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Hi Peter,

Well, with CO₂ emissions of 99g/km it's in Band A2 so that means 15 per cent of the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP), which is whatever the Revenue Commissioners reckon it's worth. 

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Hi Derek,

It depends on which model and what year for a start. Assuming that you're looking at a 2012 version, that has CO₂ emissions of 156g/km so the VRT is going to be 27 per cent of what the Revenue Commissioners estimate the car's Irish market value to be. That will depend on a lot of variables though - including condition, history, mileage and spec. Unfortunately, given that we have an entirely opaque and non-transparent tax system, you won't know exactly how much until you have the car here and it has been inspected. 

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Hi Sean,

Because they're on two different taxation systems. The Micra is on the old, pre-2008 system, which applies tax based on engine size. The Yaris is on the post-2008 system, which is based on CO₂ emissions, and the Yaris' emissions place it in Band B1, which is a cost of €270 per year.

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Hi Philip,

The Sportage is very much on its way out right now, with a new model due next year. That said, it's still a nice car, but it can't match the Qashqai for handling or for the emissions from their diesel engines. As for petrol, there really isn't a viable Sportage petrol option right now, but the Qashqai's 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine actually makes pretty good sense if you're doing low mileage and mostly drive around town.

Further reading:

Nissan Qashqai review

Kia Sportage review

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Hi Pat,

The RX 400h has CO₂ emissions of 192g/km so that puts it in Band F, which means annual road tax of €1,200. You might be better off trying to get a current-shape RX 450h, which is in Band B2 in front-wheel drive form. 

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Hi Jerome,

If the car is taxed according to engine size (pre July 2008), then the annual tax cost for a 1,801- to 1,900cc car is €673. For 1,901- to 2,000cc it's €710.

However, later models are taxed according to CO₂ emissions and we can't guess that from the engine size so come back to us if you need more help, with more information.

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Hi Luke,

That light means that something somewhere in the engine that affects the emissions has gone wrong. It really could be anything and may not be really noticeable to the driver. It's still worth having the car checked with a diagnostics reader at some stage, as it could be doing long-term damage. Also, it won't pass its NCT with that light on.

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Hi Helen,

If you mean the current model, with the 2.0-litre 140hp TDCi engine, then that has emissions of 139g/km of CO₂, putting it into Band B2 for motor tax, which has a six-month cost of €155.

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Hi Shay,

Just as with motor tax, Vehicle Registration Tax is calculated based on the CO₂ emissions of the car in question. It starts at 14 per cent of the wholesale price of the car (inclusive of options) for cars in the lowest tax band, 0- to 80g/km of CO₂ rising to a maximum of 36 per cent for the highest band, for cars emitting more than 225g/km of CO₂.

The most common bands are Bands A2 to A4 and B1 and B2, which run from 15 per cent to 19 per cent.

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Hi Bill,

The trick will be to buy the newest one you can. The 2002 to 2010 E-Class was beset with all sorts of reliability issues, especially in its complicated electronics.

Your best bet is to get a current-shape E 200 CDI. It's a 2.1 but the low emissions and frugal fuel economy will keep your bills down.