Can I retrofit Bluetooth to a 2011 VW Passat?
Hi guys, do you know of any companies that can retrofit the Bluetooth phone set up on a 2011 VW Passat? This wasn't installed from factory but the car has the necessary controls on the steering wheel.
Thanks.
Brendan Cullen (Dublin)Oct 2011 Filed under: Bluetooth
Expert answer
Hi Brendan,
I spoke to Volkswagen about this and its retailers will do this job in about an hour for a total price of €350. That includes VAT, parts and labour and they'll even wash and vacuum the car when it's in.
If you decide to go this route please do let us know how you find the service.
What small automatic to replace my Volvo S40?
We are trying to sell our Volvo S40 1.8 flex fuel purchased in 2009 and road tax paid until May 2012. It is good as new with only 37,000km on the clock and we are trying to get an automatic small car instead. How much do you think is a fair garage offer as it's a hassle to sell privately, and what's a good small automatic car?
Mary Gonzalez (Kildare)Oct 2011 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hello Mary,
You will probably get offered in and around the €15,000 mark for your S40 Flex Fuel model, but this could stretch to €16,000 if you traded it in against a new car. You didn't mention if you wanted a new or a used small automatic to replace your Volvo, but I will assume that you want a new car.
I am not sure how small you want to go, but there are a few decent small automatic cars around, but not that many. The best of them would probably be the automatic Ford Fiesta, which is a really great little car for the money. We quite like the Hyundai i20 1.4 Deluxe Auto too. This is a fine little car. My top choice and the one I would buy is the Skoda Fabia 1.2 TSI Sportline with the excellent DSG gearbox, which is simply superb.
Hope that helps
How much is my Toyota Yaris worth?
Hi,
How much is my Toyota Yaris worth? It is registered 2006 and has full service history and has only done 7,000 thousand miles and I have been the only owner.
Elizabeth Brighton (Worcester)Oct 2011 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi Elizabeth,
i would expect you to get offered around €6,500-€7,500 for this as a trade-in. If you were selling this privately you could get €7,500 - €8,000 given the low mileage. A car dealer may be willing to buy this car from you as it would be very sellable.
I hope this helps.
Is that a fair price for my Honda CR-V?
Hello I need some advice please. I have a 2004 honda CR-V with 119,000 miles on the clock. I have been offered €4,000 for it and I would like to know if you think this is the best price I can hope for. Thanks.
Sheila Conway (Cork)Oct 2011 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi there Sheila,
If it is against a new or reasonably recent used car then it really isn't that generous. Presuming that it is in decent condition you could push for about €500 more, but as we always say here on CompleteCar.ie, don't look at how much you are getting for your car, but rather the 'cost to change' as this allows you to shop around with more clarity. You could try and sell your car privately. The cheapest one I have seen for sale privately is asking €5,250, so you could try that price and if you got €4,500 you would still be quids in! I hope that helps Sheila.
How much is my 2005 Ford Focus worth?
How much is my 2005 Ford Focus LX 1.4 petrol with 70,000 miles on the clock worth?
Thanks
Wayne Rowan (Athy)Sep 2011 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi Wayne,
You would probably get offered around €3,800 from a main dealer for your car and you could expect to sell it privately for around €4,300, so you should advertise for around €4,600. Remember if you are trading in then concentrate on the 'cost to change' rather than the value of your car.
I hope this helps?
How much is my Lancer worth?
How much is my 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Comfort 1.3 worth? (has 95k miles on the clock).
Ciaran Mc Cashin (Drogheda)Sep 2011 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi Ciaran,
You would probably get offered about €3,000 against another car as a trade-in. If you intend to sell it privately you should ask around €3,750 to take less if pushed.
Am I better off buying a car in the UK and then importing it?
I have been researching replacing a Ford S-MAX (hence my questions to you alreadu!) and have been struck by the spec difference between the new model SEAT Alhambra here and in the UK. Most cars nowadays seem to be the same in the two countries, but with this model it appears to me that there is a huge difference.
We do not have the option of the more powerful diesels and the SE Lux in the UK comes with absolutely everything. The Irish spec is very basic in comparison with all the gizmos and leather etc. extra. Do you know why this might be? Based on my initial rough calculations I think I could buy a brand new model in the UK, pay the VAT/VRT and get a higher spec car for less.
What do you think?
Andrew Kelly (Limerick)Sep 2011 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Andrew,
We put this to Cartell.ie, the official vehicle records experts, and they had an interesting slant on things:
"The VRT issue is tricky - and the buyer must be extra vigilant now. With the transfer of functions for VRT calculation to the NCT centres the officials there have been warned to check the interior of the vehicle for evidence of 'extras'. This means the buyer could be unexpectedly hit with a premium, i.e. pay over-the-odds VRT on a vehicle just because there are additional features not available to an indigenous Irish equivalent vehicle. The best thing for the buyer to do is contact the NCT centre first, before importing the vehicle, and have a chat about likely costs for additional features. It's the best way to avoid surprises."
Sound advice if you ask me.
Does my Kia Sorento have suspension problems?
Hi, I recently bought a 2008 Kia Sorento (30k miles) privately and really like it. Everything has been great so far except for when I hit bumps in the road. The bang you get from going over bumps is quite hard and travels through your body. I did research on Sorentos before buying it but now going back I see there are suspension problems reported on Kias. Do you think if I replace the shocks it should ease the suspension problem and do you know if there is a type of shock that I should get a garage to install to try and dampen down the bang I get from bumps in the road?
Thanks Ciaran.
Ciaran Browne (Dublin)Aug 2011 Filed under: fault
Expert answer
Hi Ciaran,
The Sorento is known for being robust and generally mechanically sound. However, its suspension was never the most comfortable. Your car is very low mileage so I would be surprised if anything in the suspension needs to be replaced as yet. One option would be to ask a mechanic to replace the dampers with high quality items. They'll cost more though.
Before you do that I'd urge you to try to get your hands on another example of the Sorento - from a dealer or something - to compare back-to-back with your own over the same bumpy road. Only then can you know if there's a problem.
Finally, check the tyre pressures as well and make sure they're within spec.
Hope that helps in some way.
How much is my VW Golf GTI worth?
How much is my 2007 Volkswagen Golf GTI 2.0 DSG five-door worth?
David Mller (Cork)Aug 2011 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi David,
If you were trading in your GTi in a dealership you would probably get offered around €11,500 - €12,500 depending on the condition and mileage. You could ask about €13,500 - €15,000 as a private sale.
I hope this helps
What value on a high mileage Golf?
What is the valuation of a 1999 Volkswagen Golf TDI 90bhp. It has 310,000 miles on it.
Martin O Sullivan (Cork)Jul 2011 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi Martin,
If it works well then it is worth much more than selling it or trading it in is going to suggest. Any trader is likely to only offer you a token gesture of a few hundred Euro for a car with this sort of mileage, whereas if it drives well then you are much better off keeping it. It is also going to be difficult to sell privately.