Hey Paul, we get 25KM/liter on average

4.25 KM/liter, YIKERS

My first car back in the U.S.A. when I was in high school was a 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle like the one seen at www.nationalshowcars.com/ShowGallery/id34.asp (mine was blue with black stripes) and I think I got even less than that

Ok, ok! I was "Sewing my Wild Oats" back then, it was not the most practical car

Saludos,
jer...

I think you are still "sowing" your wild oats, Jer("sewing" them would require a needle and thread!) That car of your youth was sooooo you!

This is mostly for mermaid, and to comment on what Jer said about gas prices.
Yes, gas prices in Spain (and most of europe) is well, OUCH!
So, something I didn't know until I started discussing the car issue with my boyfriend.

Go Disel! Its cheaper, MUCH easier to find in Europe as its VERY common place, its actually CLEANER than gasoline (europe has made a lot mor progress than the US has in this area to make Diesel fuel more eco-friendly) you get more for the kilometer/mile and not like before, the diesel engine in europe does not make the noise it used to! That was a major deterrant.. and a big reason so many people went gas if they could, but its no longer true. My cousin bought an Audi A3, its diesel and not at all like what you used to get for a diesel

Just an option... and some food for thought!

Hey espe3, your boyfriend is part correct but whether or not one chooses diesel depends on the milage (kilometraje) they do.

You see, while diesel is cheaper to buy and goes farther, the engine itself is more expensive to buy and repairs on a diesel engine are much more expensive than on a gasoline burning one (although they do last longer in general)

They recommend that if you are going to do at least 18,000 miles/year (or the equivalent here in KM anyway), that you go diesel (hence most, trucks, industrial vehicles, motor homes, etc... are diesel).

Ena and I went with gasoline since we do not do that much driving.

I know the Audi A3, nice car but your friend probably should have gone for gasoline since diesel autos accelerate slower than gas ones and the A3 is realy meant to be a sporty one.

Basically, if you do a lot of miles (KM), diesel is better but if not, go with gas.

You are right, Europe is light years ahead in diesel technology than the U.S., especially as it applies to passenger cars.

When we test-drove out new car before buying it, we tested a diesel model (the only one they had as a showroom model) and it was just as silent as the gasoline one

Saludos,
jer...

quote:

originally posted by jer:
[qb]
I know the Audi A3, nice car but your friend probably should have gone for gasoline since diesel autos accelerate slower than gas ones and the A3 is realy meant to be a sporty one.

[/qb]

The VW group with the TDI line has gone a long way with diesel. A 1.9 TDI engine has good acceleration (of course a 150hp TDI compared to a 150hp gasoline....).

Anyone know where are VW 0km stands? I'm in the market for a golf IV if cheap enough.

Charles

We rented a diesel-powered VW in Spain this past March and was impressed with its power and acceleration, especially in comparison to the VW diesels my parents bought in Germany in 1979. If I could get one like the one we rented in March, I would seriously consider buying it.

Hello,

I am looking for some advice on bringing a car from US to Spain. My concern mainly deals with taxes. I have searched through a bunch of threads on multimadrid and throughout the web but I am finding contradicting info...
I've been trying to contact the Spanish consulate but they seem to operate for about 5 minutes a day and in the end turned out they knew nothing.

I know that cars in Spain are very expensive now, probably one of the most expensive in EU, while the dollar is hitting the new lows. I compared the prices in Segundamano and the price difference is staggering, while the shipping cost is only about $2K. I have an EU passport and will be moving to Spain from US permanently in the fall.

Does anyone know if I would have to pay IVA and import duty?

I know there are some requirements for owning a car for at least 6 months before bringing it into Spain but that concerns cars from within the EU, so its a different matter.

I would really appreciate your opinions and responses!

Thank you!
Ola

Where they get you is with the "impuesto de matriculaci�n". Which I believe is 13%.

I brought my motorcylce form the US a couple of years back, and its not too complicated of a process, well OK it is, but at the current exchange rate it is definitely worth it if you have a decent car. The problem I see is rather with getting certified to drive in Spain. If your car is also sold here, you will have to replace lights to be the exact color than the ones here, and more crap like that. A friend of mine ended up spending 2K on fitting an Audi A4 beyond the taxes he needed to pay...

hey Ola.

i know people who have done this and they had similar (and some even worse) experiences to those described by Fabrizio above.

i would say that as a general rule, bring a car from the u.s. to spain only if it has serious sentimantal value (or if someone else is paying for the shipping/taxes/adaptation).

saludos,
jer...

Cheap Spanish cars can be found HERE as well as Segundo Mano.

It is where I found and bought mine... and I have had no probs with it, except for the usual scratch marks, bumper dents, key scrapes etc when you park it on Madrid's streets. Spaniards really don't give a **** about their cars! (or anyone elses for that matter).

Hey jer just to clarify things:

1. Importing a car isn't impossible or even close from it.
2. With the current exchange rate its not a bad idea to do so, if the car is expensive. if it isn't, then obviously the money saved on the actual car value, won't be enough to justify all the expenses and frustrations of having to import a car.

never said it was impossible, just that the people i know who did it all said they would not have done it if they had to choose all over again.

maybe the crap dollar of today is more of an incentive but i would go with what Mark says and buy one here unless it has sentimental value.

saludos,
jer...

Thank you for all your replies and advice.

What other taxes are imposed besides "impuesto de matriculaci�n"?

Just to clarify - I wasn't really looking into bringing a car to drive around Madrid... I was looking into bringing a ~3 year old BMW 325 or 330Ci Cabrio and pretty much selling it soon after. Here in Cali, those type of cars are around $30-32K (in very good condition) while on Segundamano those cars appear to be sold for 44,000 Eur. You have to admit that the difference is tempting...

Sorry for the double post but in the meantime I found some more info on the subject (if anyone is interested).

After calling multiple Spanish consulates I finally spoke to their financial officer. She was really nice and provided me with the info below.

So... if you have been staying in US for over 12 months and owned a car for at least 6 months you can transport it and be excluded from paying taxes and registration fees. Of course you have to prove all these conditions. You also have to prove that you paid a sales tax. Which means that if you got a second hand car, you will not be able to prove that and you will have to pay 16% IVA... So... considering all the other hastles you listed me thinks its not worth it

So just keep in mind you need to show you've owned it for 6 months.

The money difference you are seeing is exactly right. I just sold a Mac on eBay, here in Spain, it went for 820 euros. In US I checked it sells for $500, so with the price gap, and used car markets you definitely have a revenue opportunity.

Just a warning though, both cars you mentioned are sold here, so you may need to make sure meets Spanish specs (right color of red, turnsignals) and this will also cost money.