Used car shortage - apparently

Old diesel

just came across this on twitter

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/motors/irish-motorists-hit-by-shortage-of-good-used-cars-1.1584761#.UnlGivSp_7M.twitter

Question is what do we think.

Seems Citroen bought in 500 Picassos from the Uk to try and sell used - due to shortage of supply.

Think someone in the irish times needs to look at the bangernomics section here - plenty of cars arriving in regularly.

a lot of them don't have right low emissions engine or the right year on the plate but they are there - and available.

nice BMW 520i 2.2 litre - 98 000 miles on the clock - 1650 - can't be beat .

On a serious note - I suppose the irish times claim that 5 grand can be saved on a focus (including VRT - they say) can be dismissed out of hand.

Afterall - wasn't it just yesterday - someone here did calculations between an Irish Audi A4 and a Uk 2nd hand one and there was very little difference between them once landed with VRT paid.

I may have dreamt that one though.

However - I do know of at least one main dealer who was bringing in 2nd hand cars - as I stood in their yard looking at cars that had the Uk trim levels on them - oh and no number plates - only a plate with the year on it (for example - just 09 on it for a 2009 car.

colm_mcm

Seems like a shoddy piece of journalism tbh. €5000 saving on a 2011 ford focus by going to the UK?
Would love to see how they got that figure.

Old diesel

colm_mcm wrote: »

Seems like a shoddy piece of journalism tbh. €5000 saving on a 2011 ford focus by going to the UK?
Would love to see how they got that figure.

I agree its not a great article - I saw the talk of the Ford Focus and thought wtf.

That's why I said id horse it up and see what we all thought of it.

I also am sceptical that 500 Citroen Picassos were bought in :rolleyes: - didn't think there would be 500 homes for relatively new Citroen Picassos - they aren't exactly the first car to spring to mind for normal Joe and Mary blogs when they need a car.

Sobanek

It's true though, it's so hard to find a well specced, low mileage car nowadays without having to pay a fortune!
24k for a 2012 V50 with 30k miles + not full spec? We paid 26k back in 2007 for a 2006 2.0D with almost every option and very low mileage (14k miles).

Lurching

It's not a shortage, it's just a bit of demand.

colm_mcm

Exactly, and there's plenty supply in the UK, Which isn't exactly the other side of the world. Bit of free advertising in there too.

Sobanek

colm_mcm wrote: »

Exactly, and there's plenty supply in the UK, Which isn't exactly the other side of the world. Bit of free advertising in there too.

Yeah, we're probably going to get something across the pond. Much nicer examples there.

Old diesel

colm_mcm wrote: »

Exactly, and there's plenty supply in the UK, Which isn't exactly the other side of the world. Bit of free advertising in there too.

and of course - it suits irish SIMI dealers to put word out there that theres a shortage - justifies harder dealing on price for 3 year old cars.

Bpmull

There is probably a good bit of demand for post 08 diesel. But at the end of then day there's plenty for sale its just your going to pay for them garages won't be willing to knock thousands of the price as they know there is plenty of people to buy the car.

ba_barabus

To be honest from looking lately I've found a shortage of good used cars. I found loads of rubbish with optimistic prices however.

Although it very much depended on what price range you were looking for. I found lots of basic spec cars in the 2011-2013 age group with prices generally holding above 15-17k regardless of mileage.

If you try and buy around the 10k mark there was little good in that price range. Maybe I was just unlucky.

bazz26

colm_mcm wrote: »

Seems like a shoddy piece of journalism tbh. €5000 saving on a 2011 ford focus by going to the UK?
Would love to see how they got that figure.

They probably sent the intern out to interview the man down the pub.

colm_mcm

Pick the most expensive 2011 current model on carzone, find a Cat D old model on gumtree uk, add €50 for travel and add VRT?

Old diesel

bazz26 wrote: »

They probably sent the intern out to interview the man down the pub.

Yeah - to be honest - the reason I posted it up wasn't because it seemed a good article because it wasn't - its just I thought - am I missing something here.

It seemed so much off the pace - that I thought bugger it - id let the boards motors knowledgeable experts at it and suss it out more.

fastrac

A bit like the housing shortages the auctioneers keep telling us about.Certain cars become popular and will be scarce.two years later the same cars will be half the price because there will be a new favourite.

bazz26

To add there is a plentiful supply of abused heaps for sale here. My current and last car are UK imports and it wasn't about saving money, it was about getting one with the right spec and in the best condition.

