Better to buy a LHD car in the UK and drive to France?

[davidc]

Hey everyone,

I am currently using my English car in France but have decided it is time to get a left hand drive car.

Is it better to buy a LHD car in the UK and drive to France or just buy one in France?

It seems to be a bit cheaper to buy from the UK but of course then there's the registering over in France which may make it not worth it in the end?

Does anyone have any experience of this?

Thanks

David

[Allan]

I looked at this a few years ago, whereas RHD cars are very hard to sell in France and generally go for low prices it seemed to be the opposite for LHD vehicles in the UK.

The LHD market in the UK seems to be dominated by a handful of specialist dealers selling at higher prices than their RHD equivalents.

When the pound was weak, I investigated buying a new LHD car in the UK and exporting it to France. I found that all the manufacturers that I looked at had an outlet for selling LHD cars to French spec in the UK, generally at the same price as a UK car and at that time there were some significant savings to be made. Now that the pound is stronger then I doubt there is any advantage to be gained.

If you buy a LHD car in the UK that is not to French specification then you could well have the hassle and cost of changing the headlights and speedometer on top of the cost of registering it here.

Another point to bear in mind is that when you come to sell the car you might get a lower price for an 'imported' vehicle, just as you would in the UK.

Obviously it depends on the price point you are buying at but it seems infinitely simpler to just buy a car in France.

[Helen]

I'm planning to buy a LHD car soonish....so far research has shown that, thanks to the strong pound/euro exchange rate, it is definitely cheaper to buy in France.

But, to put that in context, that's for a new car; and a small one at that!

I didn't set out considering a new car - but the price/mileage ratio of second hand cars coaxed me into exploring the costs of new.

If I needed a large, family car it might be a different story; but for a small, nippy, easy-to-park car it looks as if buying new, and in France, is proving to be the best option.

[montgolfiere]

if looking at new cars maybe look at Dacia ......i have bought a second Dacia this year after being satisfied with my first purchase of a Logan three years ago.. I went for the Top Model in the Sandero Stepway Range.... suprisingly roomy andwell equipped for the price.....

[Santiago]

Yes, second-hand cars in France seem to hold their value, and therefore cost more than in the UK. One tip is to go to a prestigious brand dealer and see what lesser brands they have in their yard as they will often want to get rid of these cars cheap.

But it's also true that there are some very nice deals on new cars at the moment with long warranties and free servicing thrown in.