Importing a car

[sansnom]

Fella's

I'll shortly be moving back to UK (London) and am really attached to FX35 2008. I'm seriously considering importing it.

I'm concerned though that with it being 15/20 MPG it might just be too uneconomical for the UK.

a) Would this be considered, as an average, too uneconomical? Is there a sort of sweet-spot MPG which is considered to be about right for city dwelling? Bear in mind that I would be using the Tube for the weekdays to get to work, so would really only likely use it at night to go out or on the weekends.

b) If it is considered uneconomical, would something like an LPG conversion make sense?

c) Any idea what might be involved in importing the car? Costs / Conversions / Taxes / Special Insurance or otherwise?

d) What happens if I need to service it / repair it or replace parts?

For reference this is the vehicle I'm referring to

 

[miniyazz]

a) no-one apart from hippies and the driver care about the fuel economy, it's your decision whether it's too uneconomical for you or not..

b) possibly, will use up some of your boot space and probably take 15-20k miles to break even depending on fuel economy

Also note that if you're using US mpgs you'll be getting fewer than UK mpgs.

c) no idea

d) take it to a Nissan dealer and hope

 

[[TW]Fox]

Importing a car from the US will be a total PITA and then you end up with the steering wheel on the wrong side anyway.

Fortunately you can actually buy an FX here, so just do that. I've no idea why you would want to, they are dire, but if you really want one they are around:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...ue/page/1/make/infiniti/radius/1500?logcode=p

They are officially sold here from a small number of Infiniti dealers. I think the nearest to London is in Reading.

 

[sansnom]

a) no-one apart from hippies and the driver care about the fuel economy, it's your decision whether it's too uneconomical for you or not..

Appreciate that, I just meant is there a consensus that something sub x MPG might just be astronomically expensive to own nowadays?

Also note that if you're using US mpgs you'll be getting fewer than UK mpgs.

Good point, I completely forgot US gallons are different. I think the quoted 15/20 MPG is probably based on US gallons.

d) take it to a Nissan dealer and hope

hah, yea that would be first port of call. But I'm hoping perhaps any garage would be able to do minor/major services but would they be able to source and replace parts for a car which was never released in the UK?

 

[sansnom]

Importing a car from the US will be a total PITA and then you end up with the steering wheel on the wrong side anyway.

Fortunately you can actually buy an FX here, so just do that. I've no idea why you would want to, they are dire, but if you really want one they are around:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...ue/page/1/make/infiniti/radius/1500?logcode=p

They are officially sold here from a small number of Infiniti dealers. I think the nearest to London is in Reading.

Thanks fox, it's actually the pre-2009 models that I'm in love with which was never released here. I'm just trying to determine if I can actually afford to have it and keep it here.

 

[mjt]

I suspect it will be much more trouble than it's worth.
You might not have to pay any import fees if it's coming with your stuff in the container.

 

[sovietspybob]

As you can buy them in the UK it'll be next to worthless after you import it surely? Who would want one with the steering wheel on the wrong side of something when it was also sold in the UK with right hand drive?

Also with 2nd hand car prices generally being much higher in the US it'd make sense to sell it over there and buy something better here as importing is generally quite an expensive thing to do with a lot of hassle.

 

[Jez]

The economy isnt an issue, plenty of people here drive cars with similar gas mileage to that. (I do for example).

Servicing and maintenance, we have infinity dealers here including one in central london.

Tax will be fine, we dont have high vehicle taxes here. Insurance might be a little strange if the insurers cant find the model, but there are loads of specialists around who will insure it.

I wouldnt worry about it if you really want to bring it.

 

[[TW]Fox]

I would be more worried about the fact it's really not that great and you could instead just buy something better here and sell it before you move.

 

[Jez]

Added to that its LHD which will just be a pain, especially in London where he will likely need to use carparks with barriers.

 

[geekman]

I would be more worried about the fact it's really not that great and you could instead just buy something better here and sell it before you move.

Quite a few people have told me they're actually very good - out of interest what don't you like about them?

 

[tek2k]

As you can buy them in the UK it'll be next to worthless after you import it surely? Who would want one with the steering wheel on the wrong side of something when it was also sold in the UK with right hand drive?

Because it wasn't sold in the UK as a RHD as OP said twice already.

Infiniti only came to our shores in 2009, there is no 2008 and lower models in the UK which happens to be the model he is interested in.

 

[slick rick]

Seem's like a lot of trouble for a rebadged LHD Nissan, if it was a '69 Camaro SS or the like it would certainly be worth while.

 

[tek2k]

I would be more worried about the fact it's really not that great and you could instead just buy something better here and sell it before you move.

I'd have to disagree with you there Fox. If you believe the drivel that testers say then yes it's a mediocre car.

If you own one yourself and have owned cars such as Touareg, Cayenne, Q5 or X5 (all of which I have owned) it's easy to compare and see why it trumps them in overall price/value. Just my opinion of course.

 

[[TW]Fox]

I think we have been here before, if I remember correctly you liked the G37 whereas I found it very disappointing after putting a few k on one a few years back. So much so I actively avoid them on rental lots now. The inside of an FX, especially a 6 year old one, is much the same.

 

[lemonade]

So it's rubbish because you didn't like the interior? Great bit of logic there!

 

[[TW]Fox]

No, there is far more too it than that but I didn't want to go wildly off topic that's all.