Is importing from UK still worth it?

HELPDESK:Answering all your motoring queries

From S Kane: Is it still worth importing a car from the UK these days? I’m looking to change and as I’m not trading in – my daughter is taking my current car – I was looking around and many people I know have imported their cars in recent years. I’m looking for a BMW 320d, probably about 2008/2009.

I did a quick check on a couple of UK websites and all the ones I found were in the region of £12,000 and most had between 65,000 and 85,000 miles on the clock. Given the exchange rate is about 83p in the euro, that’s roughly €14,500 before you pay VRT. A rough approximation of the tax due, based on it being an early year 320d SE with 75,000 miles on the clock, is €3,000. That brings you up to €17,500. That’s less than the sticker price of some equivalently aged cars here, which come in at about €22,000. But the average mileage on the Irish ones were often half of those in the UK.

There may well be deals to be done, but you need to be careful to check the history of the car, including its service history. The specifications are no longer that different – particularly on BMWs – so UK cars won’t necessarily come with extra features as they did in bygone days.

From TR: I’m looking for a used family car for about €15,000. We have had Renault Scenics, a Mazda5 and a Ford S-Max, but finally it’s time to get back to a normal looking car. I’m looking for comfort and something smart, but price is key and I’ll want to keep it for a few years so reliability is an issue, but I don’t want anything too dull. It also needs a decent back seat, so some sort of coupé is probably out of the question. Something from the premium end would be nice. Suggestions please to a motor fan who has been out of the loop for a few years due to being a dad.

While it sounds like you didn’t exactly dream of driving people carriers, your choice of the Mazda5 and Ford S-Max suggests that you did at least end up with some of the best ones to drive.

I guess when you say reliability you are indicating that you’re not interested in a mid-life crisis sports car with 150,000 miles on the clock and a maintenance bill that would mirror your mortgage payments. That said, I spotted a 1990 Bentley recently within your price bracket. It would certainly set tongues wagging if you pulled up in that. Or you could pick up a BMW 2002 and join the likes of my colleague Kilian Doyle in devoting the rest of your life to searching the web for parts and leaving the odour of brake fluid in the air as you pass.

A quick look at the classifieds on our website threw up some interesting choices within your budget. If you want something a little more comfortable, smart and good to drive, I’d point you towards the likes of the 2006 BMW 520d. Alternatively, you could pick up a Lexus GS300 from the same year and for the same money. If you want something a little more current, then I spotted a few Honda Accord diesels. It might not be the prettiest, but it’s comfortable and most are well-equipped, while the 2.2-litre diesel engine is one of our favourites. One final option: you could give into your petrolhead desires and get a 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX for about the same money.

Send your queries to Motors Helpdesk, The Irish Times, Tara St, Dublin 2 or email motorshelp@irishtimes.com