BMW with best value VRT???

19driver83

Thinking of importing a BMW, not older than 2008 and a saloon body.

Ive been looking at the VRT calculator and see that there can be large difference in VRT rates depending on the model.

Has anyone done any research into which models offer the best value?

Gumbo

obviously a 1999 320d is cheaper to VRT than a 2011 320d or 2006 M3, its all relative to what you want.

What kind of BMW are you looking for or do you only want the badge ?

19driver83

kceire wrote: »

obviously a 1999 320d is cheaper to VRT than a 2011 320d or 2006 M3, its all relative to what you want.

What kind of BMW are you looking for or do you only want the badge ?

I understand that VRT rates change depending on year / mileage, etc.

My question and to give an example;
A 2008 320 E90 D SE 4DR with 50K = €3028
A 2008 320 E90 D ES 4DR with 50K = €2877

Has anyone done some research into which models attract the best value VRT? Im not familar with all BMW models, im looking for something similar to a 320 diesel.

R.O.R

19driver83 wrote: »

im looking for something similar to a 320 diesel.

I'd suggest a 320d. Sounds like it would suit you down to the ground then.

19driver83

R.O.R wrote: »

I'd suggest a 320d. Sounds like it would suit you down to the ground then.

Ya, it certainly looks like a beautiful car, however with the 320d model there is approx 15 versions each with a different VRT rate.

Is a certian version a bog standard model? Does the version stand for varying extras??

Anan1

19driver83 wrote: »

Ya, it certainly looks like a beautiful car, however with the 320d model there is approx 15 versions each with a different VRT rate.

Is a certian version a bog standard model? Does the version stand for varying extras??

There is a base car, and then there are optional extras. Some combinations of extras are available together as a pack, ie ES, SE and M Sport. There are millions of possible combinations.

Matt Simis

19driver83 wrote: »

Thinking of importing a BMW, not older than 2008 and a saloon body.

Ive been looking at the VRT calculator and see that there can be large difference in VRT rates depending on the model.

Has anyone done any research into which models offer the best value?

If you dont even know what model you want why have you already jumped to the assumption that importing from the UK would be cheaper than sourcing a car locally?

conzy

You wont find a paddy spec beamer in the UK

R.O.R

conzymaher wrote: »

You wont find a paddy spec beamer in the UK

Au Contraire, mon ami.

Since BMW UK took over the distribution of BMW's in Ireland (2003 sometime IIRC) the specification of BMW's has been exactly the same on both sides of the water. Only difference in specification has been since 2005 when we get KM/h clocks and they get MPH & KM/h clocks.

I'm presuming the OP head off that fella down the pub that the 320d is a great car and you'll save a packet importing one from the UK. We all know that fella down the pub is never wrong............

veetwin

conzymaher wrote: »

You wont find a paddy spec beamer in the UK

There is loads of them over there. I was looking in the UK for a 5 series two years ago and the amount of manuals with cloth seats avl was unbelieveable. This paddy spec thing is a bit of a misnomer anyway. The Germans themselves are well known for buying incredibly poorly specced cars.

Anan1

veetwin wrote: »

There is loads of them over there. I was looking in the UK for a 5 series two years ago and the amount of manuals with cloth seats avl was unbelieveable. This paddy spec thing is a bit of a misnomer anyway. The Germans themselves are well known for buying incredibly poorly specced cars.

German spec is a different thing altogether - they specify the options they actually want, which leads to huge variations in used cars. Years ago I used to sell VW for export to the UK, and fully 50% of my customers wanted a Passat TDI 110 variant in silver with climate and side airbags. In a similar vein, Paddy spec is not naked - it's four cyl diesel, leather, metallic, M Sport and SFA else.

Tea 1000

veetwin wrote: »

There is loads of them over there. I was looking in the UK for a 5 series two years ago and the amount of manuals with cloth seats avl was unbelieveable. This paddy spec thing is a bit of a misnomer anyway. The Germans themselves are well known for buying incredibly poorly specced cars.

Probably because in Germany they'd prefer a 530d basic to a 520d loaded. So would I.

veetwin

Tea 1000 wrote: »

Probably because in Germany they'd prefer a 530d basic to a 520d loaded. So would I.

Don't know. I go to Germany quite a bit and see more 520d than anything else.

Gumbo

19driver83 wrote: »

I understand that VRT rates change depending on year / mileage, etc.

My question and to give an example;
A 2008 320 E90 D SE 4DR with 50K = €3028
A 2008 320 E90 D ES 4DR with 50K = €2877

The difference in VRt is due to trim/spec levels.

19driver83 wrote: »

with the 320d model there is approx 15 versions each with a different VRT rate.

Is a certian version a bog standard model? Does the version stand for varying extras??

there are actually only 3 different versions.
The :

1. ES
2. SE
3. MSport

VRT gets more expensive as you move up the list. Also because in 2008 the CO2 outputs of many many cars dropped like a stone due to new tax laws, you will have an option in the VRT online list to select the Low CO2 version or the normal version from before hand.

you need to find out what month the 320d your looking at was built in and get its CO2 figure from the V5, ask the seller before getting a vrt quote to confirm your getting an acurate price.

bazz26

From 2008 onwards you also had "Edition" models of the ES, SE and M Sport, the "Edition" added extras such as bluetooth, sat nav and leather trim, etc. These were specific models rather than treated as factory extras so they would have been included it the VRT of the car rather than extras afterwards. Also upto 2010 the automatic versions had higher Co2 emmissions than the manual pushing the auto into the next VRT band.

The lowest VRT model would probably be the 320D Efficent Dynamics model which was introduced in 2010/2011 afaik, this was specificially brought in with lower Co2 emmissions to appeal to company car owners. Again if it was anyway speced up with factory extras then the VRT would increase. One thing to note is that the VRT calculator doesn't take factory extras into account. So anything extra ordered from the factory would have VRT calculated to it afterwards as a percentage of it's original cost over the first 4 years of the car's life. For example, leather trim cost originally €2k extra on a 2 year old 320d, so the VRT rate will be calculated on 50% of €2k.

Anan1

kceire wrote: »

there are actually only 3 different versions.
The :

1. ES
2. SE
3. MSport

Ish. Because the 'trim packs' are only grouped options, it's quite possible to find a base car that's far better specified than an SE.

Gumbo

Anan1 wrote: »

Ish. Because the 'trim packs' are only grouped options, it's quite possible to find a base car that's far better specified than an SE.

yeah i understand what your saying alright, my old ES was specced up over SE standard by its original owner as he got ES through work and could add options to it as he wished from his own pocket