Hi James,

Actually, the Lexus IS should be holding on to its value a little better now, as interest in hybrids rises and people start to move away from diesel. Traditionally, Irish buyers have only treated Lexus as a bit of a side-show to the Big Three German brands, in the luxury car market, but I suspect that’s going to change quite significantly over the next few years. You are right, though — values of used cars have taken a big hit in recent months, as the flood of UK imports drives down residual values. I wouldn’t think that more cars will be available at any one time of the year — the second hand market in Ireland stays fairly constant throughout the year, unlike the peaks and troughs oft he new car market, so I think you’d be best off simply buying when you’re ready to, as the difference in value and availability won’t be massive.