Expert answer

Hi Darren,

I think the first thing to do is to ‘lawyer-up’. You’re going to need some professional legal advice on this one. Basically, the law is pretty simple - once a car is in the country, you have a week to notify Revenue and make the booking at the NCT centre to have the car inspected, and 30 days to complete the process and get the new plates. Failure to do so means that Revenue can seize the car and they will only release it at their discretion, and on payment of a hefty fine. Plus there’s the issue of any unpaid motor tax.

As a purchaser, you should never buy a car that’s in Ireland, but still on its foreign plates. The law says it must be re-registered before being sold on. However, if you can show that you bought the car in good faith, and intended to follow the normal VRT procedure, then there might be a way through this for you. Clearly, the bulk of the onus is on the previous owner, but you definitely need to have a good solicitor on your side for this one.

Expert answer

Hi Andy,

It’s not a waste, as such, but you do need to balance out whether or not it’s worth the extra cash to you. Yes, the 530d has a lot more power and torque, and is smoother than the four-cylinder 520d from a refinement point of view. Balanced against that, the 520d will easily beat the 55mpg mark every day, while the 530d will struggle to do better than around 45mpg, and you’ll be paying a bit more motor tax every year too. So, while we love the 530d, and its six-cylinder smoothness, the head clearly says buy a 520d.

Read our BMW 5 Series reviews to help you decide

Expert answer

Hi Jan,

If you’ve owned the car for more than six months and have had it taxed and insured at your previous address during that time, then there’s no import duties (or Vehicle Registration Tax - VRT) to pay. Depending on where you’re moving from, there may be some VAT to pay, and you’ll have to pay for the inspection and valuation at the NCT centre, but other than that there should be no cost to bringing the car in.

The last generation of Honda Insight has a CO₂ rating of 105g/km, so that means you’ll pay €190 a year in motor tax.

Read our guide to How Much VRT is Paid in Ireland for more information

You can find much more information on the importing process here: https://www.revenue.ie/en/importing-vehicles-duty-free-allowances/guide-to-vrt/vehicle-registration-tax/index.aspx

Expert answer

Hi James,

The R version of the S60, the high-performance model, used a 2.5-litre turbo engine and, as it’s pre-2008, it’s on the old engine capacity tax system so that’s going to be €1,080 for a year's tax.

Read our Motor Tax Prices in Ireland Explained feature for more

Expert answer

Hi Justin,

The old-shape XC90 is definitely a good choice and yes they’re reliable (as long as you get one with a full service history and keep it looked after properly). They can be a little expensive to run, though, with big thirsty engines and high motor tax rates. It would definitely be worth considering the likes of a SEAT Alhambra or Ford S-Max as well, if you’re looking for lots of seats and space, or even a Volkswagen Caravelle or Shuttle if you want the absolute maximum in terms of seats and cargo room. Definitely room for the labrador in one of those, even if you don't like the look of the MPVs...

Expert answer

Hi Ray,

To be honest, it sounds to me as if you should just stick with it. I appreciate that it’s not much fun spending €1,200 a year on motor tax, and that the service interval is a bit short, but if you’re only doing short mileages with the occasional long trip, then you’re just going to be throwing money at trading up to a car you don’t really need.

DPF issues are never far away from a diesel car if you’re only doing low mileage, but the biggest issue is going to be the cost of change. A budget of €200 a month isn’t going to get you very much, to be honest, so I would just do the work your Volvo needs and stick with it.

Expert answer

Hi Johnson,

The current motor tax bands run from A to G, based on the CO₂ emissions of the vehicle, with bands A and B — the ones into which the majority of cars on sale fit — split into sub-bands.

A starts with an electric-only band of A0 (which costs €120 a year) and then goes to A1 (up to 80g/km at €170 a year), A2 (80-100g/km, €180), A3 (100 - 110g/km, €190) and A4 (110-120g/km, €200).

Band B is spilt into B1 (120-130g/km, €270) and B2 (130-140g/km, €280).

After that it’s Band C (140-155g/km, €390), Band D (155-170g/km, €570), Band E (170-190g/km, €750), Band F (190-225g/km, €1,200) and Band G (over 225g/km, €2,350).

Expert answer

Hi Mark,

For the new model G30 5 Series, the CO₂ emissions for the 520d SE are 108g/km, so that means annual motor tax of €190.

Expert answer

Hi Tom,

Assuming you mean the D5 diesel with the automatic transmission, then €1,200. 

Expert answer

Hi Sheila,

Both should be reliable, with the Hyundai just edging it in that regard. As you say, neither will be cheap to run, but with your mileage your only major cost is going to be motor tax and at least you can budget for that. Do plan to take at least one longish spin a week though to allow the diesel engines to warm through properly or you'll be looking at big repair bills.

On balance I'd go for the Hyundai, but it would be well worth looking at something like a Ford S-Max or SEAT Alhambra, which have even more space and generally lower running costs.