Is it worth bringing my car? The Iron Lady's trusty new calculator reveals all!

[Ned1y]

Hi would you be ale to help me out thinking about bringing my car but unsure if it is worth it

- year of manufacture              2014 (63 Plate)

- make, model & variant           BMW 520D SE Touring

- body type (coupe, convertible, etc)    5 Door estate

- engine size & fuel type     2L diesel 

- transmission          Manual

- drive type (4WD, front wheel drive, etc)   2WD

- mileage   128000 miles 

- any special features, options or modification  park assist,rear cam, coll warning, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, driver alert, road sign info, blind spot info/x traffic allert. paddles Paddles - No

- does it have aircon  Yes

- realistic current UK market value     £8500

- Australian RedBook value (www.redbook.com.au - click through to the page with 'Private Price Guide', 'Trade In Price Guide' and 'Price When New' listed, then tell us the 'Private Price Guide' range)    

$29,800 - $32,900

 Australian market value (http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/search.aspx - Not really one there matching model/ mileage/ year

- which Australian state/city   Brisbane

[Kelpie]

I am undecided about taking my car to Australia.  It is currently on a PCP deal so I would have to pay off the remaining finance (£19650) in order to sell the car in the UK or take it with me.  Alternatively I could voluntarily terminate the contract and hand the car back which I think will cost me circa £2,000.

 

What I need from you:

- year of manufacture 2017

- make, model & variant Range Rover Evoque SE Tech TD

- body type (coupe, convertible, etc) Small SUV

- engine size & fuel type 2.0 litres and diesel

- transmission automatic

- drive type (4WD, front wheel drive, etc) 4WD

- mileage circa 24,000 miles on the clock

- any special features, options or modification tow bar and reversing camera

- does it have aircon Yes

- realistic current UK market value £21,770

- Australian RedBook value I can only find SE is the closest version on there and it is slightly lower spec than mine and cars the same age are advertised for $67,551

- Australian market value (http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/search.aspx - search for the closest matching vehicle) Again SE is the closest match but slightly lower spec and private sellers are asking $51,000 to $51,990

- which Australian state/city Perth, Western Australia

[Iron Chef]

On 13/09/2019 at 20:54, Ned1y said:

Hi would you be ale to help me out thinking about bringing my car but unsure if it is worth it

- year of manufacture              2014 (63 Plate)

- make, model & variant           BMW 520D SE Touring

- body type (coupe, convertible, etc)    5 Door estate

- engine size & fuel type     2L diesel 

- transmission          Manual

- drive type (4WD, front wheel drive, etc)   2WD

- mileage   128000 miles 

- any special features, options or modification  park assist,rear cam, coll warning, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, driver alert, road sign info, blind spot info/x traffic allert. paddles Paddles - No

- does it have aircon  Yes

- realistic current UK market value     £8500

- Australian RedBook value (www.redbook.com.au - click through to the page with 'Private Price Guide', 'Trade In Price Guide' and 'Price When New' listed, then tell us the 'Private Price Guide' range)    

$29,800 - $32,900

 Australian market value (http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/search.aspx - Not really one there matching model/ mileage/ year

- which Australian state/city   Brisbane

My apologies, I didn't get a notification about your enquiry. It would be a bit of a unicorn in Australia because it's a manual, which may be a blessing or a curse come sale time. I'd love to have one personally.  Servicing wouldn't be an issue. If you like shifting your own gears, definitely worth bringing over.

[Iron Chef]

11 hours ago, Kelpie said:

I am undecided about taking my car to Australia.  It is currently on a PCP deal so I would have to pay off the remaining finance (£19650) in order to sell the car in the UK or take it with me.  Alternatively I could voluntarily terminate the contract and hand the car back which I think will cost me circa £2,000.

