Importing a new/newish car

mullercorner

Hi,

Basically just wondering if anyone has ever bought and imported a new or used car from the likes of Germany? thinking of getting a new VW Golf in Germany and driving back home with it. Have done a quick search on some of the dealers and they are a decent bit cheaper to purchase there, enough so that it would offset the price of registering here in Ireland and driving/ferrying back home (plus it'd make a fun road trip for a few days getting back home)

Biggest issue I can see at the moment is the Left Hand Drive issue.

Anybody shed some light on the situation? Is it worth doing? or is it too complicated and just better off buying here or from the UK?

Any insight would be appreciated!

colm_mcm

Are you sure about pricing, I thought Ireland pre-tax was cheap enough.

mullercorner

Hmm, I'll do a bit more digging this evening after work to check the prices for sure.

With regards to a used car, found multiple cars registered in 2012-13 in and around the 9-10k mark Vs Irish price of same model, year registered, similar mileage in the 18-20k price range.

Again, I will have to do a fair bit more digging on this to see if the cost will really be cheaper after imports/taxes and the likes, but said i'd ask the question to see if it'd be worth doing at all.

Oafley Jones

mullercorner wrote: »

Hmm, I'll do a bit more digging this evening after work to check the prices for sure.

With regards to a used car, found multiple cars registered in 2012-13 in and around the 9-10k mark Vs Irish price of same model, year registered, similar mileage in the 18-20k price range.

Again, I will have to do a fair bit more digging on this to see if the cost will really be cheaper after imports/taxes and the likes, but said i'd ask the question to see if it'd be worth doing at all.

New car would get stung for VAT and VRT. It'd want to be an absolute **** ton of money/or a very rare beast not sold in RHD that'd have me putting up with a LHD as my daily driver. Also, selling it on would be a complete balls.

colm_mcm

You really need to go back to the drawing board OP.

Gordy6040

I reckon that your insurance would be loaded with a lhd. And it would be impossible to sell or trade.

Atlantic Dawn

The LHD car will have no resale value in Ireland and every time you drive the car in this country it will be sheer pain.

I have heard in the past of people purchasing new RHD cars in Germany and importing them back to the UK, was primarily British Army personnel where they could do it VAT free because they were bases abroad. With the VRT regime here you likely will pay too much over the odds on a new car to make it worthwhile, could be worth investigating though.

Duke O Smiley

Well first off you'll be hit with VAT on top of VRT as soon as you land in the country with it.

Insurance will be up a bit over an Irish car.

It'll depreciate like a sack of potatoes hitting the floor.

Would you be bothered?

K.Flyer

Having driven a leftie for about 2 - 3 years here I can tell you it can become a right royale P.I.T.A.

Here's a couple of things to consider,

Your insurance Will be loaded and only a couple of insurers will offer cover.
You will have to change the headlights to pass the NCT.
If you are on your own, toll booths, parking tickets machines etc are on the other side.
Certain car parts may differ and need to be ordered.
Overtaking is always a bit tricky and worse in bad weather.
Re-sale value here is very poor.
Trade in potential is non-existent.

rubin_spitfire

My daily runner here in Ireland is left hand drive. My daily commute involves going through a manned tool booth in Dublin and it is a pain in the ass. Rain, snow, whatever weather; you have to get out, run around the car, hand over the money, and run back - all while the person behind you is looking on and uttering unspeakable things at you.

Another car (also left hand drive) has scissor doors and I just avoid this particular toll with it.

bazz26

Could you buy a new RHD car in Germany or some other EU country that has a cheaper pre tax price?

K.Flyer

bazz26 wrote: »

Could you buy a new RHD car in Germany or some other EU country that has a cheaper pre tax price?

I remember some time ago reading a discussion (could have been boards) about someone wqnting to order a new high spec RHD Merc from Germany and the difficulties he had getting one due to agreements the dealerships here had.
Cannot remember how it worked out for him though.

colm_mcm

I think that was the UK?

K.Flyer

colm_mcm wrote: »

I think that was the UK?

It could have been, it was a while ago, I just thought I remembered Irish dealers being mentioned. Maybe I'm mixing up two different threads.