Should I buy an Import ??

Rum Tum Tugger · Post by **Rum Tum Tugger** » Thu Oct 24, 2002 4:35 pm

I have decided I can't spend another summer being jealous everytime I see a convertible on a nice day. Not sure I can put up with a soft top during the Winter so it seems the 206 CC is the perfect solution.

Eurocars in Epsom are selling 1.6 Imports with Metallic Paint, Alloys and Sports pack for Â£12,999 which seems to offer a pretty good saving over a UK car. Only downside is that they register the cars in their name first, so I would officially be the second owner.

What I am really worried about is all the horror stories I have read on this site about problems with the roofs. If you have an Import car and you have problems is a Peugeot dealer less likely to be interested because the car isn't a UK car?? I know you now get two years manufacturers warranty with Imports but are the dealers likely to descriminate against Imports??

So anybody any experience of Eurocars of Epsom or having to get warranty work performed on an Import car?

col · Post by **col** » Thu Oct 24, 2002 4:57 pm

In my opinion, its only worth buying an import if your going for the 2 ltr car as the savings off a UK car is huge!! about Â£3K whilst the saving on the 1.6 is only about Â£1.5K. Not that much when you consider the warranty and part ex etc.

Alex LS · Post by **Alex LS** » Thu Oct 24, 2002 5:03 pm

Nothing wrong with the warranty on imports, don't listen to him.

The manufacturer's warranty is an EU one so it doesn't matter where you buy the car as long as it's in the EU. You can buy it in France, drive it in the UK and get warranty repairs done in Germany if you want. If a dealer tells you different, complain to them & Trading Standards.

By the time you come to sell it (assuming it's a couple of years down the line) the difference in resale values shouldn't be that great either.

That second owner thing is a bit iffy though, if you ask me.

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Thu Oct 24, 2002 5:31 pm

Manufacturor warruntee is just that. A warruntee provided by the manufacturer. The dealer is not paying for the warruntee work. So if they'd be turning down good business not to be as helpfull of possable. but the maunfacturors warruntee is for two years you get 3 from the dealer and presumably if Eurocars are the first owner the 2 years run from the day they bought it. You can get a third party waruntee for the third year but check it offers the same cover as the dealera would.
If you don't by from the dealer there's a good chance you won't get the same level of service when it comes to things like a loan car. And If you buy a lemon as the second owner you chances of rejection may be low.

If youre buying an import better from someone who act as agent so you're first owner.

Alex LS · Post by **Alex LS** » Thu Oct 24, 2002 5:40 pm

Yeah. Virgin Cars offer an extended warranty which is "at least as good as" the manufacturer's one. As they're an agent, it also means I'm the first owner.

col · Post by **col** » Thu Oct 24, 2002 5:56 pm

[quote=""AlexLS""]Nothing wrong with the warranty on imports, don't listen to him.

Huh never said everything about the warranty being worthless, just that with a uk car you get 3 years and you don't have the hassle of getting rid of a part ex etc Hence Â£1500 is not that big a difference to pay

Alex LS · Post by **Alex LS** » Thu Oct 24, 2002 6:01 pm

Sorry Col, I forgot the smiley.

Here - have two to make up.

Sue&Steve · Post by **Sue&Steve** » Thu Oct 24, 2002 9:48 pm

Yes - I know what you mean Rum Tum. After I ordered an import from Motorpoint @ Burnley I really worried, same as you. This was not at all helped by the fact that when I turned up to collect, they said "oh, small problem - the roof isn't working, but if you take it to a dealer they will sort it out". So I told them to ... err..... I said that I wasn't signing until the car was perfect. THEY had to take it to the Pug dealer.

In the following week I was on a knife-edge ... was ready to sacrifice the Â£500 deposit and walk away (I'd heard about the roofs, and I thought .. ehh-up, got a dodgy-roof one here).