KwackerJack

Plenty of cheap luxury petrol cars around.

Plenty of diesel to but you pay for it.

You can pick up a 06 Kia Sorento for 6k now yet you pay 9+ for a 04 520D, smaller tax obviously but id prefer the Sorento.

Gumbo

KwackerJack wrote: »

Plenty of cheap luxury petrol cars around.

Plenty of diesel to but you pay for it.

You can pick up a 06 Kia Sorento for 6k now yet you pay 9+ for a 04 520D, smaller tax obviously but id prefer the Sorento.

I'd like to see an 04 520d for 9k

bazz26

They only came out in 2005

road_high

kceire wrote: »

I'd like to see an 04 520d for 9k

Christ yea, I would have thought half that would be spot on (and that for a decent one).

crosstownk

Old diesel wrote: »

Seems Citroen bought in 500 Picassos from the Uk to try and sell used - due to shortage of supply.

Poor, ill informed journalism.

Citroen did not bring in 500 used Picassos. Dealers bought them in UK auctions and I'd say 500 is about right. Yes, 500 Citroens may have been imported but not by Citroen.

L-M

I know a chap that imports a lot of Picassos, cant get enough of them!

As already said there are a shortage of good used cars here, that's the problem.

dr.fuzzenstein

bazz26 wrote: »

To add there is a plentiful supply of abused heaps for sale here. My current and last car are UK imports and it wasn't about saving money, it was about getting one with the right spec and in the best condition.

Yep, service interval who cares, correct grade oil, shure isn't it all the same, I'll take the chaepest, logbook, sure no one cares about that, keeping a car garaged, what for, I have to keep my rubbish in there, looking after it outside the Advance Pitstop knockdown price mini service every two years, sure isn't it the job of the garage (and if something goes wrong it's all their fault anyway), the chaepest tires, washed every other Easter, either drive the crap out of it, or drive like a granny, 99% of cars here are abused, neglected, and then stuck up on Done Deal at silly prices with "one careful lady owner, never abused, drives like new, always looked after".
I'm considering a Yeti next year and can't see too much choice here, so might combine a nice trip and a bit of a holiday to a civilised country with buying a car.

KwackerJack

kceire wrote: »

I'd like to see an 04 520d for 9k

Humm your right......

There 05 and 06

http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/5-Series/520-D-E6/201330217320941/advert?channel=CARS

http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/5-Series/520-D-E6/201326215671632/advert?channel=CARS

http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/5-Series/520-D-SE/201332217629695/advert?channel=CARS

http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/5-Series/520-D-E6/201331217458168/advert?channel=CARS

http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/5-Series/520-D-SE/201338218478806/advert?channel=CARS

ian87

I bought a 04 530d last week for a few notes under 6k. It came with full leather, xenons, 18in wheels etc as well as a years nct and 7 MONTHS TAX! Only 85k miles and a full bmw history. He even left nearly a full tank of derv too. Crazy that a year newer car with more miles, an inferior engine, and possibly not as decent spec or as good condition costs up to 4k more to buy. Our tax system has a lot to answer for.

The_Honeybadger

I'd have no trouble believing the bit about the citroens, I live nearby a Citroen main dealer and he's bringing diesel picassos in all the time and gets good money for them. Decent alternative to the more expensive 7 seaters for families.

My sister is currently car shopping for a small diesel as she has changed job and is doing big mileage. There is plenty of choice but very little room for haggling, especially if you are looking to trade something in. Almost all cars she has looked at are uk imports brought in by small independent dealers.

JohnBoy26

I think the problem here is that not many people are buying new cars here anymore and are instead holding on to their perfectly good s/h car until it's run into the ground. Many of the cars that are left for sale tend to be rough heaps.

In the boom years many people would trade in their perfectly good cars for new ones which meant that finding a good example of whatever car was relatively easy.

lomb

ian87 wrote: »

I bought a 04 530d last week for a few notes under 6k. It came with full leather, xenons, 18in wheels etc as well as a years nct and 7 MONTHS TAX! Only 85k miles and a full bmw history. He even left nearly a full tank of derv too. Crazy that a year newer car with more miles, an inferior engine, and possibly not as decent spec or as good condition costs up to 4k more to buy. Our tax system has a lot to answer for.

