Michael McAleer answers your queries
From David Shannon:
I'm bringing my car over to Britain in September and I'll be living there for nine months. Will I need to register it over there, for such a short time? If not, will I have to pay road tax in Ireland or Britain?
I believe car insurance is cheaper in Britain. If so, could you recommend any good, cheap insurers?
The bad news is that you are legally obliged to re-register a car in Britain if you intend to stay longer than six months. There is also a limit on the time you are covered by your Irish insurer while abroad - usually about 28 days.
You could overcome these problems by taking the car back and forth within the time constraints. This would reset the limits to the latest date of arrival in Britain. However, the cost of going back and forth, never mind the inconvenience, would surely rule against such a move.
If you are staying for nine months and leaving the car there, you might as well consider re-registering it.
According to a spokesperson for the DVLA in Britain, the cost is £38 (€57) and it allows you to go out and get British insurance. You must also pay road tax over there, with prices varying depending on the age of the car.
As for insurers, there's a vast choice in Britain - even the supermarkets are getting in on the act - but those recommended by British colleagues are Admiral for younger drivers and Churchill for older drivers with no claims.
From Mick O'Leary:
My wife is expecting our third child in January, and this will result in us having three infants in car seats. I'm researching the market to find a car/SUV capable of seating three car seats in the back. Can you help?
Mr O'Leary's two children are aged four and two and a half, so the arrival of their third child effectively rules out any saloon.
Some saloons might be able to accomodate three seats at a squeeze, but trying to cram child seats is not recommended. Buckles can become damaged or undone.
Donal Byrne, our resident babyseat expert, writes: "This reader would be well advised to opt for an MPV-type vehicle. A new DVD on child seat safety launched recently features an Opel Zafira which accommodates three child seats comfortably. Other options include the Fiat Multipla, the Toyota Avensis Verso and the Mazda 5 MPV.
"Tony Kealy, whose shop at Walkinstown Green, Dublin, specialises in child seats and who has done a number of courses with manufacturers, says the key factor is choosing a wide car that will accommodate the seats.
"He has offered to fit three child seats in any car being test driven by Mr O'Leary to see how they cope, before he commits to a choice of either car or child seats."
From S O'Neill:
I'm looking for a starter car for my son, which will also be a new car for myself. There are only the two of us so we don't need that much space. I've always had used cars, but I'd like go buy new this time as we've come into some money. The price range would be €13,000 to €15,000.
First off, don't ever tell a car dealer you've come into money, unless you want to give it all to him.
I can understand the desire to buy new, but I'd warn you to be wary of the sort of depreciation that takes place on new cars when you drive them off the forecourt - it's often in the region of 30-40 per cent.
Taking that into consideration, the best car I can think off in that price bracket is the new Suzuki Swift. At €14,000 for the 3-door version, it's fun to drive and, if your son is a typical car fan, he'll appreciate the more sporting looks of the Swift over some of its more functional competitors.
Otherwise, there are some good deals to be had on the Peugeot 206 range, and the Toyota Yaris would be a good buy in terms of resale values, though you would be looking at the entry level versions of both models.
Send your queries to: Motors Help Desk, The Irish Times, Fleet St, Dublin 2 - or by e-mail to motorshelp@irish-times.ie