 

What I need from you:

- year of manufacture 2017

- make, model & variant Range Rover Evoque SE Tech TD

- body type (coupe, convertible, etc) Small SUV

- engine size & fuel type 2.0 litres and diesel

- transmission automatic

- drive type (4WD, front wheel drive, etc) 4WD

- mileage circa 24,000 miles on the clock

- any special features, options or modification tow bar and reversing camera

- does it have aircon Yes

- realistic current UK market value £21,770

- Australian RedBook value I can only find SE is the closest version on there and it is slightly lower spec than mine and cars the same age are advertised for $67,551

- Australian market value (http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/search.aspx - search for the closest matching vehicle) Again SE is the closest match but slightly lower spec and private sellers are asking $51,000 to $51,990

- which Australian state/city Perth, Western Australia

Worth doing based on those numbers.

[Waffoo]

Hello! - We're moving out September next year, transferring from UK Military to ADF, will be based in Adelaide. Hadn't really considered taking the car (custom motorbike - yes!) so just testing the water. We own it outright. Also, under personal import rules, can both my wife and I take a vehicle each? (e.g. me motorbike, wife car)?

 

What I need from you:

- year of manufacture Jan 2015

- make, model & variant Mercedes-Benz C250 BlueTEC Diesel SPORT PREMIUM Estate (Wagon) W205

- body type (coupe, convertible, etc) Wagon

- engine size & fuel type 2.1L Diesel

- transmission Auto

- drive type (4WD, front wheel drive, etc) RWD

- mileage 62000 (will be nearer 70k by the time we go)

- any special features, options or modification Panoramic Roof, Heated Seats, Obsidian Black Metallic paint

- does it have aircon Yes

- realistic current UK market value £15000

- Australian RedBook value (www.redbook.com.au - click through to the page with 'Private Price Guide', 'Trade In Price Guide' and 'Price When New' listed, then tell us the 'Private Price Guide' range) $35400 - $38800

- Australian market value (http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/search.aspx - search for the closest matching vehicle) Can only find saloon, but $35000 seems average

- which Australian state/city Adelaide, SA

Thanks in advance.

[TheGaroo]

I've been trying to find a car that is worthwhile bringing back with me but am at the point of giving up. Second hand mass market cars in Oz that are about 3 years old are very cheap. I have also looked at S class mercs, 7 series BMW etc which there may be a slight margin on but after a few years they sink like a stone to the point where a lot of cars like classic Porsches are cheaper in Oz. Cheaper premium cars like C class mercs are cheaper in Oz, as are the whole japanese range. Mileage on UK cars is another thing - most cars in Oz would be a write off (or $1000 bunkies) with the mileages that are typical here. 

My rule of thumb is take the £ price, multiply it by 4, that's the cut off point in $'s - that's for a 'B' category whereby you won't really save any money but if you have the car already and you like it then why not?  

[TheGaroo]

On 06/10/2019 at 02:43, Iron Chef said:

Worth doing based on those numbers.

I assume the exchange rate must have moved a lot in this time as it would be madness to do this now! a £22k car is $45k before you've even started running up import costs

[PingPom]

Hi. Would you mind running your eyes over this please:

 

- year of manufacture 2016

- make, model & variant Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE

- body type (coupe, convertible, etc) SUV

- engine size & fuel type 2.0 litre diesel

- transmission automatic

- drive type (4WD, front wheel drive, etc) 4WD

- mileage 21,000 miles

- any special features, options or modification tow bar (after market), front camera

- does it have aircon Yes

- realistic current UK market value £22,000 - 23,000

- Australian RedBook value $37,400 - $40,800

- which Australian state/city Melbourne

- Australian market value (http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/search.aspx - search for the closest matching vehicle) Approx $50,000

Is the after market towbar an issue?

Also, I will only have owned and driven the car for about 10 months when we come to ship it. I was told we may still be able to do it via Letter of Compliance or Discretionary Approval - is this possible, and worth it?

Thanks in advance!

[TheGaroo]

this is a no brainer... sell! £23k is $41,400 before you even consider costs and hassle. Land Rover / Range Rover seem to really hold their value in the UK for some reason.  

[BelfastGirl]

I’m moving back to Australia (hopefully! Covid ) Is it worth shipping my car??

