Expert answer

Hello Ailis,

Well for a start you have forgotten about the new Mazda5, which could be right up your street and it comes in €2,000 less than the Ford C-Max . It is a really impressive car and has a 1.6-litre diesel engine, which is frugal and puts it into Motor Tax Band B. It isn't quite as engaging as the C-Max to drive but it is well equipped and feels like a very high quality product. Here it is:

€24,995 will get you the entry-point into the Mazda5 and we think it is a really good car and would seem to suit your needs. 

While it doesn't have sliding doors, you simply must try the Peugeot 5008 because it is so good. Click on the link to read our full review. That would make a great buy.

With regards to the Ford Grand C-Max you need €26,995 to get into the 1.6-litre Activ model. 

Out of all of these, Ailis, I think you should really consider the Mazda5.

Hope that helps!

Expert answer

Hi Steve, 

Here's an answer to a similar question:

http://www.completecar.ie/askusanything/question/397/Are-there-any-Band-B-4x4s

Depending on your budget, I think the new BMW X3 would be ideal. Perhaps the Skoda Yeti 4x4 would work if you are working off a smaller budget. Bear in mind that the most either of those cars can legally tow is 2,000kg (dependant on model), so whether they are suitable really depends on the weight of your horsebox - and horses of course...

Some versions of the Volkswagen Tiguan have a 2,500kg towing limit, but they fall into higher tax bands.

If you give us an actual weight to work with we can advise you further, but there certainly are not many four-wheel drive SUVs on the market that can tow more than 2,000kg and still be in Band A or Band B.

Expert answer

Hi Caroline,

Paddy here. Given your budget, I would say that you need something that is going to be easy to live with, cheap to run and reliable. 

The Suzuki Swift is a really easy car to own. It is reliable, spacious, cheap to run (tax, fuel, insurance) and good value too. This one I have picked out because it has really low miles (10,000km) and is about half way up your budget: Suzuki Swift

Another decent buy would be a Ford Focus 1.4 - which is a really good larger family hatchback with a big boot. This one we found has just 34,000km on the clock, comes from a good dealership and the price is good: Ford Focus

At the upper end of your budget would be a Volkswagen Golf. They are really good investments because they hold their value well. This one again has really low mileage: Volkswagen Golf

I hope some of these are of interest. I think the Swift would be a super choice for you guys though. 

Come back to us if you need more advice though.

Expert answer

Hi Steve, 

From what we can tell, no there isn't any SUV with 4x4 in Band B, as yet. There are lots of SUVs and crossovers in Band B with front-wheel drive. You'll find the likes of the Skoda Yeti, VW Tiguan, Nissan Qashqai all have versions with frugal diesel engines. 

When it comes to 4x4, the best you can probably do at the moment is Band C. The Skoda Yeti 4x4 sits in Band C, as does the new BMW X3, which is selling well with good reason.

The Lexus RX Hybrid sits in Band C, as do the Hyundai ix35 2.0 CRDi 4wd and the Volvo XC60 AWD.

Hope that gives you something to think about

Expert answer

Hello David, 

In short - no. Anyone importing pays the same rate of VRT. 

Revenue has a full guide explaining VRT here. 

Expert answer

Hi Irene,

We're a little surprised that those two cars are being compared, as the Avensis Tourer is quite a bit more expensive than the Grand Mégane. To buy new anyway.

Because of the price gap it should be no surprise that the Avensis is a better car. It feels of higher quality and has a great reputation for reliability.

Still, don't dismiss the Mégane just yet. Although the Renault is technically a smaller class of car, the Grand Mégane is huge inside and the boot is not a lot smaller than the Toyota's (491 litres vs. 543).

The Renault is crammed with equipment as standard too, especially if you opt for the new 'Irish Edition'. It's also cheaper to run than the Toyota and there are Band A versions of the Mégane available so annual road tax could be cheaper.

In summary, if your decision is based on value, running costs and price then the Renault wins, but if those are not your priorities then the Avensis is a better car.

If you need more information please do come back to us.

Expert answer

Hi Pat,

For a start, looking at the prices of 1998 Avensis models, you would most likely be better off going with the scrappage scheme. You can get €3,360 off the price of a new Corolla, which is much more than you could hope to get for either selling your 1998 Avensis privately or trading it in against an older second-hand model. The cheapest new Corolla you can get is from €17,775 with scrappage.

If you decided on a 2007 or 2008 model then you might get €2,000 for your 1998 Avensis. The 2008 Corolla diesel would cost you €14,750 and a 2007 model would cost you €11,995 or perhaps €9,995 with your Avensis. Obviously these are our estimates on values. 

The choice depends on your budget, but if you want to keep your overall costs down then I think the 2008 model would probably be your best bet because you would avail of the new tax system and you could perhaps sell a 2008 model on again easier. If you have access to the money though, you might just want a brand new car! 

Expert answer

Hi Emma,

I know this might seem like an obvious answer, but I would have thought that a main VW dealer would be your best bet. There are a number of 2005/2006 models on sale at the moment with varying prices, although obviously it doesn't need to be a main Volkswagen dealer as most outlets should be happy to take your Golf as a trade-in. 

Here is a Touareg 3.0-litre TDI with a V6 engine with 60,000 miles on the clock listed at €17,900. Depending on the condition of your GTI you might get offered between €4,000 - €5,000 for the car so you would need a balance of around €13,000 - €14,000 by our best guess. Bear in mind that the road tax on the Touareg would be over €1,300 per year. 

I hope this helps! 

Expert answer

Hi Chloe,

The fact that you really seem to like your car would signify that perhaps you should simply change to the 1.7-litre diesel SXi version of your car and save yourself a few quid in the process. You will probably get around €11,000 - €11,500 for your car at current market prices, but that should leave you well placed to replace it with a diesel model without too much trouble.

There weren't too many SXI models in Ireland with diesel engines but there do appear to be a few Vauxhalls imported with this spec that might work for you unless you had any particular objections to driving a Vauxhall over an Opel. 

You could have a diesel version for in and around the same money so perhaps you could even get into a slightly newer model if you were prepared to invest a few more quid, but since money saving seems to be the aim here then maybe just swap into a diesel. 

Aside from that you could perhaps look at getting a Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion, which is incredibly fuel efficient. This would make a great buy for you really and something like this would be very cheap to run. 

I hope this helps,

Expert answer

Hi Ronan,

We asked Ciaran Lowe, a former service manager for Nissan Ireland, to answer this one. He told us. "I can understand your reasoning for removing the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) because of the excessive cost of replacement. However, the DPF on diesel vehicles plays an important roll in reducing vehicle emissions. In fact these filters can reduce diesel soot emissions by up to 80 percent, so by removing the DPF it is interfering with the emissions on your vehicle. By re-mapping the ECU it is only tricking the engine management  system to see emissions within spec regarding the DPF system. However even with the ECM re-mapped the vehicle will still fail any future emissions tests. The fact your light is on indicates the system has identified out of range emissions."

I'm afraid the best solution all-round is to seek a used DPF filter.

We've talked to a few people in the industry and short of messing with the actual lights in the dashboard there is no way around this. We can't recommend this route, but it could be done by any auto electrician.