How economical should my petrol Astra be?
Could you tell me how many miles per gallon l should be getting from my 2016 Vauxhall Astra Elite 1.4i turbo petrol? l use premium petrol, but only do mainly short journeys.
Thank you.
Max Cohen (Chester)Expert answer
Hi Max,
Well, the official combined fuel economy figure is 51.4mpg, but that sounds a bit optimistic to us. Doing short journeys shouldn’t be a major issue as it’s a petrol engine, but a bit of gentle driving should get you at least past the 40mpg mark, unless you’re stuck in stop-start traffic all the time. I wouldn’t bother using premium petrol, as you’re just wasting your money. The engine is designed to work on standard 95RON pump fuel, so just use that, but make sure you buy from a reputable supplier.
Petrol or diesel for the Ford Mondeo?
What is your view on the Ford Mondeo diesel vs. Mondeo petrol?
Cyril Gleeson (Birdhill, Co. Tipperary)Oct 2016 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Cyril,
Actually, the current 1.5 EcoBoost petrol model is rather a nice thing. It’s a very smooth, quiet engine and has just about enough poke to shift that big body around, and actually ends up feeling slightly sweeter than the diesel to drive. Economy works out at around 40mpg in most conditions, so it’s not too thirsty and if you’re not doing really big mileage every year, it’s definitely worth considering.
How much to tax a 141 Ford Fiesta petrol?
How much to tax a 141 Ford Fiesta petrol for the year?
Breda Markey (Dublin)Sep 2016 Filed under: taxation
Expert answer
Hi Breda,
It depends which version you mean, but assuming it’s a 60hp 1.25-litre model then it has CO2 emissions of 120g/km so will cost €200 a year to tax.
How much to tax a 2008 Toyota RAV4?
How much to tax a 2008 Toyota RAV4?
Mairead Conroy (Camolin)Sep 2016 Filed under: taxation
Expert answer
Hi Mairead,
It depends which model you mean. An automatic 2.0-litre VVT-i petrol RAV4 from 2008 has CO2 emissions of 212g/km, so will cost €1,200 a year. The manual version has CO2 emissions of 202g/km so costs the same. It gets a bit better with the diesels. The 180hp 2.2 diesel has emissions of 185g/km so costs €750 a year while the 150hp version has emissions of 173g/km so costs the same €750.
What is the value of a 151 Opel Insignia?
What is the current value of a late 151 Opel Insignia petrol (Eco 1.4), with 11,016km on the clock?
BRENDON COLVERT (MULLINGAR)Sep 2016 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi Brendan,
Should be worth around €17-18,000 as a trade-in.
When to change this Mondeo's timing belt?
I have a 2008 Ford Mondeo with 200,700km on the clock; when do I change the timing belt?
John Long (Cork)Sep 2016 Filed under: servicing
Expert answer
Hi John,
It depends on the engine. The 1.6-litre petrol needs it to be changed every 160,000km or every eight years, the 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 diesels need to have their belts changed every 200,000km or every 10 years.
Should I buy a petrol car for short trips?
Hi,
If the vast bulk of my driving is in short trips, is it better to buy petrol over diesel, or does it really matter? Unlike the mass market models, for upmarket models, like Mercedes, there isn't any significant initial price difference between petrol and diesel models. Possibly, also with diesel becoming slightly less popular, the level of depreciation might not be that significant. I would welcome any thoughts you might have.
Thank you, Philip
Philip Donegan (Ballina)Sep 2016 Filed under: petrol vs. diesel
Expert answer
Hi Philip,
Petrol is better for shorter trips, period. Apart from the extra cost of buying a diesel car (which as you correctly point out, narrows a bit with some models), there's the question of maintenance - doing short hops is just bad for a diesel engine as it won't warm through properly and you could develop problems with the particulate filter and other engine components.
How much should I pay for a 2007 Kia cee'd?
How much should I pay for a 2007 Kia cee'd 1.4 petrol manual with 65,000 miles on the clock?
Paul Wallace (Cork)Aug 2016 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi Paul,
Somewhere around the €5,000 mark should be a fair price.
Will petrol particulate filters cause problems?
I read that Volkswagen intends to introduce a Gasoline Particulate Filter to petrol engines. Will this mean that low mileage, short run petrol owners like me could have the same expensive problem that low mileage diesel owners have?
Frank Dodd (Dublin)Aug 2016 Filed under: future engines
Expert answer
Hi F D,
Short answer? We don't know yet. Theoretically, petrol engines heat up much more quickly than diesel engines (mostly because they're less thermally efficient) and therefore shorter journeys are less of an issue in that respect. It just depends on how much heat you need to generate to clean the filter and for how long. I'm sure that car makers will claim, as they did with diesel, that the filters are designed to be maintenance free, but then we've heard that before haven't we?
I am looking for info on this Passat please.
I am looking for information on this reg: 04 D *****
Siobhan Ennis (Dublin 12)Aug 2016 Filed under: miscellaneous
Expert answer
Hi Siobhan,
We've blanked out the reg in your question for the owner's privacy. A quick and free check with Cartell.ie reveals that the car is a 2004 Volkswagen Passat Saloon, powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine (1,595cc), producing 102hp. We can also find out that it costs €514 a year to tax. For a detailed history check go to Cartell.ie and sign up for one of its paid products.