VRT and motor tax on a Mercedes camper?

Hi,

I was just wondering if I bought a 1991 Mercedes-Benz 308 diesel camper from the UK, what would the VRT estimate be and how much to tax it? The engine capacity is 3.0-litre. It has 74,456 miles on the clock.

Raymond Flynn (Athlone, Co. Westmeath)

Jul 2018 Filed under: VRT

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Electrical issues with the Volvo S60?

I am considering buying a second hand Volvo S60, approx year 2014. I've heard negative remarks about the electrics and that issues are expensive to repair. Would electrical issues be common?

David Heffernan (Dublin)

May 2018 Filed under: electrics

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Looking at maybe a new petrol SUV.

Hi,

I'm looking to change my 151 Toyota Corolla 1.4 Luna diesel at the end of this year or early next year. It currently has 93,000km on the clock. About 70 per cent of our driving is on short journeys such as short runs to town of about 10km. Would I be better to stay with diesel or go to petrol? I'm thinking about getting a crossover/SUV, something like a Peugeot 3008, Nissan Qashqai or a Kia Sportage, or would I get better value getting a smaller SEAT Ateca, Suzuki Vitara or Opel Mokka? My children are all adults now and are only around at weekends so our mileage will be decreasing a bit. Any advice would be great.

Thanks

Rob

Roddy McMyler (Kilkenny)

Jun 2018 Filed under: choosing new car

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Why do Irish car buyers not get discounts?

Hi,

I wonder if you could explain something I don't really understand about the Irish car buying market, even though I have a big interest in cars and the industry. Why is it that Irish car buyers hardly ever seem to get the sort of discounts that buyers in Britain do? I'm not just referring to the fact that overall new and used prices are cheaper there.

I wanted to buy a new or nearly new Peugeot 508 here recently and thought I would get a reasonable discount, which I pushed for, as that model does not sell as well as many of it's rivals and I thought the Peugeot dealer would be delighted to sell a saloon seeing as the market for them is declining so much and so many people now want SUVs instead. Alas, I could not get any sort of decent discount for a new or nearly new 508. It is well known that in Britain the buyer often gets a sizeable discount for car types or models that lag behind many rivals in sales, or for certain brands such as Vauxhall/Opel and Citroen. From what I observe and hear, you don't get decent discounts either for certain makes and models here in Ireland.

Higher VRT and other taxes here, don't explain these differences alone. I thought with Brexit and the vast increase in used and nearly new imports that Irish dealers would be more price competitive, but I'm surprised also that the prices of good fresh second hand cars here haven't come down more in this backdrop. For some good reasons, I'd prefer to buy here than from abroad, but it just seems that Irish car buyers can't catch the breaks that UK buyers get at all! Do you agree with me or can you kindly explain these differences in both markets?

Thanks, JC

JC Holohan (Waterford)

Jun 2018 Filed under: used car values

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Is my Mondeo's tax bill correct?

I have a 2009 Ford Mondeo 2.0 140hp, but I think my car tax might be wrong. I have been paying €750 a year on this car. I'm only looking into it now after someone telling me it could be the wrong price; how can I look into this or who could I talk to about this?

Thanks

Thomas Madden (Kilcolgan )

Jun 2018 Filed under: taxation

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Is this 2010 Volvo XC90 a good deal?

Hi there,

Looking to buy a 2010 Volvo XC90 with 130k on the clock. There’s a full service history. Cambelt was changed at 100k miles. It seems most of the mileage was highway miles. Price is €12k. Is it possible to bring the car to a Volvo dealer to get checked out? Good deal or bad deal?

Wendy B (Dublin)

Jun 2018 Filed under: choosing used car

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Should we get a second EV for towing?

Hi, a question about a second car. What would be a good choice for a second car for travelling to work that does small mileage (10-20 miles) daily? Our main car is a Nissan Leaf, which we use for the majority of our driving. A car that can tow a small trailer would be ideal, something with low tax and running costs. Budget is about 6-7 thousand euro, with the intention of trading in the car in a few years time for a newer model. Have thought of buying another electric car, but not sure about having two electric cars in household until longer range cars are available or charging network improves.

Thank you for your help.

Barry

Barry Slye (Cork)

Jun 2018 Filed under: electric cars

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Best way to deal with a car I own in Spain?

This is probably a difficult question and if you don't have a clear answer, that's fine.

Upon retiring, I bought an apartment in Spain four years ago and for the past four years I've come and gone. Because I spent extended periods there it wasn't realistic to hire a car, so I bought a new car but then I made the mistake of replacing it in 2017. I was never tax resident in Spain and now intend selling up and coming back to Ireland permanently. Do you know what is the tax position of bringing the car back the Ireland? It might be better to sell it in Spain, but I'm unlikely to get a reasonable price, but equally if the VRT is very significant I should accept the loss.

Thanks

Philip

Philip Donegan (Ballina)

Jun 2018 Filed under: importing

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How much VRT on a new Land Cruiser?

Hi there, how much would the VRT be on a 2018 Toyota Land Cruiser five-door LWB?

Elizabeth

Elizabeth Kearns (Longford )

Jun 2018 Filed under: VRT

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Used Qashqai, Sportage, ix35 or BMW X1?

I am looking for a 2012 Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage or Hyundai ix35 or a 2010 BMW X1. All of these have driven approx. 80,000 miles for a price range of €12-13,000. Which one would you go for? Most driving will be on motorways during weekends.

Thanks

Naved Iraqi (Dublin)

Jun 2018 Filed under: choosing used car

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