Importing A4 or Avensis

darragh_haven

Hi All
I've been looking over in the UK for an A4 or Avensis for the last few weeks, and there looks to be good value even after paying the import duty, transport and my own time used.
Is there any stand out problems with buying a UK car from a UK garage. I am only going t purchase from a garage so as to have some degree of warranty/come back.
I have heard that up to 25% of uk cars ar clocked. How can i get this checked before i buy. Anything else to keep an eye out for???

si_guru

darragh_haven wrote: »

I have heard that up to 25% of uk cars ar clocked. How can i get this checked before i buy.

Please - 25% would be silly. Service History or get a HPI check.

How old of a car are talking about?

George Dalton

darragh_haven wrote: »

I have heard that up to 25% of uk cars ar clocked. How can i get this checked before i buy. Anything else to keep an eye out for???

It is not that a high proportion of cars in the UK are clocked, they aren't. It is ex UK cars that are for sale in Ireland that you need to be careful of. Plenty of chancers buy high milers cheap in the UK and then take 60 or 80k miles off them and sell them on in Ireland. You should be pretty safe buying in the UK yourself. Just make sure there is a good service history and get a HPI check done as advised above.

JoeySully

Yeah you always hear SIMI representatives spouting that %25 crap on the telly but they never quote the number of clocked cars in Ireland!

Id say you would have a better chance of spotting a Clocked car in the UK than you would in Ireland with the systems they have for recording a cars history.

darragh_haven

I'm looking at 08 models with under 60,000mls. There seems to be a good selection of Avensis under £7000 and a few A4s around £9500 to £10,000 mark. Its just deciding the "need vs want" and which i can afford.
I have factored in the import duty too.
What if the car doesnt have a full service history...... I alway do my own servicing at home (i have a service pit) but i've never had a car newer than 3 years old:mad:

darragh_haven

JoeySully wrote: »

Yeah you always hear SIMI representatives spouting that %25 crap on the telly but they never quote the number of clocked cars in Ireland!

Id say you would have a better chance of spotting a Clocked car in the UK than you would in Ireland with the systems they have for recording a cars history.

I suppose i shouldnt listen to those with vested interests.....:rolleyes:

166man

There was an excellent thread/post written a while back by a poster about importing used cars to Ireland. Had a good read of it myself, mightn't be a bad idea to check it out. Have to trawl back a few pages or do a search to find it though.:)

godtabh

darragh_haven wrote: »

I'm looking at 08 models with under 60,000mls. There seems to be a good selection of Avensis under £7000 and a few A4s around £9500 to £10,000 mark. Its just deciding the "need vs want" and which i can afford.
I have factored in the import duty too.
What if the car doesnt have a full service history...... I alway do my own servicing at home (i have a service pit) but i've never had a car newer than 3 years old:mad:

The figures you have above. What spec and how much does it work out all in

darragh o meara

If your looking at vw audis a purchase of a vagcom about 50-60 euro. These can read the true mileage on them.

MugMugs

Stay clear of the 2.2 D-4D

Atlantic Dawn

Try www.usedcarsni.com for NIRL stock or www.cargiant.co.uk for a massive selection in London, the world's largest apparently :rolleyes:.

MugMugs

Autoquake.co.uk makes me drool.

nogoodnamesleft

darragh o meara wrote: »

If your looking at vw audis a purchase of a vagcom about 50-60 euro. These can read the true mileage on them.

That version of VAGCOM will only read ECUs on the older model before CANBUS. It will not work for the newer models with CANBUS.

Leonard Hofstadter

MugMugs wrote: »

Stay clear of the 2.2 D-4D

+1, they like to blow their head gaskets quite often, especially the 177 bhp versions. I think the 150s are ok but they are supposed to be hardly any quicker than the 2.0s, so not much point in going for one of them then.

darragh_haven

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Try www.usedcarsni.com for NIRL stock or www.cargiant.co.uk for a massive selection in London, the world's largest apparently :rolleyes:.

I had been using that NI website, but they are about £1000 more expensive for the cars i'm looking at, when like for like is compard. I presume its because we (we being the overcharged ROI consumer) find it more convient to skip north that get a plane to the mainland UK, and therefore have to pay for that convience.
Have just looked at cargiant...... looks good so far.:D

colm_mcm

captainspeed wrote: »

+1, they like to blow their head gaskets quite often, especially the 177 bhp versions. I think the 150s are ok but they are supposed to be hardly any quicker than the 2.0s, so not much point in going for one of them then.

Yep, once the 2.0 went from 5 speed 116hp to 6 speed 127hp, the 150 2.2 became more pointless.

bazz26

I'd add the Honda Accord to the list too as they can be bought second in the UK for similar money to the Avensis.

If I was looking at A4s then I would add the BMW 3 Series to the list as they are in the same segment and the petrols/diesels have lower emmissions than similar A4s of the time.

darragh_haven

bazz26 wrote: »

I'd add the Honda Accord to the list too as they can be bought second in the UK for similar money to the Avensis.

If I was looking at A4s then I would add the BMW 3 Series to the list as they are in the same segment and the petrols/diesels have lower emmissions than similar A4s of the time.

The A4 was just personal choice, dont like the BMW/Merc look. the Avensis is in the affordable bracket, i like the look of the accord too but had really forgotten about it, might do a search for them if they are deemed as reliable as the Toyota.
The car is for herself as we have a 8 month old and the amount of gear following them is mind boggling:eek:, so the polo doesn't cut it anymore.
All i'm waiting for now is someone to mention the skoda octavia and its massive boot:D

Roger Hassenforder

piggy-backing on this thread, am thinking of going north/over for an s-max soon. do they entertain haggling, and whats the best method of payment? any places to avoid? can you drive off in same day as payment?
cheers folks