Expert answer

Hi David,

According to the NCT website:

"All cars should be tested on or before the anniversary date of first registration of the car in the country of origin. There is no link with motor tax or insurance expiry date.

PLEASE NOTE: NCTS can issue your certificate up to six months early for a first time NCT and three months early for subsequent NCT tests. For example, a car was first registered on the 5th June 2006. The car was due for its NCT on the 5th June 2010, the car is brought for its NCT on the 26th January 2010 and it passes. An NCT Certificate is received with an expiry date of 4th June 2012"

If your car is eligible for the NCT (please refer to the testing chart) then please phone us on 1890 412 413 or you can check our on-line service by simply typing in your car registration number and date of first registration of the vehicle (which can be found on your vehicle registration book, registration certificate or licensing certificate."

So, it would appear that you need to contact the NCT to check if your car is eligible for a test. 

I hope this helps. 

For more visit the National Car Test Website.

Expert answer

Hi Shane,

There isn't really such a thing at the moment. We have looked for you and there isn't a breakdown as yet. We will work on it though. 

Expert answer

Hi Ado,

According to the Revenue Commissioners, in relation to scrappage in order to qualify, the car, "must have been insured for use on the road in the name of the registered owner or in the name of the spouse of the registered owner for at least 12 months in the 18 months immediately prior to the date of scrappage."

Since it is more than six months since the car was last insured then I think that you might be out of luck in this case. 

The full list of terms for the scrappage scheme can be found here. 

Expert answer

Hi Jane,

First things first. The petrol versus diesel debate. Everyone is very caught up on diesel cars right now and that makes a lot of sense when you are buying new because they have lower road tax, but since small cars tend not to use a lot of fuel, the road tax should be quite low anyway. The mileage you are likely to do might warrant a diesel, but the diesel small cars tend to be a lot more expensive, so in this case I would say that a petrol model would do you fine and still won't cost the earth to run.

The VW Polo is an excellent choice because it is really nicely built and holds its value well too. I did a search for ones with the lowest mileage within your budget from main SIMI dealers (so there is more security and better history checks on the car). A 2007 Volkswagen Polo with just 15,000km on the clock is within your budget and would be a really nice buy. It would be dead cheap to run too. 

This 2008 Ford Fiesta is really nice too; with 11,000km on the clock so it is practically brand new. This is a five-door model so it might be a little more practical. It is at the upper end of your budget but you wouldn't pay the advertised price. 

One I would love you to consider though is the Suzuki Swift. It is a smashing little car. It is really reliable, cute, nicely built and fun to drive. It's a 2008 model with low mileage for less than €9,000. 

I've always had a bit of a soft spot for the Renault Clio (it was my wife's first car and it was great) and you could find another one with ridiculously low mileage for less than €9,000 too. Here is one I liked the look of.

You wouldn't really go wrong with any of these. Personally, I'd be really tempted by that low-mileage Polo as a long term investment because you will always get a good bit of your money back. 

I hope all that helps

Expert answer

Hi Noel,

Two new models have been launched in the Skoda Yeti range and these make up part of a strong model line-up for 2011, which will include a new 4.9 per cent finance offering on Yeti models. Skoda, as part of the Volkswagen Group, will offer finance through its own bank.

The two new models in the Skoda Yeti range are a 1.6-litre TDI Greenline that has 105hp and replaces the 2.0-litre 100hp diesel. It has emissions of 119g/km, which means it sits in motor tax band A.

The car features stop-start technology, low-rolling resistance tyres and brake energy recuperation. Prices start at €23,165 for the Greenline Active, €24,125 for the Ambition model and €26,035 for the Experience.

Also on offer for the first time is the 4x4 version. It comes with a 2.0-litre diesel engine putting out 170hp and with emissions of 155g/km it sits in motor tax band C.

There are Ambition and Experience specifications available for this model and prices are €29,545 for the Ambition and €31,480 for the Experience.

Skoda sold 775,000 cars worldwide in 2010, but has ambitions to sell 1.5 million by 2015. It will launch several new models to the line-up between now and then.

A small A-segment car that will take on the Ford Ka and Toyota iQ will go on sale in 2013, followed by a replacement to the Skoda Octavia that same year. A new version of the Skoda Roomster comes in 2014 and that same year a new version of the Fabia will arrive.

The new Yeti models are now in dealerships. 

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Peadar,

Firstly it is hardly a surprise that your Saab has served you so well. Those cars are so well-built that they can go on for what seems like forever. I'm sure you realise that you probably won't get much for your Saab, unless of course you were prepared to opt for a new car and avail of the Government Scrappage Scheme, but since you mentioned 2008 cars we will deal with those first. 

My first choice for you would be a 2008 Saab 9-3 Diesel. Since you have enjoyed your previous Saab so much and it has served you so well, I thought that this would be the best place to start. You can have a 2008 model, in Linear Sport spec, with just 44,000km on the clock from a SIMI-approved Saab dealer for €19,950. The emissions are 147g/km so it sits in motor tax Band C, so will cost just €302 per year in road tax. This car is really nicely specced too. Plus, you will most certainly get the best price for your own Saab from here.

Another fantastic car that might not have considered is the Subaru Legacy diesel, a personal favourite of mine. This car has a brilliant engine, is beautifully balanced on the road and nicely equipped too. You would pay around €20,000 for a 2008 model. They don't come up for sale very often and can be hard to find but they are super cars. 

