Buying a car in Poland or Germany?

Hey guys I am studying in Poland and I am looking to buy a car. It will be a 2000-2003 audi or bmw diesel (2.5 tdi v6 or 330d). But anyway, should I go to Germany to buy the car and bring it back to Poland or should I find one already in Poland from Germany? If I go to Germany I will have to register the car back in Poland and pay alot of taxes... Not sure where to buy. Are there dealers who import cars? My location is just south of Krakow in Nowy Sacz.

Thanks for the help

I think you answered your question partially already. Not to pay excise tax (you'll pay over 18% of the car value in case of the cars you mentioned) and deal with a lot of other formalities (how well do you know Polish, it will be completly necessary) it's much better to buy a car in Poland. And you'll save much time too. There is a lot of cars imported and waiting already in Poland, so going abroad yourself seems only for people who have enough time, know German (to negotiate and do formalities and temp. insurance etc.) and Polish (to pay VAT, excise, getting Polish tech. inspection and other formalities before registering the car...) and want to go through the struggle. On the other side many cars in Poland (in Germany sometimes too) have a decreased mileage counter.

I speak good Polish. Have been checking on Allegro. So should I just look for cars at dealerships rather than privatley owned?

I'd say it's the same (dealer or direct, private owner). What matters most is if that's the cr you want, in the condition worth the price, that's all.

Half of the cars are already brought to Poland so if you browse on the web the ones that are around you then you might save time, effort and travel to Germany. If you don't find anything locally, then consider a broader circle or going abroad, this is how I did it. Oh, and some dealers accept orders for cars.

Merged: Best (low costs, replacement parts, etc.) used car to buy in Poland (Katowice). Or maybe in Germany?

Hey guys,

I've been living in Katowice for 3 months and I think is time for me to buy a used car.

I always been a fan of Renault but several people told me that those cars are not the best for this kind of weather... so they recommend me these brands:

- BMW
- Audi
- Opel
- Volvo
- Seat

Please could you tell me your opinion based on:

- Maintenance costs
- Repair costs
- Availability for replacement parts
- Insurance
- Weather

Also it would be better yo buy it in Germany?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Cheers.

You should buy a Maluch

We had a UAZ....but we just bought a JEEP......aircon is useful right now.......and the 4x4 is a must......but this is the Podkarpacie.

So you should know in case BMW, Audi you will be automatically connected with mob, mob soldiers, thugs, morons etc ;)


Our God is VW. Skoda and Ford as well. Tons of them is going to the soil on scrapyards.

I don't see anything wrong with having a Renault in Katowice.
Many German cars are RWD, which makes them more difficult to control on snow and slippery roads. Most (if all) Renaults are FWD.
Also, you must expect maintenance cost to be lower for a Renault than for Audis, BMWs and similar brands.
What's your budget? What sort of car are you after (small one or big one)?

Agree. Also (in some cases) Opel. Look around and see what people are driving. The more common the better because it means there are more mechanics capable of servicing the brand and more resources for spare parts.

Audi A4 for fuel cost and speed, Subaru Outback/Legacy for comfort, 4WD and reliability.

Hi guys, thanks for your answers.


I was looking for a VW Passat, Skoda Octavia or Volvo S6o from 2007 to 2010


My budget is around 28k PLN, looking for a sedan.

Also, I have been told that buying used cars here is a bit tricky, must be careful with painting, rust, crashed & fixed cars, butcher mechanics and so on. Do you know any trusted dealer or maybe some more advice?

Thank you very much to all :)

regards

Merged: Buying a used car suggestions

I wanted to know what brands are popular (spare parts easily found) , i think Opel and Skoda are the best choices , but what about brands like renault , Ford, VW , Fiat and Volvo ?

You can't go wrong with the above.
Volvo parts might be a bit more expensive.
If you can though, look into leasing a car.

Opel - then have it given the look-see at Opel Pomoc service in Katowice, Dáb, and tell them Dougpol sent you.
Sorted.

trick question - get an Alfa Romeo!! :) the 159 is stunningly sexy car and fairly good on gas if you get a diesel.

that said I've owned 2 BMWs and a Renault in the last year in Poland and I have been pleased with all of them :)

Had two Clios for the woman. One blew up and the other wouldn't start in the cold. Absolute gash. Avoid. The OP asked about popular value cars in Poland. Can't go wrong with Opel - a bit boring of course but if it's VFM and reliability you want then they fit the bill (if made in, and driven in Germany.....but that goes without saying - avoid the Polish built rubbish)

Agreed. They're absolutely no-drama cars.

and how much should we spend for a used SUV (4X4) - 5 yrs old ? Which brand and model is the best to be used in Katowice ?

