Expert answer

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

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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

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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.

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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.

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Hi Declan,

Well, obviously the 2.0-litre is more powerful, and with 150hp compared to the Golf 1.6 TDI’s 120hp, quite a bit more so. Lots more torque too, which makes driving much more effortless. There’s not a huge penalty in terms of fuel economy or emissions either, so you’re not going to have to shell out masses of extra cash in terms of running costs, and the 2.0-litre is more refined and smoother than the 1.6.

Is there any point to buying the 1.6 then? Yes — it’ll be cheaper to insure, and easier to sell on as most private buyers will shun the bigger engine.

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Hi there,

Expert answer

Hi John,

I'd say on a trade-in you'd probably get about €2,500 to €3,000 for it. But make sure you do your sums carefully when changing. The cost of change can often outweigh what you're spending on petrol. Maybe practice some seriously economical driving techniques? Take any excess weight out of the car by emptying the boot etc. And get the engine properly serviced and tuned, with fresh filters and new oil.  Check the tyres for condition and correct pressure. You'd be surprised what a difference things like that can make to your fuel consumption.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Ken,

OK, having combed the Revenue information booklets, as far as we can tell, the age of the vehicle in question means that it is not liable for VAT, but will, of course, be liable for VRT. It wouldn't hurt to double check with your local tax office to confirm this, though. Revenue tend to actually be very helpful with such inquiries, just be up front with them.

Let us know how you get on