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Hi Tom,

It’ll depend on the condition and service history of course, but it should be worth in the region of €10-12,000. 

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Hi Veronica,

It’s the word ‘apparently’ that worries me here… If it really is in exceptional condition, and comes with a full service history, then around €1,500 sounds about right. If not, then no more than €900.

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Hi Nigel,

We know of an issue with the clutch assembly that causes what sounds like engine noise in the naturally aspirated 1.0-litre Polo engine. In the 1.0 TSI models, apparently a fault with the engine control unit (ECU) can cause whining from the engine as well. Neither of those sound like the problem you have, though.

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Hi Steven,

Can you tell us which model your car is? That might be helpful. In the mean time, there’s a list of all the contact numbers for local Revenue offices at this link, so you could try getting in touch with the office for your area. 

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Hi Nathan,

Generally the Ford 1.6-litre diesel (also used by Mazda, Peugeot, Citroen, Volvo and MINI down the years) is a rugged and reliable unit, but there are a few things to bear in mind. First off, this is an engine that needs a regular diet of high-grade synthetic engine oil, otherwise a nasty sludge can build up in various parts of the engine, choking performance. Make sure you check the service history to ensure that a good quality oil has always been used. The stop-start system can occasionally cause starter motor issues, especially if the car has mostly been driven in town. If it has been mostly driven in town, or has very low mileage, be wary of potential issues with the diesel particulate filter, too.

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Hi Sinead,

Generally speaking an Irish bank (or indeed any other service) will not accept a UK credit history, so your best bet might be to simply bring the car with you (it’ll cost you nothing to import and re-register it if you can provide proof of change of address) and simply keep paying the loan through your old UK bank account. Make sure you let the finance provider and bank know of your change of address, but there shouldn’t be any issue as long as you keep making the payments. It might be worth investigating a good currency transfer service, such as TransferWise, to bring down the cost of constantly sending Euro back to your Sterling account.

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Hi Sharon,

OK, let’s deal with these questions one-by-one. There are a number of apps available that can give you the locations, availability and in-or-out-of-service condition of charging points. The ESB provides that through its e-Cars app, and there’s a very good independent one called Zapp Map, which also covers the whole of the UK if you’re planning any longer journeys.

All current electric cars (pretty much all brands will have at least one on sale by the end of next year, but for the moment the big players are Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, Mercedes, Nissan, Renault, Tesla and Volkswagen) can be charged at home overnight on cheap rate electricity. The crucial question there is not the car, but your electricity provider and the tariff plan that you’re on.

Finally, battery capacity has been hugely improved in the past few years and, although that does come with a cost penalty, the average useable range of an electric car has gone up dramatically. Generally speaking you should expect to get at least 250-300km from most mainstream models now, with as much as 450km available from some of the more expensive cars.

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Hi Nikita,

Sorry to hear about the break up and, can we just say you’re being exceptionally nice in giving back the car. It should be pretty straightforward, and there’s no cost involved. Every vehicle should come with a Vehicle Registration Certificate. Simply fill that in with your ex’s details and send it off the the Driver and Vehicle Computer Services Division, in Shannon.

That should take care of it.

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Hi Shane,

Yes you can — anyone can buy a commercial vehicle and tax it as a commercial, but the restriction is on use. If you’re using it for personal use (i.e: literally anything other than going to and from work, or transporting items for work), then you really ought to register it as a private car and tax it accordingly. It's a major fine if you’re caught displaying incorrect tax.

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Hi Martin,

The price looks reasonable — about in the middle of the road for a 2015 A4, so the true value will depend on the car’s specification and its overall condition. A figure of 72,000 is a very reasonable mileage if it’s in miles (and if it is in miles check to see if the car was imported from the UK — that’s not necessarily a problem but you’d want to be a little more wary about its history if it is an import) and exceptionally low if it’s in kilometres. If it is 72,000 kilometres, rather than miles, I’d actually be slightly suspicious of that figure, as it may have had the clock turned back.

Audis are well-made, and generally very reliable and that 2.0-litre TDI engine is solid, but make sure that it’s had its software recalibrated to reduce its pollutants (the changes that were mandated after the diesel scandal became public) and make sure that it has a full and complete service history — these are complex cars that need looking after, so if there are any gaps in the service record, I’d walk away; there are plenty of other A4s out there.