Michael McAleeranswers your questions
From D Buckley, Co Cork:
I am in the initial stages of buying a BMW 520i from a garage in Dublin. The car is an import from Singapore.
It is outwardly in excellent condition with 58,000 miles on the clock, automatic transmission and lots of extras.
The car is priced at €15,950, which seems a good deal for the mileage and car condition. My wife and some of my friends have told me to be very wary of buying an import because of the lack of concrete information about the car's mechanical/service history, previous owners etc. I was contemplating using the AA to check the car over comprehensively and the dealer has also offered a full service before delivery.
Could you offer me any advice?
I can understand that there may be a nagging doubt about the history of the car. While there is no doubting that the majority of imports are simply good value deals, there will always be a few cars that have a shadier past.
In your e-mail you don't mention the age of the car. If it is current generation then it has relatively high mileage but it's a steal at €15,950. If it's an older version then it loses some of its appeal.
I would definitely get it checked over by the AA or a similar organisation.
You might also consider asking the AA to contact their Singapore affiliates in the Automobile Association of Singapore to see if the car was ever part of their organisation before, and if they would provide any information on the car. Whether this works or not, be sure to make the engineer examining the car aware of your concerns, particularly that the car may have been crashed or clocked.
While it will not help you in this instance, other buyers importing from Britain should note that the Cartell website (www.cartell.ie) is soon to offer UK background information along with the data they have on Irish cars.
Returning to your issue, I think you should also be getting a full year's warranty from the dealer, along with a full service before you drive it away. Also remember the distance between you and the dealer if things do go wrong.
From M Fitz, Co Cavan:
We are looking for one of the new coupé convertible models. We've come to accept that the back seats are small, but we like the idea of two cars in one. Our budget is about €36,000 and my wife will not even consider buying Japanese. Any suggestions?
Without wishing to get into a row with your wife, I think it's ridiculous to rule out Japanese cars like that. They are arguably more reliable and just as sporting as anything to come from the European marques.
Those old qualms about Japanese products should have been thrown out with polyester trousers back in the 1970s. Just consider the reputations of brands like Honda and Toyota, two car firms which excel in engineering terms compared to many of their European rivals.
However, sticking to the criteria and budget, I would suggest you test drive the Ford Focus and Opel Astra. You may have a hankering for the VW Eos, but the price is outside your budget, and will only stretch to the 1.6-litre version and that's too underpowered for longer country driving, which you may need given your location. In fact, you should pass on any of the models with a 1.6-litre engine if you spend more time on national roads rather than urban areas.
The Astra would seem the best value buy, but I personally would opt for the Ford for its enjoyable drive and handling. Those are the two cars to try.
From DH:
Is there any way to repair a stone chip on a windscreen without having to replace the whole screen? I've just got my new Audi and it breaks my heart to look at it.
Windscreen replacement does not usually rescind your no-claims bonus so I wouldn't be unduly concerned. However, small chips can be repaired by some of the windscreen specialists. They can use a resin to bond the cracks and ultraviolet light to seal up the bonding agent.
It usually doesn't take very long and most of the windscreen specialists now offer call-out services.
While your car is new, others should remember that windscreen damage is part of your routine NCT test, and damage the size of a 10-cent piece will fail your vehicle.
From M Bolger:
I recently scraped the bottom of my car off a cement boulder on a road in Donnybrook.
I believe the local council claims these things are speed ramps but it caused a crack in my engine sump and I have had to get it repaired.
Can I seek any compensation from the authority responsible for this motoring carbuncle?
Yes, you can do so through the courts, provided you can prove that the damage was caused at regulation speed. Perhaps if the repair bill is less than €2,000 it would be best to try the small claims court.
You might also want to check the height of the ramps on that road. According to the little-read Road Traffic (Bollards and Ramps) Regulations 1998, ramps should be constructed of hot rolled asphalt, should be 3.7 metres in length in the direction of the road, should have a maximum height of 10cm and should be painted with reflectorised white paint.
These rules seem to be widely flouted.