In the difficult, challenging and entirely urban environment of Katowice, anything with wheels will work.

As a matter of fact Delph, their roads are now far superior to anything here in the Tri-City. Just saying :)

So that SUV is absolutely vital then, isn't it? :D

(don't mention Trójmiasto, that S6 bypass is horrific)

My missus just inherited the Renault Thalia I used for a few years, and with which I had no problems. It's a 1.4 l four-door with an enormous boot (I got seven tyres in it once), and apart from being the most boring car I've ever had, is very reliable. In winter I leave home at sparrowfart, and the Thalia never let me down. No lock-freezing, either.

Agree with Roger on Renault Thalia. Sadly for those west of the Oder River Thalia was not available on their posh markets, but Thalia is essentially a Clio in the saloon (sedan) version... I own a 2006 petrol with LPG and the smaller 1.2L engine (actually it is 1149cc)... I must say this car is a steal for city driving and if you look at the listings you could find many sell offers still from first owners... Also, it seems popular with the older emeryci crowd who tend to not abuse and take reasonable care of their cars... it is not a bad city car, I would much rather drive it than say a Fiat Panda or similar puny, the suspension is comfortable enough as one would expect from the French... The bad part is being a budget car put together in Turkey the fitting of the door is just awful - just look at the gap between the door where it meets the roof. The biggest design faults are the lack of a secure drink holder and the noise from the windows at speeds >90km/h... this also applies to Clio of same generation, the problem being the door window glass not being flush enough with the surrounding frame... The only issues I have had so far were a random battery drain (fixed) and not very durable wheel bearings - I had already replaced the rear one after only 80k (but paid 100pln including labour) and now start to hear a familiar noise from the front... I am not too worried tough as the parts are dirt cheap (Renault in general), the insurance is dirt cheap, and it is also dirt cheap to run with the LPG conversion... and it starts on contact, has air con, huge boot space for size, steering wheel radio controls, 4 doors, ABS, superb breaks, is light and easy to drive in city, also quite narrow... and here's the best part: being apparently one of the ugliest cars ever sold, you need not worry too much about it being stolen or other as I imagine it is top of the obciach list for the karki and other szpanery... ;-)

Forgot to add one other advantage is the raised ground clearance - for that reason it is great for the dirt roads outside of the city...

Merged:

Buying a USED CAR

Hi,
I am looking forward to buy a second hand car. What is the best place to buy? Poland or Germany? How much different does it make?

Any recommendations like place or agent?

Are there any import taxes if I buy from Germany or outside Poland?
Where can I register the car?

Thank you.

I'd probably opt for Germany based upon what I've been told.

You register the car at your local wydzial komunikacji. If you import from abroad you will need to pay an import tax depending on the engine size and I think more recently, age. There is a process which has been discussed elsewhere on thsi forum. People say cars are better in Germany but the reality is that you won't be able to buy a good car in Germany, or anywhere else for that matter, for peanuts. You can find cars in Germany that are cheaper than their equivalents in Poland, but they will have been prepared for sale. Nobody will sell you a good car on the cheap, that's the truth. As long as you are prepared to pay for it, you can buy a quality car in Poland that won't let you down. You can of course buy the same abroad, just be prepared to pay for it.

Some years ago the Polish transport minister said that the cause of quite a few road deaths was down to imported German cars that had been in an accident and repaired. After an accident the structural integrity of a car can be compromised, making it more likely that a subsequent crash will cause the car to disintegrate. Caveat emptor.

To the trained eye, or the reasonably suspicious buyer, there are plenty of signs of welding etc. Impossible to cover up. Things on cars older than 6/7 years, such as resealing, new trim, any variation in colour and so on, are obviously clear giveaways. But you know that.

As to second hand cars sold in Poland, I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.They have been beaten to death on Polish roads... And, as I suggested before, you will get a better car at a better price from a richer country. But that's just common sense, stemming from the economic reality in that country. Mr Schmitt in Bonn wants that old car shifted from his front yard, and 1000 Euros will do just fine. Mr Kowalski in Katowice thinks the same car is worth 8,000 ZL. That's my over-simplistic observation anyway. Mr Kowalski wants to make money on his car, while Mr Schmitt wants to clear his front driveway for the next car.

Poles tend to believe something has irrational value, ergo they try to sell high.

Never ceases to amaze me, something I have got used to, I agree never buy a second hand car in Poland.