Expert answer

Hi Bartlomiej,

Well, it kinda depends what you mean by SUV. If you mean large, the likes of the Hyundai Santa Fe, Honda CR-V etc, then it's probably best to wait until the new 1.6-litre, front-wheel drive version of the Honda arrives later this year, as that will be a big, spacious SUV that has emissions of under 120g/km, although the lack of four-wheel drive might not appeal.

If it's the smaller ones you're looking at then I'd suggest a Skoda Yeti. It bridges the gap, size-wise, between the very small Nissan Juke and the large stuff like Mazda's CX-5 and the Kia Sportage. Go for the 1.6 TDI Greenline version and you'll have a spacious, rugged, practical family car with Band A4 tax (€200 a year) and it should do a pretty steady 50mpg most of the time.

Want something a bit more flash? The MINI Countryman, with its 1.6-litre diesel engine, is super-frugal, but you do need to spend a bit on options to get the right look.

It may also be worth waiting a couple of months until the new Renault Captur and Peugeot 2008 arrive on sale, as both should prove very affordable to run.

Expert answer

Hi Lisa,

Well, there is the obvious recommendation of a Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi, but a €7,000 budget won't, sadly, get you into a post-2008 car, so you'll be paying a higher rate of annual motor tax. 

So here's a less obvious recommendation: an Opel Astra 1.3 CDTi. It's not the fastest car in the world, but it should prove very economical, it's well built, comfy, spacious and even has a decent boot. Best of all 130g/km emissions mean you'll pay a reasonable €270 a year to tax it.

What do you think?

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Hi Greg,

No, it will be valid from the point where the car should have had its NCT done, based on when it was first registered. 

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Hi Patrick,

Renault Ireland tells us that we should be able to test one in July, so that's likely to coincide with the cars arriving in dealers as well. We'll be at the international launch of the car this week.

In case you missed our earlier news item here it is: Stylish new Renault SUV on the way

Expert answer

Hi Dave,

First off, we are massively jealous of you getting a Challenger. We drove an SRT8 version in San Diego back before Christmas and it's just a glorious lump of retro-styled Americana. Good enough to (literally at one point) stop traffic in downtown. Bringing one into Ireland of course means you're going to get hit for a lot of tax in the form of VRT - and potentially VAT.

You'll be paying the top whack rate of 36% VRT because of the car's emissions. Now, that's not 36% of the price you've paid, but 36% of what Revenue decides the car is worth. Fair? No, not even slightly but them's the rules. You'll have to pay VAT as well if the car is either less than six months old or has less than 6,000km on the clock. Within seven days of the car's arrival in Ireland, you have to make your appointment with the NCT people to have the car inspected and valued. Revenue has a very helpful FAQ page on VRT here: http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vrt/faqs-vrt.html

Let us know how you get on - and if you need help testing it...

Expert answer

Hi Gavin,

Here's the checklist for a 2002 Volkswagen Golf (hatchback or Estate):

- Check that alloy wheels have had copper slip grease applied behind them at each service, or the alloy can react with the steel hub and cause corrosion.

- Make sure the headlamps are in good condition, as they're a bumper-off job to replace.

- The rear screen wash-wipe can leak and run into the lock, shorting out the alarm and central locking. The door locks in general can give trouble.

- Most Golf engines need a cambelt change every 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometres). Diesel engines tend to get through a lot of oil.

- Clutch release bearings can wear out easily leading to a hefty clutch action.

- Ignition coils can burn out.

- A whirring noise could be a water pump failure.

- Slow starting or engine management lights often mean a temp sensor has failed.

- A tapping noise on start up may mean you need a cylinder head rebuild.

- If the car has sluggish acceleration it could be a crank or camshaft sensor failure.

- And if there are any issues with any of the main instruments then he whole display has to come out and be replaced.

That's a long list, we know, but if the car you're looking at passes those tests then it's likely to be a good one.

Expert answer

Hi Tom,

Power steering aside (that's strange...) it really sounds like you might have connected the battery incorrectly or shorted the battery somehow. Have you any way to safely test the battery?

If you're not confident in finding the problem for yourself we'd really recommend you get an auto-electrician or a mechanic to take a quick look for you.

Let us know how you get on.

Expert answer

Hi Simon,

You've picked a car from a changeover year, but with that mileage I'm going to assume it's the older generation model you're talking about. If so, check the door handles for loose fit and make sure it has had a cambelt change at 130,000km. If it's a diesel make sure its oil has been regularly topped up (A4s seem to burn a lot), if it's the Multitronic auto then make sure the gearbox oil has been changed every 60,000 kilometres or so.

Other than that, engine sensors can fail and drop the car into creep-home mode, so make sure your test drive takes in a lot of different driving styles and speeds. Check the diesel particulate filter (drive for a steady 16 kilometres at 2,500rpm and if the DPF light on the dash doesn't go out then it needs replacing). Listen for noisy steering racks on full lock. A knocking noise from the front suspension could be a worn-out anti-roll bar too.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Fran,

We really like the Kia cee'd. It's a high quality offering that does everything well, is decently specified, refined, comfortable and relatively spacious. We wouldn't ever have compared it to the Renault Clio though, as it competes with the Mégane. The cee'd is bigger and more comfortable than the Clio. Saying that, the Clio is more interesting looking for sure and drives just as well.

In terms of diesel engines, Kia offers a 1.4- or 1.6-litre CRDi diesel and Renault has a 1.5-litre dCi unit. The latter and the 1.4-litre engine put out 90hp, but the Clio feels quicker and is a lighter car. Likewise it's better on fuel and a little cheaper to tax.

Try to test drive both in a scenario that reflects your daily driving. The cee'd is more refined and a better long distance cruiser, for example.

Feel free to come back to us if you need more assistance.

Expert answer

Hi Geoff,

First thing we'd look at is the air flow meter. Try to get a known good one to swap and re-test.

Let us know how you get on.