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Previously answered questions
Which new estate to buy as a second car?
Hi!
We’re a family of five (and dog) who love our 10-year-old Volkswagen Passat Estate. No plans to get rid of it but we need a second car to manage weekend logistics. A new Skoda Combi would be great (definitely don’t want an SUV), but would prefer a hybrid or electric option. Any suggestions?
Ciara Malone (Dublin)
Aug 2024 Filed under: choosing new car
Which VW Golf to go for?
I am going to buy a Volkswagen Golf 1.5 eTSI mild-hybrid 115hp. Is it worth getting the 150hp instead?
Ahmed Hagag (Brno-Kohoutovice)
Sep 2024 Filed under: choosing new car
What to replace my VW Golf GTI with?
Hi,
I am in the process of changing my beloved Golf Mk 7.5 GTI but cannot decide what to go for! I have narrowed my search down to a Golf 8.5 R Black Edition, the new Audi S3 Vorsprung or a BMW 340i xDrive. The latter will need to be a six-month-old car rather than new to fit within my budget. All are great cars! Which one of those three would the CompleteCar.ie team go for?
Love your YouTube videos btw - have used them a lot for my search.
Many thanks!
Paul
Paul James (Belfast)
Aug 2024 Filed under: choosing new car
Looking to replace my Audi Q7...
Hi,
I currently drive a 2016 Audi Q7, a 3.0-litre quattro diesel. I want to upgrade as it has 244,000km now on the clock, as I average 30,000km per year.
I was looking at the Q7 petrol hybrid but worried about fuel consumption compared to diesel, I would do a lot of small local journeys and thought this might be better option but just looking for advice if possible please or suggestions on what else you would recommend. Boot space is another big requirement.
Thanks
John
John Glynn (Kilcoole)
Aug 2024 Filed under: choosing new car
Thoughts on my Kia's economy?
Hi,
Just brought a 2022 Kia Sportage 1.6 petrol hybrid 2022 and it averages 7.3 litres per 100km. I thought it would be less.
Kevin Lucey (Cork)
Aug 2024 Filed under: fuel economy and emissions
Looking at a Mercedes C-Class in the North...
Looking at purchasing a 2018 Mercedes C-Class from Northern Ireland.
The car was first registered in the UK but was sold then and in Northern Ireland since May 2021 to the person I am thinking of purchasing from. It states on the Revenue website that if the vehicle was previously in use in Northern Ireland for a reasonable amount of time and I can provide copy of the V5 showing last registered keeper and the date it was registered to them and an MOT history I won't have to pay additional customs and VAT.
Would three years suffice as a reasonable amount of time?
Lisa M (Clare)
Aug 2024 Filed under: importing
My Jaguar XF is going into limp-home mode...
Hi,
I have a 2009 Jaguar XF; it keeps coming up on the dash "DSC" and going into limp-home mode; is there a quick fix to this, or is all lost?
Chris Cooknell (Rugby)
Aug 2024 Filed under: electrics
How to change my Citroen's reverse light switch?
I have a 2017 Citroen C3 Aircross 1.6 BlueHDi. My reverse light, camera and rear park assist are not working. Looking online it seems the reverse light switch on the gearbox the most likely to be faulty. I'm wondering how and where do I access the reverse switch as the engine looks tucked back in the engine bay. I haven't looked yet to see if I can see the switch from the engine bay. I'm wondering what is the procedure to removing the switch.
Adam Ricken (Cork)
Aug 2024 Filed under: fault
When to change my Skoda Rapid TSI's timing belt?
Hi,
I have a 2018 Skoda Rapid Spaceback TSI 95 (999cc) petrol currently at 97,000km. Wondering when to change the timing belt.
Kindly let me know please dear experts.
Thanks in advance.
Joshua D (Dublin)
Aug 2024 Filed under: servicing
Is this BMW exempt from VAT and duty on import?
Looking at 2024 BMW 5 Series on sale by Northern Ireland main BMW dealer. The car is still on an English plate and was registered in England in January 2024. It has covered 7,000km from new. The dealer has it in Northern Ireland for four months. The dealer tells me that because the car has been in Northern Ireland for a reasonable period of time I can import it into ROI without paying VAT and duty (VRT only).
I thought that a car had to be in private ownership in Northern Ireland to be exempt from VAT and duty. This car has never been in private ownership since it arrived in Northern Ireland.
Liam Connolly (Letterkenny)
Aug 2024 Filed under: importing
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