Jamp

Hi Everyone

I'm starting work at ASML in Veldhoven in January. The recruitment agency is arranging accomodation for me at first so I don't need to worry about that, but I'm not sure about a car.

If I do decide I need a car and the company aren't providing one (or will only provide something dull), how will I get on with insurance on a car I buy myself? I'm 22 and have 3 years no-claims-bonus and a perfect history in the UK, and will be keeping my UK car insured in the UK (might bring it over to NL eventually - but it would be a pain when I come 'home' not to have a car).

From the brief look I've had on autotrader.nl cars seem very expensive to buy over there, even compared to the UK - is that the case? I quite fancy a Mazda 323 1.8 GT (1999ish) which I could get for under 3000GBP, and insure for around 500GBP per year here in the UK. Could I manage that in NL?

Cheers,

Ben

furkew

Hi there Ben,

cars in Holland used to be cheap to export, but in recent years, the tax has driven prices above the UK market prices.

If you look here : http://www.autotrader.nl/CARS/search/search-page.jsp

its a Dutch car site, but I'm sure you will get the general idea. 323 for €4000/€5000 year 98-00

This link is a search for a mazda 323 for between €4000 & 5000 from 98-2000

130 cars. Looks like no real problem. Bringing a UK car over can lead to problems that you eventually need to license the car in Holland, and a right hand drive full time in Holland is not ideal. They drive like italians but the roads are narrower & more crowded !!

Insurance i'm not too sure, but I don't think its too bad here. Car tax can be a little more expensive than the UK, and petrol is definitelty about 10% dearer than the UK at the moment.

Hope this helps a bit.


Paul.

radicalbyte

I've been living in Netherlands for 6 months now, and have had a car for 4 months.

Here are the main points.

Market

For now, the market is inflated. This is due to tax on new cars. The tax is applied to imports when the car is registered by stealth - it's charged as a registration fee. This is to stop you importing a car from Germany for 30% less.

VWs are extremely common, they're the equivelent of Fords in the UK. They can be bought for prices similar to the UK market (coz they're overprice in UK).

Tax

Road tax is much higher than England. It's banded, based on weight and fuel.

Petrol has the cheapest tax cost. Approx 70 EUR / quarter.

Diesel costs are high. I pay 200 EUR / quarter for my VW Estate. It's 150 / quarter if you drive a Clio diesel, >250 if you drive a Volvo.

Insurance

Works differently than the UK. The insurance is based on a vehicle, not the drive. They also accept far longer no-claims bonuses than I was in UK - up to 7 years (compared to 5 years in the UK).

Unfortunately, it is not cheap. In my situation, I went from paying £250/year to EUR1200/year for fully comp insurance. My car here is bigger and I do twice the distance but I still find that crazy. Especially as my car here is a slow diesel, whereas in England it was a nippy little petrol.

Fuel cost

Petrol is expensive. Like 1.43 EUR / litre.

Diesel is cheap. Cost 0.965 EUR / litre for my last tank.

Conclusion

If you do the milage, buy a diesel. Rule of thumb is that if you drive > 20k km per year you're best with a diesel.

As for the models, smaller are much cheaper to drive and VWs are the easiest to find and also maintain. Personally I drive a Polo Estate (basically a low-spec Passat Estate), the milage is very good (19km/litre) and it's spacious. Plus, being a diesel, it suits my travel pattern perfectly.

Toontje

Actually, it's also based on which province you live in, although the differences between the various provinces are marginal. You can use this website to calculate how much you will have to pay for your car if you know its weight.

Soort voertuig: choose "personenauto".
Provincie: choose "Noord-Brabant" (assuming you will be living in or around Eindhoven.
Brandstof: choose your fuel (benzine=petrol)
Gewicht: choose the weight of your car.

Per kwartaal = per quart (3 months)
Per jaar = per year.

Insurance in the Netherlands is based on several factors. Try to make an estimate of how much you will be driving each year: less than 15.000 km, 15.000-22.000 km or more than 22.000 km. I'm not fully sure about these numbers but they will come close to reality. The more you drive the more you will pay. Also, premiums are based on the value of the car, and usually not on the type ie. a VW Golf GTI isn't necessarily much more expensive than a standard VW Golf.

Insurance is also dependant on where you live, but you won't have much choice in that and the differences aren't very big.

You can ask any insurance broker ("verzekeringsagent" or "assurantiekantoor") to provide you with car insurance. Most will speak english. Bring your no-claim statement from your current insurer, it might be recognised! Often, female drivers pay less in premium than male drivers. Ask your dutch broker! If possible, register your car in your wife's name if it's applicable.

Finally, you will have a few choices on how to insure your car: WA ("wettelijke aansprakelijkheid") means that you're only insured for damaged to other parties, NOT for any damage to your own car. WA-Extra will provide you with some extra coverage ie. windshield damage. All-risk (the most expensive, not worth its money for cars older than 5 years) provides you with full coverage for other and third party damages and damage to your own vehicle.

Additional options include: Ongevallen/Inzittenden which covers medical costs for passengers in your car, and Rechtsbijstandsverzekering which covers legal aid and costs in case you need them.