Expert answer

Hi Simon,

It depends on the engine, as to tax a Sprinter as a private vehicle, you’d have to go back on to the old engine capacity taxation system. So for a Sprinter with the 2.1-litre diesel, you’d have to pay €906 per year, and for one with the 3.0-litre V6 engine, you’d be looking at €1,494 per year.

Expert answer

Hi Tracy,

Do you mean VRT? VAT, Value Added Tax, is only charged on a new vehicle, or on an import that’s younger than six months old, or has less than 6,000km on the clock. At the current 23 per cent VAT rate, you’d pay around €6,000 on a brand new Nissan X-Trail in VAT.

If you do mean VRT, or Vehicle Registration Tax, then for a 2018-registered X-Trail with the 1.6 dCi diesel engine, you’re looking at around €5,000 for VRT. If you’re importing after January 1st, then there’ll be the extra NOx levy to pay, which, with the basic X-Trail’s 40mg/km NOx rating, means an extra €200 on top of the VRT.

Expert answer

Hi Barry,

I think this sounds more like a tyre issue than anything else. Is there a possibility that the car is on cheap, aftermarket, tyres? If so, get them replaced with a set of something decent — Michelins or Bridgestones. Going for xDrive would help, of course, as the extra bit of traction is never a bad thing, but it does add (slightly) to your running costs because of the weight and the extra frictional losses.

Expert answer

Hi Tristan,

If you’re taxing a van or commercial vehicle as a private car, you go back to the old by-engine-capacity system, and for a 1.6-litre engine that’s €514 per year.

Expert answer

Hi Mary,

That version of the Soul, with the automatic gearbox, has CO₂ emissions of 155g/km, so it’ll cost you €390 a year to tax. VRT on import shouldn’t be too steep — probably around the €1,800 mark depending on optional equipment, but bring it in quick — if you leave it until after January 1st you’ll have to pay the extra NOx tax, and that will add €1,975 to your import bill...

Expert answer

Hi Mark,

That’s right, you’ll miss the NOx tax if you bring it in before the 1st of Jan. After that though...

Expert answer

Hi Pat,

It probably depends more on the year than the mileage, but I’m going to assume with 100,000 miles on the clock, it’s probably a 2015 model? If so it should be worth around €12,500, or about €10,500 as a trade in. 

Expert answer

Hi Pat,

We certainly have noticed this trait in all Volkswagen Group DSG-based gearboxes (that's what the S tronic transmission is) and their attendant engines of late. The only explanation seems to be that VW’s various brands have trimmed back both engine power and responsiveness at low speeds, and especially at idle or when waking up from a stop-start cycle, in order to optimise their figures in the new WLTP emissions and economy tests. VW is certainly not the only one to do this, but it does seem to be more obvious with VW Group models than with some other manufacturers. Shifting the gearbox into Sport helps a bit, but it’s not a total fix.

One cure might be a total vehicle upgrade — we’ve noticed that the new ‘Evo’ versions of the 1.5 TSI petrol and 2.0 TDI diesel engines are noticeably less sleepy. Or, alternatively, trade in for a version with a manual gearbox — that is the simplest cure of all.

Expert answer

Hi Julian,

It should be changed at least every 200,000 kilometres or 10 years, whichever comes first.

Expert answer

Hi Lucy,

I'm afraid that the VRT calculator supplied by Revenue is only for an estimate, as every car is different. The final figure takes into consideration the condition, mileage and any extras fitted to the car.