Which 7seater?

Cape Clear

My car died on Monday looking for a seven seater budget if €12k. My trusty local mechanic has warned me off any English imports for a litany of reason.I Like the look of the s-max but wondering what peoples thoughts are.

Dia_Anseo

Cape Clear wrote: »

My car died on Monday looking for a seven seater budget if €12k. My trusty local mechanic has warned me off any English imports for a litany of reason.I Like the look of the s-max but wondering what peoples thoughts are.

I'd change mechanic!

colm_mcm

Cape Clear wrote: »

My car died on Monday looking for a seven seater budget if €12k. My trusty local mechanic has warned me off any English imports for a litany of reason.I Like the look of the s-max but wondering what peoples thoughts are.

There are reasons to avoid certain cars or cars from certain types of seller, but on the whole the standard of car in the UK is far higher than in Ireland.

Sixtoes

Maybe something like this?

https://www.autosalesonline.ie/vehicles/volvo/xc90/dublin/2337520

Depending on mileage...Other options would be
Ford S Max 2012/13
Ford Galaxy 2012/13
Citron C4 2014
Renault grand scenic 2014/15
Nissan Qashqui (+2) 2013

Shefwedfan

Dia_Anseo wrote: »

I'd change mechanic!

Why?

colm_mcm

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Why?

Probably because a Carte Blanche statement that all UK cars are bad is incorrect.

bazz26

Probably a member of the SIMI.:)

Shefwedfan

colm_mcm wrote: »

Probably because a Carte Blanche statement that all UK cars are bad is incorrect.

Pot and kettle black I think here

We have no idea what the full conversation was......if the OP was warned off UK imports in back street dealers then yes 100% the mechanic is correct.

With a car of that age and you look on car sites you are not buying off main dealers....so you are buying off back street dealers.....so what percentage of UK imports are clocked?

In this instance you have a better chance with an Irish car with full service history, you have a higher chance to get a clocked UK import.....

The OP never mentioned about going to UK to buy themselves so I am also making a guess they are buying in Irish market

colm_mcm

The OP was warmed off any UK imports.

Shefwedfan

bazz26 wrote: »

Probably a member of the SIMI.:)

Don't see what SIMI has got to do with anything?

SIMI dealers as you are well aware import car as well....

For a car this age the OP would be better going with SIMI because at least they have some sort of come back......

screamer

Had an smax, liked it but nothing but trouble
Have a vw sharan now, newer shape good car lots of room

Shefwedfan

colm_mcm wrote: »

The OP was warmed off any UK imports.

Yes....and as I posted the safest option would be an Irish car with FSH....do you disagree?

Majority of cars this age seem to have the ability to reduce mileage as they travel across the Irish sea.....

Shefwedfan

The SMAX is a greta car, I had one and it was great.

We just wanted a bigger car and moved up to Galaxy.

colm_mcm

If a uk car has a full service history, then how would it be any riskier than an Irish one?

Ireland doesn’t even have a proper insurance write-off register.

For the same money you’re usually likely to get a better uk car than Irish.

Of course a main dealer example for top money with full history owned by John down the road that you know personally is the way to go in terms of quality, but cost has to come into it too.

Heres Johnny

Both my cars started their registered lives in the UK but neither were built there so I don't know how a mechanic can make such a sweeping statement unless he is trying to sell you something he has himself

Shefwedfan

colm_mcm wrote: »

If a uk car has a full service history, then how would it be any riskier than an Irish one?

Ireland doesn’t even have a proper insurance write-off register.

Ahh come on.....just google UK cars clocked.....


Ireland is flooded with clocked cars which are been bought every day of the week. I would guess a few people on here raving about their lovely import is clocked to the last


I got caught, I was lucky I caught it and got a refund but it had everything with it, service book and the whole lot.....


Im not saying Irish cars are not clocked,but the dealers are not going to the UK so they can bring back a good car for a buyer, they are bringing back a car to make the biggest margin, not sure what happened the thread on here with the daily updates of all the clocked cars......

colm_mcm

Surely the OP shouldn’t just buy any Irish car though?

They should do the same checks you should do on a UK car....

Doesn’t matter where it’s from, there are things you need to look out for.

Redsoxfan

Have a few good experiences of importing from the UK directly.

