I came to madrid with my car and I want to tell you NOT TO LEAVE ANY ITEMS IN YOUR CAR. I got my window broken and they literally took everything in it even a very heavy box with books... It was my stupidity to leave stuff inside my car so be aware.
Yvan
Posts: 17 | Location: Paris | Registered: 27 August 2002
Hi Yvan -- Sorry to hear about your troubles, but coming from a big city like Paris, I am surprised that you didn�t know any better!!
It�s surprising what people will find worth stealing. I have a 10+ year old Fiat Uno. It shakes, rattles and rolls. As rinky tinky as it is, it�s the perfect car to drive in Madrid since I am not afraid of it getting scratched or dented (I really don�t care), and most newer cars "avoid" my junker. However, I was dismayed one day to find that the lock on the door had been jimmied and the thieves stole an atlas of the autonomous community of Madrid. Believe me, there was absolutely NOTHING in site in the car. They had to break in and open the glove compartment.
So folks, beware, no one is immune to this type of petty crime. DO NOT leave your car radios or ANYTHING (loose change, etc) in site. That�s the best that you can do to protect yourself. And if you are going to lock something in your trunk, do it away from the area where you will eventually park your car.
Our crappola car is just on its last leg and we are going to have to pump a load of cahs into it in November to pass the ITV (Inspecci�n T�cnica de Veheculos), Technical Inspection and keep it on the road so ena and I just ordered a brand spankin new Citr�en C3 ( see it at www.citroen.es/gama/ga_c3home.asp )
Getting the "lucifer red" with beige interior...
Yikes! Before ya know it I will be getting married and buying an apartment
MY QUESTION TO THOSE OF YOU STATESIDE IS... DO THEY SELL THIS CAR IN THE U.S.A.???
I have seen one or two Citroens in the NY metropolitan area, but they are scarce as frog's hair.
While on this subject, when I move, I will sell my truck and purchase a car when I get to Madrid. Are car prices there the same as they are here? Are there car dealerships there like we have here? I don't recall seeing any.
Yes, there are car dealers here just as there are back home.
You probably did nto see any when you were here because you were not really looking out for them. Besides, they are never in the center of the city. Most of them are on the access roads leading into Madrid and other cities.
I would say that most cars cost pretty much the same here as they do back in the U.S.A.
Since I posted the question, I looked up car prices on the El Corte Ingles website, (yes, you can buy coches there, too!), and have found some nice cars for pretty decent prices. Looks doable, almost!
Everything has a caveat, however, and I also found out something else at the same time: The job I applied for has been FILLED! Back to the drawing board. *sigh*
Hey Mermaid, wow, I learn something new every day from my board members I had no idea about that car sales section at http://coches.elcorteingles.es .
You may already know this but El Corte Ingl�s is on average about 30% more expensive than most stores for consumer goods so buying a car through them is probably BAD idea
I looked up my Citr�en C3 with them out of curiosity and it is about 1,500 Euros more than I paid
Sorry to hear about the job but keep on truckin' and keep that chin up!
These will give you the current prices, options, etc of all cars available in Spain. You can build up the spec of your ideal car and print out a detailed quote. They also have links to dealers for each make.
It is worth checking out the "0 Km" cars, cars that have not been used, just left in a depot for a few years. Might be an old model and is priced accordingly but the car is new. Most dealers sell off their ex-demo cars at low prices but they sell quickly, usually to friends and family.
Posts: 46 | Location: Madrid Spain | Registered: 05 September 2002
At one point in the 60�s and maybe early 70's their was a Citroen exported to USA. You can see some in american movies like in Scarface 1981 movie when they Tony Monatana is following a diplomat close to the UN in NYC to kill him.
Thanks yvan, I remember that scene. Being an American I did not recognize that car as a Citr�en for I had not seen one but I now remember seeing Scarface here on TV (in Spanish it was called "El Poder del Dinero") with my girlfriend Ena and she saw it and excitedly yelled... "Un Citr�en, un Citr�en"
Beeyooteefoool! Felicidades, Jer and Ena! By the way, I just read that one of Queen Victoria's granddaughters was named Ena(just Ena, not short for anything?) and married Alfonso XIII. She was a carrier for hemophilia, and the only one of their kids who turned out OK was Don Juan de Borbon, the present king's father! Bizarre(nothing to do with your car, but great trivia)
Pack light, sleep cheap, eat well.
Posts: 479 | Location: ROCKFORD,MI, USA | Registered: 23 May 2001
Shouldn�t really be posting here, as it does say cars in madrid!!! But you were talking about fuel being soooo expensive compared to the USA. So..... Just for the Brits on this board ...... price of fuel is half the price in Spain than it is in the UK!!! And the prices of cars are so low in Spain compared to UK.
Love the piccy of the new car jer!!!
________________________________________ Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional
Jer, Beautiful car! What fuel economy does your it get? (I almost said "gas mileage" but that wouldn't apply, of course.) I remember that the car we rented to drive from Santiago de Compostela to Bilbao got incredible fuel economy.
I have a 1988 Mazda that gets a pretty respectable (for the U.S.) 15km/l , which I drive to work and most everywhere else. Also, I have a 1968 Ford 3/4 Ton 4x4 pickup that gets a shocking 4.25km/l (See our Rat Dog standing in the bed.).
I drive the Ford only about 200 km a year, mostly to the DIY center or gravel yard because I own a home that I bought as a fixer-upper....I'd never think of it as a work commit vehicle, because in addition to sending me to the poorhouse, it would be incredibly wasteful.!
Speaking of high fuel consumption...I saw quite a few SUVs in Spain last year. Is this yet another bad American habit that is catching on in Europe?
"An honest man is always a child" - Socrates ...no wonder I'm so immature!
- rent or buy a cell phone from me for your stay in spain, more info at 
- already have a cell phone, get a spanish SIM card for it at 
You may already know this but El Corte Ingl�s is on average about 30% more expensive than most stores for consumer goods so buying a car through them is probably BAD idea ![[Embarassed]](redface.gif)
