Uk car - Page 2

I really don't understand the logic in this. In Spain you drive on the RHS of the road and therefore require a LH drive vehicle. Apart from the extreme cost in getting your existing car legal, you'll always be putting yourself at some risk by sitting on the wrong side of the car!

The logic behind it is that cars are a lot more expensive in Spain and are not up to the same condition/quality as UK vehicles normally are. Therefore it is sometimes more cost effective in importing one. Do not forget that there are a lot of LHD vehicles available in the UK that can brought over.

I agree, cars are expensive in Spain, particularly if you want an automatic. Buying LH drive in the UK is a good option, but watch the cost of replacing headlights which could be £1000 each, and as someone pointed out, import duty. To me, the figures don't stack up.

Most headlights can be adjusted without the need for replacement. Mine could not so it cost me £350 for replacement (second hand). All in all my own vehicle with taxes etc still worked out €2000 cheaper than to buy the equivalent here.

It all depends on which car you have or want, they are all different and costs vary considerably. You obviously sorted yours to suit your requirements, but at the end of the day a RH drive car will always be a RH drive car. If you are resident in a country where they drive on the right, it simply makes no sense to me to retain a RH drive car.

Noting other responses - if you bring your car over as part of your one-off move to live in Spain, you are not required to pay import duty or IVA, provided you've owned the car for more than 1 year in the UK and don't sell it within a year of moving to Spain.

When we moved over permanently September 2020 we brought our UK car with us with a view to keeping it and getting it registered onto Spanish plates.

In the end we decided it was just not worth it as it was going to cost about €1200 plus the cost of getting the headlamps changed - the car was realistically only worth about €3500 euros and was 11 years old. Much as we loved our Alfa Romeo, we ended up selling it for cash and bought a new car here.

You need to weigh up how much the car is worth (value and to you), how long you will keep it (consider resale value).