Currently we have both a Galaxy and a S-Max. Petrol, automatic. Not cheap to run but exactly what we wanted.

Can recommend both. The auto mated to the petrol needs to be minded. Can't speak to the diesel, which is much more popular.

Dia_Anseo

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Ahh come on.....just google UK cars clocked.....


Ireland is flooded with clocked cars which are been bought every day of the week. I would guess a few people on here raving about their lovely import is clocked to the last


I got caught, I was lucky I caught it and got a refund but it had everything with it, service book and the whole lot.....


Im not saying Irish cars are not clocked,but the dealers are not going to the UK so they can bring back a good car for a buyer, they are bringing back a car to make the biggest margin, not sure what happened the thread on here with the daily updates of all the clocked cars......

Imo, UK cars are much safer bets in terms of checking their past history before you actually go and see the car at all.

For example, a perspective buyer can check the Mileage of any UK car here based on MOT inspections:

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk


You can even check what the car advisories or failures were if any on in each MOT from when the car was 3 years old. Remember in the UK cars 3 years or older are tested every year! This MOT history will give an indication of the cars service history and can be cross referenced with the car service invoices, in which you can then call the garage the verify that it is genuine. Most cars are Dealer serviced and/or company cars up until 3 years old therefore clocking before the cars 1st MOT is unlikely if it was a company car with dealer service history. One should always ring the dealer that serviced the car to verify the service history. If the car does not have a service book, no service invoices or the seller does not know where it was serviced or they say it was always serviced by "my friend" , walk away! You can also spot any gaps if any that the car didn't have any MOT or a lapsed MOT and this should be questioned.

You can check if a UK car is taxed or SORN on here:
https://totalcarcheck.co.uk/FreeCheck

Check if UK car is insured here: https://ownvehicle.askmid.com/?web

This is all for FREE.

As said previously, the UK has an insurance write off data base that can also be checked before you actually see the car.

Ireland has none of the above so the perspective buyer is rather clueless and reliant on the sellers information, which of course is a conflict of interest. So, an Irish car could have been crashed and repaired, off the road with no NCT for a few months while getting repaired cheaply and then clocked......and the seller would not know beforehand or never as there is no online database for the NCT or insurance write off in Ireland.

The reason people hear about UK clocked cars is that there is proof online in the form of UK Government backed MOT history/insurance write off databases that they are clocked/write offs.........with an Irish car there is no NCT/insurance write off database online or at all to prove a clocking/write offs therefore people are none the wiser.......for all we know clocking of Irish cars could be rampant compared to UK cars, but ignorance is bliss!

Shefwedfan

Dia_Anseo wrote: »

Imo, UK cars are much safer bets in terms of checking their past history before you actually go and see the car at all.

For example, a perspective buyer can check the Mileage of any UK car here based on MOT inspections:

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk


You can even check what the car advisories or failures were if any on in each MOT from when the car was 3 years old. Remember in the UK cars 3 years or older are tested every year! This MOT history will give an indication of the cars service history and can be cross referenced with the car service invoices, in which you can then call the garage the verify that it is genuine. Most cars are Dealer serviced and/or company cars up until 3 years old therefore clocking before the cars 1st MOT is unlikely if it was a company car with dealer service history. One should always ring the dealer that serviced the car to verify the service history. If the car does not have a service book, no service invoices or the seller does not know where it was serviced or they say it was always serviced by "my friend" , walk away! You can also spot any gaps if any that the car didn't have any MOT or a lapsed MOT and this should be questioned.

You can check if a UK car is taxed or SORN on here:
https://totalcarcheck.co.uk/FreeCheck

Check if UK car is insured here: https://ownvehicle.askmid.com/?web

This is all for FREE.

As said previously, the UK has an insurance write off data base that can also be checked before you actually see the car.

Ireland has none of the above so the perspective buyer is rather clueless and reliant on the sellers information, which of course is a conflict of interest. So, an Irish car could have been crashed and repaired, off the road with no NCT for a few months while getting repaired cheaply and then clocked......and the seller would not know beforehand or never as there is no online database for the NCT or insurance write off in Ireland.

