Why do Irish car buyers not get discounts?
Hi,
I wonder if you could explain something I don't really understand about the Irish car buying market, even though I have a big interest in cars and the industry. Why is it that Irish car buyers hardly ever seem to get the sort of discounts that buyers in Britain do? I'm not just referring to the fact that overall new and used prices are cheaper there.
I wanted to buy a new or nearly new Peugeot 508 here recently and thought I would get a reasonable discount, which I pushed for, as that model does not sell as well as many of it's rivals and I thought the Peugeot dealer would be delighted to sell a saloon seeing as the market for them is declining so much and so many people now want SUVs instead. Alas, I could not get any sort of decent discount for a new or nearly new 508. It is well known that in Britain the buyer often gets a sizeable discount for car types or models that lag behind many rivals in sales, or for certain brands such as Vauxhall/Opel and Citroen. From what I observe and hear, you don't get decent discounts either for certain makes and models here in Ireland.
Higher VRT and other taxes here, don't explain these differences alone. I thought with Brexit and the vast increase in used and nearly new imports that Irish dealers would be more price competitive, but I'm surprised also that the prices of good fresh second hand cars here haven't come down more in this backdrop. For some good reasons, I'd prefer to buy here than from abroad, but it just seems that Irish car buyers can't catch the breaks that UK buyers get at all! Do you agree with me or can you kindly explain these differences in both markets?
Thanks, JC
JC Holohan (Waterford)Jun 2018 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi JC,
The big issue, really, is the size of the market. In the UK, vast dealer groups, with multiple outlets, are the norm and, obviously, these groups can be more cost-efficient and can potentially offer bigger discounts. Although there are dealer groups in Ireland, the norm is still very much the individual family-run business. That’s equally true on the import side of things — although there are now importers here that are tied directly to the car maker itself, many are still private, individual, locally-owned companies and those struggle to match the sort of discounting that is more common in the UK market. Plus, the fact that we buy in and around 100,000 to 130,000 cars a year here means that there’s less volume to spread discounts across. The UK market shifts two million cars a year — a considerable difference. VRT and VAT costs also play into it, as the wholesale price is often kept artificially lower to try and keep the added tax price down as much as possible.
Is customs duty included in VRT for import?
Is "Customs Duty" on a non-EU import (e.g. a car from Japan) included in the figure got from the VRT calculator, or is it an additional charge?
Enoch Soames (Bray)May 2018 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Enoch,
No, customs duty, along with VAT, is another charge on top of VRT. Well, actually, VRT is a charge on top of customs duty and VAT. You have to pay the customs and VAT when the car enters the country, and then go and get it assessed for VRT. You can find more details on this from the Revenue website or by reading our How Much VRT is Paid in Ireland? guide.
My 2015 Audi Q3 won't start. Help!
I have a 2015 Audi Q3 and it does not want to turn on the engine. It's as if the security system has activated a short current for the engine as everything else turns on. How can I correct this?
Jose A Flores (Puerto Rico)Apr 2018 Filed under: fault
Expert answer
Hi Jose,
We don't know of any widespread issue with the Q3 that matches your description so it's difficult to assess the issue from afar. It sounds as if the car can't sense you pressing the clutch down to start it if it's a manual or pressing the brake with the gear lever in Park if it's an automatic, but that's just one possible cause.
Best bet is to get a good mechanic to look at it.
Will Skoda's 1.0 TSI engine be reliable?
Hi.
We have been looking for a good reliable quality practical family car and deciding to go with a Skoda Octavia 1.0 TSI, as petrol suits our mileage - very short during the week and longer drives on weekends. My question and only reservation about the three-cylinder 1.0 TSI Octavia is its durability. Skoda and Volkswagen have a good reputation, but my only concern is how many years can be got out of a small engine in a big car? Have you any background into the work the manufacturers have put into this technology. and how durable do you reckon they will be? I've only heard great things about it, but I've heard a few non-Skoda drivers dismiss this engine.
Thanks
Mark Yeatesy (Dublin)Mar 2018 Filed under: reliability
Expert answer
Hi Mark,
Well, it is — in effect — impossible for us to say with any authority as to how the 1.0 TSI engine is going to perform in the longer term, as the engine hasn’t been around all that long. What we can say is that, so far, there have been no horror stories emerging of any major reliability issues, and that Skoda has (a) good quality control systems and (b) a good reputation for high quality and reliability. After all, when people ask about the most reliable cars, we generally say Japanese, Korean and Czech — in that order. As long as you keep it properly serviced, I don’t think you’ll have any major problems.
