Spanish Motoring Costs Pt II

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Wed 24 Apr 2002 13:44
Spanish Motoring Costs Pt II - rogerb
Only problem HJ's advice S(sell here & buy there), is the small one of financing, on a meagre pension, the shortfall between a new Focus/Seat/etc & a nearly (by then) 3yo 'Belgian' Focus :-(

If I do sell & buy, I'll have to trade-down - any recommendations, bearing in mind the likely value of the Focus - well cared-for, but f. high mileage(16k/yr)? Presumably Seat wd be first choice?

Also, any comments on Spanish running costs - insurance, servicing, spares, road tax, etc, would be welcomed.
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Wed 24 Apr 2002 15:00
Re: Spanish Motoring Costs Pt II - UKC32
Secondhand cars are expensive and hard to find in Spain; perhaps because there is not the same glut of ex company cars around. They certainly do not seem to go in for the traditional 2 - 3 year old swap so common here.
There is a notable absence of used car lots, most seem to be sold privately.

For a variety of reasons we finally took a RHD car out there and as someone else posted, it is no problem driving one there. If your present car suits you, why not try taking that to begin with? Better the devil you know...

There are plenty of Ford garages about, and servicing costs reflect the lower cost of living. As for insurance, there are plenty of English speaking brokers about in the holiday areas who will give you a quote. I can't make a comparison for you, as I've never tried to insure the same car here & in Spain, but we were assured there was no 'premium' for a RHD car, and the cost did not seem excessive.

Finally, there are no more Seats about than any other make - French cars sell well, but many well to do Spaniards drive - a Rover! We see as many there as we do at home.

Some things you can never get away from.
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