Whats It Worth? : Smart Roadster-Coupe Brabus

DanGlee

Hi,

First post here on Boards...

I have a question regarding my car.

I drive a Smart Roadster-Coupe Brabus (no comments please!) and its a lovely car, goes like the clappers and its fully loaded with F1 paddles, push button start, Brabus tuned, Brabus kit, inc 17" wheels, etc, its lovely convertable... unfortunately (oops, sorry... FORTUNATELY) the missus is up the duff and there no room for mother and baby as its only a 2 seater.

I'm looking to sell it, but not sure what its worth. Its got english reg still and from my looking around they are going for €18k with Irish plates and €16k with UK Plates. But its hard to know as there are no Brabus around anywhere. Just the normal gik models with no extra's and a lot slower as they not tuned by Brabus. And they are selling for around €14k. So I am assuming its well into the €16k+ range, its 2005 and only 29,000 miles on it, FSH, all that good stuff.

Any ideas or thoughts on this and if anybody wants to buy it...

Thanks,
DG.

DanGlee

Bump...

draycottgirlz

hey Dan,
firstly congrats!
Secondly NO ONE is buying cars these days so if you don't need to sell don't otherwise be prepared to lost some €'s. As if you really need to sell yours will need to be at the lower scale of things...

DanGlee

Thanks.

Yeah, I know, it sa bad time for needing to change cars... And to be honest, I would prefer to keep it... she's my (current) baby, I love it, but unfortunately the hormonal other half (I say that because I've lsot all arguments over it) says it has to go!

I suppose, I could part-ex it with a garage and take a bit of a hit... because if nobody is buying cars, then the garages will also want to start shifting some motors, so maybe I can get some way of a good deal out of it.

draycottgirlz

I can't decide do I like them or not but yours does look the business!
Probably cheap to vrt now too?
Could try trading it alright

DanGlee

Yeah, its only 698cc engine (Turbo) so will do about 123mph, tax is lowest (plus 4% extra now!)

VRT the last time I checked was about €2k, but I spose its 2005, so new enough. But hard to know because the on-line VRT calculator only has the standard Smart-Roadster, not this one.

Sure, if anybody has a 2005 Kia Sportage in Black I'll swap ya! I know its not the coolest car in the world and its a Kia... but it looks the biz with bull bars and side steps in black plus there room for the little one in the back... and they are going for about €14k(ish) for a 2005 model on CBG and CarZone, so hopefully do a fairly good deal with some garage!

We'll see...

Thanks.
DG.

quenching

How come its still on UK plates? Don't think you can legally sell it in Ireland before its registered here, doubt if a garage will take it either on UK plates. Nice looking car though.

Vertakill

Firstly, congrats!

Secondly, to the poster above, of course he can sell it on UK plates.. sure you don't even know the OP's circumstances - the car could be legitimately on UK plates still.. not that it would actually matter to anyone but himself and the VRO.

Anyways, that car looks absolutely sweet and I normally don't like Smart cars.
But as others have said, the market is in absolute crap now and you'd take a real hit when trying to sell it.

"What it's worth" and what you will realistically get are completely different things in this day and age unfortunately.

The UK plates is a minus point on the sale (buyers don't want any hassle whatsoever - some also have issues with 'non Irish' cars for whatever reason).
Although in saying that, if it were me, I wouldn't VRT it while trying to sell it as you could end up just forking money out for nothing if you struggle to sell it.

I can't imagine there are many of these in Ireland, especially for sale. So you never know, you may get your asking price as there's no competition.


Best of luck with it!

rebel.ranter

Vertakill wrote: »

"What it's worth"

Unfortunately only what someone is willing to pay. It looks like a nice example too. If you can trade it that will probably be your best solution if you are in a hurry. Although from what you hear garages don't want trade-ins now either!

Stick it on adverts.ie/carzone or whatever for what you think its worth (minus 10% to try actually sell try it, reduce after 3 weeks if there are no bites). In my opinion nobody will be spending money right now for toys, I hope I am proved wrong.

DanGlee

Thanks guys.

I think garages will buy it with UK plates as there are loads or garages around that have cars in their lots with yellow reg's on them.

As for driving it legally here... I've been OK so far, stopped twice, nothing said and I'm fully insured, etc, so tis OK!

Its the first I heard about garages not taking a trade in, thats a bit sucky, as I was hoping to get rid that way, its easiest and was willing to take a small hit for the convenience of trading it in without having loads of people calling me, test driving it, tyre kickin all that stuff.

Thanks for the comments, she is a lovely motor, the normal ones are pretty plain and boring, gik looking, but hte Brabus finish with the skirts, wheels and centre exhaust really make it into a different car, its defo got something appealing about it, but as RR said, there are not many people looking for buy a "toy". I think the best option is, if I'm really stuck and getting done over on the price by garages if work on the missus a little and see if I can convince her to let me keep it as a second car and buy a cheap-o 4 door for the kid. With the price of the tax, insurance and petrol on this, its not much to run it for the year, even if I used it only in the summer... But like I said, I have to convince my better half first on that one!

Sure, we'll see, 6 months before the kid arrives... maybe Ireland will jump out of the recession, the celtic tiger will live and the yuppies will come knocking on my door with wads of cash!.............(then again, maybe not!)

L1011

Vertakill wrote: »

Secondly, to the poster above, of course he can sell it on UK plates.. sure you don't even know the OP's circumstances - the car could be legitimately on UK plates still.. not that it would actually matter to anyone but himself and the VRO.

