Re: Prices in Spain..Cheaper a Myth ??
 

Registering a NON EU car is still a very grey area in Spain, I've heard of countless people who have tried to registered their previously UK registered Jap or US import and to be turned down.

As you're probably aware cars sold originaly to the EU come with a COC (Certificate of Conformity) which is a cert to say it passes EU regulations (emissions, safety) etc.

If Spain adopts the same ruling as the UK (which even tho we're all the EU, our car reg schemes are all very much different) then if you have owned it for longer than six months (or a year) then you "should" automaticaly get your car registered no matter what country of origin the vehicle was from.

Re: Prices in Spain..Cheaper a Myth ??
 

New & used vehicles are generaly more expensive in Spain, especially when you start getting to older vehicles where you could pick one up in UK, France, Germany or a £1,000 you could be paying double that in Spain.

I've never worked out why, some people say it's because the warm climate makes the bodywork last longer, but that's just not correct with "modern" vehicles as 10 year old BMW is still going to be rott free in England as it would be in Spain nower days.

I'd imagine it's about supply and demand, perhaps because Spain is not a car crazy country such as UK, France, Germany they just have less stock.

As mentioned before the taxes involved play little part in it as normaly manufacturers lower the NET (the price without tax) to allow it to fall in line with the surrounding countries prices.

Re: Prices in Spain..Cheaper a Myth ??
 

Whereas the UK new car market has become very competitive, the Spanish one seems to have stood still quite a bit.

The result of this is that, depending on make and model, new cars can be slightly cheaper, the same, or much more expensive than in the UK.

SEAT cars are expensive in Spain, as are a lot of the Korean marcs we used to look down on in the UK such as Kia and Hyundai. You can buy the odd, unheard of in the UK make of car, in Spain but they tend to come without standard features like power steering and their extras are limited to a radio and a hot air on/off heating system.

The secondhand market in Spain is a bit of a joke when compared to the UK used cars going for 2/3 times what you'd expect to pay in the UK. For those on a shoestring budget, whereas in the UK you could pick up a runaround that would last you a year or maybe 2 for well under £1000, expect to pay the same here for a piece of scrap metal on four well worn tires.

Lack of competition, the whole different dealer business model (anyone remember one car showrooms in England?), Franco era method of changing owner details, and the fact that you can get new cars on zero deposit and up to 12 years finance means that people tend to hold on to their cars.

Sure the good weather means cars don't tend to rust as much, but after you've driven around Spain a few weeks you'll soon realise how badly a lot of cars are treated. Just fills you with confidence when you come to buy a 15 year old banger for 3000 euros.