Which seven-seater with boot space is best?
Guys - brother is looking for a seven-seater to accommodate a growing family. Needs to have room for buggy or two in the boot if possible. His budget is about €10k. Nothing too big engine wise to keep running costs down. Any advice appreciated - thanks.
Barry Delaney (Dublin)Mar 2013 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Barry,
The hard bit here is having buggy space in the boot in a seven-seater — seven-seaters keep their extra seats in the boot, so you can have extra seats, or luggage space, but normally not both. Our favourite ones are generally the VW Touran, the Ford S-Max, the Kia Carens, the SEAT Alhambra and the Toyota Verso, but all of those will have the seats/space issue. If they need something bigger, do let us know. In the meantime, our relevant reviews:
How do I bring a car in from the North?
I reside in Ireland. If I buy a car with Nothern Ireland registation, what do I have to do to change it to Irish and how much would it cost me?
Olga Kulikova (Waterford)Mar 2013 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Olga,
How much it will cost you will depend on the car. To re-register a car in the Republic of Ireland, you have seven days from the point of arrival in the country to book an inspection with your local NCT centre. At that point, it will be inspected by the Revenue Commissioners to determine its Open Market Selling Price (OMSP), which is the price they think you would have paid, had you bought an identical car in Ireland.
That figure, and the car’s CO2 emissions rating, will determine the amount of Vehicle Registration Tax, or VRT, you will have to pay to complete the process. From the point of entry of the car into the country, you have a maximum 30 days to complete that process.
You can find much more detail here from the Citizens Information Board
Or read our guide, 'How Much VRT is Paid in Ireland'
How to work out a 2009 SUV's tax?
Where can I find out the current tax rate on a 2009 SUV? All I can find is the band rates, but how do I find out what rate the car is to begin with? Found two websites and two different rates for the same car. Plus dealer told me another rate...
Grainne Flynn (Waterford)Mar 2013 Filed under: taxation
Expert answer
Hi Grainne,
Well, if you could tell us the exact make and model you’re looking at, we can tell you. All motor tax rates since 2008 are calculated on the CO2 emissions of the car (unless it’s a commercial version) and that can be affected by everything from the engine to the gearbox to items of trim and equipment. The more detail you can give us, the more precise an answer we can give. For reference, read our Motor Road Tax Prices in Ireland Explained guide.
Petrol Ford Focus or Opel Astra?
Can you compare the Ford Focus EcoBoost Titanium against the Opel Astra 1.4 Elite?
Paul Cleary (Dublin)Nov 2012 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Paul,
Do you mean the EcoBoost engine, versus the Astra’s 1.4 Turbo? It’s a very close match, especially if you’re looking at the current models. The Astra is exceptionally good to drive, and that 1.4 Turbo is a good engine too. The Focus’ EcoBoost three-cylinder engine is, theoretically, more economical, but it depends very much on how you drive it. The Focus’ chassis and steering responses are better than those of the Astra, but then the Astra has the nicer interior. Depends where you priorities lie, really...
Thoughts on the Skoda Rapid?
I just wanted to know your opinions on the Skoda Rapid. I would be interested in the base model in either diesel or petrol. Which engine is better for about 30,000km per annum? Is this car very similar to the VW Jetta or SEAT Toledo?
Thanks
David Clarke (Dublin)Oct 2012 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi David,
The SEAT Toledo and Skoda Rapid are basically the same car, but with different badges. There’s no close relationship to the Jetta (other than minor systems and bits and pieces under the skin). Actually, the underpinnings are a combination of old Golf and old Polo bits, mixed and matched together. They’re decent cars — reliable and roomy — but not the most sophisticated. You’ll have to put up with a narrow cabin, slightly crude rear suspension and a fair bit of noise inside. If you’re doing 30k a year, you’re probably best off with the 1.6 TDI diesel. You should easily squeeze 55mpg out of that.
What do you think of the CVT Nissan Qashqai?
What's your opinion of the CVT gearbox in the Nissan Qashqai?
Peter Craig (Delgany Wicklow)May 2012 Filed under: gearbox
Expert answer
Hi Peter,
It looks like nobody working with CompleteCar has driven this combination. The CVT is only offered with a 1.6-litre petrol engine in Ireland and our experience of any CVT gearbox with any petrol engine is not good. It is smooth, as there are no gear changes as such, but engine revs don't often correspond to forward motion, so it often feels that the engine is revving unnecessarily. CVT works well enough with diesel, but not with petrol engines.
Saying all that, you really should try it for yourself before discounting it completely.
Hope that helps.