No, he can't sell it on UK plates in Ireland; wheter he has it here legitimately on them or not. Needs to be registered to sell it.

Eoin

MYOB wrote: »

No, he can't sell it on UK plates in Ireland; wheter he has it here legitimately on them or not. Needs to be registered to sell it.

Dealers have to register it before selling it, but where does it say that you can't sell it privately on UK plates? The fact it should be registered the day after landing it here isn't the point.

Zube

MYOB wrote: »

No, he can't sell it on UK plates in Ireland;

I don't know the legal theory, but as a practical matter he CAN sell it. There are a bazillion cars for sale on carzone on UK plates, and they do get sold. Try a search on keyword "VRT".

L1011

eoin_s wrote: »

Dealers have to register it before selling it, but where does it say that you can't sell it privately on UK plates? The fact it should be registered the day after landing it here isn't the point.

You've answered your own question there.

Zube - common practice and the law are different things. Legally you can't sell a non-Irish registered car here.

cormac_byrne

I think there's a very limited market in this country for a Smart Roadster Coupe.

Smart have pulled out of the Irish Market, all the Mercedez Benz dealers that were Smart dealers have dropped the marque.

MSL might still service them, (but advice from this forum and elsewhere, is to avoid them) Des Golden in Cork or Smart Belfast (Issac Agnew) are probably where you would need to go for service / parts.

You should really get a proper quote from the VRO for the VRT due.
To show a prospective purchaser and so it can be factored into the price.

Maybe there are a few people who are actively looking for a smart roadster. e.g. they've been looking in autotrader.co.uk or http://www.used.thesmart.co.uk/smart-approved-used.php and are prepared to travel to the Uk to get one. They probably already know what to expect for VRT and would be happy to take yours to save them one or more flights to view cars and a ferry trip to bring one home.

Go fishing for such interest by posting on
http://www.smartcarireland.net/notice_archive/for_sale.html
and
http://www.smartz.co.uk/index_vb.php?
try the roadster, Irish & classified ad forum sections

If you don't get a bite there, then on the likes of carzone etc... the only people likely to see your ad are those looking for a MX5 or similar and decided to search by keyword 'roadster'. The funky design and low road tax may appeal to some of these. Price it lower than an MX5 (and hope they gamble on the VRT and don't think about servicing etc...)

If you have friends or relatives in the UK you could drive it over and let them sell it through autotrader. (This avoids both the VRT and no dealer problems)

Or as you obviously like both Smart and Brabus styling, why not buy a Smart forfour Brabus from a Smart dealer and trade in the roadster (they're obviously best positioned to sell such a car) I see one for sale on the Smart-approved-used site.

Or simply buy any car in the UK and trade in your existing UK registered car
i.e. the roadster

Good Luck

FYI I've got an 05 Smart forfour (unfortunately non Brabus)

Zube

MYOB wrote: »

Zube - common practice and the law are different things. Legally you can't sell a non-Irish registered car here.

Not to be tedious, but which law exactly is being broken?

Suppose OP is legally allowed to drive here on UK plates, I think EU law means he's allowed sell anything here he can sell in the UK.

Of course, the buyer is legally required to toddle down to the VRO with his VRT next day, but that's a seperate issue.

L1011

Zube wrote: »

Not to be tedious, but which law exactly is being broken?

Finance Act, 1992. You cannot offer a vehicle for sale without it being registered in the state.

cormac_byrne

Forgot to say buy any type of car from Issac Agnew Belfast

http://www.agnewcars.com/
and trade in the roadster.

Isaac Agnew is aka http://www.smartofbelfast.co.uk/
so should be more likely to take a smart than your average dealer.

Eoin

MYOB wrote: »

You've answered your own question there.

I didn't actually as they are two different issues, and you could technically sell the car privately within the small window. Your response below however does seem to answer it, although I can't find the part where it does say that.

MYOB wrote: »

Finance Act, 1992. You cannot offer a vehicle for sale without it being registered in the state.

Zube

MYOB wrote: »

Finance Act, 1992. You cannot offer a vehicle for sale without it being registered in the state.

Unless you're a dealer with an exemption, right?

L1011

Zube wrote: »

Unless you're a dealer with an exemption, right?

To another dealer, yes. Not to Joe Public.

DanGlee

I think its all down to discretion! If a dealer wants to buy it, its their choice, but they can't legally sell it on without VRT, as I have a friend who bough a UK Audi from a Subaru dealer, but they provided the plates about a week after he bought the car.

As for personal buyers, again, if I told them the VRT is €2009 (which it roughly is) I would knock that off the selling price to start. I don't think there any point in me VRTing it now if I'm looking to sell it. VRT is ****ing criminal, its a discrace of a tax for a country thats "supposed" to be in the EU... but thats another argument, for another thread, another day

I could take it back to the UK and sell it there, but I think I will chance my arms with a dealer and see what they say, no point in speculating until I've actually spoken to one.

Oh and went to MSL, they ****e yes. Then went to Des Golden for a problem I had and he's the biz. It needs a service before I sell it, but I think any local Mercedes will do that (at a price!)

Servicing is around €300, its not cheap, but then again, it is technically a Mercedes engine, so your getting what you pay for really!

So after all the posts and comments... any takers no? :D:D

Thanks
DG.

De Hipster

I absolutely love the Brabus Smart, unfortunately not in the market just now but I'd be very interested to know what price-bracket you opt to advertise in. Good luck with the sale.

daveharnett

Does the brabus version use the same gearbox as the regular coupe?
It seems to be the only common criticism of a car i'd otherwise love to lay hands on.