Is it true that the have higher spec cars in the UK and if so why is this?

pgj2015

Is it true that the have higher spec cars in the UK and if so why is this?

Oops!

The reason we dont have them is vrt among other various taxes involved.

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119092457#Comment_119092457

So if cars made in Germany get shipped to the UK, they pay the taxes. why don't we pay the same taxes here?

Akrasia

We drive on the wrong side of the road

Higher taxes in Ireland mean they ship the lower spec cars here at the same profit margin, lower spec, same price

mikeecho

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119092465#Comment_119092465

Yes. Different country. Different taxes.

Shock horror.

Just look at safety equipment, what's 0%vat in the UK, is 13 or 23% vat here.

road_high

Definitely not as bad as it used to be I think. I’d say in terms of new electric cars there’s no difference, think they might be a bit cheaper here. People won’t tolerate basic specs anymore.

Oddly, very basic specs seem to be more a thing over there than here

bazz26

Pre tax prices of new cars here were actually cheaper than pre tax car prices in the UK. It's the taxes here that made them more expensive. We pay Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) on new cars on top of other taxes which the UK don't. VRT is also charged on factory optional features here too making options more expensive.

Because of our taxes new cars in the past often had features removed so that they fitted into a certain price point. Not so much these days as in alot of cased the base spec of both Irish and UK cars are very similar. You would find more options on the UK car though as those options tend to cost less than if selected over here.

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119092516#Comment_119092516

so basically its the Irish Government fleecing us as usual when they get a chance?

is it worth bringing cars over from the UK now or has Brexit put an end to this?

bazz26

Not worth it now for the private buyer. That ship sailed with Brexit.

hayse

Just buy the ky jelly.

CiniO

I think in general it doesn't really have anything to do with VRT.

It's just Irish Nation doesn't seem to have that much interest in motoring as a hobby, and just treat cars as thing to get you from A to B.

There were few similar things mentioned in other neighbouring threads recently.

Seems for the same reason, cars are not being serviced here regularly (even brand new ones), people repair them only ahead of NCT, rules of the road seem to be only advisory for many with general attitude of let's take it slow and we'll be grand, or drivers having no clue what all the controls on the dash are for. Also I'm still yet to see a garage built beside or within a house, which would be actually used as a garage for the car, and not as a shed for all your bits and pieces you have nowhere else to keep.

newmember2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119092530#Comment_119092530

Would think most garages built 'within' a house would be too narrow to drive a car in and be able to open the door to get out.

busy bee 33

Why isn’t VRT a flat rate or administration fee per vehicle to receive the plates rather than a % (if it’s supposedly a registration tax and not an import tax).

It’s quite odious that safety features are taken into account of the vehicle’s value and thus increase the VRT liability.

colm_mcm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119094081#Comment_119094081

It’s not a number plate charge. It’s a registration tax based on the value of the car and it’s emissions. There are 16 countries in the EU that have registration taxes, some more severe than others, with Ireland somewhere in the middle.

busy bee 33

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119094093#Comment_119094093

Denmark is quite punitive. You’re right. I just think it’s a sneaky way to violate the spirit of the EU.

colm_mcm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119094101#Comment_119094101

Here are the values of the EU:

• Human dignity. Human dignity is inviolable. ... 
• Freedom. Freedom of movement gives citizens the right to move and reside freely within the Union. ... 
• Democracy. The functioning of the EU is founded on representative democracy. ... 
• Equality. ... 
• Rule of law. ... 
• Human rights.

The Freedom bit is the one that you could argue jars with VRT. Luckily, there is a Transfer of Residence VRT exemption for those that want to relocate themselves and their car.

goochy

Usual waffle from people forgetting we only have about 4.5 m people but alot of roads etc . New Zealand is similar in size and not cheap to buy cars.

coylemj

The decision as to what to put in and leave out is generally down to the local distributor. It usually comes down to a competitive decision as to what the opposition is offering and the target price point for each model.

In the 1980s, most midrange Japanese cars had electric windows when sold in the UK but the Irish distributors decided they were not needed here. I had a 1998 Merc C180 saloon which had front electric windows whereas the equivalent UK model was all electric.

road_high

Think Holland, Denmark and a few others are worse than us for taxation in new cars.

