Expert answer

Hi Mark,

The government knows the emissions of each vehicle simply because each vehicle is put through a series of official laboratory tests as part of the process of homologation — the legal process whereby a car is pronounced as passed for sale to the public - and that data is made available by the car manufacturers. As for which is cheaper to tax, it’s down to the CO₂ emissions and we’d have to know which make and models you’re looking at before we could give you a precise answer, but in most cases, for a given car, the diesel would have lower CO₂ emissions and hence motor tax.

Expert answer

Hi Emir,

You’re quite right — with kids of those ages, most seven-seat SUVs simply aren’t roomy enough, unless you go for something genuinely massive and expensive, such as a Land Rover Discovery. So, I’d say the Ford Galaxy is indeed your best choice — lots of space, seven proper seats for seven proper people and it's good to drive too. Other options well worth looking at are the VW Sharan and SEAT Alhambra, and — if you can afford the running costs — the old Mercedes R-Class. 

Ford Galaxy reviews

Volkswagen Sharan review

SEAT Alhambra reviews

Hyundai Santa Fe reviews

Expert answer

Hi Wendy,

We get a lot of queries from people with cars that have stop-start issues. We've published this article to help: Why won't my car's stop-start system work?

Saying all that, we also know that the Fiat 500's engine can develop a couple of issues that may be relevant to you, including a problem with the alternator belt tension (and hence battery recharging when on the move) and another with the engine control unit.

Sadly, unless you're comfortable with checking the alternator belt for yourself, these items will have to be checked by a mechanic. 

Expert answer

Hi Conor,

There is no specific mention of such a thing in the NCT testers' manual, but it does reference the bodywork and if anything is deemed to be dangerous to others, or even just potentially dangerous, it could get classed as a minor defect. I suspect a simple crack won't cause you a problem, but testers wouldn't be happy passing a car with bits hanging off it either, so you need to make a call on that.

Expert answer

Hi David,

A camper van that’s more than 30 years old qualifies for vintage tax, which is just €56 a year. You will have to NCT it, but only once every two years. Once it’s older than 40 years, it’ll be NCT exempt. As for insurance, that will very much depend upon your insurer, but usually a classic car policy will have a mileage limit included. Some are as little as 5,000km per year. 

Expert answer

Hi Terry, 

The type of licence that you can apply for once you pass your theory test depends on your age. If you’re under 18 then you must first apply for your A1 licence and complete your Initial Basic Training (IBT) before applying for your driving test. 

If you’re 18 or older, you can apply for your A2 licence through Direct Access. As you’ve passed your theory test you can apply and start your IBT (modules 1,3 and 5) on an A2 bike. After six months, when you pass your driving test you’ll have a full A2 licence.

For the full A licence, you can apply post-theory test again through Direct Access providing you are aged 24 or over or through Progressive Access from age 20 and up. The same process applies with regard to IBT and your test.

You can find more detailed explanation on the RSA’s website here.

Expert answer

Hi John,

The quoted weight on the V5 should be sufficient as the only thing that matters come inspection time is the maximum gross vehicle weight, the limit for which is 3,500kg. As long as you’re not carrying a two-tonne load (which the van wouldn’t take anyway) you should be fine. 

Expert answer

Hi Donal,

Well, fuel consumption depends very much on your own driving style and where (and to an extent when) you do most of your driving. That said, in general, we wouldn’t expect that 1.0 TSI engine to be much thirstier overall than the 1.6 diesel. In our tests, both engines are in and around as economical as each other and you should expect to get around 50mpg from either with a light foot. The diesel may be a little better than the petrol option at a sustained high-speed cruise. However, with such low annual mileage, we suspect that the petrol engine will cost less to maintain in the long run. It's probably the best option for you.

Expert answer

Hi Martin,

Glow plugs are not technically part of the NCT, but if the issue is causing an engine check light to illuminate then it will cause you a problem at the test. 

Expert answer

Hi Jacob,

There is nothing specifically mentioning the glow plugs or the warning light for them in the NCT testing manual, but it's worth getting them done in any case.