Buying American Cars: Is It Worth It?

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Recently updated on September 22, 2023 at 02:36 am

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 With globalization and the Internet, there was also the opportunity to buy vehicles not only in this country, but all over the world. Importing from the USA is not only something for V8 fans, many special models and special equipment lines are not even offered in Europe or are significantly cheaper in the USA. A purchase is therefore not only an option for emotional reasons and for lovers, but it can also make sense from a financial point of view. Models that are also available here, on the other hand, are not worthwhile, since taxes, customs duties, transport costs, technical retrofitting and approval must be taken into account when importing.

Import American cars

But how do you actually get such a vehicle? You can easily import American cars, especially via online platforms. Many offers are listed there and you can even see the total price including import costs at USCar Trader, for example, in order to be able to compare the prices optimally. It's also good if you have personal contacts locally so that someone can look at the car before you buy it. But you can of course also combine the project with a trip to the USA and then complete the purchase in one go. A discount is often given when paying in cash.

What does an American car cost

In addition to the pure purchase price, there are a few other costs. Depending on the size, weight and type of transport, these amount to up to 10.000 euros. It is also advisable to carry out the project together with a specialized company, as every unnecessary day at the port and also errors at customs can cause additional costs.

All import costs for an American car

In addition to transporting the vehicle to the port, the loading must be paid, the sea freight itself, a transport insurance that can only be recommended, the clearance at the destination port and the preparation of the customs documentation. From these costs, including the purchase price, the customs value is calculated, of which 10% import duty must be paid. In addition, there is also the country-dependent import sales tax. After all, the vehicle has to be transported to its final destination, for which expenses are due again. Unfortunately, you are still not through, but have to have a TÜV acceptance carried out, including a possible one conversion and approval. These costs add up and make the actual purchase price skyrocket. The process is complex, but if you calculate these costs beforehand, as with the USCar Trader calculator, you can realistically assess whether an import is purely economically worthwhile.

What modes of transport are there

In order for the vehicle to even arrive in Europe, it needs safe transport across the Atlantic. Overall, you can import the car from the USA in three different ways. The classic option is the sea container. The shipping company takes over storage at the port of departure and ensures that the car is protected. The advantage of a sea container is that, in addition to the car, you can also have other pallets or vehicle parts imported, for example when moving. The second option is shipping by Roll On/Roll Of freighter. These floating parking garages can transport up to a thousand vehicles at a time, but the vehicle must be ready to drive as it must be loaded and unloaded by port staff. Transport insurance definitely makes sense here, as damage can quickly occur. If things have to go quickly, the car can also be transported by air freight. However, the costs are very high and you should only resort to this if you are under time pressure.

Conclusion

The import of American cars is generally worthwhile especially for car enthusiasts or if the car is traded commercially. If you are not particularly interested in American models and just want to save costs, then the effort involved is not worth it. Anyone who has never imported a car from the USA should seek expert support or hire a company to ensure that everything runs smoothly. It is also worth making an extensive comparison, taking into account the total costs.

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