I've heard of people doing this. Is it worth it? Can you really save money or does the cost of converting the odometer (as well as various taxes and fees) cancel any $$ savings?
My son has his heart set on buying a BMW, driving it all over Germany, then bringing it home. Where does one search for any info on this?
Your local BMW dealer can set you on the right track. I used to work for a man who, every year, picked up a new Mercedes in Germany and brought it back to N. America. Be prepared for reams of paper work. Are there savings to be had? Highly doubtful but does your son care?
BMW's website - www.bmwusa.com - explains the European delivery program. The couple sitting next to me on a flight to Munich a few years ago was on their way to pick up a new BMW. They said the savings were enough to pay for their entire vacation, but not sure whether it would be the same at current exchange rates. My recollection is that they could use the car in Europe for a month or so (insurance was included), drop it off at various locations within Europe and it would be delivered to their local dealer already US legal.
Several years ago when I was in the market for a car I looked into this, because I was already planning a trip to Germany that year anyway. The European Delivery plan is arranged through your local BMW dealer. The car is made specifically for the buyer and where they live so there is no need to convert anything. One bonus to doing this is you can order the car exactly how you want it. It doesn't have to include the packages the dealers get on them. I believe they give a discount for this plan. I think it was around 7%. You get to drive the car in Europe for a designated period (2 weeks?) with the insurance included. If you want to drive it longer than the insurance covers you can buy additional insurance. The buyer then drops the car off at one of the designated locations and they ship it back to the local dealer where you made the purchase. The delivery charge is the same you would have paid to buy from the dealer in the first place. There might be a small additional charge to drop it outside of Germany. Your son can get on the BMW website and it explains all about the European Delivery plan.
Just curious, how old of a son are we talking about?
He's 21... and not yet ready for that major purchase, but he's thinking on a grand scale. Since his mother (me) is German and he's very proud of his heritage from my side of the family, owning a BMW someday has 'extra' meaning for him (especially since most of his relatives that live there have at least one BMW sitting in the garage).
My husbands father was German, and he always wanted a BMW too,, but he did not get one till he was 30, and even then it was second hand,, but goodness, that 21 yr old is very lucky,, I can not imagine having money to go to Europe for a great trip, , and buy an expensive car,, sigh.
Just wondering, are you not even a tad nervous about a young man with a car that can go that fast , driving around in a country which has no speed limits on the autobahns,,, I would be so stressed ,, you are a calmer mom then I would be..
The last straw for our dear BMW was having it just completely die as we were traveling on the interstate near our house. This happened on several occasions and each time it would have to be towed into the service bay. Driving along in the fast lane when your car just dies out from under you is not a fun thing. Finally service tech said it was "The Brain"...the small computer gizmo that controls the entire car's functions. Enormously expensive to replace. I cut my losses, bought a brain from a junker and sold the car.
Oh I don't expect he'll be buying his BMW for many years. He's just thinking ahead and I was just curious about the whole process because I've known people who say they saved money, even with the cost of transporting the car to the US. I may be actually interested in a BMW for myself..... if the price were right.
Well then Alexandra, in the interest of research, and being a helpful mom, you should definately buy one for yourself( I am sure you deserve on, all moms do after surviving the teen years) and then you can let son know if it was worth it.. LOL
If you're truly intersted in a BMW, there's no need to go to Germany. BMW sales in the U.S are awful. They are desperate to make sales and get rid of inventory.
How do I know? I drive one. I took it in for service a couple of weeks ago and the sales people were hovering around service seeing if anyone was interested in trading in. They call me asking the same question.
January is one of the worst sales months for cars. If you go in with knowledge, you can come out with a great deal--and that might even mean getting to use the car in Germany. It's a buyers market.
and, if you really want a great deal, look at what they have in certified pre-owned BMW's. Most still have warranties and they are usually in excellent shape and priced well.