Commercials like vans etc seem to be competitively priced with European peer markets.

standardg60

It's because people buy cars here based on how they're perceived

The person who can afford a Merc with no spec is better than the one who buys a Golf with all the options

BronsonTB

OP - If talking about cars from 7-12 years ago - Yes UK models were nearly always higher spec.

If talking about a brand new car bought today - No, Irish cars can be just as well spec'd as the UK nowadays.

cml387

We have low cost models in Ireland that are not for sale in the UK. The Nissan Tiida (shudder) comes to mind.

mikeecho

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119105916#Comment_119105916

Yes and No.

While most cars are similarly spec'd

I did notice that with a Kia Sportage, the car key has a button to unlock the boot, but it does sweet f a .

However in the UK, that button does open the boot.

The mechanism was not installed on Irish cars to keep the cost/tax down.

zg3409

There is still variations, UK models will display miles so typically they will be a different build and distributers in Ireland will choose a different spec.

Things like power steering, electric windows, fog lights were often dropped on basic spec. Sometimes they were optional extras. It still happens such as no gps navigation, no adaptive cruise control, no reversing camera or front camera or front parking sensors.

Importing from mainland UK it less of an option due to Brexit taxes so harder to bring in used from UK.

VRT and total cost is still the main root cause. Sometimes higher spec is being build these days due to supply chain problems where they make higher spec cars as they can make less cars than the demand, so are building less, but high price, high spec cars only.

Paddy spec was the slang name used.

bazz26

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119107652#Comment_119107652

Some of that information was true in the past but not these days though. Irish and UK car specs are very similar these days thanks to the introduction of the WLTP ratings a few years back where every varient of a model including every optional extra combination is tested and rated for real world emmissions and fuel economy. This made life very difficult for car manufacturers who would had to test every optional equipment varient to their models. To offset this, manufacturers started streemling their models standard and optional equipment levels, grouping options into packs.

They did alot of harmonisation of models supplied to various countries too based on customer buying habbits. Given that Ireland and Britain both are RHD it made sense from a manufacturing point to keep standard specs very similar for both countries as well as tooling assembly lines. Speedomter in mph/kph hasn't been a problem either as most cars now come with digital dials so they can be either programed at the factory for their destination market or switched between either via the car's infotainment system at leisure.

mikeecho

I remember back in the late 90s , UK residents bought brand new Irish cars for export, the pre tax price was less than n the UK for certain models.

They bought them, and got ZZ plates, I remember seeing them on the ferry, when I was going to London with slatterys.

goochy

Yes i remember working in a large main dealer in late 90s - remember sales people saying how much they loved selling those vehicles overseas - no hassle sales - there were also uk independent dealers/ supermarkets selling loads of imported new cars like Trade sales of Slough .

late 90s were a good time in ireland , wish things had stayed like that . We were getting a bit of money but things hadnt started to go mad.

colm_mcm

Arnold Clark used to get Tiidas from Ireland and sell them as they weren’t officially sold in the UK

a lot of new Saabs exported back in the day too.

goochy

why would anyone want a Tilda ?

cruizer101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119105184#Comment_119105184

This, I think our reg plate system feeds into it. Why get a decent spec year old car when you could get a brand new base spec for the same money.

I know there are more differences comparing new to second hand but I believe it is a factor.

goochy

The way some dealer used car programmes remove the reg nos. of cars on forecourts ( or when displaying imported cars ) , really helps take the attention away from age of car and help buyers focus on car itself.

its a psychological thing but really works.

petronius

I think it is changing. Before you could buy a car up north, or even sourced in the UK and bring it down here, even with VRT it would be cheaper and with a higher spec, also there was just a higher number and variety of vehicles avaialble. Up to a few years ago, it was even, better value with the exchange rate, but since the euro has gone down vs sterling I think prices are much closer and maybe not worth the hassle.

Hotblack Desiato

In the 80s Ireland was one of the last, if not the last, country in the EEC to legislate to make laminated windscreens compulsory.

So cars were coming out of the factories with laminated windscreens as standard, but the Irish importers made them an optional extra. Most didn't pay up so they removed the laminated windscreens, sold them into the European aftermarket, and fitted much cheaper, but much less safe, toughened glass windscreens...

We were way behind the curve with unleaded petrol as well. Keeping cars a bit cheaper at the expense of kids' brain cells.