Expert answer

Hi Liam,

I would suggest a price of between €20,000 and €23,000 for a model like that, assuming that it's in good condition and has a full service history. The gap between a retail forecourt price and a private seller would usually be in the order of €1,000 to €2,000, but that can vary quite a bit depending on the type of dealer and the type of car. I wouldn't expect the price to drop by an awful lot in January - the lack of new cars sold in the past five years is keeping second hand prices high.

Hope that helps

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Hi Au,

In terms of trade in, you're probably only looking at a value of around €1,500 or so. You might just break the €2,000 barrier if you try and sell it privately, but selling private is never easy. If you love your Leon  then can I simply suggest trading up to a newer one? If you go for a 2009-on second generation Leon, with the 1.6 TDI diesel engine, then you'll have a superbly economical car that will cost you only €200 a year to tax. You already know how robust and reliable SEATs are, so I don't need to remind you of that, but it's worth pointing out that the second-gen Leon was better to drive and more spacious than your current car. My dad has had three now and won't have anything else, so that recommendation is as good as it comes.

Mind you, it could be worth holding fire for a week. The Budget's coming up next week, and there's just a chance that the Society of the Irish Motor Industry's (SIMI) 'Swappage' plan, to give those trading in six-year-old-or-older cars €2,000 off the price of a new one could get approved, and if so then it may be worth trading up to an all-new Leon, which is simply one of the best cars out there. It's even, whisper it, a bit nicer than the Volkswagen Golf...

Here's the latest on the Swappage plan

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Hi Annette,

Our very own Shane O' Donoghue has been out driving the new Fiat 500L MPV this past week, which should be just the thing you're looking for. Tall and spacious, sub-1.4 and with very comfortable seats. Well worth trying. If the 500L doesn't float your boat, then it's always worth having a look at something Swedish (although that will inevitably violate your 1.4 limit) or if you're not keen on a Volvo and their truly wonderful seats, try an Opel. All of Opel's seats, dating back to the 2002 Vectra, have been approved by the Aktion Gesunder Rikter, or German bad back association, and their seats are almost uniformly excellent.

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Hi Caroline,

In the UK, the SRi is the sporty model in the Insignia range (without going for the full-vat VXR model) and is the third level up from base, ahead of the ES and Exclusiv. It should come with 17-inch alloys, lower and sportier suspension, a leather covered steering wheel, front foglights, sporty bucket seats and, depending on the engine, the brilliant 'Flexride' adaptive damping system.

Bluetooth is an option on the SRi - it only comes as standard when you trade up to the Tech Line model - but you can connect your iPod to any Insignia through the standard aux-in socket. You just need to buy the right cable. They cost around €15-20 from any good electrical retailer, though of course the iPod can't be controlled by the car when connected that way.

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Hi Ann Marie,

You’ll only have to pay VAT if the car is younger than six months, or has less than 6,000km on the clock. If you have to pay VAT, you’ll be told the amount during the VRT inspection process.

Read our guide to importing a car from the UK

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Hi Justin,

It's a little tricky to tell, actually, as there aren't that many other S80s from that year about to help us judge the price. Plus there's the fairly high mileage, which will depress the value a little, even though Volvos are well made and capable of shrugging off high mileages. I'd take a stab at a price of about €7,500, possibly a little less if you're trading in.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi John,

Don't be mislead by the 'twin cam' bit. All Subaru Justys of that era have a double overhead camshaft set-up (referred to as both DOHC and Twin Cam). However, there was a special edition model called the Twin Cam Special Edition. This had no changes to the mechanicals, but it did have a lot of extra equipment for the price. It might be worth a little more as a second hand car because of that, but not a lot in reality. Compare the equipment lists. However, we'd urge you to buy first on foremost on condition and mileage.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Helen,

The general rule of thumb for trade in values is to look at the forecourt price for an equivalent car and subtract around €1,000 to allow for the dealer's costs and profit margins. 

As for a valeting service, it would depend on where in the country you live, but a quick run through the good old Yellow Pages should turn up several in your area.

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Hi Dawn,

Yes, getting it checked by Cartell.ie should flag up whether there is anything dodgy in the car's history. Have a look through the service book too and maybe have a ring around the various garages where the car has been looked after.  If the car was regularly serviced and/or they know the owners, that should be a good sign. 

If you're still concerned, get the AA to inspect it for you. They go through second hand cars with a fine tooth comb and will flag up any potential issues.

Expert answer

Hi Shane,

There's a huge variation in Mondeo prices out there, but the price seems to be mostly driven by condition and history, not mileage. After all, any 10-year old car, especially a diesel one designed for high-mileage business drivers, is going to be nudging up over 100,000 miles by now. The most expensive ones seem to be hovering around the €3-3,500 mark, but whether these are genuine prices or just sellers deluding themselves is hard to tell. At the other end of the scale, we found a private sale one with 147,000 miles on the clock for just €1,500 but we'd tread carefully there. If you're looking to buy one, budget for around €2,700 to get something really good, and you may be able to haggle lower than that.