is let the local motor tax office know, and they’ll shift you to the old by-engine-capacity tax system. As for insurance, just talk to your insurer or broker and they’ll get your sorted. 

Expert answer

Hi Lillian,

No, it’ll be taxed as a commercial and the weight will be taken from its certificate of conformity document. If you want to tax it as a private car, then the weight doesn’t come into it — it switches back to the old by-engine-capacity system.