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Cheapest country in Europe for a new car - costablancabloke
A simple question with probably a complicated (and differing) answer.
When i say new car i do really mean new to me. I am not ruling out brand new, but why pay new prices when you can get a further 20-40% off on a year old car?
I am also looking for a LHD as i live in Spain, where the dealers won't do you a deal & used car prices are huge for one who is used to the UK second hand car market.
Cheers all.
Cheapest country in Europe for a new car - DavidHM
Horrid question.

Do you speak a language other than English?

Spain is not a bad place to buy a car and if you can get 20-40% off then by all means get a used car there. However, as a hangover from the strong pound in the past but primarily as a result of the fleet market, cars depreciate faster in the UK than just about anywhere else.

It depends as well on what you're looking to buy; for instance, French cars are more expensive than most in France and cheaper than average in Germany or the UK.

Your best bet may be to find a car broker in France, which will import from all over the EU and let you drive across the border - although I am surprised (not speaking Spanish) that there are no import brokers in Spain.
Cheapest country in Europe for a new car - costablancabloke
Horrid question.

I know. That's why i asked at Honest John, i respect the answers
Spain is not a bad place to buy a car and
if you can get 20-40% off then by all means get
a used car there.

No i can't get any money off, that is why i asked. A year old car in Spain and your lucky to save 2000? on new.
Your best bet may be to find a car broker in
France, which will import from all over the EU and let
you drive across the border - although I am surprised (not
speaking Spanish) that there are no import brokers in Spain.

Now this is an idea. From France may be better than from Spain (got to watch importation tax). The Spanish brokers i have tried "only" save me 4-6000? on a new car and about the same on "occasion" (used) cars.
www.supermotor.com/panel/
Cheapest country in Europe for a new car - Hugo {P}
If you want a run of the mill LHD car and are not fussy about exactly what you get, then I would have though that the UK or Eire are the best bet.

LHD cars are less desireable and therefore much cheaper, unless it's something special such as a Ferarri or similar.

If you want a specific vehicle then you could still strike lucky by placing a wanted ad in auto trader near a contact in the UK, who would be prepared to look one out for you.

H
Cheapest country in Europe for a new car - DavidHM
New LHD cars are worth less here than right hand drive cars, for obvious reasons, but have you seen the prices specialist LHD dealers charge? There are exceptions, for things like Beetles and Smarts, imported LHD in relatively large numbers, but in general there's not actually much of an LHD saving, even though the pool of buyers is much smaller. That said, there's no harm in sticking LHD into an AutoTrader search to see what comes up.
Cheapest country in Europe for a new car - DavidHM
1994 Laguna - to you, Sir, £3k!

www.cheshamlhdcentre.co.uk/1994_LAGUNA_L101HYN_LHD...m

Still worth a look though in case they have some better deals.
Cheapest country in Europe for a new car - costablancabloke
Maybe i am expecting too much, but £3000 for LHD 10yo Laguna from the UK? Expensive isn't it?
Cheapest country in Europe for a new car - Big Bad Dave
I?m having the same problem in Poland as Costablancabloke. They won?t let me register my ageing RHD Peugeot 605 here so I?m looking for something similar. I?m absolutely shocked by the prices of second hand cars compared to the UK. To replace like for like will cost me 3-4k and mine is only worth 600 quid in the UK. It?s the same with all the cars I like. Prices for ten year old Audi A8 start at 8k compared with 4k in the UK. Same with the Peugeot 406, same with Scorpios and Omegas. Auto boxes are almost impossible to come by and the roads are so bad here anyway, that most cars have spent their entire lives having 7 bells knocked out of them. And there is such a limited choice too. Forget old Lexus and Jaguars. I?ve tried that LHD place mentioned earlier in the thread and no, it?s not cheap by any means which is probably why they always have the same stock for months on end. And beware, if you take it abroad you may have to change headlamps back to continental ones. In the Polish version of Auto Trader they have the same Breaking/Salvage section that we have, and I?ve seen twisted burnt-out shells going for 6000zl (about 1000 pounds). It?s a joke that just isn?t funny.

I?ve tried all the neighbouring countries too and it?s a similar story. The cheapest place to buy a used car is the UK. Next time you complain about rip-off Britain, just think about the massive choice of 3 or 4 year old saloons going for 3-4k. It?s bargain city.

Hope you get what you want Costablancabloke, but I think I?m gonna be roughing it in a Trabant.
Cheapest country in Europe for a new car - AN Other
I can't imagine why you'd use a specialist LHD dealer in the UK. LHD cars are worth less here than RHD ones, and the dealer will be charging a premium because what he has is "special".