Is 6k (or 5.5 without tax) cheap for a 10 year old car though? The market regards anything at year 10 as having little value and being nothing more than a scrapper. Of course the reality is very different. I have a 11 year old Audi TT with 85k on the clock and it feels virtually like brand new. However Id be lucky to get 3.5k for what is in reality a 55k car if bought new today.

There is a large saving in the UK to be had. We saved 3k on a 3.5 year old Passat vs Irish prices. The main reason is that at year 3.5-4 there is an excess of used cars in the UK as fleet cars get dumped into auctions. Anything with above average miles hangs about and is going to be cheap. I think ours had 75k miles on it . It has probably lost around 1500 a year in the last year which is peanuts for a modern Passat.

monkeysnapper

Myself and the good lady spent 4 months looking for a grand c4 Picasso ( 08/09) and nearly all we saw were uk imports , we ended up buying a uk import from garage. That same garage seems to have a different c4 grand Picasso every week. He told me he can't get enough but its tough to find good ones with low mileage

ian87

It is cheaper when clean examples in the uk are making the same and more. I couldn't find one in the uk for cheaper than what I could buy here when vrt was taken into account.

This is identical to what I bought save for sat nav and the colour. I paid 5900 with a tank of diesel and 7 months tax remember. Comparable car across the water is £7500 circa. That's before vrt, taxing it and the cost of getting it home. I think it's after working out as a cheap car for what I paid.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201310249430244/postcode/BS324NF/radius/1501/make/BMW/sort/atcustom/page/1

Old diesel

Limerick man wrote: »

I know a chap that imports a lot of Picassos, cant get enough of them!

As already said there are a shortage of good used cars here, that's the problem.

Theres a shortage of decent used cars alright - and its a big issue now for anyone buying.

But I wonder is that a completely new problem - cars have being shipping in from the Uk since way back.

In fact I heard a story of someone buying so many Audi 80s in a certain part of the Uk way back in the mid 90s that he single handedly drove the average values of Audi 80s by 250 quid sterling

could be a nonsense story - but it does illustrate that importing cars due to lack of numbers of said cars in Ireland is not neccessarly a new thing

dr.fuzzenstein

ian87 wrote: »

It is cheaper when clean examples in the uk are making the same and more. I couldn't find one in the uk for cheaper than what I could buy here when vrt was taken into account.

This is identical to what I bought save for sat nav and the colour. I paid 5900 with a tank of diesel and 7 months tax remember. Comparable car across the water is £7500 circa. That's before vrt, taxing it and the cost of getting it home. I think it's after working out as a cheap car for what I paid.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201310249430244/postcode/BS324NF/radius/1501/make/BMW/sort/atcustom/page/1

Ageing Luxo-barges have always been cheap.
Also, there is very much a two tier market here. Small engined, post 08, diesel, low tax cars will demand a hefty premium, while anything else, you can't give away.
What you did was pure bangernomics, except you ended up with anything but a banger (I envy you).
As the saying goes, people will spend thousands to save hundreds.

galwaytt

crosstownk wrote: »

Poor, ill informed journalism.

Citroen did not bring in 500 used Picassos. Dealers bought them in UK auctions and I'd say 500 is about right. Yes, 500 Citroens may have been imported but not by Citroen.

mickeyk wrote: »

I'd have no trouble believing the bit about the citroens, I live nearby a Citroen main dealer and he's bringing diesel picassos in all the time and gets good money for them. Decent alternative to the more expensive 7 seaters for families.

My sister is currently car shopping for a small diesel as she has changed job and is doing big mileage. There is plenty of choice but very little room for haggling, especially if you are looking to trade something in. Almost all cars she has looked at are uk imports brought in by small independent dealers.

Something going on with Citroens alright: I visited a garage in Airside and looked at a few, and he took my details, and told me they were indeed buying them in used from Citroen in the UK.

Got two follow up phonecalls from Citroen - UK - about buying, so there is definitely a more-than-tenuous link.

Marcusm

A short few yeas ago, I know there was a lot of availability of Picassos on short term corporate deals - employees able to swap for a new car every 6 months. The theory was more that you could try before you buy or bridge until there was better availability of a more (personally) desired car. That will have led to quite a few nearly new cars on the market. It makes sense that Irish dealers might have been a second hand market for them as it would allow new sales in the UK without truly undermining the secondhand market and RVs.