Expert answer

Hi Mark,

If you're buying from a reputable dealer, then you should expect to get at least a six-month warranty, and indeed there are car company-backed approved second hand programmes where you can get as much as a two-year warranty, which is pretty good. 

That said, buying an aftermarket warranty is a pretty good idea, once the costs work out. You'll have to decide on the model of car and year in order to get a quote, as it's basically like an insurance system for your mechanical parts, and make doubly sure you read all the small print and know for certain what's covered, under what circumstances, whether knock-on damage (i.e, when the failure of one component causes the failure of others around it) and if there's an excess etc.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Charles,

Not a lot, I’m afraid. Rover was never a hugely regarded brand on the second hand market, and the bottom really fell out when the company went bust in 2006. I’d say, if it’s truly exceptional, you might just get €1,000 for it, but expect less.

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Hi Leonie,

On a private sale, if it’s in exceptional condition, you might get €1,000 for it. As a trade-in, you’d be lucky to get a couple of hundred, unless you go for one of the current ‘scrappage’ trade-in boosters against a new car.

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Hi Dee,

Try both. Sadly, unless it's in amazingly good condition with low mileage it's probably not going to be worth very much. Why not ask a local dealer what you'd likely get on a potential trade-in and then have a crack at selling it yourself? It's possible, given the old Civic's cult following, that you may find a better deal out there from an enthusiast with money to spend.

Let us know how you get on

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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 Katy,

Well, the value of your car will depend on its condition and service history, and don’t forget that trade-in value is usually €1,500 to €2,000 less than retail value. A 2011 Polo is going to be worth around €6,500 to €7,000 on sale, so around €5,000 as a trade-in.

Expert answer

Hi Tommy,

First up, gearboxes: a six-speed gearbox in a given car usually means it is officially more economical than it would be if it had a five-speed gearbox, but that really will depend on the type of roads it's driven on and the driver's own style. It's not correct to say that a six-speed Renault, for example, is automatically more economical than a five-speed Ford though, as there are many more factors to consider. Best to look at the official combined consumption figures as a gauge - even though they're not usually achievable in the real world they are a good measure of one car against another.

A quick search on Carzone.ie reveals that your budget may get you into a 2009 Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi. There are plenty of different trim levels and 90- or 110hp derivatives available so take a close look at the specifications, history and mileage. Most of those are now in Band A4 with emissions of less than 120g/km and fuel consumption as low as 4.3 litres/100km (65.7mpg).

In terms of Golfs, it looks like you'd be lucky to get a 2008 version (the old one) for that same money, which means it'd have to be a 1.9- or 2.0-litre TDI engine. These cost more to tax (especially if you go pre-2008) and are a little less econonomical than the Focus above.

There don't seem to be many Renault Méganes fitting your description and budget, though a look elsewhere reveals that you may find a 2010 version at this price powered by the 1.5-litre dCi engine. This came in 86- and 110hp guises. The former is virtually as economical as the Focus and the latter only uses a little more fuel.

Finally, the Citroen C4: in terms of economy, the 2008 1.6 HDi 92hp engine is up there with the Focus etc, though there are more powerful versions available too.

In summary, if fuel economy is your priority then it's probably best to stay away from the older Golf, with its larger engine. The others are all very close and so it comes down to personal preference. We'd go for the Focus, not least because of the much wider choice of examples on the used market.

Come back to us if you need more assistance narrowing your search.

Expert answer

Hi Neil,

The seller will have to request a letter from the bank confirming all of the above, but I don't know if they'll provide one any quicker. Still worth a try.

I certainly wouldn't advocate taking a risk on it and just believing the seller.

Expert answer

Hi Gerard,

We've spoken to Land Rover Ireland and, as we suspected, it has no plans to offer a commercial version of the new Range Rover. The previous model was never built as a commercial vehicle either.

Your only option would be to commission such a conversion, though we suspect that this would not make economic sense.

Sorry to not have better news for you,

Expert answer

Hi Martin,

There were actually some significant mechanical changes for the Type-S, including wider-track rear suspension, an upgraded interior and a more aggressive body kit. That said, it’s still not THAT sporty, and a regular Civic is near enough as good to drive. The 2.2 diesel is an excellent engine, with good economy and very solid reliability. As for an ‘air energiser’ I’m guessing this is some kind of aftermarket add-on? Beware such things — they tend to promise much and deliver little, and usually aren’t worth the money.