How much to tax this 2005 Honda Civic?
What is the tax on a 2005 Honda Civic three-door powered by the 1.7 CDTi engine?
Karina Daly (Tralee)Jan 2013 Filed under: taxation
Expert answer
As this Honda Civic is a pre-2008 car its motor tax is engine capacity rather than emissions based. With the 1.7-litre diesel engine the Civic will cost €544 a year to tax (up from €506 as of January 1, 2013).
We hope this helps.
Most efficient MPVs on the market?
What is the best MPV for tax and fuel efficiency?
Brian McEntee (Tralee)Expert answer
Hi Brian,
It depends where you’re doing most of your driving. The Toyota Prius+ has CO2 emissions of just 106g/km, and can get 60mpg if driven very, very gently, but it’ll be way too thirsty if you’re doing lots of motorway miles. The best diesel-engined MPVs are probably the 1.6 TDI VW Touran, the 1.6 HDi Citroen C3 Picasso, or the 1.5 dCi Renault Scenic.
What's the difference between BMW 525 and 530?
Hi, what is the difference between a 525 BMW and the 530 BMW as they are both advertised as 3.0-litre.
Eddie Hurley (Cork)Jan 2013 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Eddie,
You've not told us how old the cars are that you're looking at, nor whether they are petrol or diesel, but it's pretty much the same answer in both cases. They share the same basic six-cylinder, 3.0-litre engine, but in different states of tune. The 525 has less power and torque effectively. It usually has a different emissions rating too so come back to us with more details and we'll give you the full picture.
Note: this is not the case with the current BMW 525d and 530d. The former now uses a twin-turbocharged four-cylinder 2.0-litre engine, while the 530d sticks with the 3.0-litre unit.
Hope that helps in any case
What car will I replace my Volkswagen Scirocco with?
Having recently been a victim of a car theft (they took my Volkswagen Scirocco 2.0 TDI), I am in the market for a new car. I am completely confused as to what to buy though; fuel economy is a major factor in my decision - the Scirocco was quite economical when driven correctly. I have been looking at Honda, both Accord and Civic though I am worried about the 2.2-litre engine size. Style is also a major factor and I have also viewed a Volvo C30 R-Design and Ford Focus 'WRC'.
Have a love of stylish hatches but not opposed to a change! Please help.
The insurance company will only give me €15,000 so that's my budget for now. I do about 30,000 kilometres a year so need something pretty economical, though I am single so practicality is not really a consideration.
Daniel English (Navan)Jan 2013 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Daniel,
Sorry to hear about the Scirocco - that 2.0 TDI version is great.
A quick browse of Carzone.ie with your budget and needs in mind brought up a few interesting options:
- Audi A3 2.0 TDI 140 - in Sport or S Line guises for maximum style - loads around
- BMW 118d M Sport - quite rare, but great to drive
- BMW 320d Coupé - you'd have to go pre-2008 with your budget, but current style at least
- Honda Civic Type S - 2.2 diesel is great and post-2008 is taxed according to emissions
- MINI Cooper D - loads around in all different colours at your budget
I've picked out the cars I reckon you'll like and I've left out things like the Volkswagen Golf and regular Ford Focus (among others).
What do you think?
Come back to us and let us know if we're on the right track.
Surely tax on a Volkswagen Polo Sport can't be €570?!
How much is the road tax on a 2009 Volkswagen Polo 1.4 Sport auto petrol? One example is showing as €570 tax, which can't be right, can it?
Barry Charles (Dublin)Jan 2013 Filed under: taxation
Expert answer
Hi there,
A rate of €570 per annum would put the car in Band D based on its emissions, which is 155- to 170g/km. Our initial investigations suggest that this car should have emissions of just 134g/km, which would put it in Band B2 for an annual tax bill of €280, however, that's for a newer car than you're talking about. The older one has emissions of 165g/km, which would indeed mean a €570 tax bill.
Hope that helps clear it up
How much will the VRT be on this Honda Accord?
What will the VRT be on a 2011 Honda Accord 2.2 i-DTEC Type S? The emissions are 157g/km.
Brendan Dooley (Ennis)Dec 2012 Filed under: VRT
Expert answer
Hi Brendan,
It will depend on mileage and options to get the OMSP (Open Market Selling Price), but our estimates put the VRT at over €4,700.
Hope that helps
Will my Avensis pass its NCT like this?
Will my 2001 Toyota Avensis 1.6 pass its NCT with a light which looks like an engine illuminated in the dashboard?
Pat Nugent (Naas)Nov 2012 Filed under: NCT
Expert answer
Hi Pat,
The NCT testing manual doesn't specifically mention each and every warning light, but that light usually means there is something up with a system in the engine that may affect its emissions. Hence, it may fail its NCT on that basis. We'd always recommend you get such things remedied before bringing a car for testing.
What's better in a small car? Trad auto or new DSG?
Which type of automatic gearbox is better in a small car? We're considering a conventional automatic in the Ford Fiesta or a DSG dual-clutch system in rival model.
Frank D (Dublin)Nov 2012 Filed under: automatic
Expert answer
Hi F D,
As discussed via email, the dual-clutch transmissions are usually far more efficient, resulting in lower emissions and fuel consumption. They also offer a more 'engaging' driving experience if that's what the driver wants. However, they can also be jerkier to drive than an old-school automatic, so we'd always recommend buyers to drive both to form an opinion of their own.
Hope that helps with the buying decision.
How much is road tax for a diesel Toyota RAV4?
What is the motor tax for the Toyota RAV4 diesel?
Ruth Suke (Clane)Aug 2012 Filed under: road tax
Expert answer
Hi Ruth,
The two-wheel drive 2.2 D-4D 150 emits 156g/km, which puts it in Band D. That's €481 per annum. The same engine with four-wheel drive costs the same with 159g/km.
Go for the automatic version with four-wheel drive and emissions rise to 186g/km, with motor tax costing €677 per year - Band E.
Hope that helps
Why is the Suzuki Jimny so expensive to tax?
I am confused! I saw a 2008 Suzuki Jimny 1.3 I liked the look of. Went on to motortax online to see how much tax for the year was. It said tax band 171-190g/km, which is 677 euros!!! Emailed dealer and he said tax correct. Surely something seriously wrong? My husband's Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.0-litre is €660 and other Jimnys are 358 Euros.
Holly Darling (Wexford)Aug 2012 Filed under: taxation
Expert answer
Hi Holly,
This is correct I'm afraid. In 2008 the tax system changed over to a CO2 emissions rating (from engine size bands) and the 1.3-litre Jimny went from €358 overnight to €677. It's quite an inefficient car for the size of the engine.
If you really do like the Jimny then you'll need a pre-2008 model to keep your annual tax bill down.
Hope that helps.