How much to import and tax my Honda?
Hi,
I'd like to live in Ireland and have a Honda Insight Hybrid to import. What will be the cost of import and road tax? I have the car more one year.
Thank you, Jan
Jan Beerens (The Netherlands)Jan 2018 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Jan,
If you’ve owned the car for more than six months and have had it taxed and insured at your previous address during that time, then there’s no import duties (or Vehicle Registration Tax - VRT) to pay. Depending on where you’re moving from, there may be some VAT to pay, and you’ll have to pay for the inspection and valuation at the NCT centre, but other than that there should be no cost to bringing the car in.
The last generation of Honda Insight has a CO2 rating of 105g/km, so that means you’ll pay €190 a year in motor tax.
Read our guide to How Much VRT is Paid in Ireland for more information
You can find much more information on the importing process here: https://www.revenue.ie/en/importing-vehicles-duty-free-allowances/guide-to-vrt/vehicle-registration-tax/index.aspx
How much could I sell my Merc coupe for?
Hi, I’m just in the process of getting Irish plates on my Mercedes E 350 auto Coupe BlueEfficiency (first registered on July 2009), which I’ve had in London for four years. It has a panoramic roof, electric mirrors, heated seats, satnav, AMG seats and 68,000 miles on the clock. How much can I expect to sell it for privately?
Thanks,
DD
Dave Downey (Dublin)Jan 2018 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi Dave,
A tricky one to value, mostly because the Irish market tends not to like the big engine option, even in something like an E-Class Coupe. I think you’re looking at a value of around €10,000, but it could be challenging to find a buyer.
Which premium estate for up to €14,000?
Hi.
I'm in a top spec '07 BMW 3 Series 2.0 petrol auto with only 60k miles. I love the car but need more space. Any recommendations you have would be greatly appreciated. My overall budget is max €14k (€10k plus €4k that I hope to get by selling privately, as dealers are only offering me €3k). I would like to stick to a premium brand, and would buy a used estate version of my current car, except they're all diesel and I don't do enough mileage to warrant a diesel engine.
Many thanks and best regards
Tony, Dublin
Tony H (Dublin)Dec 2017 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Tony,
Well, it would certainly be worth trying to track down a petrol-engined 3 Series Touring estate, but as you rightly point out these are rarer than hens’ molars at the moment. Same story for the Audi A4 Avant and Mercedes C-Class Estate too, I’m afraid. Would you consider a VW Passat Estate? Or a Skoda Superb? A bit of a step down in class terms, I’ll grant you, but good, solid cars and you can track them down with the 1.4 TSI turbo petrol engine.
Hyundai Santa Fe or Kia Sorento?
Hi,
I'm getting a new company commercial SUV. I regularily drive remote country roads and am mainly based on site. I have the option between a Hyundai Santa Fe or a Kia Sorento with a budget of around €40k including VAT. Which would be the best to go for?
JP Heraty (Dublin)Oct 2017 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi JP,
They’re basically the same car — same engine, gearbox, electronics etc, just with different bodies. Our preference comes down, slightly, on the side of the Kia, just because we prefer the styling and the interior, but you won’t go wrong with either. Here are our reviews:
How will an imported L200 pick-up be taxed?
Hi,
I'm looking to bring in a 2010 Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian, but want to bring it in for private use so not commercial. I have called the tax office and Revenue and no one can tell me whether it will be taxed on the CO2 emissions or on the engine size. Can you help?
Karen Odonovan (Carlanstown )Oct 2017 Filed under: taxation
Expert answer
Hi Karen,
The tax system for using a commercial as a private car is a bit of an odd one, as it means reverting to the old by-engine-capacity rating. No-one seems to know quite why, and I suspect that the lack of knowledge in official quarters is because you’re possibly the only person honest enough to actually ask up front. Most people just tax them as commercials and hope they don’t get caught…
Value for my 2011 Honda Accord?
Hi, I am looking for valuation for my 2011 (revised in 2011) Honda Accord Executive 2.2 D-TEC with 187,000km on the clock, a full Honda service history and in excellent condition. I tried usual car valuation websites, but with imports on market, it looks like they are priced high. Looking for trade in value and private sale value.
Any idea?
Thanks
Garret Hearns (Laois)Oct 2017 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi Garret,
I think a realistic trade-in value is going to be around €8-9,000, with a private sale price of around €10,500.