Left Hand Drive Cars - Easy to manage?

connundrum

Hey,

Found an amazing deal on carzone, only problem is that it's a left hand drive. As someone who has never driven a lhd I must admit that I would be ****tin it whilst taking it for the test drive.. is it easy to adjust? I really would buy the car now but this is the only thing stopping me :mad:

colm_mcm

I find changing gears hard on LHD, but youll get the hang of it. It'd want to be very cheap to justify it TBH, overtaking a nightmare

Ernie Ball

IMO you'd be mad to buy a LHD car to drive in Ireland. Issues:

1) Your insurance will be higher;

2) They are much more dangerous: think what's involved in overtaking, for example;

3) They are a PITA: are you going to get out of the car at every toll booth and car park?

ambro25

The following considering that I've been through the reverse (LHD > RHD) and driven LHD in the UK for several years (and still drive LHD regularly when I visit family in France) -

Fair point about tolls and automated car park.

Bad point about overtaking: only two possibilities (i) either (and this is the preferred option) it will actually make you a much safer driver, forcing you to anticipate a lot more than you otherwise would in a RHD and only allowing to overtake in clearly safe conditions or (ii) it will make you a much slower driver (well, in the sense that you'll just stick behind the slowest car in the queue)... which is no bad thing in itself either.

As for the gears, if you are a right-handed person, it will become extremely easy (natural, one would say) in a matter of days. The reverse transition for a right-handed person (shifting with left hand instead of right when going LHD > RHD) is much harder - the one thing to look out for is for you to make sure that you do not 'drift' whilst changing gears (i.e. unconsciously turn the wheel to the right with your left hand while busy checking what you're doing with your right hand).

The one important thing to watch out for with LHD on RHD roads is turning at T-type junctions, wherein the layout of the car lends itself to you turning onto the wrong side of the road (i.e. taking a right turn and driving on the right lane instead of the left lane). But you'll get used to it in a jitty.

Dunno about insurance. It didn't cost me anymore to insure mine in the UK back then (I'm assuming that insurers factored a lower car price to insure for a LHD car).

shoegirl

Tolls and car parks would drive me mad, but it might be difficult to sell on in a few years time.
On the other hand, if its very cheap you'll probably get used to it.

peasant

I regularly switch between LHD and RHD. After a while you get used to both and there is no great difference in operating the car.

Having said that, my LHD vehicles all were campers. So no real need for a lot of overtaking, sitting high up with a good view and not likely to go past pay booths too often.

If you can live with the drawbacks ..go for it.

But do bring someone else along to the test drive to help you over the initial adjustments by watching out for you so that you stay on the correct side of the road / lane /etc

cargrouch

ambro25 wrote:

Dunno about insurance. It didn't cost me anymore to insure mine in the UK back then (I'm assuming that insurers factored a lower car price to insure for a LHD car).

Key point there is "in the UK"! In Ireland a number of the insurerers prefer not to insure LHD. The terms you have to accept on their online quote pages ususally state this, but you may be able to get a quote if you ring them?

connundrum

To be fair, I would be saving about €2k on a normally priced €6k car so it would be well worth it.. or would it

I forgot about small things like toll booths, but I'm kinda used to getting out with money as the window on my present car is jammed

I suppose anything takes a bit of getting used to at first, I just wanted to gauge the reaction to the idea of buying a LHD here.. it seems 60% negative

michaelanthony

Insurance should only be E150 extra

galwaytt

last time I checked, insurance was 30% more, for a period of 2 years iirc.........

After that, though, the only other problem you'll have is..........selling it. Car would want to be 1/2 the price, not just 2k off................

And, driving in the UK in a LHD car bears absolutely no comparison with here. It's a reasonable proposition in the UK, but here, poor driving standards, poor sight lines etc on anything other than a dual carraigeway means it is a nightmare here.

Hadn't thought about the car-parks - that's a good one !!

el tel

Another great thing about LHD cars is that you can scare the bejesus out of your front seat passengers, especially those who are non-drivers!

cargrouch

Or duck down every now and then and freak other drivers out!

And sure you'll save a packet on tax if it's got polish etc plates on it;) Just tint out the windows and drive like you're the only one on the road.;)

Anan1

What car is it, and how much are you saving? I've had two long-term LHD cars in this country, but both were quick, relatively small hatches, easy to lean across at toll booths & accelerative enough to hang back further when overtaking. I don't really mind it, but it's never going to be a selling point.

JoeySully

Dont DO IT!!!
pain int the a*se

crosstownk

I remember having my RHD Bora in Germany a few times. Car parks a pain in the ar$e. I had to get out of the car and walk around to the machine to insert the ticket. It's OK if you always have a passenger on board. I remember the look on other drivers faces as I drove on B roads while my wife was fast asleep with her head back. Hilarious.

connundrum

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=455754

Its a fully loaded Ford Puma, with literally fook all miles on it. The same car RHD is going for between €6-€7k and this LHD is goin for €4k.

So basically I'd always have to have someone in the passenger seat with me.. and that should sort me out?

crosstownk

connundrum wrote:

So basically I'd always have to have someone in the passenger seat with me.. and that should sort me out?

Either that or a well trained dog!!

connundrum

crosstownk wrote:

Either that or a well trained dog!!

LMAO

Bark!
Whats that boy? Is it a truck or a bicycle you see?
Bark Bark!
Oh cool, I do love cyclists... OOHHH SHIIITT!!

Anan1

crosstownk wrote:

I remember having my RHD Bora in Germany a few times. Car parks a pain in the ar$e. I had to get out of the car and walk around to the machine to insert the ticket.

At the end of the day, it probably comes down to how flexible the OP is.;)

conor_mc

connundrum wrote:

LMAO

Bark!
Whats that boy? Is it a truck or a bicycle you see?
Bark Bark!
Oh cool, I do love cyclists... OOHHH SHIIITT!!

BTW, get yourself an eazypass and the toll booth problem is solved. Now just those pesky car-parks to worry about!!!

ianobrien

My solution for the Car Parks in a LHD car is to carry a BBQ tongs in the car. I did in when when driving a RHD car in France and it worked!

I know it sounds silly but try it and see!