After my company refused to let me have a Golf GT TDI PD I am sticking with the cash.
I was thinking of something a bit different and having searched the web, found that Honda S2000s can be bought for £21,000 new, as an Import as opposed to £26,000 from a UK Honda Dealer.
I have read HJs FAQ and quide to buying imports. Can anyone expand further?
What are resale values like, warranties, insurance and the like?
Are the cars offered as full UK spec truly this, or are there minor differences?
All help gratefully received,
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Keith
The only problem you might have is finding a willing european dealer with RHD allocation left. Once you have found a dealer the process is reasonably easy. Remember that exchange rate fluctuations will affect the price.
Warranty is 2 year pan-european, insurance is not problem, resale values are slightly lower than a UK car, despite what people say.
You have to check the spec carefully, anything missing is usually available as an option.
Regards
Andrew
www.hispecgolfs.co.uk
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Resale value - not a problem you will be the first registered keeper.
Warranties - I believe all EU cars now come with a pan European 2 year manufactures warranty as standard. If you want extend it phone Honda HQ and ask much it will cost.
Insurance - same as normal uk purchased car.
UK spec - If you ask for a UK spec vehicle (RHD,speedo in MPH.....) then thats what you'll get. It will be worth checking the options list just to make sure what you are getting is a UK equivalent.
I dont have any experience/knowledge of imported Honda's but my parents and several friends have imported cars from Europe with no problems.The only downside is the waiting lists tend to be long.
Another point... if you are after quotes from European dealers dont rely on faxes or emails they are often ignored (probably due to the high number of enquires) so phone them.
Pay your deposit by Visa, sit back and wait (the hard bit).
Great car for just 21K looks nice in Silver ....
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Not many dealers will take a deposit using VISA, you usually have to wire the money electronically, you'll also get a better exchange rate.
From experience, resale values are lower, the second owner wants his bit of the savings too.
Andrew
www.hispecgolfs.co.uk
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Keith,.
Try.......www.honda-ringmotor.com/p3ftotaluk.htm. Phone 0032 2524 16 14
They're a Main Dealer in Brussels, which is an hour from Ostend.
There's a dealer in Ostend as well and I'm looking through my papers for his details. I'll let you know if I find it.
Also try Intermotive in the Netherlands. I've bought from them and they're great. (They deliver the car to the UK and you collect from the dockside............www.intermotive-car.nl Phone 0031 165 50 48 39 speak to Ton or Richard
The spec. on most models is pretty well 100% UK except sometimes maybe the Service Book (in French). Visit the Honda website for a few more details about imported models.
I thought/am almost sure that you got the 3 yr. Warranty (as per my Toyota from Belgium) rather than the 2 years mentioned.
4 month wait for most models, maybe more for the S2000 - don't know.
KB.
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Fantastic car,engine revs like a Honda bike i had one recently but that was from Japan,and for the SVA we had to fit a Cat 1 alarm + the usual mods.Once registered,sold very quickly.
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Here's the dealer in Ostend........ Torhoutsesteeenweg is a long main road a few minutes from the docks and has all the manufacturers showrooms on it.
CASIER n.v.
Torhoutsesteenweg 470
8400 Oostende
Tel.: 0032 59 80 21 66
KB.
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A car has to have an alarm to get the SVA ?
Why ? What has that got to do with safety or anything ?
They`re gonna have a field day with the Dodge.
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A car imported from Belgium or the Netherlands which is to UK spec and is to be registered in the UK does not require an alarm to conform. I've had 4 and registered them myself and none has had an alarm.
KB
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The car doesn't even need to be true UK spec, as long as you have a certificate of conformity.
I have helped import a few Golf V6 4 motions with virtually no equipment, mainly for petrol heads.
Andrew
www.hispecgolfs.co.uk
>
> A car imported from Belgium or the Netherlands which is to UK
> spec and is to be registered in the UK does not require an
> alarm to conform. I've had 4 and registered them myself and
> none has had an alarm.
>
> KB
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Keith,
If you ring the dealer in Ostend, the man to ask for is called Norbert. He, like everyone there, speaks good English. ( Honda Casier used to be called Honda Carloserri. It seems to have changed it's name - check on that).