2007 BMW 325i E93, Convertible, petrol, auto, 53300 miles, air con, value GBP £5700, AUD $14000, Brisbane QLD

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated

[Iron Chef]

1 hour ago, BelfastGirl said:

I’m moving back to Australia (hopefully! Covid ) Is it worth shipping my car??

2007 BMW 325i E93, Convertible, petrol, auto, 53300 miles, air con, value GBP £5700, AUD $14000, Brisbane QLD

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated

Welcome! Relatively low mileage (by Australian standards) helps your cause. Definitely worth considering. Bear in mind that shipping from Belfast will be higher than out of Southampton.

 

My apologies to others who've put in requests - paradoxically, we have been run off our feet during COVID lockdown here in Australia. Still at a loss to work out why.

[JetBlast]

I am already in Australia. I have been considering a MK 2 GTI as a collectors item (not my main car). They seem to be few and far between. The ones that do come up seem to have been modified or in poor condition. Would I be able to import one from the UK please? 

Edited September 23, 2020 by JetBlast

[Iron Chef]

10 hours ago, JetBlast said:

I am already in Australia. I have been considering a MK 2 GTI as a collectors item (not my main car). They seem to be few and far between. The ones that do come up seem to have been modified or in poor condition. Would I be able to import one from the UK please? 

Yes you can now import anything older than 25 years (so 1995 or earlier). 

[JetBlast]

On 24/09/2020 at 09:02, Iron Chef said:

Yes you can now import anything older than 25 years (so 1995 or earlier). 

Thanks for the reply.

Out of curiosity - you can't import anything after 1995?

Thanks

[Iron Chef]

13 hours ago, JetBlast said:

Thanks for the reply.

Out of curiosity - you can't import anything after 1995?

Thanks

There are other schemes that cover cars younger than 25 years, including the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme, and the Personal Import Scheme (which covers cars owned and used for more than 12 months overseas, when the owner is moving to Australia - the most common scheme used by members in here).

[PingPom]

 

On 15/07/2020 at 16:57, PingPom said:

Hi. Would you mind running your eyes over this please:

 

- year of manufacture 2016

- make, model & variant Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE

- body type (coupe, convertible, etc) SUV

- engine size & fuel type 2.0 litre diesel

- transmission automatic

- drive type (4WD, front wheel drive, etc) 4WD

- mileage 21,000 miles

- any special features, options or modification tow bar (after market), front camera

- does it have aircon Yes

- realistic current UK market value £22,000 - 23,000

- Australian RedBook value $37,400 - $40,800

- which Australian state/city Melbourne

- Australian market value (http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/search.aspx - search for the closest matching vehicle) Approx $50,000

Is the after market towbar an issue?

Also, I will only have owned and driven the car for about 10 months when we come to ship it. I was told we may still be able to do it via Letter of Compliance or Discretionary Approval - is this possible, and worth it?

Thanks in advance!

Thinking the UK sale price is going to be more like £19-20k. Is it still not worth shipping?

Also, if I were to ship, I’m wondering whether the speedometer would be an issue. It only has MPH on the analogue speedometer, but can display KPH on the digital display. Does that mean it’s ok to take from UK to Oz without modification or would the analogue dial need replacing?

Thanks!

 

 

[DrDougster]

On 24/09/2020 at 09:32, Iron Chef said:

Yes you can now import anything older than 25 years (so 1995 or earlier). 

Very interesting. And, great information. I'm missing my 1997 S1 Lotus Elise. Is the age based on the first registration date or the year of manufacture? That is to say, can it arrive here in Jan 2022 or mid year?

Roughly what would the cost be? Soton-Brisbane?

[Iron Chef]

1.  

16 hours ago, PingPom said:

 

Thinking the UK sale price is going to be more like £19-20k. Is it still not worth shipping?

Also, if I were to ship, I’m wondering whether the speedometer would be an issue. It only has MPH on the analogue speedometer, but can display KPH on the digital display. Does that mean it’s ok to take from UK to Oz without modification or would the analogue dial need replacing?

Thanks!

 

 

Well obviously the lower the UK sale cost, the more attractive shipping gets.

