Expert answer

Hi Claire,

The revised Polo is now in Ireland, so we assume you mean that one. The 1.2-litre TSI petrol model is in Band A3, costing €190 to tax. That's the case whether it's manual or DSG automatic and for both three- and five-door body styles.

The only 1.4-litre Polo on the Volkswagen Ireland price list is the TDI diesel. It's available in 75- and 90hp guises, in both three- and five-door bodies and with a DSG automatic for the higher power unit. It doesn't matter which of all those you buy, they're all in Band A2, costing just €180 per year to tax.

Hope that helps, but please do check out our first drive of the revised Polo here as well.

Expert answer

Hi David,

Sadly it was only quite recently that ISOFIX became a required fitting. According to the EU, "Under the current UN/ECE R14, all new vehicles produced since February 2013 are required to have ISOFIX lower anchorages and top tether attachments."  

Bonus trivia fact: ISOFIX was originally jointly developed by child seat maker Britax and Volkswagen. That probably doesn't help your search for a car that has it though. What I would suggest is to look up the website of the maker of the seat. Many seat makers (such as Maxi-Cosi, here: http://www.maxi-cosi.com/ie-en/service/car-fitting.aspx) provide a matching service to help you determine which cars your seat will fit in. 

Otherwise, get in touch with a seat expert such as Mothercare or Tony Kelly's who will be able to help you out.

Expert answer

Hi Brian,

Yeah, I think you're probably right to stick with diesel with those sorts of mileages. Mind you, it's worth pointing out that those two Volkswagens you have aren't on mega-miles yet and it could be more cost-effective to spend a little on getting them spruced up and fit for thousands more miles than chopping and changing.

That said, if you're in need of a good, reliable family car then I'd have a long look at a Toyota Avensis estate. The 2.0-litre D-4D diesel engine is a good 'un and cheap to tax, it's comfy, ideal for long motorway runs and if it's not the most exciting car in the world, then at least it's solidly reliable. Spacious too.

Probably the most cost-effective option is to replace the high-miler with something younger and fitter and then spend a little extra to keep the runaround Golf fresh.

 Let us know what you decide on.

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Hi Joe,

If it's the 180hp 2.0 dCi model you mean then its CO₂ emissions are 172g/km, which means annual road tax of €750.

Expert answer

Hi Eoin,

Go for the Corolla. Its long term reliability prospects are better than those of the Polo, it'll be far more comfortable on the motorway and barely any more expensive to fuel and tax.

Expert answer

Hi Keith,

The extra spec probably won't make much difference I'm afraid. Once there's a few basic items such as air conditioning, a decent stereo and some nice wheels, most second hand buyers don't care about spec - they're only interested in the car itself, its history and its likely reliability. With that in mind I'd say you're looking at a value of between €8,000 and €9,000.

Expert answer

Hi Annette,

I think your best bet could be to upgrade to a newer Mazda3 Saloon. The second generation 3 four-door is a really nice car - spacious, comfy and reliable, and if you get a 1.6 diesel from 2008 onwards you'll be paying half nothing for your road tax. 

Expert answer

Hi Barry,

To be blunt, you're going to struggle to get a decent diesel engined car at that price level. There do seem to be one or two diesel Peugeot 307s or Renault Méganes around at that sort of money but we'd advise serious caution before purchase - neither have a great reputation for reliability. 

Unless you're covering mega-miles every week, you would probably be much, much better off getting a tidy 1.4 petrol hatchback, perhaps a circa 2002 Toyota Corolla? Really solid on the reliability front, excellent fuel economy and affordable motor tax. It would be a much better idea than going all out for diesel but ending up with a less reliable car.

What do you think?

Expert answer

Hi Jemima,

It really depends on which model you're talking about. Assuming it's the all-new Qashqai launched this year, the 1.5-litre dCi diesel are in Band A2, costing just €180 per year to tax; the 1.6-litre diesel (manual or automatic) is in Band A4 at €200 per year; while the 4x4 Qashqai with the 1.6-litre diesel is in Band B1, costing €270 per year. The 1.2-litre petrol versions are also in Band B1.

Hope that's of some help

Expert answer

Hi George,

We'd need to reg. number to give you a definitive answer, as the official emissions rating for that car depends on a number of factors, including the factory-fitted wheel size, whether it has stop-start and whether it's the five- or seven-speed automatic gearbox. Possibilities include:

- 16-inch wheels, five-speed auto, no stop-start: 154g/km - Band C - €390 per year

- 16-inch wheels, seven-speed auto, stop-start: 129g/km - Band B1 - €270 per year

- 18/19-inch wheels, seven-speed auto, stop-start: 138g/km - Band B2 - €280 per year

Come back to us with either the registration or all those details and we'll give you the definitive answer.