The same sort of money would get you a Volvo S40, although my only issue with this car is that it might feel a little small compared to the others. The S40 1.6-litre diesel has low emissions however, so you will pay just €156 per year on road tax. This car is okay, but I don't think it's anywhere near your best choice here. 

The Avensis is a good solid choice and should be reliable and comfortable, but after having quite an interesting car in the shape of the Saab, you might feel a little bit like you sold your soul with the Toyota. You will save some money though. A 2008 model from a Toyota dealer will cost you under €18,000. Sure this car will be a safe choice, but I think it might bore you a little. 

You will save even more money with a 2008 Skoda Octavia Diesel, which will cost you under €16,000 and just €156 in road tax. They are nicely built too. Or in the case of a Volkswagen Passat, you should best avoid the 1.9-litre diesel and get a 2.0-litre one instead - the 1.9-litre diesel is noisy. So this 2.0-litre diesel with 140hp will cost you €18,500 and will still just cost you €302 per year in road tax. 

Another one to consider, and a very under-rated car, is the Citroen C5. The newer model is really good and comfortable and you could have a 2008 version for around €17,500. Here is one.

If you ask me which of this lot you should buy, I would say the Saab or the Subaru. The rest are fine, but if you loved your Saab then those two will be the most interesting for you. 

I hope this helps! 

Expert answer

Hi Maurice,

If I were spending my own money on something like this I would probably narrow my search down to a few key models. I would also look at something that was pre-July 2008 as the road tax is a little easier to stomach.  You didn't specify whether you need it to be a 4x4, because this does tend to make them a little harder on fuel.

The Toyota RAV4 isn't massive but it is seriously well put together and you could have a 2.2-litre 2007 model with low mileage for €17,950.

Here's an example on beepbeep.ie.

Road tax at €860 is still a lot though, so that might rule this out.

If you don't need 4x4, then a Nissan Qashqai is quite an obvious choice. You could have a 2009 model, with low mileage and road tax of a just €156 per year, for €20,495. These are popular for a reason, but forget about it if you need to go off-road.

Here's an example on beepbeep.ie.

Again, no four-wheel drive options for your budget, but you could have a Skoda Yeti, which is a great SUV with a decent 2.0-litre TDI engine for €22,750 - although I'd be pushing for closer to €20,000 in a cash deal.

You could have a Nissan X-Trail too, although they can be a little hard to find. They are really good value. Most are two-wheel drive but there are four-wheel drive ones about. This one is a two-wheel drive version, but at €18,500 for a 2008 model it is great value.

Finally, the latest Land Rover Freelander is much better than the model that went before it. You can have it with a 2.2-litre diesel engine and four-wheel drive and that would be in and around the right money.

Here's an example.

Out of this lot, I'd be inclined to go for the Nissan X-Trail.

Hope that helps. Let us know what you end up going for.

Expert answer

Hi William,

The first thing I would say is, do you really need a diesel? The diesel version of small cars tend to cost more and if you aren't really doing excessive mileage then you might not reap the benefits of owning one. For example a diesel Ford Fiesta costs €1,000 more than a petrol model and the annual road tax on the petrol model is only €156 - just €52 more per year than the diesel option. Often, in a small car, a petrol engine is really the best option.

The first car that you mention, the Fiesta, has been one of the real stars of the scrappage scheme and one of the best-selling cars in 2010 and for us, it is still the best supermini in the class. It is well built, drives really well and has pretty styling. The offers on the Fiesta for scrappage are very tempting and you can shop around to get the best deal, but you will find that there are greater discounts on the petrol models.

A car we rate here at CompleteCar.ie is the Volkswagen Polo and the 1.2-litre TDI BlueMotion model in particular is excellent offering outstanding fuel economy and ultra-low emissions. The Polo is the sort of car that you would like holding on to for four to five years as they age well.

There are obviously some incredible offers in the Renault range, as the company is offering by far the most generous discounts when it comes to new cars. You could have a petrol Clio from €8,990 under scrappage. There is a diesel version available too and with all the discounting this would come out as one of the cheapest five-door diesel superminis around.

I think if you are intent on diesel then perhaps you should look in value terms at a slightly larger car. I would be very tempted by a Hyundai i30 1.6-litre diesel. You can have one of these, which has five doors, is going to be very reliable and will cost you from €14,995 under scrappage, which is really excellent value.

However a car that has really impressed us of late is the new Nissan Juke. Here you are getting lots of car for the money. The diesel Juke starts at €20,195 (full price list here) and this car would qualify for scrappage as it has Band B emissions. 

That's a few for you to consider but do come back to us if you have more questions!

Expert answer

Expert answer

Hi Sarah,

First of all you need to be aware that the cash-for-car places are usually going to give you a deal that is at the lower end of the scale so it can sting a little. I think your best bet is likely to try and trade-in your Colt for something bigger. I can imagine that the three-door Colt is a bit of a nightmare with one child, and two will be even worse. 

Depending on the condition of your car - we are guessing it might look like this, then you may get offered around €4,500 as a trade-in against another car. Obviously you need something a little more spacious. I think the right car for you would be a Ford C-Max because it is spacious, safe and comfortable. We found one from a SIMI dealer in Westmeath that has 67,000 miles on the clock, is petrol-powered, but won't be too expensive to run if you aren't doing a lot of mileage. This car would be ideal for your needs and €4,900 is the the asking price. You can find the advert here.

I think this would be in ideal car because the Spacestar is getting on and isn't all that good and the early Mercedes -Benz A-Class has been notoriously troublesome.

Hope that helps.