If your vehicle has mph AND km/h displayed (which is every European car for the last fair while), that is fine for registration in Australia. It's only a problem if your car has no km/h speedometer reading.

15 hours ago, DrDougster said:

Very interesting. And, great information. I'm missing my 1997 S1 Lotus Elise. Is the age based on the first registration date or the year of manufacture? That is to say, can it arrive here in Jan 2022 or mid year?

Roughly what would the cost be? Soton-Brisbane?

Yes keep it until 2022. It has to be over 25 years old, down to the build month, so if it's February 1997 build, we'd need to apply in late Feb 2022. Feel free to email us for a breakdown of costs.

Edited October 21, 2020 by Iron Chef
Typo

[Tommy G]

Hi iron chef

I've a 2019 Hyundai tucson with 8000kl.

Its 1.6 diesel ,Air  con ,top spec,ect

Am.moving over in about 8 months ,is this worth bringing over and what's the cost to import it ,

Thanks in advance 

Tom

[Iron Chef]

On 28/11/2020 at 09:43, Tommy G said:

Hi iron chef

I've a 2019 Hyundai tucson with 8000kl.

Its 1.6 diesel ,Air  con ,top spec,ect

Am.moving over in about 8 months ,is this worth bringing over and what's the cost to import it ,

Thanks in advance 

Tom

Hi Tom and welcome to PIO!

Being a 1.6 diesel counts against it in Australia in this instance, because in Australia we only got a 2.0 litre diesel and petrol variants, limiting its appeal (and therefore resale value). I'd say sell it in the UK before you come over. All the best with the move.

[Oz2UK]

On 01/02/2012 at 15:06, Iron Chef said:

Ok I've been having a tinker with this for a little while and think I've got it pretty close. I've developed an Excel spreadsheet that provides an estimate of whether or not your car is

Category A: definitely worth bringing, you'll do nicely out of it when the time comes to sell

Category B: only worth bringing if you love the car and/or plan to keep it for a while

Category not worth the aggro, you're better off selling it in the UK

 

*Disclaimers* - the estimates are based on the following:

1) using our most complete 'A Package' service at AUD990 (it's set up for our customers, obviously!)

2) using RORO shipping from Southampton (does not include transport to get your car to the port)

3) the current GBP/AUD exchange rate

4) an estimated Australian Customs value calculated for your specific vehicle

5) includes customs duty, GST and LCT where necessary

6) a set figure for customs clearance (which I've deliberately set higher than what they normally come in at)

7) includes the cost of Australian Customs valuation and transport to the workshop once cleared

includes allowance for the minor modifications needed before registration

9) includes road registration and stamp duty costs (for a "no surprises" all inclusive cost estimate)

 

As you can see, I've tried to be as upfront about the costs of getting the vehicle to Australia, and I have actually over-allowed on what many bills come in at. There are a heap of variables in here and each car is different, so don't be disheartened if you get a category C - the calculator isn't meant to be the ultimate authority, but it will give you a fair guide.

 

What I need from you:

- year of manufacture

- make, model & variant

- body type (coupe, convertible, etc)

- engine size & fuel type

- transmission

- drive type (4WD, front wheel drive, etc)

- mileage

- any special features, options or modification

- does it have aircon

- realistic current UK market value

- Australian RedBook value (www.redbook.com.au - click through to the page with 'Private Price Guide', 'Trade In Price Guide' and 'Price When New' listed, then tell us the 'Private Price Guide' range)

- Australian market value (http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/search.aspx - search for the closest matching vehicle)

- which Australian state/city

 

Please note when you are searching that most Vauxhall, Opel and some Chevrolet models will be badged as Holden in Australia.

 

Let's test it out :biggrin:

 

**Please note, our responses will normally be just an A, B or C. If you want a full breakdown of costs, you'll need to email us via our website***

 

Hello from Oz! Have you a calculator for the reverse conversion - that is, to help value up bringing cars into UK from Aus?

