LHD cars - whats the catch?

[Ray Singh]

Looking at a car for the daily grind. Seen one that is LHD and is ultra cheap - I would estimate £5k under what it would be if it was RHD.

What is the catch? Is insurance seriously expensive on a LHD car? Would this be easy to drive on a mainly motorway commute?

[Ray Singh]

Looking at it again - i think its a scam.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

I hope that this link works?

[5charlie46]

normally in the UK LHD cars command a premium as people use them for holiday homes aboard but dont want to pay euro prices or for towing/behind campers... so i wouldnt actively look for a LHD car unless it was required

[Drclarke]

Ray Singh said:

Looking at it again - i think its a scam.

[url]http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201051375965260/sort/priceasc/usedcars/body-type/estate/fuel-type/diesel/maximum-mileage/up_to_80000_miles/make/audi/
radius/1501/postcode/gu140ng/page/1?logcode=p[/url]


I hope that this link works?

Good grief

Are you being serious that you 'think' its a scam?

[John D.]

5charlie46 said:

normally in the UK LHD cars command a premium as people use them for holiday homes aboard but dont want to pay euro prices or for towing/behind campers... so i wouldnt actively look for a LHD car unless it was required

Really? Not the impression I got on certain models.

Surely they are just as likely to be worth less in the uk due to being a pain in the arse when you go to a car park or want to overtake.

[TheStoat]

There's a lot of bks talked about driving a left hooker. Here are my thoughts:

• Car parks, tolls, car washes - your passenger does the necessary or you walk around the car. It's not epic is it?
• Overtaking - just hang back like you were taught and nose out to the right to check before you commit. Common sense really
• Driving on the wrong side - took me a couple of months to get to the point of unconscious competence in road positioning and gear changes. 60 days to reach the point of total comfort

That's it really. Price will depend upon model of car although more mundane LHD cars should cost less than the RHD equivalent due to reduced appeal in the UK. Buy one if it comes up at the right price or you intend spending a *lot* of time on the continent. Not mandatory for continental travel if we're honest though...

Edited by TheStoat on Saturday 25th December 00:56

[frosted]

Lhd cars are about 10% more than rhd. For example if you had lhd Mondeo that here it's worth 2k , take to Europe and you can sell it for double that . There's an exception to this rule of course and that is American cars , they are st in Europe also and people don't really buy those

[Camaro91]

LHD is a piece of cake, so you sit a few feet over to the other side... big deal :P
The main problem I had was oblique junctions and roundabouts, you may find yourself using a rear side window to look out of, on my Camaro it had a big glass rear lid so I just looked out of that.
Overtaking, you just have to hang left a little and get a good view of the road first.
American cars aren't useless in Europe, most people have seen too many 70s films of Crown Vics and Cadillacs wallowing around and assume all American cars are 70 foot long land yachts that simply won't fit on our quaint little cobbled streets. Makes you wonder how people with 4x4s or Transit vans cope eh?

[randomman]

First off the ad is not real.

Secondly I'd recommend trying a LHD before you buy, it will take getting used to and I'm sure many have... But equally I bet many have hated it and gone back to RHD. Not that you'd find many that admit it on a car forum!

[aw51 121565]

LHD in the UK is, errm, interesting. Soon get used to it - overtaking needs planning, and trying to pass buses parked at bus stops in town is impossible - so just chill out and wait for the bus to go! As someone else mentioned above, regular "lifesavers" through the offside and rear windows are essential. Great fun (really, it is ).

I'd consider I am competent at piloting a LHD car around - a friend would say the same about his own LHD driving abilities. But when passengering each other (therefore sat where a driver would be in a RHD car) we always comment that the driver could do with being a few feet further over in the lane we are travelling in ...

[matt21]

13 digit phone number is telling!

[Festive Ferg]

I've got a LHD Type 2 VW.
Makes overtaking slightly difficult.











No, wait, that's the 1641cc engine, not the side the steering wheel is on....

Edited by Festive Ferg on Sunday 26th December 10:20

[Engineer1]

Think, does your daily commute take you through any barriers that need the driver to interact with them? Saving a few quid is fine but if you end up struggling with your works carpark or end up having to get out every day then you may regret it.

[Alicatt1]

I have a LHD Range Rover Sport TDV8 from new, I got it because I spend more time out of the UK than in it. It dosn't take long to acclimatize to driving LHD and overtaking is as stated previously, hang back and plan ahead. If the vehicle is 3years old or older then make sure the headlights are UK dip pattern otherwise it could fail the MOT.

[marcosgt]

There might be exceptions, but usually LHD cars are cheap in the UK because no-one wants them.

If you buy one, you'll find no-one wants them and it'll be hard to sell.

That said, if you don't care (or believe all this nonsense about the European market crying out for LHD cars from the UK - Hint, they already have a ready supply...) then driving on the wrong side isn't hard.

Admittedly I did it the other way (you'll spend a few weeks grappling with the door pull when emergency braking I suspect, but that's about it) but all the advice about hanging back and learning to look up the inside of vehicles is good.

However, toll booths, car parks, etc ARE a pain - I can't believe anyone ALWAYS drives with a passenger, so there will be times where you need to hop out and run around to get the ticket or pay the man, but that's hardly the end of the world and some great cars just don't come in RHD (and most American ones too...).

M.

[busta]

The catch is, the steering wheel is on the left (incorrect) side.

Imagine your right shoe on your left foot and you're sort of getting the idea.

[Hugo a Gogo]

as some have said, even very ordinary LHD cars are NOT cheaper

UK RHD cars are far cheaper than mainland european LHD cars, and there are plenty of canny Poles etc in Britain who would snap up any LHD bargains and take them home for a fast profit if they were cheap

show me a cheap LHD car and I'll buy it tomorrow

Edited by Hugo a Gogo on Sunday 26th December 16:58

[5paul5]

Dont bother