Economical auto and reliable for €6,000?
Hi there,
Could you recommend something for us around €6k that's economical, cheap to tax and reliable? We don't have a clue what to buy; it just needs reasonable room for two plus a child. Just to make things more challenging it needs to be automatic. Any directions you could point us in would be much appreciated!
John SmithAug 2019 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi John,
OK, that’s a slightly tough set of criteria, but I think we’ve found some winners. How about a Honda Insight Hybrid? Ultra-low CO2 means ultra-low tax, it’s auto, Hondas run for ever, it’ll do 50mpg easy and there’s just about enough space for a family of three. Your budget gets you a 2010 model.
If you need something smaller, there are automatic Nissan Micras around for that sort of money, but you might find them a bit small for the wee one. Fancy something posh? You could try a 2010 Mercedes C 180 Estate, which we found, but the tax on that will be a bit higher. Something newer? A Skoda Fabia Combi estate from 2012? Reliable and tonnes of space in the boot. Cracking car.
What's the 1.2 petrol Qashqai like?
I am looking at the 1.2 N Connecta Nissan Qashqai from 2017 and was wondering what you thought of the engine? Is the car relatively big for a smallish engine?
Lee Thompson (Gloucester)Jul 2019 Filed under: petrol vs. diesel
Expert answer
Hi Lee,
It depends on what sort of driving you’re doing. If you’re a low-mileage driver, and doing mostly short hops in and around town, then it’s about perfect. If you’re into doing longer journeys, then it’s not quite so good as it can get a little thirsty on motorway runs.
Which SUV for up to €23,000?
Looking for a mid-size SUV worth up to €23,000, at max two years old. Something stylish inside and out, quick and reliable. What should I go for?
Aaron Joyce (Limerick)Jul 2019 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Aaron,
How about a Ford Kuga? That budget would get you into a nearly-new 191 or 182 1.5 TDCi, and it’s a bit of an underrated car — good to drive, roomy and nicely built. A sum of €23,000 obviously buys you a lot of either the ubiquitous Hyundai Tucson or Nissan Qashqai. How about a Mazda CX-5 instead? Gorgeous to look at, great to drive and with a 150hp engine, it’s not slow either. You could also think of a Peugeot 3008, a SEAT Ateca, a previous-generation Toyota RAV4 (better to drive than you might think), or a Volkswagen T-Roc.
Should I buy a new Tesla Model 3?
Hi,
I’ve been doing a lot of research into buying a car lately, specifically would love a Tesla Model 3 - Standard range plus. I’ve been looking at price from GB compared to Ireland and it’s around €5k cheaper (around £38k v €48k). I also understand I would be in receipt of €5,000 SEAI grant, but I cannot seem to calculate the VRT.
1. Can I buy in the UK and ultimately would I save money doing so vs Ireland?
2. I live in Dublin and I get the DART to work everyday (roughy €100 per month). I also currently drive home roughy three nights per week to Monaghan (roughly costs me €325 in petrol and tolls). I have a free parking space in work. (Quicker to drive than DART to work) Would I be naive in thinking that I would almost eradicate all of that €425 with an EV? Aside from electricity costs, also what would you estimate those to be?
The alternative for me was to buy an 15/16 Audi A5 or BMW 4 Series in around the €20k mark, but still be subject to aforementioned €425 monthly costs on top.
Am I trying to convince myself that a Model 3 is my best option or is it my best option? NB: I want something that I actually want, i.e. I don’t want a Nissan Leaf; if I’m going EV it would be Tesla or equivalent.
Brendan Traynor (Dublin)Jul 2019 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Brendan,
We do love a bit of car-related man-maths around the CompleteCar.ie office. Yes, in theory, you could save that €425 per week travelling cost with a Tesla Model 3, once we make a couple of assumptions, and bearing in mind that a Model 3 is not free — a basic Standard Range Plus model is quoted at €625 per month in repayments on Tesla’s Irish website. With a claimed one-charge range of 409km, your theoretical Model 3 should be able to get from Dublin to Monaghan and back in one charge, with a little left over for safety (assuming it’s around 135km door-to-door). If you can charge at home and charge in Monaghan, then each full charge will cost you around €8-10, depending on your electricity tariff and how low the battery gets before you plug it in. That should put a significant dent in your travelling costs. It would also be helpful if you could charge up at work, but that’s more for ensuring you have a full charge in case you need it — the shorter intra-Dublin commute wouldn’t put much strain on your battery.
So, that’s all good. Buying in the UK, though? Not worth it. We ran the maths on this a while back and working off the base model prices — £38,500 in the UK and €48,900 here, a quick conversion at today’s rates shows that the equivalent Euro price of a new Tesla Model 3 would be €45,069. A saving? No — although the VRT would cost you nothing at the point of import (thanks to the €5,000 rebate), you would have to pay VAT on entry, as it’s a new car, and so the price would go up by €10,350. You’re better off buying local in this instance.
