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Hi Tom,

There doesn’t, slightly bizarrely, seem to be an online way of doing this I’m afraid. Your best bet is to actually go to your local motor tax office, and bring both your vehicle registration document and your primary medical certificate with you. The actual human in the MT office should be able to sort you out, but it’s odd that there seems no way to do this via the web, which would obviously be much easier for those with restricted mobility.

Incidentally, you’re also allowed to claim back both VRT and VAT on the car you’ve bought (download form DD1 from the Revenue website) and there’s also a fuel grant, depending on your circumstances. Have a look at the Citizens’ Information website. It’s really helpful.

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Hi Cosmus,

The only 2.5-litre X3 was the first-generation petrol model. Its official combined cycle fuel consumption figure is about 11 litres/100km and even when new it would have been difficult to get that, so it doesn't look like you're experiencing particularly awful consumption for that age of car. 

Saying that, if you've noticed a deterioration, it could be caused by a crack in the inlet manifold, which is a known issue for that engine.

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Hi John,

For the moment, it seems it’s status quo ante at Mercedes for 191. The nine per cent discount on prices, which as you point out was introduced some time ago, basically carries over to the new price lists. Those lists were slightly late in being published, owing to delays in getting cars through the new WLTP-based fuel economy and emissions tests, but they are available now, so dealers should at least be a little more clued up. There are no specific 191 offers available as yet, but we’ll keep an eye out for any that show up.

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Hi Corionna,

We're going to assume that this is a relatively recent Mokka, using the 1.6-litre 136hp diesel engine. That car has rated combined fuel consumption of 4.3 litres per 100km, so you’re going to burn roughly 8.7 litres covering 201km, and that’s going to work out at about €11.22 in fuel costs each day. Except, of course, you’re not going to get 4.3 litres per 100km, not unless you drive like a saint anyway. Safer to assume you’ll burn through 6.0 litres per 100km of fuel, which means you’ll pay around €15 in fuel costs for each 200km journey. Depending on fuel prices, obviously.

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Hi Donal,

I presume that you mean the previous generation of Insignia, not the new Grand Sport model? If so, then the quoted official combined fuel economy for the 2.0-litre CDTi 170hp model is 62.8mpg - or 4.5 litres per 100km.

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Hi Ann,

The XC40 is a really likeable car, but you’ll probably find that it’s neither as refined, nor quite as comfortable to drive as the S60 (the ride quality just isn’t as good). It’s also less roomy in the boot. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is a very clever vehicle, but to make the most of it, you need to have a driveway and a charging point, and be covering most of your mileage around town. The battery pack, on a full charge, should get you around 35km of electric-only driving, but if you head out on the motorway a lot, you’ll run the battery down very quickly and then fuel consumption will hover at around the 30mpg mark.

Read our reviews below:

Volvo XC40 reviews

Mitsubishi Outlander reviews

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Hi Gustavo,

Well, reliability and running costs are not necessarily the same thing. The ultimate in reliability is probably a Toyota Land Cruiser, but that’s hardly cheap to run or to tax… I think there’s a couple of good options here, though. Sticking with Toyota, the Auris is a solid bet, and even more so if you go for the Hybrid model, which will help keep your tax and fuel costs down. Get the Tourer estate model if you need maximum family space.

The Honda Civic is also a very good bet, and the 1.6 iDTEC diesel is probably the best model to go for to keep fuel and tax bills down. Again, if you want maximum space for the kids and their things, track down the (rather handsome) estate version.

Skoda’s Octavia is solidly reliable too (again, the Combi estate is the one to go for) and you can choose from 1.6 TDI diesel, or an excellent 1.2 TSI petrol turbo, both of which are frugal and tax-efficient. Just check its history to see if it’s been used as a taxi — many have been.

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Hi Declan,

With that high mileage, I'd suggest that you're still better off sticking with diesel, as you'll get far better fuel economy and, as you'll be changing your car frequently, the mileage is going to have a bigger effect on resale values that what powers it. That balance might change in a few years time, but today, in 2018, diesel definitely makes most sense for you. The 520d is an excellent car. As is the 530e, I might add, but the diesel still has the edge for long-distance driving, as you need to plug the 530e in regularly to get the best economy from it.

Read our BMW 5 Series reviews here

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Hi John,

You SHOULD (emphasis ours) be OK from the VRT perspective. As long as, according to Revenue, you’ve lived at your current address for 185 days or more, and can show proof of your move to Ireland, then you won’t be charged for VRT. Fuel and insurance costs for a Macan are a different story...

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Hi Pat,

The problem is that Ford Ireland, legally, cannot impose delivery charges on its dealers. It can suggest recommended delivery charges, but according to Irish law (and companies have, in the past, had their offices raided for this sort of thing), dealers are allowed to charge what they want for delivery and related. A spokesperson for the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission told us that: "Consumer law requires traders to provide the total cost, including extras, of a product to a consumer before they buy. In the specific instance of when a manufacturer is advertising a car for sale, the manufacturer can only advertise the recommended retail price and state that delivery and related charges will be extra. If a consumer then decides to buy that car, they should be provided with the total price by the dealer before they buy. Auxiliary costs such as motor insurance, tax etc. are not dealt with specifically under consumer protection law. However, through our information campaigns, we would encourage consumers to do their homework about such costs before making a purchase."