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Hi Colman,

Well, it depends. If it’s a van, then you’ll pay 13.3 per cent Vehicle Registration Tax, based on the vehicle’s Irish market value, which would be around €8-9,000. Which would mean in and around the €1,000 mark, depending on the model and spec. If it’s a Berlingo passenger version, then you’re looking at a VRT cost of around €4,500, including the NOx levy (and assuming a NOx figure of 158mg/km). 

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Hi Martin,

It should be changed every 75,000km or five years, whichever comes first.

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Hi Declan,

Because you go back onto the old by-engine-capacity tax when you tax a commercial vehicle privately, that’s going to cost you €514 a year to  tax.

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Hi Ken,

You've not mentioned the year, but in general, that 1.3-litre CDTi engine was a decent powerplant, mixing good economy with surprising performance. It's not the most refined in the world, but it has proven to be quite robust.

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Hi Philip,

The NOx rating for the 2015 E 220 CDI diesel E-Class comes in at around 170mg/km. That adds up to a NOx charge of some €2,850, and that will be on top of whatever the VRT is. 

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Hi William,

The 1.6-litre petrol engine's belt of that era requires a change every 160,000km or eight years, whichever comes first. 

For the 1.6-litre diesel, it depends on when the engine was manufactured. Pre July 2011, it's 140,000km and ten years, and after that it's 180,000km or ten years.

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Hi Paul,

A 2011 car should be the later eight-valve engine, with 116hp. Its belt should be changed every 200,000km or 10 years, whichever comes first.

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Hi James,

The Qashqai has long been one of the most popular cars on the market, and with good reason — it’s roomy, quite stylish, decent to drive and mostly reliable. We say "mostly” as there have been reported issues with turbocharger problems (although those seem to affect the diesel engined version rather more) and suspension problems. With a five-year-old car, we’d recommend getting an inspection by someone like the AA to ascertain if there are any serious issues with the car, and of course do a full history and background check with Cartell.ie.

Other than that, as long as it comes with a full service history, it should be a good buy.

Read our Nissan Qashqai Mk2 (2014-2021) used car buying guide for more.

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Hi David,

OK, this one could be a bit of a problem. We’ve asked Mercedes about this but so far no-one there has been able to track down a correct or reliable figure. The problem is that the law states "If satisfactory evidence of NOx emissions cannot be provided the following maximum charges will apply: For Diesel vehicles that is €4,850.” Which is a lot of money.

If the car comes with an original certificate of conformity (unlikely) then the NOx figure may well be on that, but it was not a figure that many took much notice of in the nineties. Perhaps the best bet would be to wait until 2023, when the car will be 30 years old and then you can import it as a classic?

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Hi Eduatd,

All 2008 cars should, by now, have been updated to the CO₂-based tax system, but the good news is that the 1.9 dCi-engined version of the Scenic has a CO₂ output of 159g/km, so costs €570 a year to tax, instead of the €673 you’d have spent on the old engine capacity system.