Until recently, it was widely assumed that you could get a much better deal by importing your new car from Europe compared to buying in the UK. However, since the late 90's, European prices have gone up, whilst many UK prices have fallen, making many cars cheaper here than abroad.
Despite this, it may still be worth importing certain types of car from Europe, particularly those that have a waiting list in the UK. An import agent should make the process easier.
Advantages
- An import agent can source huge discounts from other EU countries
- An agent will save you hassle on negotiation, paperwork and collection
- The car will usually be delivered to your door
Disadvantages
- Comparing prices is difficult due to equipment differences across countries and currency fluctuations against the pound
- An import agent may want a hefty deposit before confirming a delivery date
- Importing can be time-consuming and may have long delivery times
- European cars tend not to have as high specification of equipment than UK cars, such as CD players, electric windows, air conditioning and electric wing mirrors
- There may be general specification differences, such as different designs of radio or alloy wheels, lower power outputs or different badging
- Most UK-supplied cars come with a 3 year warranty; however, those sourced from Europe generally only have a 2 year guarantee
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