How Motorly price badges work

A price badge tells you where a car’s asking price sits against similar cars for sale in Ireland right now. It is worked out the same way for every car, from a dealer or a private seller.

Which cars it is compared with

• The same make and model, advertised in Ireland in the last 14 days.
• The same kind of car: a performance version such as a Golf GTI or Golf R, a Mercedes-AMG, an Audi S or RS, a BMW M, a Ford ST or RS, a Honda Type R, a Hyundai N, a Toyota GR, a Skoda vRS, a Renault RS, a Peugeot GTi, a SEAT Cupra or a MINI John Cooper Works is compared only with the same performance version, and a standard car only with standard cars. Trim packs that look sporty, such as R-Line, AMG Line, M Sport, S line, ST-Line, GR Sport or N Line, count as standard.
• Registered within a year either side of the car.
• The car itself is never one of its comparisons, and neither are its own copies on other car sites (the same year, model and exact mileage, and the same price where the mileage is a round thousand or under 1,000 km). Any other car matched that way on several sites is counted once.
• Where at least five of those also have a similar mileage (within 40%, or failing that within 60%), only those are used. If too few do and the car’s mileage is far from theirs (at least 25,000 km and well outside their typical range), it gets no badge.
• Where at least five are from the same kind of seller (dealer or private seller), only those are used. The car page says which: similar dealer adverts, similar private adverts, or adverts from all sellers.
• Where at least five also use the same kind of fuel (petrol, diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid or electric), only those are used.
• Prices under a quarter of the group’s median asking price, such as a deposit or a monthly finance figure, are left out.

The typical price is the median asking price of those cars. Everywhere a badge appears (search results, the car’s own page) it needs at least five comparable cars, and a price within 40% of the median; anything further out is more likely a different spec or a typing error than a real bargain, so it gets no badge.

Badges only where they test accurate

We test the badge against live Irish adverts: we hide each car in turn, work out the typical price from the other cars exactly as the badge does, and measure how far that typical price is from the hidden car’s asking price. That typical gap is worked out for each car group (make, model, performance version and age) from at least 30 tested adverts. A car gets a badge only when its own price is further from the typical price than that gap, so the badge isn’t down to chance. Groups within5% can show every badge, Fair Price included; groups whose gap is above20% get none. Cars without a badge still show the price range and median. We re-test every month; last tested 1 November 2026.

What each badge means

Payment never changes a badge

Paying for a listing upgrade, a featured slot or a dealer plan never changes a car’s badge or the comparison behind it. Paid placements are labelled Sponsored.

What a badge is not

A badge compares asking prices, not sale prices, and it cannot see a car’s condition, service record or history. Use it as a starting point for your offer, then check the car itself and its history before you buy.

Browse cars with price badges or check a price yourself.