Is trade-in value hit by late registration?

HELPDESK:Answering all your motoring queries

From RS: I’m currently carless and have been looking at two cars: an ex-demo and a new model that will take three months to arrive. Obviously the ex-demo is a 2011 registration, but it has a lot of options fitted and is going for €4,000 less than the equivalent new model, which costs just over €30,000.

If I opt to wait I will hold out for a 2012 registration but I may need to rent a car sometimes to get me to January. Should I wait until the end of the year or bite the bullet and get the ex-demo? Does it make a big difference to the trade-in given that the car will be a 2011 registration?

It’s a tough call. The impact on its future value depends on a number of factors, not least when you are planning to sell. Usually, the difference in value between a three- and a four-year-old car of this value is roughly €3,000, but it depends on a host of variations.

The longer you hold on to the car the less of an impact the year will have on its value. However, if like most owners you change after four years then you’ll have lost the majority of the discount you gain by opting for an ex-demo. You also should be able to get some money off the 2012 new car as you are a cash buyer.

However, with new-car sales so low and likely to stay that way next year, used prices are quite stable, and a 2011 will hold up well against any 2012 counterpart.

You need to sit down and do some basic calculations. How long are you likely to hold on to the car? How many days will you have to rent a car during the remainder of the year? Your rental bill could quickly reach €1,500, thereby depleting any future benefit of waiting for a 2012 plate.

You are currently being offered a 13 per cent discount on a 2011 over a 2012, and when you weigh that against the cost of rental for the next few months, there’s very little in it, but I suggest you might be best to opt for the ex-demo.

From GM: Have Garda patrol cars special permission to use the bus lane with blue lights flashing to avoid traffic? Should Garda cars get special dispensation for using bus lanes just because gardaí don’t care to sit in traffic like the rest of us?

According to a report by the Garda Inspectorate on road policing, published at the end of 2008: “Police officers operating Garda vehicles must provide a positive example for other road users and management should develop policies to ensure such is the case. In non-emergency situations, police officers should fully comply with the rules of the road in the operation of vehicles, observing speed limits, traffic signals and refraining from the use of mobile phones while driving.”

While gardaí are permitted to use phones in the course of their duty – including while driving – the blue lights are only to be used in emergencies. In a later reference the report states: “It is essential that gardaí in general and the Traffic Corps in particular set the standard and lead by example in terms of the quality of their fleet and the manner in which their vehicles are driven.”

There is an argument that, as public servants, it’s not the best use of taxpayers’ money to have gardaí sitting in traffic. Mind you, that only really stands up if you believe that every other minute of their time is taken up with vital enforcement duties.

Send your queries to Motors Helpdesk, The Irish Times, Tara Street, Dublin 2, or e-mail motorshelp@irishtimes.com