How can I clean this stuff off my car?
Hi there CompleteCar,
Any idea what I can do/use to get rid of 'fence life' paint from my car? It got sprayed a little over the weekend. Will it need to be machine polished to get it all off? I've rubbed the spoiler area for about an hour with warm sudsy water and then a dry cloth and managed to get it 90% off that, but it's pretty much all over the car.
Help!
Dave Clarke (Carrigaline, Co. Cork.)Apr 2012 Filed under: cleaning
Expert answer
Hi Dave,
If you don't have any luck cleaning this by hand it's probably worth bringing the car into a spray painter and having the paint machine compounded and then polished back up.
Cheaper than a respray!
Is that a fair price for my Honda CR-V?
Hello I need some advice please. I have a 2004 honda CR-V with 119,000 miles on the clock. I have been offered €4,000 for it and I would like to know if you think this is the best price I can hope for. Thanks.
Sheila Conway (Cork)Oct 2011 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi there Sheila,
If it is against a new or reasonably recent used car then it really isn't that generous. Presuming that it is in decent condition you could push for about €500 more, but as we always say here on CompleteCar.ie, don't look at how much you are getting for your car, but rather the 'cost to change' as this allows you to shop around with more clarity. You could try and sell your car privately. The cheapest one I have seen for sale privately is asking €5,250, so you could try that price and if you got €4,500 you would still be quids in! I hope that helps Sheila.
What car to replace my reliable Volvo?
Hi folks,
I drive 500 miles a week at my own expense to and from work on the N24 - one of the worst national routes in the country. My 2001 Volvo S60 2 litre Turbo (Petrol) has been mostly a great servant and now has almost 240,000 miles on the clock. The running costs have become a bit tasty in recent times. I have a budget of around €15,000 to replace it with a second hand motor. I'll consider most any marque of car. Running costs, reliability and safety are my most important considerations. Any chance of a few suggestions?
Noel Carroll (Tipperary)Sep 2011 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Noel,
You obviously spend a lot of time in your car on a very bad road so the Volvo would probably have been ideal for you. In that case I am recommending that you get something with super comfy suspension and super comfy seats. You have probably extracted all of the value from your Volvo, so you can't really expect to be offered much more than a token gesture of up to €1,000 for that car, but I imagine that you know this.
So, with your budget of €15,000 then what should you buy? I would imagine that you keep your cars for a long time so future depreciate probably isn't a major factor for you, but you say that running costs are.
The first car I have picked is a Saab 9-5. Saab are in a little bit of trouble, but their cars are so comfortable, with great seats. This one has a diesel engine and will be cheap to run. It would be a great car to own long term and is well under your budget.
We really like the Mazda6 here at CompleteCar.ie and here is a nice one with a diesel engine and low mileage. This is a great car for mega mileage and would be super for your needs.
Another brilliant choice would be the Skoda Superb which is massive, comfy and really well built. This one has low mileage, the right engine and is great value. It is amazing value at under €13,000. I think I would buy this to be honest.
I hope this helps!
What car to replace my 5 Series?
Hi guys. Might be a tricky one as its really a matter of opinion but i'm trying to replace a money pit '01 BMW 5 Series with something a little cheaper to run.
I've about 8 to 9k to spend on something in the Mondeo/407/Passat region. Has to be Diesel. I'm not too pushed about mileage as age is more of a concern reliability wise. Obviously very little compares to my current motor for comfort and build quiality but any major flaws you know of with cars that class would make the decision a bit easier.
For instance i've heard the Passat has major issues with it's electronic handbrake, A/C, and electrics and the Rover 75 may be tricky for parts. Obviously any recomendations would be personal taste but i'm stumped so any help would be much appreciated. My only absolute no is the Vecta. Been there. No interest in going back. All suggestions greatly appreciated.
Gar O'Neill
Gareth O'Neill (Drogheda)Aug 2011 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Gar,
We are never short on opinion here at CompleteCar.ie Gar, so you have come to the right place. Coming out of your 5 Series you are going to have to buy something that is vaguely interesting or you are going to really hate whatever you buy. Given that you are concerned about reliability you are right to express some concerns about the Passat. Unfortunately there have been quite a few issues with the last model Passat and it would probably stop me buying one second hand, even though it is usually the default choice. I'm not sure why you mentioned the Rover 75, but lets pretend that you didn't.
If I was buying something with €8,000 - €9,000 I think it would probably be a Mazda6 Diesel. I really like them and they age really nicely.
You would have to check the DPF is ok, but otherwise they are a cracking good car.