The reason people hear about UK clocked cars is that there is proof online in the form of UK Government backed MOT history/insurance write off databases that they are clocked/write offs.........with an Irish car there is no NCT/insurance write off database online or at all to prove a clocking/write offs therefore people are none the wiser.......for all we know clocking of Irish cars could be rampant compared to UK cars, but ignorance is bliss!

If clocking is so easy to detect why is the Irish market flooded with clocked UK cars?

The Naas Road alone has hundreds of car from UK all clocked

Dia_Anseo

Shefwedfan wrote: »

If clocking is so easy to detect why is the Irish market flooded with clocked UK cars?

The Naas Road alone has hundreds of car from UK all clocked

Can you send links to adverts/UK registrations or the evidence you have to back up this blanket aspersion.

Throwing out a comment like that makes me think you're trolling!

Shefwedfan

Dia_Anseo wrote: »

Can you send links to adverts/UK registrations or the evidence you have to back up this blanket aspersion.

Throwing out a comment like that makes me think you're trolling!

Look at the second post on this thread for trolling......if you are throwing around accusations......


A quick look over your post history tells a lot....you seem to sell a lot of Focus's that you own for a long time some because you have got a promotion and a company car:p.....you seem to like emoji's as well :eek:



I will leave everyone to put 2 and 2 together......

Dia_Anseo

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Look at the second post on this thread for trolling......if you are throwing around accusations......


A quick look over your post history tells a lot....you seem to sell a lot of Focus's that you own for a long time some because you have got a promotion and a company car:p.....you seem to like emoji's as well :eek:



I will leave everyone to put 2 and 2 together......

Yes I sold my Focus that I has in UK in Ireland..........and contrary to your blanket aspersions, it wasn't clocked or written off.

I'm still waiting for evidence to back up your claims.............

bazz26

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Ahh come on.....just google UK cars clocked.....


Ireland is flooded with clocked cars which are been bought every day of the week. I would guess a few people on here raving about their lovely import is clocked to the last


I got caught, I was lucky I caught it and got a refund but it had everything with it, service book and the whole lot.....


Im not saying Irish cars are not clocked,but the dealers are not going to the UK so they can bring back a good car for a buyer, they are bringing back a car to make the biggest margin, not sure what happened the thread on here with the daily updates of all the clocked cars......

Sorry but that's a load of nonsense and such a silly generalisation. I'm on my 5th UK import and none of them were clocked. I did proper research and background checks on their histories before buying, not just assuming a stamped service book meant they had a service history. At least with UK cars you can trace their history unlike the majority of Irish cars once the warranty is up.

You got caught for whatever reasons but your experience is not the norm or the standard that you are suggesting. Dealers bring used cars in from the UK because they are cheaper to buy than similar cars here. Clocked ones are cheaper again but like Irish clocked cars, the cheapest ones are usually the ones with something to hide.

Shefwedfan

bazz26 wrote: »

Sorry but that's a load of nonsense and such a silly generalisation. I'm on my 5th UK import and none of them were clocked. I did proper research and background checks on their histories before buying, not just assuming a stamped service book meant they had a service history. At least with UK cars you can trace their history unlike the majority of Irish cars once the warranty is up.

You got caught for whatever reasons but your experience is not the norm or the standard that you are suggesting. Dealers bring used cars in from the UK because they are cheaper to buy than similar cars here. Clocked ones are cheaper again but like Irish clocked cars, the cheapest ones are usually the ones with something to hide.

The biggest issue in the UK is car clocking. Costing over 800 million every year to motorist. One in 16 cars have been clocked in the UK. That is on the rise and continues to rise.

Over 40% of dealers in the UK have bought a car to find out later it was clocked.

Cartell says 1 in 5 imported cars from the UK are clocked. Even worse 1 in 3 have hidden history.

These are all facts.

Based on those figures alone, at least one of your 5 cars was clocked or had somethign dodgy in its history

colm_mcm

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Over 40% of dealers in the UK have bought a car to find out later it was clocked.
.

Sensationalist much? Dealers deal in hundreds of cars a year, so if they take 1 car that was clocked in their whole career it ticks that box.


As for what cartell call a hidden history? Tax expired? Personalised plate at some stage, MOT advisories?

listermint

No offence shedwin but you've brought the biggest load of waffle into this thread no different than the mechanic plonker and his advice.

