Buying used MB in Germany or elsewhere in Europe?
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Buying used MB in Germany or elsewhere in Europe?
I am going to be in Europe for 3 mos with my family next Winter and also need to buy a new car soon (thinking the ML350).
So I'm thinking I should just sell my car here before I leave and save a little bit of money on parking & insurance for 3mos (and depreciation) and buy a car as soon as I get to Europe and save money on renting a car while there.
I was thinking about European Delivery but if you lease then they only let you drive the car in Europe for one month (unless I go w/ my own leasing company, but then I may not get as good a deal).
The other option is to just buy a new ML350 there or even just a used one (2012). But there are several questions:
1. Are they generally cheaper there than here?
2. Will the warranty be valid here in the US even if I bought it there (Germany)?
3. Are the import taxes significant if it's just a personal vehicle?
4. Will the car being German-spec cause problems in the US when going in for repair/service?
5. Can I get it financed if I buy it there even though I'm a US citizen and not a German (or any European) citizen? ...which means either a US bank would have to finance an international car purchase or there will have to be a special bank in Germany that finances car purchases by Americans.
I'm thinking the price advantage is not going to be more than $5k or so on a used one (or even new) and that $5k will quickly go away with import taxes and shipping fees, or at least be significantly reduced....not to mention what crazy fees I may have to pay to a bank to make an international car purchase like this.
If any of you can provide any input I would certainly appreciate it!
So I'm thinking I should just sell my car here before I leave and save a little bit of money on parking & insurance for 3mos (and depreciation) and buy a car as soon as I get to Europe and save money on renting a car while there.
I was thinking about European Delivery but if you lease then they only let you drive the car in Europe for one month (unless I go w/ my own leasing company, but then I may not get as good a deal).
The other option is to just buy a new ML350 there or even just a used one (2012). But there are several questions:
1. Are they generally cheaper there than here?
2. Will the warranty be valid here in the US even if I bought it there (Germany)?
3. Are the import taxes significant if it's just a personal vehicle?
4. Will the car being German-spec cause problems in the US when going in for repair/service?
5. Can I get it financed if I buy it there even though I'm a US citizen and not a German (or any European) citizen? ...which means either a US bank would have to finance an international car purchase or there will have to be a special bank in Germany that finances car purchases by Americans.
I'm thinking the price advantage is not going to be more than $5k or so on a used one (or even new) and that $5k will quickly go away with import taxes and shipping fees, or at least be significantly reduced....not to mention what crazy fees I may have to pay to a bank to make an international car purchase like this.
If any of you can provide any input I would certainly appreciate it!
Last edited by logitech; Jul 27, 2013 at 07:58 PM.
