Are new / used cars cheaper in North Ireland?

[gavroche]

I have always wondered if that is the case as I see quite a few cars with people living here with Irish number plates.Your views please.

 

[Dadam]

I've always assumed it's just because the NI plates are non-dating, i.e. they don't (or didn't) have a year number. So vanity plates basically.

 

[avsd]

In general, used cars are cheaper in England compared to NI. Lack of scale/competition seems to be the main issues. People quite often fly to England and drive a used car home and still save money. I did this for my last car (6 month old Mercedes C Class) It has got a little more complicated for dealers with the new customs arrangements but I have not looked at the details.

 

[classic33]

I've always assumed it's just because the NI plates are non-dating, i.e. they don't (or didn't) have a year number. So vanity plates basically.

And the belief that ANPR cameras won't pick them up.

 

[fossyant]

Loadsa cheap diesels in London

 

[Dadam]

And the belief that ANPR cameras won't pick them up.

NI plates are managed by the DVLA so seems inconceivable to me they wouldn't be on the database. 🤷‍♂️

 

[DCLane]

NI-registered vehicles are MOT'd after 4 years, not 3 (used to be 5) and by official government MOT centres only. More seem to fail and, as a result, are often sold to other UK countries.

Also, the non-dating plates can make an early production model of a car potentially appear newer.

Oh, and the plate can be sold if you have one. MIW 3518 may still be trundling round South Wales somewhere after my Mk3 Escort was re-registered in NI, then the plate was sold at some point when I returned to England to raise some cash.

 

[vickster]

NI plates are managed by the DVLA so seems inconceivable to me they wouldn't be on the database. 🤷‍♂️

Hence his use of the word belief presumably (as opposed to fact for example)

 

[DRM]

I fail to understand why we have to have year plates, all it does is cause a mad rush every march & September at the dealers, we should have adopted a similar set up to Northern Ireland, with 3x letters & 4x numbers, using the original place i.d's so a typical Leeds reg could have been
AUB 1234, instead of the stupid system we have now, you just start in this example AUB 1000 to AUB 9999, then BUB 1000 to BUB 9999 until they're all used would make far more sense

 

[Bristolian]

I believe that many cars that were originally exported to Japan are repatriated through Northern Ireland. I have bought two such vehicles (both right hand drive V8 Land Rover Discoveries) and the chassis have been immaculate - no rust anywhere as the Japanese don't use salt on their roads. They were more expensive than the same model/age motors here in the UK but knowing the chassis wouldn't need replacing made the extra expense worthwhile.

 

[Drago]

The Japanese  do use salt on their roads.

However, their climate is a little milder than ours and their drivers a bit less daft, so they don't need to use it nearly as often or indeed at all in many places.

 

[Chris S]

I fail to understand why we have to have year plates,

The police want age related plates because they make dodgy vehicles easier to identify.
Manufacturers want them because they increase sales.

 

[DRM]

The police want age related plates because they make dodgy vehicles easier to identify.
Manufacturers want them because they increase sales.

But there pointless it just creates a rush every 6 months, then the dealers are twiddling their thumbs till the next change, it doesn’t really I’d any dodgy vehicles, if there’s something amiss ANPR picks it up, both roadside & on police cars

 

[Bristolian]

The Japanese  do use salt on their roads.

However, their climate is a little milder than ours and their drivers a bit less daft, so they don't need to use it nearly as often or indeed at all in many places.

I don't believe they use salt in the way we understand the meaning of the word. Most prefectures apply a brine solution to their roads which, of course, contains a small amount of salt but which is quickly washed off the road surface when the snow/ice melts (unlike rock salt that sticks around for ages.

In my last position before retirement I sold automated brine spreading systems (www.boschung.com/product/fast/) and the Japanese were good customers

 

[Chris S]

But there pointless it just creates a rush every 6 months, then the dealers are twiddling their thumbs till the next change

Some people buy non-age related plates so they can keep their cars for longer.

it doesn’t really I’d any dodgy vehicles, if there’s something amiss ANPR picks it up, both roadside & on police cars

What if a car has a plate that is too new for it's model?