[Gothnet]

Hi there,

My car is now ooold, and the resale value practically nonexistent in the UK, but as used cars don't seem to devalue in quite the same way over there as they do here, I was wondering whether it was worth it. Car details -

2008

BMW 125i SE convertible (E88)

3 litre petrol

Automatic (with manual mode if wanted)

Rear wheel drive

100k miles on the clock

aircon

UK market value is very little, £1.8k-£3k depending on who you ask

Redbook says - $10,900 - $13,300 (with 120,000 - 220,000 average Km)

The closest one I can find on carsales.com.au is $13,000, though that's with 20k less on the clock. Prices vary from 12-15.5k for that model and that year, with varying mileage. None are in WA though

The car will be going from Southampton, UK to Perth, WA

I'm not expecting to make a huge profit on it, just wondering if it's worth taking it along as it's not going to make much selling here.

 

[Iron Chef]

On 05/12/2020 at 08:49, Oz2UK said:

Hello from Oz! Have you a calculator for the reverse conversion - that is, to help value up bringing cars into UK from Aus?

Feel free to email me, we can run the numbers for you. I should be able to cobble a suitable calculator together

 

On 07/12/2020 at 23:43, Gothnet said:

Hi there,

My car is now ooold, and the resale value practically nonexistent in the UK, but as used cars don't seem to devalue in quite the same way over there as they do here, I was wondering whether it was worth it. Car details -

2008

BMW 125i SE convertible (E88)

3 litre petrol

Automatic (with manual mode if wanted)

Rear wheel drive

100k miles on the clock

aircon

UK market value is very little, £1.8k-£3k depending on who you ask

Redbook says - $10,900 - $13,300 (with 120,000 - 220,000 average Km)

The closest one I can find on carsales.com.au is $13,000, though that's with 20k less on the clock. Prices vary from 12-15.5k for that model and that year, with varying mileage. None are in WA though

The car will be going from Southampton, UK to Perth, WA

I'm not expecting to make a huge profit on it, just wondering if it's worth taking it along as it's not going to make much selling here.

 

Yes that's worth bringing over. Convertibles are far more desirable in Australia than the UK obviously!

[Comlay90]

Hi, 

I think I already know the answer but I am still eager to hear your input as I am being indecisive about it....

- year of manufacture 1994

- make, model & variant Mazda Mx-5 mk1 (Orginally Jap import Eunos S-special)

- body type (coupe, convertible, etc) 2 Seat Convertible

- engine size & fuel type 1.8 Petrol

- transmission 5sp Manual

- drive type (4WD, front wheel drive, etc) RWD

- mileage 190,000kms

- any special features, options or modification Hard top, JDM rarity/oem features

- does it have aircon Yes, although never actually worked

- realistic current UK market value £2000-2500

- Australian RedBook value $5700-8000

- which Australian state/city Melbourne

- Australian market value (http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/search.aspx - search for the closest matching vehicle) Approx $13000-17000

[Iron Chef]

On 01/02/2021 at 10:22, Comlay90 said:

Hi, 

I think I already know the answer but I am still eager to hear your input as I am being indecisive about it....

- year of manufacture 1994

- make, model & variant Mazda Mx-5 mk1 (Orginally Jap import Eunos S-special)

- body type (coupe, convertible, etc) 2 Seat Convertible

- engine size & fuel type 1.8 Petrol

- transmission 5sp Manual

- drive type (4WD, front wheel drive, etc) RWD

- mileage 190,000kms

- any special features, options or modification Hard top, JDM rarity/oem features

- does it have aircon Yes, although never actually worked

- realistic current UK market value £2000-2500

- Australian RedBook value $5700-8000

- which Australian state/city Melbourne

- Australian market value (http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/search.aspx - search for the closest matching vehicle) Approx $13000-17000

Welcome to PIO!

My apologies for the slow reply. Bring it over if you love it, the Redbook value is not really reflective of the market at the moment. Good NA8CEs are going much higher than that mark. It's worth noting we can also import them direct out of Japan these days - worth noting if you like MX-5s but aren't fussed on keeping the particular one you have.