Is the Skoda Octavia 1.0 a good one?
Is the Skoda Octavia 1.0 TSI good (in terms of fuel economy and reliability) for long drives? E.g. travelling from Copenhagen to Prague (approx 1,000km) in one day?
Sharad Maroo (Ringsted)Jun 2017 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Sharad,
Skoda reliability is hard to beat; in fact Skoda often does better in reliability surveys than its Volkswagen overlord, so knocking off a regular 1,000km journey will be no bother to it.
As for economy, we recently tested the 1.0 Octavia and got close to 50mpg out of it in daily driving, so it's pretty frugal, really.
New Opel Mokka X or similar crossover?
Hi,
I'm considering buying the new Opel Mokka X or similar sized, height and priced car. What would you recommend? I've even considered the Dacia range, but maybe its false economy with them?
Thanks
Simon
Simon McCormack (Straffan)May 2017 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Simon,
The Mokka is quite nice, and a bit of an underrated car actually, but we reckon the best car in this class is the Suzuki Vitara, which is affordable, genuinely rugged, reliable and quite nice to drive. Handsome too. The Dacia Duster is actually a terrific machine — you have to allow for a rough and ready interior and an unrefined driving experience, but for the money it’s nigh-on impossible to beat.
Petrol or diesel Ford for an M50 commute?
Hi,
My workplace is in Blackrock and I live in Lucan, so it takes around 25 to 30 minutes to get to the work and I work only three days a week, which makes my annual mileage around 10,000km. I am getting a good deal on a Ford diesel car. Should I go for diesel or not? Cost of diesel engine is not the concern; I am worried about DPF and servicing costs as my annual mileage is not much, but whatever km I am going to drive would be M50.
Kind regards,
Naseem
Naseem Mian (Lucan)May 2017 Filed under: petrol vs. diesel
Expert answer
Hi Naseem,
If you’re driving the M50 a lot, it probably depends what time of day… Post-10am or pre-4pm and you’d probably get up enough speed to be able to keep the DPF clear and so it wouldn’t be a problem, even with the relatively low mileage. If you’re stop-start driving and not getting into a proper heat cycle, then no, go for petrol instead. Ford has that brilliant little 1.0-litre EcoBoost turbo petrol engine.
How much insurance will I pay?
I am a 60-year-old male with a clean driving licence and full no claims discount. Can anyone give me a rough estimate what insurance will cost? The car is a 2007 Jaguar XKR 4.2 with 37,000 miles on the clock and a value of €30,000.
Steve Sredojevic (Carnew)Mar 2017 Filed under: insurance
Expert answer
Hi Steve,
Unfortunately no, we can’t. The Irish insurance sector is byzantine at best, and downright mendacious at worst. With a high-performance vehicle such as the XKR, you’re probably looking at at least a four-figure premium, in spite of your good record, but we’d suggest getting in touch with a good broker, who may be able to squirrel out deals that others can’t.
I have €20,000 to spend on an SUV...
Hi,
I have €20,000 to spend on a manual five-seat SUV. I have narrowed my choice down to a used 141 Volkswagen Tiguan Sport & Style with 95,000km (2.0 diesel manual), which I really like or a brand new Dacia Duster Signature. I have also considered the Mercedes-Benz B-Class. I live in a town and only do about 10,000km a year and I don't want to go below 141.
Also bear in mind my 17-year-old son is going to start to drive in October and he will be driving this car. And that I will occasionally need to transport large items, which both the Tiguan and Duster would be able to handle. I would greatly appreciate if you could recommend which of the two to go for and if you could recommend other alternatives that may be better.
Kind regards
Liam Fagan
Liam Fagan (Navan, Co.Meath. )Mar 2017 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Liam,
OK, first off you don’t need and shouldn’t be buying a diesel. With that kind of mileage, and doing most of it in town, you’ll never get enough efficiency out of the engine and you’ll run into trouble with the particulate filter and more potentially.
Of the three cars you’ve mentioned, I think that the Mercedes B-Class might actually be the most sensible, and it’s certainly the roomiest if you’re concerned about carrying big loads. Worth remembering that for similar money you could probably get yourself into a nice C-Class Estate too, which is only a little smaller inside and a whole lot nicer to drive. I’d be tempted to stick with the Mercedes, too, for safety reasons, if your son is going to start learning to drive.
The Tiguan is another very good option, and there are versions with Volkswagen’s excellent 1.4 turbo petrol engine if you shop around. Again, safe and good to drive, if not quite as roomy as the B-Class. I’d avoid the Duster at this point — it’s diesel only, and not as safe as the Merc or Volkswagen.
How old is a 'vintage' car?
What year does a car have to be before it is classed as vintage?
Patrick Mcnally (Mayo)Mar 2017 Filed under: classic cars
Expert answer
Hi Patrick,
To qualify as 'vintage' for tax purposes a car must be 30 years old or older. For insurance purposes a car can sometimes be younger than that, but most insurers will demand that you have a more modern car for everyday driving as well as the classic.
I'm looking for a high-up diesel auto...
Currently driving a Peugeot 2008 diesel automatic. Love it, but need a slightly higher car again - still diesel automatic. My passenger has a disability and needs easier access. Don't need larger car just higher car. I like the Ford EcoSport, but the diesel version is not automatic. It appears slightly higher than the 2008. Something along that line and price bracket would suit me if it were available. Otherwise I will have to return to a Peugeot 3008 diesel automatic, which I had some years ago, but felt it was too large. Did not have to take disabled passenger at that stage.
Yvonne O'Dwyer (Kilkenny)Feb 2017 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Yvonne,
It’s going to be very hard to find a car that’s taller but not bigger overall. Most car makers cluster around the same size and dimensions within a given class, so unless you go for a larger car altogether, you’re unlikely to find anything else that is more than a few millimetres different either way.
Your best bet might be to have a look at the Opel Mokka X, which is similarly sized to the 2008, but a little bit higher in its ride height. Why not go and check out out and see if it suits?
Relevant reviews:
What's the best electric car right now?
Which is the best electric car in relation to performance and most importantly cost to buy and running cost?
Alma Bermingham (Dublin)Feb 2017 Filed under: electric cars
Expert answer
Hi Alma,
The Nissan Leaf is the most affordable electric car, but the cheapest versions have limited range (less than 160km on a single charge). The new Renault Zoe has a brilliant claimed range of 400km, but that's quite pricey for a small car. The BMW i3 is probably the best electric car around at the moment, but is very expensive, sadly. So, I think the best one for affordability and useable range is probably the Hyundai Ioniq. It gets an easy 200km in real-world driving, it's roomy and not too expensive. Read our test drives of each below:
Ford Fiesta 1.2 or Peugeot 208?
142 Ford Fiesta 1.2 or 151 Peugeot 208 1.2? Both have high mileage. Asking the same money. Which is best, in your opinion?
Tom Nelson (Maynooth)Jan 2017 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Tom,
Both are good cars, but we’d say the Fiesta has a slight edge in terms of quality and of driving experience.
Year 2001 Renault Laguna and Fluence?
What are the Renault Laguna and Renault Fluence like from the year 2011?
Lorraine Myler (Cappagh)Jan 2017 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Lorraine,
They're OK from the point of view of reliability (although the 1.5 diesel can suffer from blown turbos and you need to keep an eye on the electrical systems), but if they're the same price then go for the Laguna - it's a much more sophisticated and better-driving car than the Fluence.