import cars

[pillgrim1]

hello
anybody know the pros and cons of buying an import car in the uk

 

[mjt]

it'll be LHD is the only one i can think of, which will increase your insurance premium and overtaking will be a pain in the arse.

on the plus side, you get to choose from a V6 and 4wd

 

[Fl@pper]

pros
price as usually cheaper to buy in europe in the past
depends on marque but means more models to choose from

cons
paperwork, costs and hassles if self importing
value as it's an import it's usually worth less than a UK equivalent liek for like
stigma over owning one narrows resale market a bit
some grey imports can be so unique can cause issues with parts etc
spec can sometimes be less even for same model UK
less warranty ??


horses for courses really, we used to get a lot of customer's test driving in the past then self importing and coming to us to complain they had no rear speakers and their model had no rear electric windows etc and got quite bemused when they realised warranty wasn't paying for it.

be wise, research and buy open eyed you can get some bargains and some cracking cars too

 

[Wolvotim]

my old punto was a "grey import" It was full UK spec but was ordered and imported by a car supermarket from Ireland. It was quite a bit cheaper than dealer car but then they dont sell for as much either.

Plus it only had 2 years warranty rather than 3. Had to make a warranty claim and the dealer played up about it being an import

 

[pillgrim1]

thanks for the input guys
i can see the sell on factor might be a problem
insurance might be off putting
spec who knows
might bin this line of thought but thanks for your help

 

[m0rk]

What kind of import do you mean?

Parallel import from EU (but UK spec)
Grey import from Japan (or other)

Parallel's are just fine & dandy & Grey's are eyes wide open (I have one of each)