Better yet, buy a Toyota Corolla and have a car for life :-) and you don't have to worry about your kid driving 140mph on the interstate. Seriously, I had a BMW and the whole experience was rather dismal. Too expensive to buy, too expsensive to service, too expsensive to insure. Other than that - no problemo...but I "looked" good! (ha)
Really, Tim? We drove our BMW for 15 years and it looked almost new when we sold it. It was an extremely reliable car. I'd buy another in a heartbeat (if I found a sweetheart deal, which I'm sure are out there). I think buying one in Germany would be a lot of fun...EXCEPT I'd be a nervous wreck over there with a brand new expensive car. I've never been to Germany, but the aggressive driving styles of the Italians, French and Spanish scare me, along with the tight parking spaces and more narrow roads. I noticed that a large percentage of cars have all kinds of scratches, dings and missing mirrors.
LOL, Tim, that sounds like my Fiero in 1982 (remember those? ha) It spent more time on the bed of a tow truck than the highway! I guess you can get a lemon with any car, but BMW is normally a very reliable car brand. We've had its cousin, the Mini Cooper since 2002 and it's been fabulous, as well.
Andrea's post gave you most of the info you need. People often report getting cars for $800-$1000 over European Delivery invoice, and that ED invoice is 7-8% below the US invoice. With the base cost of a 3-series around $40K, your savings is about $3K which pays for airfare and then some. It is important to work with a dealer that is familiar with the ED process and is recommended by others who have done it; no doubt some of those who will tell you there's no discount or benefit had worked with dealers who in turn told them that as they pocketed the several thou discount the ED delivery offered. Caveat Emptor.
You can find more info at http://www.bimmerfest.com/wiki/index.php?title=BMW_European_Delivery on the progam, and there is a BMW car site with a forum devoted to European Delivery questions at http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=25
Note that you can only buy a new car thru this program. And one other tip, since this is for a purchase in the future. If you join the BMW car club more than 1 year prior to purchasing the car, you will get a rebate from BMW of $500-$1000 depending on what car you purchase. This rebate applies to both new and certified pre-owned purchases from a dealer.
I'm not that familiar with the European Delivery Program but I'd echo Frank's suggestion to talk to a dealer here and see what deals you can get. Hubby got his dream BMW and with negotiation had 5 years of regular service thrown in - that was in addition to a few $K cash rebate.
My husband and I bought a new BMW in 2007 and did a European delivery. It was Great and I want to do it again. I own two BMW's and I have not had either of them break down on me. They do come with a full service warranty. The only thing I pay for is tire rotation. We saved enough to cover our trip for 18 days. We picked it up and dropped off in Munich. It was a blast for my husband to drive on the autobahn. We traveled to Switzerland, Austria and Germany on our trip. Your local BMW dealer can give you all the details. We bought ours from Sterling in Newport Beach. It does take some planning. We ordered it in March and picked up in Oct. It's nice to have a dream. Tell your son not to give up on his dream.
Alexandra,
Look at bmwusa.com. there is a wealth of info. on the European delivery plan.
As far as Tim's claim of too expensive, " you get what you pay for!"
In 1990 we went to Europe and while there we rented a BMW from Hertz.
My wife fell in love with the car, so on our return to Florida we purchased a 5 series BMW.
She still owns that BMW and it runs very well. She has not had any more problems that any other car that is 19 years old with over 130M miles.
Sure it may have cost more to have the car serviced at the dealer, but, it was worth it. Now all BMW's are sold in the US with the service included during the warranty period.Have fun and make up you own mind.
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I bought a Fiat Several years ago. It came with US specifications for emission controls, odometer and speedometer in miles and everything one needs to drive in this country.
I saved a lot of money at that time; I have read recently that any savings now are almost zero.
If you buy through a dealer, be sure you get all info and study it before buying. I found the experience very pleasant.
I took my car in Paris and shipped it from London to Houston. It arrived in perfect condition.
Before you go to take possession, be sure to stress with the factory the time and date you expect it to be ready.
