BearX220

I did the Volvo European Delivery program a few years ago. It's pretty typical.

Advantages:

** Car is built to your order, so you can specify anything you want. (We wanted to delete the sunroof which is difficult to do off the lot but easy here.) It is a US-spec car obviously.

** Car is sold below MSRP. I think ours was about $3k below. Good if you are buying a sought-after car, not a big deal if it's routinely discounted.

** Free RT plane tickets to Europe. Volvo gives two now.

** Car is shipped home for free. When you are done driving it around Europe you either take it back to the factory or drop it at one of dozens of ship points (for a small added fee). It then arrives at your hometown dealer 6 to 8 weeks later.

Disadvantages:

** You pay for everything before you leave for Europe. (Local dealer acts as agent for the manufacturer, which is who you're actually buying it from.) If you're trading, you turn in your trade before you leave as well... you are then stuck for a ride between when you get home and when your car arrives. Also, if there's a dispute about the car (wrong options, defects, etc.) the maker has the upper hand, 'cos they already have your money.

** You have to buy compulsory road insurance for driving in Europe which is pricey.

** With Volvo at least you have to get your own export license to remove the car from Sweden, which means filling out many non-English forms.

** You have to register the car yourself and pay state sales taxes when it arrives Stateside... Euro-delivery is not a way to dodge state sales taxes.

Bottom line: modest savings, good fun, goofy pleasure at seeing your Autobahn ride turn up again in your own driveway. Smart if you were already planning a Euro-vacation; marginal deal otherwise.

USAFAN

Exactly!

Question from GVIC:
My answer:
Actually, pseudoswede's posting with the links was great and helpful ... :-:

pdhenry

Don't forget that you can leave the European front plate on the car (if your state uses a rear plate only) thereby increasing the Cool Factor on your new ride.

Gardyloo

Haven't come across similar forums for other makes (BTW Porsche also offers ED) but you might want to visit the boards at edmunds.com here or Bimmerfest here to see how BMW ED buyers negotiate things. Basically BMW (and I bet the others) have separate ED dealer invoices that are less than the US dealer invoice that you'd use in negotiating the best deal. Many folks doing ED on BMWs have been able to end up paying around $1000 or so over ED dealer invoice, which represents upwards of 8-9% off the MSRP, more on higher end models. Remember too you're not having to pay for a rental car in Europe (have you priced them lately - yikes) and you'll be in a nicer ride while you're there then you could ever afford renting. That plus free tickets and wow. Plus for the moment Volvo has a deal where they will zero out the cost of premium packages on some models, or throw in business class air if you buy a package tour featuring a Formula 1 race on the continent someplace... shoot, what's not to like?

MisterNice

There is no doubt in my mind the autos are designed for, can, will and do do that. I too have driven at that speed in europe but not in a brand new auto. I have reservations about driving MY BRAND NEW AUTO at those speeds and conditions without a break-in period of some type. My 2004 Lexus booklet sez it has no break-in period but avoid long periods of same speeds (high or low), hard acceleration, etc for the first 1000 mi.

MisterNice

smorris76

Actually the biggest thing is getting the car to meet US crash test requirements and that is virtually impossible. Your chances of buying any European model car and getting into this country for good are next to none without spending thousands upon thousands of dollars for custom bumpers and body work. You can get an exemption to have a car brought into the country for 6 months, but after that it must go.

andrzej

Final thoughts on this issue:

New car - European factory delivery - Smooth, no problems, each has a lttle different program, but all are very easily done.

New or used car/purchased by YOU in Europe - few extra steps, still no big deal. There are multiple agencies that will take care of all the required steps. Economical - NO!!!!!, but if you want that special car that you can't get here? very easily done.


As far as driving your car wide open on the autobahn?

A friend took me along for his ED of a Porsche. We did the factory tour, he was assigned a personal technician for the delivery, etc.

The technician told my friend to drive the car around the general area for the first 150-200 miles and bring it back. He also told him to open it for few minutes here and there. We came back with about 300 miles, the factory checked out the engine, did an analysis of the oil, and my friend was given a green light to go ahead and open the baby up. We sure dd.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

Daydream

I thought about taking my Volkswagen Sharan with me when I moved last august to the US. Point was that we had an extra car in Germany, I needed one in the US and we figured that selling it wont bring much (either that or the other car) but it is an amazing nice, great gas milage, comfortable, pampered car.

Anyway, it would have cost me about 5k including shipping, plus even I capitulated first with the paperwork (and I am usually pretty good at it). Plus, you do need about a week in your port of entry if you do it yourself, or you pay another ~1k to the shipping company.

If US soldiers go back with their old cars, Uncle Sam pays all of this. Friends of mine moved last year from Germany to Florida, and they took 3 cars back with them. They even do not have to follow the whole emission thing!!

Should you decide to do it anyway without the pick-up program offered, only do it thru a good import company, or you wont be happy.