Be interested to know how you get on. Suggest ringing Intermotive as well as Casier and see what the difference is. Remember, if you buy from Ostend or Brussels, you'll probably have to collect and therefore you must allow a couple hundred in travel costs. Intermotive will quote for delivery costs on rquest. Better to have it delivered - easier and cheaper.
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As T.Lucas says, you can now get some nearly new ones from Japan. Local company here has got a couple for £18,995. Don't know what you do about the warranty though.
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Re :Andrew
>>From experience, resale values are lower, the second owner wants his bit of the savings too<<
How do the second owners know its an import ?
There is no evidence on the V5. My friend sold is imported Focus privately and made a small profit.
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Its obvious from the service book that its an import.
Andrew
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Valid point Steve.
If I didn't tell anyone during a sale, the only way of knowing would be if the buyer asked to see the Invoice from the (UK?) supplier,which of course, I haven't got. Everything else is identical. I even had my local dealer supply the number plates and they have that dealers details on them.
If asked, I would say where it came from. If not, I wouldn't. The warranty is the same, the spec. is the same, so I don't see a problem either way.
KB.
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Mark,if your Dodge is 1998 on it will need a Cat 1 alarm for SVA,i assume its LHD so will only need ordinary SVA,(quite easy)but will need a cat if its '94 on running on petrol.If a car comes into UK from Euroland and has a COC then it can get away without alarm, but probably already has an immobiliser fitted.
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Thanks everyone.
If there is no record of it being an import on the V5 then how do the insurers know its an import?
This import lark seems straightforward, so long as you keep your head screwed on. I wonder if anyone has any import horror stories?
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I am sure that the V5 on a car I imported said something like"Declared new on import by first owner" or something like that. When I sold it the same wording appeared on the replacement V5. Import values DO seem to be lower. A colleague of mine was given a silly offer on the trade in of a persoanlly imported Volvo - the dealer said it was an import; bearing in mind where they made they are all imports. Dealer was not happy to have this pointed out but didn't raise his silly offer.
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Take your point, Pete and understand exactly what you're saying.
The V5's used to say what you said, but don't any more.
Matter of luck whether dealer asks whether it's an import or not. As I said earlier, if someone asks I'll tell them, otherwise, they don't have to know. They all come off the same production line and provided they ARE genuine UK spec. - no problem.
KB.
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>>Mark,if your Dodge is 1998 on it will need a Cat 1 alarm for SVA,i assume its LHD so will only need ordinary SVA,(quite easy)but will need a cat if its '94 on running on petrol.If a car comes into UK from Euroland and has a COC then it can get away without alarm, but probably already has an immobiliser fitted.
Why does it need an alarm ?
It is LHD. It is newer than 94. It runs on unleaded, so I always assumed it had a Cat, but never looked.
It is actually a 97 (I think).
What's a COC ?
Why should it need an imobiliser ? What business is it of anybody else how easy to steal my car is ?
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COC. Certificate of Conformity
Issued by manufacturer detailing spec. of model and a copy given to buyer if importing into UK.
Essential bit of paper. Almost impossible to register car in UK without it.
KB.
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The V5 does not say imported. Has the same declaration as a UK purchased car. I cant remember the exact wording but my old dear has a new Mini arriving tommorow so check the V5 to see.
If a garage offered me less for my trade-in because it was an import i would walk away.The only reason for a *slight* price adjustment would be due to a shorter warranty.'What car' magazine ran an article i which they took a imported 156 to several dealers asking for a trade-in value.Some asked if it was a import some did'nt. Like KB said they all come off the same production line so why discriminate ?
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At a guess its so they can make more money, always on a dealer's mind.
If they knock a couple of hundred off because its an import, they won't sell it for a couple hundred less.
A dealers out to make money, not friends
Kev
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What about a second hand UK car? 18k seems to buy a W reg UK car with at least a years honda warranty left. Most are pretty low miles too.
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The alarm/immobiliser thing is to do with the thieving scum in the UK,so the Gov and i think it maybe Euro wide to the easy option and decided that all post '97 cars must have an immobiliser fitted.
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Take your point, Andrew, but I have a new service book supplied by Toyota as the original was in French - it has their stamp on the front and will be stamped up by them during future services.
KB.
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