Our move is now getting closer. We move out at the weekend and we will rent in UK for 6-8 months. I hear all the advice about buyting cars 6 months before you move.
I was thinking of going to Germany to get a LHand drive, (second hand cars supposedly pretty good there) and driving it in UK for 6 months before coming over.
Any advice or comments welcomed.

Buy one in Spain when you get here. ;-)

They are often cheaper in Germany
I got a lot of German car sites before we came over, and was going to do the same but unfortunately I wasn't thinking far enough ahead to avoid the import registration charge

I am quite open to doing that, but any particular reason? Or multiple? My reasoning is really that I speak much better German than Spanish (so far) and Mercedes offer a Europe wide guarantee

You just have to take into consideration the matriculation costs of €6 - €900 ish (into Spain) when you try to figure if you're getting a better deal there. Also I'm unaware if you can drive a German registered car in the UK for 6 months

Zel will know, if you are a German then probably yes, but going out the country to buy it and bringing it in, i dont know.
Could be an expensive mistake if it is new and you have to reg it in 3 countries.

Mitzyboy - Or anyone who knows - Am I right in thinking that if I buy the car and run it in the UK for 6 months or more then I do not have to pay the registration charge?

You do not have to pay if you re register it at the same time as you apply for residency. If not you will have to pay. In addition you have the gestors fees and ITV charges to pay.

I am beginning to like JDR's first answer a lot!

Are you thinking of new or second hand?
Mitzy, the matriculation costs on a car from Germany are way lower than for a UK RHD car.
The problem is that if buying in Germany, you need to buy from a dealer who can then arrange export plates (German reg numbers are allocated to the owner, not the vehicle, and the export plates have a time limit of something like a week). You would then have to drive the car to the UK, get it MoT'd (if needed) and then register it at the local vehicle licensing office ( about £40), get your number plates made up and that is it.
http://www.mobile.de/home/index.html is a good place to start looking.
It will be considerably cheaper than buying in Spain.

I did research it ..... I have to be honest in the end I couldn't be @rsed. But its perfectly possible if you give yourself the time. I imported a car from the Far East and bought it here eventually

Plenty of people in the UK buy their cars abroad and bring them in if the figures work out. It seemed to be becoming all the rage some time back.

But you just have to figure if you can be bothered with all the paperwork and re registrations for what you will save.

There are companies in the UK that will source vehicles for you to save you the hassle, and of course we have our own resident carmonger on here

best just go and nick one

Damn! This has promoted disharmony in the household!
SWMBO likes Betris' answer!

Hardly worth it for one car ,plus I`m pretty sure you would have to register it in the UK if you went there first,not cost effective, checkout www.autoscout24.es to see what spain has to offer,

Rgds

Rotor

manney bigglesworthstien.are you of the faith.ask the rabbie he will tell you that its proberley cheeper to buy in spain,when you take into account all the costs.time.and messing about.