UK cars are no more risky than Irish cars. That's just pure guff. In fact I'd garner stuff if it did get clocked it's done by the chancers on this island.


I'm on my 4th UK car and motorbike too.

bazz26

Shefwedfan wrote: »

The biggest issue in the UK is car clocking. Costing over 800 million every year to motorist. One in 16 cars have been clocked in the UK. That is on the rise and continues to rise.

Over 40% of dealers in the UK have bought a car to find out later it was clocked.

Cartell says 1 in 5 imported cars from the UK are clocked. Even worse 1 in 3 have hidden history.

These are all facts.

Based on those figures alone, at least one of your 5 cars was clocked or had somethign dodgy in its history

More rubbish talk. You're just embarrassing yourself further now.

_Brian

Sixtoes wrote: »

Maybe something like this?

https://www.autosalesonline.ie/vehicles/volvo/xc90/dublin/2337520

Depending on mileage...Other options would be
Ford S Max 2012/13
Ford Galaxy 2012/13
Citron C4 2014
Renault grand scenic 2014/15
Nissan Qashqui (+2) 2013

The C4 is a very spacious comfortable car, easy on Doesel too. Sadly “unforeseen” maintenance costs do niggle away at any value you get. We had ours 4 years and it was probably the most comfortable family car I ever drove. Just needed allot of repairs.

murphyebass

Jaysus lads this turned into a I’m import thread really fast.

Op back on topic, I bought a 142 Ford Galaxy about 2 years ago. Had very few problems with it. Love the size, the room, basically having a bus to ferry a few kids and a huge amount of luggage or a full bus load of 7 people and a small amount of luggage.

A mate had an S Max. Ultimately the same car except smaller back row seats that you can’t move forward or back.

This doesn’t sound like a big issue but when you but 7 people in the car being able to move the very back row is VERY useful for putting at least some luggage in the boot.

Also if you want to carry two adults in the back row you can in a galaxy as they’re proper big seats. The adults would be cramped in an SMax.

Don’t get me wrong the SMax looks a bit sleeker but my view on this is if your buying a stupid lookin bus just go for form and practically. You’ve gone this far, you may as well go the full hog instead of regretting it and having upgrade for more size.

Ford Galaxy
VW Sharan
Seat Albrahama

These three are basically the same size with full seats in the back row.

All others have small seats in the back row that can’t be moved making for a less practical experience.

Shefwedfan

bazz26 wrote: »

More rubbish talk. You're just embarrassing yourself further now.

https://www.joe.ie/motors/aa-mileage-scam-583219


https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/consumer-news/88547/car-clocking-is-mileage-correction-legal


https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/1107257/used-cars-clocked-mileage-UK-scam-clocking


https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-clocking-what-is-it-and-how-to-avoid-buying-a-clocked-car/n1219


That's just a small example....

colm_mcm

Vehicle data company HPI says one in every 16 vehicles it checks has a mileage discrepancy,

Cartell says 1 in 5 imported cars from the UK are clocked.

Hmmm

bazz26

Once again, you do proper research and background service history checks on any car as well as the dealer selling them. For every UK car you think is clocked there are many more that are not.

Do you apply the same logic to Irish used cars? Or do you only buy brand new cars?

Dravokivich

Shefwedfan wrote: »

https://www.joe.ie/motors/aa-mileage-scam-583219


https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/consumer-news/88547/car-clocking-is-mileage-correction-legal


https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/1107257/used-cars-clocked-mileage-UK-scam-clocking


https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-clocking-what-is-it-and-how-to-avoid-buying-a-clocked-car/n1219


That's just a small example....

Only a small sample because it's the noise that gets reported on. Its only in this thread you see multiple people who bought an imported car with no issues. But it seems pointless saying that to you, because our comments arent attributed to an article I can link.

Cape Clear

Thanks for the advice. Just to clarify my mechanic sited rust on UK imports as the main reason to stay away from them.

Millem

I have a VW Touran. It is a UK import bought from an Irish Dealership with a warranty. It is my second UK import. Never had any issue with my first import and touch wood all good with the Touran.
We have 2 kids and find it great. If I had 3 kids I would go for the Sharan but it is a good bit more expensive.

The citreon grand picasso and the peugeot 5008 were a bit cheaper and higher specs but I am used to driving a VW.