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Hi Fergal,

That's actually becoming a bit of a challenge as regular cars such as the Mondeo have fallen out of favour with buyers, so the carmakers are slowly doing away with them. At the same time, demand for diesel engines is waning. Nonetheless, here are a few possibilities:

- Audi A5 'Saloon' (it's actually a five-door hatch)
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class saloon
- Skoda Superb (another hatchback and the closest match to the Mondeo today)

That's pretty much it. A leftfield alternative could be the Peugeot 508 SW, which is the estate model. It can be had with a diesel engine still, but the five-door 508 fastback cannot. We reckon it looks stunning.

How do these strike you?

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Hi Gawaine,

Unfortunately it's not possible to find details of a car's owner using the registration plate - only the Gardaí can do that.

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Hi Conor, 

There's a wealth of choice at that price point on the used market really. Here are a few options to consider, many of them early 2025 registrations:

Dacia Duster
Hyundai Kona (the newer model)
MG ZS (newer model)
Nissan Qashqai
Skoda Octavia
Volkswagen Taigo or ID.4 if you fancy going electric

I've added links to our reviews of the cars so you can take a look and see what you like the look of. Come back to us and let me know if we're on the right track here, and your thoughts on each of these as we help you narrow down your search.

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Hi Conor,

Undoubtedly the Octavia is the most spacious of those three. The Mazda is arguably the most stylish and the Toyota probably the most reliable. Come back to us with full details of each of the cars if you want us to delve further into this with you.

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Hi Jurgen,

According to our figures, your car's CO₂ emissions (it's a 2015 Audi A4 saloon 1.8 petrol) are in the 156-170g/km range according to the old NEDC system. 

For such cars, registered before January 2021, the tax band is D, costing €600 a year. 

A car registered after that date with a WLTP rating of 151-160g/km would cost €280 a year and the €400 rate you mentioned is for cars with an emissions rating of 141-155g/km so perhaps the dealer was mistaken.

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Hi Louise,

If you come back to us with your budget we can give a more precise answer, but all the premium marques sell good-quality executive saloons of similar size to the Lexus ES. For example the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class. And there are loads of different versions as well offering a range of performance options if your budget allows.

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Hi Fergal,

The first one that comes to mind is the Skoda Superb. A new generation of this massive car was launched last year and it’s a great option. It’s bigger than the Mondeo and can be had with a 2.0 TDI diesel engine.

A lovely car is the Peugeot 508, which can be had with a 1.5-litre diesel, but you might find it small inside in comparison to your Mondeo. Worth a look anyway.

There really aren’t many others if you’re sticking with a diesel saloon, unless you go for one of the premium brands - both Audi and Mercedes sell diesel engines still in the A5 and C-Class, respectively.

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Hi Brendan,

The savings are not what they were, and effectively non-existent if you're talking about England, Scotland or Wales. The only realistic option is to look to Northern Ireland as most cars won't be subject to VAT and import duty, just VRT and the NOx levy. Read more below:

Guide to importing a car from Northern Ireland

Guide to importing cars from the UK

Expert answer

Hi Mike,

There's nothing stopping you from using any car for business purposes, but there are no official commercial versions of the BYD cars on sale at this time. Though you've not said what you will use the vehicle for, I'd suggest that the Seal saloon is not suited for carrying bulky goods at all, as lovely as it is as a car. 

The Seal U SUV is much better suited as it has a large boot and rear seats that can be folded down. You could in theory have those rear seats removed completely and turn it into a commercial, but as it's so new we don't know of anyone that has done that. 

The Seal U runs on petrol, obviously, which you couldn't claim VAT back on, so that may rule it out for many.

Come back to us with more details if you need more assistance.

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Hi Stephen,

I suspect a hybrid would really suit you at that relatively low annual mileage. I certainly wouldn't recommend diesel for you now unless you spend most of that mileage at quite high speed on the motorway. Away from that, a hybrid should be more efficient - and nicer to drive, too.

The Toyota Camry is a lovely option if within budget, but the C-HR is a fine car too. Maybe come back to us with your budget, the type of driving you do and how many people you need to carry on most journeys and we can help narrow things down for you.