Anyway, came to decision day - time to collect again. Had it been raining, I would have said no. But, it was a sunny day, sooo........... paid the balance and drove away.

Well, I've only done 1,500 miles, but it's been spot on. No leaks, no real problems, a bit of noise from window seals. Love it. Saved a lot of dosh on the 2.0 litre version. Better I think to go with the import and get a 2.0 than buy a 1.6 from a dealer for the same price - ish.

But it still feels a bit of a gamble, I admit. Paid off so far, though. The consensus here seems to be that the warranty is good for imports.

Be brave - go for it

Steve

Millsy · Post by **Millsy** » Fri Oct 25, 2002 1:02 pm

I used Eurocar Consultants in Wallington too. Picked it up a fortnight ago. And it was registered to me as new, so I don't know where you got that second owner thing from. Apart from them being a bit crap at customer service and ringing you back and the like and the fact i waited 7 months for the car, i can only recommend them. Saved me Â£3250 on a fully loaded CC SE. My local dealer then put me on the UK database the next day for the warranty and I'm off and away! No probs as yet but has anyone noticed the seat belts twist low down sometimes and get jammed between the seat and the door when closing or is it just me. bad design i think?

Rum Tum Tugger · Post by **Rum Tum Tugger** » Fri Oct 25, 2002 2:29 pm

First of all it seems there are two companies called Eurocar. First there is eurocar-consultants which is where you bought your car from and secondly there is eurocars epsom (www.eurocarsepsom.com).

The salesman I initially spoke to at Eurocars Epsom confirmed to me that all the cars they sell are initially registered in their name so I would be the second owner on the logbook. I dodn't like the idea of this but they actually have the cars on site and if they didn't have the colour I wanted they could get it in 3 weeks. Basically they order 200 cars at a time, all the same spec and you just select the colour.

Had a look on the eurocar-consultants website and they are quoting a 14-16 week delivery time. Anybody know of any other import places that have them available on the forecourt as I don't fancy waiting 4 months for delivery.

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Fri Oct 25, 2002 3:37 pm

Try Tradesales in Slough Berks. I dislike them but others have bought from them sucessfully.

http://www.peugeot206cc.co.uk/phpBB2/vi ... php?t=2650

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Fri Oct 25, 2002 4:17 pm

only uk cars get another 2 years of full AA cover for Â£100

Alex LS · Post by **Alex LS** » Fri Oct 25, 2002 4:27 pm

Which you can pay for yourself with the money you're saving :-)

You can even choose someone other than AA if you like

Rum Tum Tugger · Post by **Rum Tum Tugger** » Fri Oct 25, 2002 5:11 pm

Would I be correct in thinking that people who have purchased cars from a UK dealer hate Imports?? Just seems to be that they slag them off at every oportunity.

From what I can see buying an Import 2.0 206 CC can easily save you Â£3000 over the UK list price. Taking into account the fact that you only get 2 years warranty and no AA cover this is still a decent saving.

Are you telling me that a 3 year old import is going to be worth Â£3000 less than a 3 year old UK car? Put two identical 3 year old 206 CC's in front of somebody and tell them that one is Â£3000 less, which one are they going to buy?

My last car was a Subaru Impreza Turbo and when I got it Imports were selling for about Â£5000 less. Take it from me that second hand imports are not selling for Â£5000 less than a UK car.

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Fri Oct 25, 2002 10:21 pm

I have nothing against imports. Don't like trade sales looked at them several times a few years ago for used cars they may be cheaper but this is reflected in the poor quality of some of the cars. and the fact that a car is hemmed in by 20 other rather discorages test drive. Not all used car supermarkets are like that.

When it comes to test driving a new car Tradesales would much rather a main dealer spent the time effort and money showing you the car.

We would happily bought from Virgin or Jamjar. But by buying from a main dealer we may have spent more. But we waited for 10 days to get our CC. Not the 7 months or 8 or 9 it would have taked from Virgin. We got a whole summer of motoring and it was worth it