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Hi Joe,

If it's the 180hp 2.0 dCi model you mean then its CO₂ emissions are 172g/km, which means annual road tax of €750.

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Hi George,

We'd need to reg. number to give you a definitive answer, as the official emissions rating for that car depends on a number of factors, including the factory-fitted wheel size, whether it has stop-start and whether it's the five- or seven-speed automatic gearbox. Possibilities include:

- 16-inch wheels, five-speed auto, no stop-start: 154g/km - Band C - €390 per year

- 16-inch wheels, seven-speed auto, stop-start: 129g/km - Band B1 - €270 per year

- 18/19-inch wheels, seven-speed auto, stop-start: 138g/km - Band B2 - €280 per year

Come back to us with either the registration or all those details and we'll give you the definitive answer.

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Hi Joe,

We suspect the advertisers are being a bit ambitious there. Generally speaking, you cannot tax a 3.0-litre as a 2.0-litre – that’s called fraud. However, you can tax a commercial vehicle with a 3.0-litre engine for €333 a year, which is roughly equivalent to taxing a 2.0-litre diesel with Band C emissions, but it’s a very inaccurate way of describing a car.

Also, to tax a vehicle as a commercial means that you cannot, under any circumstances, use it for personal use, such as school drop-offs or shopping. If you’re caught, it can mean a fine of up to €4,000. Generally, we’d say anyone using a phrase such as ‘taxed as a 2.0’ is being a bit too fast and loose with the truth, so is best avoided.

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Hi Sean,

The CO₂ emissions of that model are 139g/km so the annual motor tax is going to cost you €280. VRT is much, much harder to calculate as it's down to the spec more than the year and mileage, and the mandarins of Revenue are famously arcane in their calculations. Prices for that model seem to hover around the €15,000 mark so, assuming Revenue accepts that as being the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP), then the VRT would be 19 per cent of that, which is €2,850.

Please don't take that as gospel though!

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Hi Joe,

Both excellent choices although it's worth pointing out that the petrol-powered Honda will struggle more to hold on to any value as the market is so diesel-obsessed at the moment. Still, that means prices are cheaper for you at buying time...

As with all Hondas, the CR-V is remarkably reliable, although this model has suffered from some issues. There have been some problems with trim scratching and scuffing too easily, as well as problems with the alternators. Some have had issues with the gearbox too and high front tyre wear. You should also check carefully underneath to make sure that any previous owner hasn't been taking the 4x4 bit too seriously.

That goes equally for the Hyundai and the good news here too is that reliability is excellent. The only regularly reported problems with the Santa Fe are that the air conditioning system can need regular re-gassing and that the stereo is pretty rubbish.

Both will be expensive to run though. The CR-V has CO₂ emissions of 194g/km so motor tax is going to be pricey. Despite being diesel, the Hyundai is no better, with CO₂ emissions of 191g/km. Both will average around 35mpg in regular driving.

I have to admit to a small bias - my father-in-law has owned his 2.0-litre petrol CR-V from new in 2007 and loves it. It's been massively reliable (only ever needing a replacement alternator) and he regularly gets better than 40mpg from it. That said, the Hyundai is also an excellent vehicle and I would say both are safe bets - try some test drives and see which one you prefer and let us know which way you go.

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Hi Eoin,

I hate to say it but an SUV may not be what you need. To get three kids in comfortably, you really need a car with three individual seats across the back and only the likes of the Land Rover Discovery or Toyota Land Cruiser have those - and they're big, heavy and expensive to run. 

 So you may need to look down the MPV route. Don't panic - it's not as bad as it sounds. Have a look for a nice Ford S-Max. Tonnes of room, extra seats in the (massive) boot and affordable running costs. 

That said, it depends on the age of your kids. If they're big enough to not need booster seats (or if only a couple of them still need one) that opens up your options a little. If you still fancy an SUV, try a Nissan X-Trail; spacious, reliable, good to drive.

Let us know what you go for

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Hi Steven,

We asked Citroen Ireland about this one and here was the reply:

"There are two possibilities of engine type in Berlingo mark I 1.9d - you may have an XUD9, which is the earlier engine and is a Euro 2 emissions type engine; the second option is a DW8, which is a Euro 3. In Berlingo mark II 1.9d you only have DW8 type. You can tell the type from code found on the engine block."

The use of Bio-diesel and the associated guarantee conditions:

"Citroën approves of the use of Biodiesel as long as the quality of the biofuel/methyl-ester conforms to the European standard EN14214 and that the fuel mixture meets standard EN590, having a maximum 5% of fatty acid methyl-ester. A mixture of up to 30% Biodiesel in diesel fuel can be used. (B30: vegetable oil methyl-ester made from oil-seed rape). Such fuel must be supplied by the petrol companies directly and the fuel must not be stocked for more than three months.

On the other hand, Citroën does not cover under guarantee the use of pure biodiesel (B100): poor resistance of rubber components in the fuel circuit (leading to the risk of leaks and starting and running problems) and of the fuel injection components."

Hope that's of assistance

Expert answer

Hi Margaret,

You need to book a session at your nearest NCT centre to have the car valued for Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT), which is the fee payable when importing a car from outside the state. According to the regulations, you have to book the inspection within seven days of the car arriving in this country, and then you have 30 days to complete the inspection and pay the fee, which will be calculated as a percentage of the estimated Irish market value, based on that model’s CO₂ emissions. You can find more details here: http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vrt/vrt-guide.html

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Hi William,

Two excellent choices there. If it was the new-shape Santa Fe you were looking at we'd recommend that without hesitation. As it's the older shape one though you need to think a little more carefully, as its CO₂ emissions are on the high side these days. In that sense the Q5, in spite of being more expensive and smaller inside, is possibly the better choice.

Let us know how you get on

Expert answer

Hi Jim,

It depends on the year, as the Lexus RX 400h was sold before and after the motor taxation system change in 2008. For later models the emissions fall into tax Band F, costing €1,200 per annum. For earlier cars, because the engine size puts it into the highest category, the annual cost is €1,809.

Hope that helps