Hi all! I hope you can help. I'm looking into importing my Prius v into Germany when I move there in 2021. I'm not with the military and I plan to move and stay there for at least 5-10 yrs if not longer. I've got no problem paying for shipping the car and so far as I can tell I won't need to pay import duty/tax as I'll be there on a Blue Card and staying in definitely. I can manage the insurance and TUV just fine. I love me some paperwork. 2017 Prius v 65,000 miles My questions are these: 1. What modifications need to be made to a 2017 Prius v to make it an approved German vehicle? I'm seeing things like turning signals and getting the tint off the front windows (mine is at 25% so I'm not sure if that's allowed or not) but I'm not sure what else. The car is in excellent condition. 2. How difficult will it be to get my car serviced in Germany? (that darn 5000 mile light will still keep turning on...) I wouldn't have an issue driving to a different city to get it serviced if it came to that. 3. Is the radio thing still a problem? Is that one of the things I'd have to get replaced/fixed? 4. If I wanted to sell the car later, is there a market for used Prius v's? 5. If it's a wash or a hassle, which EU car(s) would you recommend me looking at instead? I really love the zippiness, cargo space of my Prius v, and the hybrid factor as well. thank you!
I don't know where you plan to live or work but a friend of mine made that move without a car. He was going to find a car after he got settled. but he got settled into a routine and decided against buying a car. He uses the train to commute each day. He said it gives him a 5 minute walk to the train station on each end of the trip and a half hour of travel time to either prepare in the morning or unwind at night. I lived in Germany for two years while in the military. A train took me anywhere I wanted to go whether it was inside Germany or elsewhere on the continent. I have been back a half dozen times since and I have ridden the trains to Holland, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland and France. Riding the trains are a favorite part of my visits. You can buy an InterRail pass for about $900/quarter that gets you on trains, ferries, etc. You don't have to buy gas which is currently $5.57 per gallon, or insurance where full coverage will probably cost about $600/year and then there are the maintenance items, tires, oil changes, brakes to contend with. It's something to think about.
Ronald, fortunately I have a job that is all remote - which means I won't need to leave the house unless I want to! I'm thinking of living outside of a city, most likely in the Mannheim area but that could change as I know housing is at a premium. I have been to Europe many times and am very much looking forward to taking the trains and transit! But I'm a bit of an American when it comes to my car - I want the freedom of being able to go where I want, when I want.
This area was my old stomping grounds. Housing in the Mannheim/Ludwigshafen area is pretty pricy. A 600 sq ft 2 bed 1 bath apartment runs about $1800/mo. Not having to commute will be a big plus for you. I have a friend who works in Greifensee (suburb of Zurich) Switzerland and he was renting a place in a village about 1/2 hour away. He was commuting by train as he waited for his family and furniture to arrive. He said that there was a knock on the door and a couple of members of the fire brigade welcomed him to the village. They told him everyone in the village must attend training for the fire brigade. He was informed when the next meeting was. At the meeting they explained what he would need to do as far as the fire brigade training etc. They provided him information about schools etc and informed him that the village has 12 community cars. He could sign one of those cars out when he needed a car. He decided not to buy a car. That arrangement would be perfect for you. Andre's biggest decision was whether to send his kids to an English speaking school or a German (Swiss) speaking school. Viel Glück bei Ihrem Umzug
