Shop outside Ireland to save on motors — survey

CAR buyers can save up to €7,000 by shopping outside the Republic for a second-hand motor, the Consumers Association of Ireland (CAI) claimed last night.

However, the motor industry has raised serious questions about the accuracy of the CAI survey comparing prices here and in Britain or the North.

It found that, before importation costs, the actual prices outside the State can be as little as half the average costs here.

But even after adding on transport fees, the cost of new plates and Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) for re-registering the car here, the CAI found prices were still much cheaper overseas.

The comparisons in the association’s members’ magazine Consumer Choice are based on prices from the Irish Used Car Price Guide and the Parkers used car price guide in Britain.

CAI chief executive Dermott Jewell said: “The survey shows that more adventurous buyers can save even more if they opt for a private sale as opposed to sourcing from a franchised dealer, particular for older models.”

But the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), representing most of the country’s 1,200 new and used car dealers, last night suggested the CAI was trying to flog copies of its 10-year-old guide to importing cars.

SIMI chief executive Cyril McHugh said the Irish buyers’ guide it used does not reflect actual sale prices, but that the average invoice prices used by the Revenue Commissioners to calculate VRT give an idea of how much people are actually paying for used cars in the Republic.

“In seven of the 11 surveyed cars, the Revenue figure was cheaper than the import price. We also found the average British prices they quoted from March 1 were up to €2,500 more when we checked the relevant website today,” he said.

“We don’t mind surveys as long as they’re fair, but some of the CAI’s sources are questionable,” he added.

More than 500,000 cars are expected to be sold in the Republic of Ireland this year, with around two-thirds of them being second-hand.

A huge growth in used car sales is expected next year when SSIA holders cash in their investments and buy new or newer vehicles, which could lead to lower prices as the supply increases.