HELPDESK: Answering all your motoring queries
From WS:
Is it possible for someone who is disqualified in another country in the European Union to drive in Ireland? I’m involved in a dispute with another driver and I have been told that he has been disqualified in his home country. So how can he be driving here?
While there is mutual recognition of driving disqualifications between Ireland, the North and Britain since last January, there is no EU-wide system of disqualification in place at this time.
Agreement between EU states on such recognition remains part of a Convention dating back to 1998, which Ireland signed, but which is still not in force.
So, technically, he can drive here legally despite his foreign disqualification.
That said, I would wonder how he got insurance on the vehicle and whether he disclosed the ban to his insurer.
From M O’Reilly:
I have been offered a replacement for my current company car – a VW Passat 1.6 – and this time I have been given a range of options to choose from. They are probably not going to set your world alight, but I have been considering the Ford Mondeo, Toyota Avensis and another Passat. I know there is a new Passat on the way but, before I go down that road, is there anything else I should take a spin in? Apart from the price, it must fall into either band A or B.
There are a lot of new or updated family saloons coming onto the market in the next few months.
Alongside the new Passat, there will be a Ford Mondeo, which has had a facelift, and a Peugeot 508 to replace the 407. So make sure that it is the newer versions you are being offered by the dealer or fleet company.
While you mention the best-selling models in this segment, you are missing out two other cars that are well worth a test drive. For a start, there is the Mazda 6, a really good car to drive with a potent 2.2-litre diesel engine that falls into band B and starts at €24,985.
It never gets the recognition – or the sales – it deserves. We recently had the latest model out for a few days and it rekindled our fondness for its driving prowess. It might not have the sharpest styling in this class, but it is one of the most fun saloon cars on the market.
Aside from this, it might be worth considering the Opel Insignia. It is a very stylish offering that regularly featured on car buyers’ shopping lists in the past, but somehow has fallen off many people’s radars.
Those two cars should be added to your list, with my personal preference leaning towards the Mazda 6.
It need not be a major chore to get to test all these cars either: in most towns these days dealerships are increasingly clustered around each other so you could feasibly get to drive most of them over a weekend.
Send your queries to Motors Helpdesk, The Irish Times, Tara St, Dublin 2 or email
motorshelpdesk@irishtimes.com