Try a search on Autotrader, using the keyword "lhd". How about:

2000 RENAULT CLIO RXE, V reg.
70000 miles, LHD, top of the range, 1.9 diesel, reg December2000(V), pearlescent blue, twin airbags, PAS, ABS, central locking, tinted glass, CD/radio, fogs, Taxed, MOT, very clean,. £3,500 . ono

or

2000 MERCEDES-BENZ A CLASS A140 Classic 5dr ACS Hatchback
38000 miles,Red , first use in 1999,ABS,lhd, Anti theft system,GSM HANDS FREE PHONE,REMOTE CENTRAL LOCKING,6 CD MULTI EXCHANGE, Central locking, airbag, Electric windows. very save petro.mot until next year,tax very good value for money!no offer!absolutly no dealer calling please !. 38000 miles. £3900

or

2001 FORD FOCUS 1.8 TDi Finesse Estate LHDManual 5 speed, Diesel, 44,000 miles, Panther black met. Lefthand Drive, 1 owner direct from company, Full service history, PAS, ABS, 4xairbags, Air conditioning, Electric windows, Electric mirrors, Remote alarm, Central locking, Stereo, Computer, Heated seats, Heated screen, Rear Headrestraints, Roof rails, Alloy wheels. etc, first class throughout. Price inc UK registration. Completed Spainsh registration cost option available. Vehicle on offer in UK (shipping available) please call or go to www.oakleaf.net for more details. £8,295

Just a thought... Alternatively, If you fancied an Audi TT or similar sports "thing", there are loads of LHD ones here which sell for well under what an equivalent RHD would make.
Cheapest country in Europe for a new car - malteser
The main problem importing cars into Spain is the eyewatering cost to transfer to Spanish plates. This, for instance on a Ford Cougar, (belonging to a friend) cost 1800 Euros. There is some sort of value related tax to pay and the paperwork is daunting. You need a specialist"Gestor" to handle it really..
What a lot of expats do is to buy a cheepo UK shed, drive it into and around Spain and if stopped for a document check just let it be impounded by the rozzers.
There are hundreds of UK cars, still,(illegally) on UK plates and mostly nasty rust buckets, around where I live.
Spanish new car dealers will almost never give a discount from list and there are very few used car lots as one finds in the UK. The best bet, IMHO is an ex daily rental car. Many operators retail their ex hire fleet.One thing to note is that the first ITV (MOT) is due two years from new on the rental cars, compared with four years from new on privately owned motors.
--
Roger. (Costa del Sol, España)
Cheapest country in Europe for a new car - keith40

On average if you do it yourself it's cost £1000 to transfer any car others than high end big cc cars. About £1800 if you get a firm to do this.

You have to pay tax on what the government value your car at plus you maye require new front and rear light unit big tip make sure your car has two reverse light and two fog lights on the rear and you will not have to replace your rear light clusters. Manufactures that offer head lights with auto beam direction will present you having to buy new head light cluster or manufactures who have switches to take from right to left.

Other wise it new head light units for the car if your luck you can get a set from a Spanish scrap yard.plenty of them. You have to have the same tyre brands and tread pattern across axel no mixing in spain and if your tyres are over 5 years old it will fail the homologation test. Tyres are much cheaper in spain.

Tracing and balancing also have to be spot on as this is and ITV fail

Spanish road tax varies from proven experience to province my car was first tax in Valencia community when I tax it in Murcia it was 60 euro cheaper each country of Spain has its own tax rules

Cheapest country in Europe for a new car - barney100
Talking to a Belgian guy who asked why we buy cars there...he reckoned Luxembourg was the no !...check it out.
Cheapest country in Europe for a new car - colinh
"Spanish new car dealers will almost never give a discount from list"

Suggest you go to HJ/Directories/Useful Websites, and then go to:

www.km77.com/precios/ofertasmes/texto.asp

Lists available discounts for various makes. Just had a quote for a Golf, with 1100 euros discount and 650 euros "free" extras (about 6.5%). This was an opening quote, hadn't got to "best price" - this in a new car market that grew 17% last year
Cheapest country in Europe for a new car - montpellier
www.carimpex.fr/index.php

Try these chaps based in Carcassone,France. They source all over Europe and charge 2% commission. Buyer must arange for transport of car to home and pay tax in delivery country. Basically, you drive around a while with foriegn plates before registering car. You have 2 weeks to pay VAT in France. eg Volvo V70 D5 with 8.000 Euro saving compared to french price which is still 10% less than UK....etc.
Cheapest country in Europe for a new car - colinh

Plenty of discounts on new cars in Spain - as long as you take out finance - for example, from Kia's own website:

cee'd 1.4.petrol - €12,992 including discount of €6,607 - subject a minimum amount of € 9,000 through the Flexible Range Finance campaign for a minimum period of 48 months and with a minimum stay of 36 months

If you mention cash here the dealers tend to lose interest (literally)

www.kia.com/es/modelos/nuevoceed/configurador/#

Cheapest country in Europe for a new car - expat

Twelve years since this thread was started and now it has risen from the dead! Is this a record?