Michael McAleer answers your queries
From Leo Solosy, Co Donegal:
I read the article in last week's edition that Mr McDowell is quoted as saying that there are 520 Gardai allocated to the Traffic Corps which actually means 10 per shift for each county or county borough.
I have spent my life dealing with duty scheduling for 24 hour jobs such as this and have made a general calculation of what 520 really means. The figure of 10 per shift is grossly wrong. The true figure for a national total of 520 appears to be somewhat less that 3 per shift. My attached document explains the rationale. It is this lack of understanding by senior politicians of the impact of this that does nothing to reduce road deaths and injuries.
Where Mr McDowell gives the impression that with 10 officers available at all times at least 5 cars are out there in in area, the reality is that on average everywhere is hard pushed to put out more than one.
From P O'Connell, Co Cork:
I'm thinking of importing a car from the North. Is it still worth the effort, or have I missed the boat? My neighbour claims that there's still significant savings to be made and he recently brought in an Audi from Britain with a high specification and claims to have saved thousands on the deal.
But I'm worried about the hidden costs involved, and the chance that I might suffer on the warranty side.
This is an increasingly common correspondence for Motors. In the first quarter of the year there was a dramatic rise in the number of private motorists opting to import their own cars. In January, the busiest month of the year for dealers, we witnessed a 500 per cent increase on imports for the same month last year.
Clearly the success or failure of such a strategy is determined by the exchange rates. Then there's the Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT). Sterling has strengthened lately and, at current exchange rates (€1 = £0.67) and prices quoted, importing the likes of an Audi A3 or even a Toyota Avensis doesn't add up. One salesman in the North who recently spoke to Motors reckoned the rate would need to be €1/£0.75 before it would even start to make sense. "Come back if that happens, and buy big," he advised.
But there are some savings to be had, most likely at the premium and luxury end of the market. But these savings tend to be in the region of hundreds rather than thousands of euro. According to the European Commission's 2003 survey of 91 European and Japanese models sold in the EU, the largest pre-tax price differential at that time was €6,700 for the Audi TT 1.8 225 bhp.
Increasingly pre-tax prices are being harmonised across the EU as new models are launched. Be sure to get a VRT estimate in advance of purchase, based on model and various optional extras, and remember to add on the VAT at 21 per cent of invoice price.
A car bought in the North - or Britain for that matter - is exclusive of 17.5 per cent VAT if the buyer intends taking it out of the North within two months, signs Form 411 confirming this, and also confirms the intention to pay VAT in the home country.
The biggest benefit noted by some who import is the fact that at the end of the day, while it may cost the same to import, the level of standard equipment can be superior in the British market than here and when these items are added to the Irish price they discover they've actually made significant savings.
As for the warranty, there's no need to worry: the manufacturer's warranty travels with the car.
From Sandra Marsh, Dublin:
I'm on the market for a convertible and looking for some advice. I've got about €10,000 to spend and I'd like a small-ish car as there's only myself and my son to carry around.
Convertibles sell at a premium and you clearly have to look to the used market. Even there, the scarcity of cars on the market means your budget rules out the likes of the Peugeot 206 cc and other hard-top convertibles. Although the roof has given trouble on some of these, the added security from a metal top can be worth the money in terms of beating the vandals.
You are probably looking at early 1990s, and you may just be able to pick up the likes of a BMW 318 convertible or VW Golf.
However, given their age you really need to be careful that the roof is in full working order. These generation of soft-tops didn't feature many electronics, which in this case is a benefit for they'd undoubtedly be the worse for ware after 10-15 years of work.
The best advice we can offer is to opt for our personal used car favourite, the Mazda MX5. It's sporty, soft-top with a hard cover option and great fun to drive.
You may just pick a 1994-96 model up for about €10,000. It may not be all that spacious but so long as there's only the two of you, it could offer plenty of fun - and reliable - motoring.
Send your queries to Motors Help Desk, The Irish Times, Fleet Street, Dublin 2 - or e-mail them to motorshelp@irish-times.ie