Expert answer

Hi Sue,

That's quite a good selection of new EVs you're trying to choose from. Let's look at the facts first:

Exterior dimensions:

Kia EV4: 4,450mm long, 2,820mm wheelbase
Nissan Leaf: 4,350mm long, 2,690mm wheelbase
Toyota C-HR+: 4,520mm long, 2,750mm wheelbase

The wheelbase figures in particular tell us a lot. That's the distance between the front and rear axles and it's an indication of how much interior space a car has. And the Kia EV4 definitely has the most spacious cabin of the three. If you're regularly carrying larger people in the back, it's the one to go for, but it's also notably roomier up front.

Boot space with all seats in use:

Kia EV4: 435 litres
Nissan Leaf: 437 litres
Toyota C-HR+: 416 litres

The Kia and Nissan appear to be more or less identical on this metric, but the EV4's more upright rear means it can handle bulkier loads when you need it to.

Official range (battery capacity quoted as 'usable' figures):

Kia EV4: either 440km for 55kWh battery or 625km from 78kWh
Nissan Leaf: either 440km for 52kWh battery or 622km for 75kWh
Toyota C-HR+: 606km from 72kWh battery

This data reveals that the Nissan Leaf is a little more efficient than the other ones – in that it uses a bit less energy to go the same distance - so it should prove a little cheaper to run. The differences are slight, though. Note there is only one battery option for the Toyota.

Always remember that these are the official range figures the car makers have to quote according to a standardised test procedure, and it's very difficult to replicate them in real-world situations. Saying that, most people don't travel 400km a week, never mind a day, so it's worth considering the versions with the smaller batteries.

Pricing:

Kia EV4: from €39,940 for 55kWh model, €43,275 for the 78kWh version
Nissan Leaf: no Irish price confirmed as yet, but we'd guess €37,000 for the 52kWh model
Toyota C-HR+: from €42,160 (two grades available, but one battery)

Our opinions:

The Toyota and Nissan look similar in that they're curvy crossovers, while the Kia is a conventional five-door hatchback shape, albeit one with interesting design details.

They're all quite different inside in terms of style, though all of high quality and fitted with all the technology you'd need. The Kia is undoubtedly the most spacious feeling.

The Nissan is – marginally – the best of them to drive, with the Kia in second place, though there really isn't a lot between them in that regard.

In summary:

You'll have noticed that there aren't yawning gulfs between the cars – unless interior and boot space are top priorities - so it may well come down to your own preferences and the pricing. We'd highly recommend you go test drive each of them to see which you prefer.

Do let us know which you choose – and why.

Expert answer

Hi Silvia,

Though it's not ideal that the garage went ahead and did the work without providing a quote and your permission to do so beforehand, I fear there's very little you can do now. Ideally you would have brought the car to an independent assessor to verify the issue. 

Clutch wear would never be covered under warranty as I'm sure you know and yeah, it could wear out in such an amount of time, depending on how and where the car is driven, though I must admit that the symptoms you've described don't seem to tie in with the diagnosis provided.

I'm not sure what route you have for any recourse at this stage.

Expert answer

Hi Paul,

That's a tricky one. We're familiar with the PSE of course and it's a cracking car. Unfortunately, very few people outside of the Peugeot dealer network are likely to understand what it is and you're unlikely to be offered a satisfactory price that reflects its true value.

But you can probably see the dealer's point of view as well: it's a special, niche model that just won't be in demand from the general public.

I'd suggest either finding a showroom that specialises in high-end and performance cars to try and better the trade-in offer (assuming they have a car you want of course) or sell the car yourself. It's a lot messier than trading in the car, obviously, and it may take time to find a serious buyer, but it's how you'd maximise its value.

Expert answer

Hi Gladys,

We'd recommend the car is repaired before the NCT. Though minor damage should not mean a fail, that is open to interpretation by the tester and if they deem the car a danger to others, they can fail it for damaged bodywork.

Expert answer

Hi Carthach,

Frustrating as it is, the rules are quite clear from Revenue on this and, if the vehicle is not being used 100 per cent for the purposes of a business, then it must be taxed for private use. The herd number alone won't change that.

If you have a business related to towing horses, and that's the only thing the Hilux would be used for, then you would have a case for getting commercial tax, but if you use it for towing horses for leisure, then I'm afraid not.

Expert answer

Hi Val,

You'll likely have to pay the Irish distributor for a Certificate of Conformity using the VIN of the Japanese car. This will only work if the car has EU type approval of course.

Expert answer

Hi Teresa,

There's no definitive answer to that, but let's talk through some of it.

First up, while three-cylinder engines might be less balanced and more susceptible to stress when pushed than their four-cylinder counterparts, that's entirely unimportant if you generally pootle around and don't extend the engine to its fullest. And you service it properly.

If you like your car and you don't have to change it, why bother? The more you change your car, the more it costs you in the long run after all.

Nonetheless, if you've got it in your head that you don't trust the three-cylinder engine for some reason, then both the 1.5 Golf and the Corolla are good options.

If all that matters to you is reliability, then it's hard to ignore the Toyota as it has such a strong reputation on that front. We wouldn't expect the Golf to be unreliable as such, but the Corolla is bombproof.

But there's a lot more to a car than dependability and if you already like the Golf, you may well prefer another one over the Corolla. The drive very differently and feel very different, too.

Our advice would be to go and test drive the cars for yourself to see which you prefer, but don't hurry into a decision if there's nothing wrong with your current car.

Expert answer

Hi Harvey,

I'd thoroughly recommend the Volkswagen Multivan for your needs. It comes in two lengths with seven seats. Both are highly versatile, and the boot is big even if you're using all the seats, especially the one with the “long overhang” body.

We've taken this car away on long holiday trips and it has been nothing short of phenomenal. We're only a family of five, but we all fitted in comfortably as well as a few bikes and way too much stuff for a couple of weeks away camping.

What's more, there are diesel and plug-in hybrid versions available, depending on your needs, and it drives more like a car than any of the actual van-based people carriers out there.

The Tourneo would do the job, too, but it's not as flexible and nowhere near as nice to drive.

Go test drive one for yourself and let us know what you think.

Expert answer

Hi Joe,

There's no easy answer to this as every car has a different set of sensors and calibration. In short, the level of ethanol in the fuel can certainly affect a car's emissions, but we're surprised by the jump in the level recorded and don't think that alone would account for it unless something very odd is going on with the engine control unit.

Expert answer

Hi Dave,

Given you'll be on the motorway for an hour each way, presumably a few days a week at least, a diesel car seems to make the most sense in your case.

We'd also suggest that you stick to a car rather than an SUV as it will be better to drive, generally more comfortable and definitely more efficient.

Scouring the classifieds for options, here's what we reckon might suit:

Honda Civic 1.6 diesel
Hyundai i40 1.7 diesel
Kia Optima 1.6 diesel
SEAT Leon 1.6 diesel
Skoda Octavia 1.6 diesel
Volkswagen Passat 2.0 diesel
Volkswagen Golf 1.6 diesel

Come back to us if you'd actually rather stick with a premium marque. The above are a good bet in general when it comes to reliability, though as ever, take your time to choose a good example with a detailed service history, and take test drives as well.