Alex Hi,
Leaving the Mazda behind is probably the smartest move you could make under the circumstances.
Edit; So far as buying a car in France or Germany is concerned the same rules apply about re-registration after 182 days…it’s not just Brit reg cars!
2nd edit; check out member ‘pikey’s entry on this thread http://www.spainexpat.com/spain/forum/viewthread/1380/ to see what involved in re-registration…
As for whether you should buy second hand or lease I’m not sure because I have no experience of the leasing market out here.
If you are coming out here as an employee of a company the HR department would be able to help I would think. If however as I suspect is the case you are coming out here as a one-man band then it’s a bit more difficult!
So far as buying second hand is concerned you should be aware that the second hand market is about 50% more expensive here than in the UK, mainly because cars tend to last a lot longer due to the generally drier atmosphere. The good news is of course that you shouldn’t lose too much for further deterioration over 18 months. A reputable second hand car dealer will arrange the transfer of ownership for you as part of the deal as when he buys in a car for resale the price he pays for it includes the transfer fee and is included in the windscreen price.
Be advised that as I mentioned earlier, insurance rates are quite high but do include one thing not normally available in the UK; roadside recovery. It is illegal over here to tow someone’s car in the event of a breakdown; the job must be carried out by a specialist recovery company called a grua. Bearing in mind that when I left the UK in 2006 I was paying nearly ?140 to the RAC, to have recovery included in the insurance is a bonus!
You will need your UK drivers licence, passport and proof of your address in Spain (a padron cert. is ideal for this purpose).
Back in 2006 when we first moved here we bought a s/h year 2000 Renault Megan Scenic 1.9Dci and it cost 8K euros; at the time the exchange rate was pretty good and 8K Euros equated to about ?6K. With the crap exchange rate we are now subject to, in real terms for a Brit prices are more expensive because our spending power has been reduced.
Under the circumstances I think I’d consider something along the lines of a Renault / Dacia, possibly new. The Dacia range are Romanian built Renaults with Renault engines and transmissions. Its the same sort of idea as Skoda / VW / Seat; like Fabia = Polo = Ibiza. (Dacia Cars are not as yet available in the UK).
Try this link http://www.dacia.es/ most main Renault Agents carry the Dacia range of vehicles…The prices quoted on this site all include the discount for a 10 year old part exchange so the base price with no part ex is probably about 2K more…
Be advised that you will need to obtain an NIE certificate to buy a car in Spain but you will probably need this certificate anyway for other purposes. There is a wealth of information on obtaining this certificate on this site and other ex-pat forums. You can also find info on the padron (epadronimiento- its like the electoral role without the jury service commitment) elsewhere on this site.
I dont think there is much more I can add at this stage but please feel free to pm me if the need arises.
Hope some of this helps
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