Can I privately run a Nissan Navara?
Hello,
I work as a care assistant, I do not have a company; can I buy a 2016 Nissan Navara 2.3 automatic and transfer insurance from private car to the Navara and pay tax to CO2 emission and pay €750?
David A (Youghal)Jul 2019 Filed under: taxation
Expert answer
Hi David,
If you are using the Navara strictly for business work, and not for social, domestic or pleasure use, then you can tax it as a commercial vehicle for €333 a year. If you are using it for any personal driving, then you have to transfer it back to the old by-engine-capacity tax system and, with a 2.3-litre engine, that’s going to work out at a hefty €994 a year, I’m afraid.
Amarok, Ranger or Navara pick-up?
Hi there, hoping you can guide me in the right direction as I am torn between the VW Amarok, Ranger and the Nissan NP 300. I wont be using it for construction just merely for leisurely use so efficiency will have a part to play in my decision.
Looking for your advice.
Regards,
Ronan
Ronan Scroope (Cork)Jun 2019 Filed under: pick-up
Expert answer
Hi Ronan,
Well, to be honest, if efficiency is your thing, then don’t buy a pick-up truck — they’re all pretty big and thirsty and around 30mpg is the best you’re going to get from any of them. Of the three you’ve mentioned, the VW Amarok is the best — the most space in the cab, the best comfort, the best on-road handling and ride. The Ranger comes in a decent second, the Nissan a little further behind in third.
Relevant reviews:
Can I tax a Nissan van privately?
Can I tax and insure a Nissan NV 300 1.6 van for my own personal, social, domestic and pleasure use, and how much would road tax cost?
Thanks
James
James Clark (Ballina)Jun 2019 Filed under: commercial vehicle
Expert answer
Hi James,
You can, and it’ll be taxed according to the old engine capacity system, to it’ll be €514 per year.
Read our feature on this subject: Buying a commercial vehicle for private use
Interested in buying a Kia Optima.
I am interested in buying a Kia Optima, a 1.7 CRDi 2 Luxe model, with 88,000 miles on the clock. It's a UK import registered in Ireland.
Can you tell me:
1. What price is an okay price for this car?
2. Since I am based in Ireland, can buying a UK import car be problem in any way?
3. Generally how is fuel economy for this model? Is it good/bad as compared to its competitors?
4. I am confused between Nissan Qashqai and Kia Optima. Can you advise pros/cons of one over other?
Thanks Anshul Malik
Anshul Malik (Cork)May 2019 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Anshul,
Ok, let’s take those one by one. As far as a fair price is concerned, you haven’t given us a year for the car, but I’m going to assume it’s a 2016 model. That would put a fair price, in Ireland, if about €15,000 give or take. There’s no issue buying a UK car that has already been registered in Ireland.
Fuel economy should be fine — you can expect to get around 45-50mpg from a 1.7 Optima.
How much to replace a Micra's head gasket?
How much to replace the head gasket on a 2008 Nissan March provided no further damage to engine?
Francis Caffrey (Dunleer)May 2019 Filed under: servicing
Expert answer
Hi Francis,
The cost of the parts and the labour will vary considerably depending on where you get the work done and where the parts are bought from. We can tell you that the work, on the 1.2-litre petrol engine, should take about five hours in total.
Thoughts on semi-autonomous systems?
Hi,
I'm interested in one of these semi-autonomous driving systems, where, as long as you keep your hands on the steering wheel, the car will keep within the white lines and possibly include changing lanes. I'm thinking of it in the context of driving long distances on continental motorways. There seems to be any number of systems out there - some more in the line of adaptive cruise control (keeping a set distance from the car in front) - to something more autonomous along the lines above allowing lane changes. While they are at different price points I was wondering if you have had the opportunity to try the Pro Pilot on the Nissan Qashqai and the Drive Pilot by Volvo and if you are in a position to comment on their relative merits.
Thanks
Philip
Philip Donegan (Ballina)May 2019 Filed under: optional extras
Expert answer
Hi Philip,
Yes, we have tried them and in both cases they work fine, but please don’t go thinking of them as truly autonomous driving systems — they’ve very far from that, far even from semi-autonomous. In both cases (in fact in all current cases, no matter what some car makers would have you believe) these systems are just glorified cruise control, with a radar to keep you a safe distance from the car in front, and cameras and sensors to detect the lines on the road and keep you steering more or less straight. They’re not fully active, though, and you still need to drive the car, keep your eyes up and on the road and be in control at all times. They do reduce fatigue on long journeys right enough, but only be a small amount to be honest, and they’re not to be relied upon.