Expert answer

Hi Sean,

Yes you can. It'll set you back €1,250 a year in tax though with 220g/km emissions.

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Hi John,

If it's a lack of trouble you're looking for, you need to be buying Japanese or Korean. So have a look at a Toyota Auris, Honda Civic, Hyundai i30, Kia cee'd or Nissan Pulsar. All of those should do annual mega-miles without trouble or complaint.

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Hi John,

If its reliability you need get a Honda. Either a Civic with the 2.2 or 1.6 diesel will do nicely and you should get 60mpg from it. 

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Hi John,

If you're buying an Irish car then you'll be very limited in terms of choice. The vast majority of 2010 Ford Focus on the roads in Ireland are powered by the 1.6-litre TDCi diesel engine, in either 90- or 110hp states of tune). It's not a bad engine with a great performance-to-economy ratio and low road tax. Be aware though, like many engines of this type, it's only really suited to average annual mileage of 20,000km and above - or the majority of its time on a fast-flowing road/motorway. The reason is that its diesel particulate filter (DPF) can clog up and it can be expensive to remedy. There are other components in the engine itself that also gum up if the car is used predominantly for low-speed driving.

Other engines in the 2010 Focus are the 1.8 TDCi diesel and, for low-mileage drivers, the 1.4- and 1.6-litre petrol units. All of these are much rarer. The 1.8 isn't quite as susceptible as the 1.6 diesel to issues, but it's less economical. If you're sure that diesel suits your needs then seek out a 1.6.

Hope that helps

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Hi Irene,

Engine size means less than it used to, especially when comparing a petrol engine to a diesel one. That Hyundai will be more economical and cheaper to tax than the 1.4 petrol Golf from 2008. Saying that, if most of your driving is in town there won't be a big advantage for the diesel, but it should still use less fuel overall.

A larger car such as the i40 is likely to be a bit heavier on things like tyres, but it's newer than your Golf so shouldn't need tyres for a while. 

Hope that all helps 

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Hi Paul,

I think your best best is to go for a BMW X5. Your budget should get you a 2012 model, and that's efficient enough to be in the last-but-one tax band, so you'll pay €1,250 a year in tax instead of €2,350 in the top band.

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Hi Jim,

Nope, certainly not any more. The rules say you must book a Vehicle Registration Tax assessment (which is carried out at an NCT centre) within seven days of the car's arrival in Ireland, and the registration process, including the payment of any VRT and VAT owing, and the use of the new Irish number plates, must be completed within 30 days.

 Or, you know, fines, courts, thumb-screws, all that jazz. 

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Hi Seamus,

This is quite a tricky one so we sought the advice of the car data experts at Cartell.ie. Here's what they came up with:

"This is an unusual query and you'll need to get confirmation from Revenue in Ireland and HM Revenue & Customs in the UK. Based on what we think, and we don't see this query a lot, you may be able to buy the vehicle brand new for export, meaning that the VRT isn't paid on it at all - so no need for refund. The vehicle may get a temporary registration so it can be exported. Also the VAT of 23% can be claimed back as it's a new vehicle and you'll have to pay the UK VAT rate when it's registered there. To be honest this is a bit of a minefield and we strongly advise getting all details and clarifications from the Revenue both in Ireland and the UK before proceeding."

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Hi Brendan,

X5. Yes, it's bigger, heavier and (on paper) thirstier than the Lexus, but it's also far nicer to drive, more spacious and actually, in the real world, probably a little more frugal than the RX 450h. The Lexus' only advantages are lower motor tax and the fact that it will be more reliable long-term than the BMW, but if you buy the Beemer with a  full service history and look after it properly, you shouldn't have any major problems.

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Hi Ruairi,

With that kind of mileage you would probably be fractionally better off with a petrol, but the thing is that you're unlikely to find one - petrol sales collapsed in the wake of the 2008 change in the car tax regime, so it's very likely that all you'll find out there are diesels. 

Which is no harm - the 308 was always nicer to drive with the 1.6 diesel than with a petrol (unless you can track down a vanishingly rare 150hp 1.6-litre petrol turbo). You just need to watch for a few key items. Make sure the diesel particulate filter has been kept clean, and make sure you give the car at least one good long drive at motorway speeds every week to keep it that way. Check that the cooling system is working properly and that the (plastic) water pump is in good nick. Check the gearbox too - the five-speed manual can sometimes get jammed in neutral.