Expert answer

Hi Brian,

A diesel car is quite well-suited to that journey still, as it's over 100 kilometres each way, but we can understand why you might be looking to 'electrify'.

First up, I think we can disregard plug-in hybrids for your needs. None of them have an all-electric range to do a full journey from Limerick to Killarney - or vice versa - even if you could plug it in before heading back the other way again. That would make it potentially quite inefficient overall for you.

A regular hybrid might work depending on your driving style. The N21, which I assume you use, is quite a busy road, so average speeds aren't very high, but some drivers do make the effort to overtake slower traffic and keep their average speed up. If you're the type to amble along with the flow of traffic, then a hybrid might get close to your diesel's economy. If you tend to rush and do lots of overtaking, it won't.

Depending on your budget and situation, I think an electric car would be a good option. There are loads of models with official ranges in excess of 400km now and even allowing for a deterioration of that due to higher speeds and cold temperatures, they'll all likely cover the return journey from Limerick to Killarney and back with little trouble. You could top up the battery if you need to in Killarney, but the vast majority of your charging could be done each night at home. That is of course assuming that you have off-street parking and somewhere to install an electric charger. That's key to EV ownership.

If you don't quite need the space of the 5 Series, but like the BMW brand, I'd highly recommend the BMW i4. 

Other than that, check out our list of every electric car currently on sale in Ireland for ideas - and feel free to come back to us to discuss this further. 

Either way, drop us a message to let us know what you decided to do

Expert answer

Hi Martin,

That's trickier than ever to predict right now as prices of used cars have gone through the roof. A dealer would likely try to sell that car for around the €29,000 mark, which means they'd offer you a few grand less as a trade-in. 

Do yourself a big favour though: get offers from several different dealers, as the price will vary.

Let us know how you get on so we can pass the knowledge onto other readers.

The BMW i4 is a great choice by the way!

Expert answer

Hi Michael,

So long as they have off-street parking and are willing to get a charger installed at home, then I'd suggest that a full-on electric car will suit them. For that outlay, there are loads of good options to consider:

Skoda Enyaq reviews

Volkswagen ID reviews

Kia EV6 reviews

Hyundai Ioniq 5 review

Expert answer

Hi Keif,

OK, so there’s going to be a lot of costs here. I’m going to assume that it’s a 2014 car, based on that price, so that will be about €3,700 in VRT (assuming an OMSP of around €22,000). Your NOx levy will be about €195 on top of that (assuming a NOx emissions value of 39mg/km). Then there’s customs duty, which will be 10 per cent of the purchase price plus the shipping costs, and then finally VAT, which will be 23 per cent of the total purchase price, inclusive of customs duty.

A sum of £12,000 is about €14,000 on today’s rate, so allowing for around €200 in shipping costs, that’s going to be about €1,420 in customs duty. And then VAT on top of that is going to work out at around €3,550. Your total cost of import (not including air fares to go and collect the car etc) is going to be about €19,000. Again, please remember, these are VERY rough calculations and won’t hold any water with Revenue…

It's worth a read or our Guide to Importing Cars from the UK

Expert answer

Hi Phelim,

A rate of €750 a year suggests that the car has been put into the 171-190g/km emissions band. That does seem higher than native Irish Santa Fes. When did you import the car? It sounds to me that Revenue may have 'uplifted' the NEDC emissions rating to its WLTP equivalent, something that has happened since 1 January 2021.

See our Guide to Importing Cars from the UK feature for more information - most of that applies to a car imported from Australia too. Hopefully that helps you understand it.

Expert answer

Hi John,

I drove the 3.0-litre diesel Quattroporte when it was launched in 2015 (read the full review here) and really liked it. Note that we compared it with cars in the class above the E-Class at the time. There's no doubt that it was a lovely car when new and it's certainly a change from the default options.

However, with our sensible hats on, we'd be slow to recommend you make a change from a known quantity such as the E-Class to an older car, especially as the nearest Maserati dealership is in Belfast. 

Some owners report no issues with their Quattroporte, but others have had no end of expensive and annoying faults and for that reason we'd probably steer clear.

If you are still tempted, go have a test drive and get it inspected by an expert. Also, ask to see full details of all work done on the car since new and look for anything unusual - plus you want evidence of a full service history.

Best of luck - do let us know what you decide to do.

Expert answer

Hi John Paul,

You’re dead right in that four-wheel-drive EVs are currently rather expensive — the best value ones around at the moment are the Volkswagen ID.4 GTX, the Skoda Enyaq Sportline iV 80x and the Tesla Model 3 Long Range, all of which are in the region of €57,000 to €59.000.  Which is quite a lot of money, even if all three are excellent cars.

If you want to go front-wheel drive, but keep the SUV body shape, then there are still some very good options all the same. The Kia e-Niro, the Kia e-Soul and the Hyundai Kona Electric all share the same battery, electric motor and front-wheel-drive platform, and all are excellent cars. The Niro is fractionally the more practical, the Soul arguably the best to drive and the Kona a pretty good compromise between the two.

Or you could try the MG ZS if you want something a bit cheaper, but bear in mind that a new, longer-range model is coming in the new year that will bump up its price from €28,995 to €31,000. 

Mind you, you’ve said you’re happy to put winter tyres on, and this should really bring the various rear-wheel-drive models back into play. With the right tyres, and given the hefty two-tonne weight of larger models such as the ID.4 and Enyaq, you’re unlikely to experience any major traction issues, so don’t count those models out. 

Expert answer

Hi Fergal,

The answer is yes. And maybe no. And maybe… maybe. We know that Ford will replace the current Mondeo with a new model, but that it will be a crossover, possibly retaining the Mondeo name in some way, or possibly being called the Evos. We know that it will be a tall-ish crossover, rather than a full-on SUV, kind of in the mould of the Subaru Outback, but what we don’t know is whether or not this new Mondeo (or Evos) will be coming to Europe. Right now, it’s being readied for a launch in the Chinese market, as both a petrol and hybrid car.

Ford has committed to going all-electric in Europe, so it’s hard to see how such a car would fit into those plans. It’s more likely that the next-gen Kuga will effectively be the Mondeo replacement for us, with the larger Mustang Mach-E taking on the range-topping duties. 

Expert answer

Hi Alex,

The good news is, you shouldn’t have to pay anything. As long as you can show proof of ownership for at least six months prior to your move, at your previous address, and can show documentation confirming your move to Ireland, you should be exempt from both VRT and VAT.

You can find more details on the Revenue website.

With regards to motor tax for your diesel, it depends when it was registered and, assuming it's post-2008, what its CO₂ emissions rating is. Read our Motor Road Tax Prices in Ireland Explained feature for full details.

Expert answer

Hi Fergal,

OK, at the very top of your list should be the Skoda Superb. It’s massive inside, hugely comfortable, has a huge boot, is well made and has an excellent 2.0-litre TDI 150hp diesel engine. It’s well worth checking out the 150hp TSI petrol too though — it's smoother, quieter and nearly as economical unless you're driving at motorway speed all day.

Next go and check out the Mazda6. Now, there’s no five-door fastback version, but there is a hugely handsome Touring estate model, and it’s very good to drive. Tremendous interior quality too. Only problem? Mazda has dropped diesel engines from its line-up, but the 2.0-litre petrol is an excellent unit, and surprisingly economical.

Finally, you could go for one, last Mondeo. It’s coming to the end of its production life right now, but it’s still a firm favourite of ours, and with it being on run-out, you’ll get some proper bargains if you want to buy one of the last ones. 

Read our Skoda Superb reviews

Read our Mazda6 reviews

Read our Ford Mondeo reviews