Importing a car from the UK

Motorbroker.ie: Mark

How to get the best bang for your buck and avoid the pitfalls.

Importing a car from the UK has long been an attractive prospect for buyers here in The Republic of Ireland. Everyone has heard the stories of massive savings, higher specs and all-round great deals. But with so many buying options, so much red tape and a lot of confusion, how do you navigate this tricky process and land yourself a truly great bargain?

It’s no secret that importing a car from the UK can give excellent value, but when it comes to making the right buying choices and ensuring that you move through the importation process efficiently, it can pay to take advice from the professionals. Let’s look at some of the benefits of buying a car from the UK:

1.Price



Arguably the main motivating factor when looking to import a car from the UK is the potential saving. Generally speaking Irish car buyers, when purchasing in Ireland are paying too much for too little when it comes to the baseline car price and similar models/specs are available in the UK for significantly less. The UK motor vehicle taxation system, coupled with the sheer size of the market dictates that manufacturers are able to offer far better value for money to buyers there than is available here in Ireland. There is currently a trend of Irish dealers offering ‘discounts to match UK pricing’, however these are deceptive in that they are only applicable to new cars, where most buyers are looking to source value on cars that are between 2-4 years old.

2. Variety



Again taking into account the sheer size of the UK car buying market, the likelihood is that buyers looking to purchase a 2-4 year old car will find it far easier to find very clean examples of the exact spec, colour and model of car that they are looking for. There is a vast used car marketplace in the UK, so sourcing your desired car is a much easier process, and comes with the added benefit of the potential cost savings mentioned above.

3. Quality

As a rule of thumb, it is safe to assume that used cars from the UK will be in better general condition than those of a similar vintage found in Ireland. This is down to a number of factors, mainly the fact that there is a cultural tendency in the UK to take better care of cars than here in Ireland. More often than not, it is possible to source vehicles in the UK that have had one owner who has really looked after the car, ensuring that all scheduled services have been met and that the paintwork and interior have been carefully maintained. Also worth noting is the quality of UK roads is vastly superior to those in Ireland, meaning that cars are not subjected to the same abuse as they may be here, particularly in rural areas. One final detail is that during winter, UK roads are not treated with salt based chemicals like they are here in Ireland. This is something that does untold damage to the undercarriage of cars, and in the end is a serious consideration when examining the quality of a used vehicle.

4. Spec



This is a really important one. The general level of added specification available on cars from the UK is vastly superior to what is on offer here. This again tends to be down to a more favourable pricing structure in that market, but for Irish buyers it means a really significant opportunity to get a great car without the nasty sticker shock. Items like heated seats, sat nav functionality and sport body kits are far more ubiquitous as standard in the UK, whereas in Ireland these features normally represent a step too far in terms of added cost at the outset.


The benefits are clear, however when it comes to purchasing a car from the UK, the potential hassle that embarking on this journey is often enough to turn Irish buyers off. Whilst the savings, etc. may be extremely attractive, buying a car in the UK is not without risk. Now we’ll examine some of the potential pitfalls and how to avoid them:

1. VRT hassle

The single most confusing aspect of the process of buying a car in the UK is managing the process of having it registered here in Ireland. Once a vehicle has been purchased in the UK, it must be registered under the new Irish owner’s name and then there must be a payment of ‘Vehicle Registration Tax’ to the Revenue to make it legally roadworthy. This can be a confusing and irritating process, and usually involves inconvenient trips to VRT offices, unclear guidelines as to how much needs to be paid, and general uncertainty over how to complete the process. The help of an expert UK car importation service can be invaluable here, and ensures that you can focus your energies on deciding what car you are looking for and how to finance it instead of getting tangled up in confusing paperwork. You will receive your car with new Irish plates, delivered directly to you.

2. Vehicle History

This is normally the area where employing the services of an expert UK car importation service can really pay off. The UK market is awash with small independent dealers, private sellers and other small operators. It is extremely difficult to get an accurate picture of the history attached to your potential new purchase. An expert importation service will give you access to cars that are not available directly to the public, often ex-fleet or reputable, dealer-direct stock. They will also stand over the car, offering a full vehicle health check and warrantee. These assurances are simply not available when purchasing independently, and it is easy to get stung with a defective vehicle if things go wrong. You also have the added peace of mind that there is no outstanding finance on the car, which can present problems when purchasing independently.

3. Transportation



Whilst sourcing and buying the car is the fun part, the next hurdle is the transportation of the car from the UK. For independent buyers, it involves the not insignificant task and expense of getting to the source of the vehicle and driving it back to Ireland via car ferry. An expert car importation service has the advantage of professional vehicle haulage, meaning that they will deliver your car directly to you, or make it available for you to collect at a local showroom. This also removes the need to deal with UK dealers, meaning you have one point of contact in Ireland to guide you through the process from start to finish.


Here at MotorBroker, we offer a fully managed UK car purchasing and importation service. We pride ourselves on working closely with our customers to carefully source the exact car that they want, and we remove the pain from every aspect of the import process, delivering the highest quality used cars directly-registered, checked and guaranteed.

If you are interested in purchasing a car through the UK, and you want to partner with us to ensure that you get significant savings and a superior product, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly on 01 253 1295, or at sales@motorbroker.ie

We’d be delighted to hear from you and assist you in sourcing the car of your dreams.

www.motorbroker.ie