# 4x4 for Spain



## goodlime (Jan 11, 2011)

So I'm in the process of buying some rural land in Spain, on which to build a modest house. For this I will need some kind of 4x4 vehicle move stuff, tow a small trailer, etc.

I'm currently in the US, I'm from the UK, and the car will most likely spend most of its time in Spain. Pointers to any existing post on this subject would be helpful, although I could not find anything while trawling through.

So my options are as follows...

*1. Buy in the US and put in shipping container with other stuff being moved.*
_PRO: Cheap car price. LHD already.
CON: Must buy model with local parts available in Spain. Cost to ship. Issues at customs? Costly to import._

*2. Buy car in UK and drive to Spain.*
_PRO: Buy from auction and save $$$. Try to avoid import taxation by maintaining UK reg.
CON: Not LHD. Could be targeted by the policia. Crap UK weather and salty winter roads rots cars!_

*3. Buy car in mainland europe (Belgium, Holland, etc.)*
_PRO: Will be LHD. Cheaper than Spain,
CON: No experience buying a car anywhere other than UK/USA. Issues again with driving on non-spainish plates._

*4. Buy car in Spain*
_PRO: No hassles with paperwork of law.
CON: Crap used car market and pricey_

Thoughts/Ideas/Advice???


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## djfwells (Sep 28, 2009)

I note that you are hoping for the possibility of towing a trailer with this vehicle.
- Please note that if you are looking at buying a vehicle with a tow bar that IS NOT Spanish registered then you are likely to encounter problems as and when you come to ITV the vehicle. This is due to the vehicle requiring a certificate of homologation (specifically for the tow bar). IF the presence of a tow bar is specifically metioned in the technical details of the vehicle then you should be ok, but as this is not a requirement for non-spanish vehicles you will be unlikely to have this.

Personally, I would bite the bullet and buy a Spanish Regsitered 4x4 here in Spain.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

goodlime said:


> So I'm in the process of buying some rural land in Spain, on which to build a modest house. For this I will need some kind of 4x4 vehicle move stuff, tow a small trailer, etc.
> 
> I'm currently in the US, I'm from the UK, and the car will most likely spend most of its time in Spain. Pointers to any existing post on this subject would be helpful, although I could not find anything while trawling through.
> 
> ...


Depends how old a vehicle you are thinking of buying & how much you want to spend. If it's going to be reasonably new then here in spain you'd be better buying new as they'll still want nearly new price for one 3 years old. Personally I'd never buy a 4wd 2nd hand in the area I live in as they get a lot of abuse. Your better buying from someone in the bigger cities wher it's never had the 4wd used.
The prices in spain are far cheaper I've found the farther north you go compared to down her in the south.
I'd rule out your no1 purely on shipping cost & import duties.
No2 Depends if you want to buy new, say a ford ranger king-cab pick-up, then you can get them for 1/2 the price in the UK compared to spain. If you're buying new on one of the deals tell them you want lhd. Ps there's probably as much salt used here in spain for the winter snow ,but the cars are not undersealed. Maybe that's why the cars down here in the south of spain are much dearer than in say Madrid.
I did think about the rhd when I was looking for a new car but eventually ruled it out as too much aggro.
No 3 ; I also looked at this but if you don't know the rules you can come a cropper. Many dutch 4x4's & mpv's , due to their high taxation system , are registered from new as commercial vehicles ( vans ) & as such if you inadvertently buy one & go to re-register it here on spanish plates it will be registered exactly as what was on the log book in the original country. If you go on the Autoscout site & look at mpv's & 4x4's you'll find many photos of vehicles with only the front 2 seats . This is a dead giveaway that it's registered as a van. If you import it here itwill be the same. You could import it to the UK 1st , put it back with all it's seats , register it on uk plates then do the same here but it wouldn't be worth it.
German vehicles are sold without number plates & to obtain export plates would require spanish insurance ( no problem as they will insure on the chassis number ) Then you've got 3 days to get it here.

No4. Yes they are dearer here down south but I found I could buy the same vehicle , newer & 30 % cheaper by looking further north or around Barcelona.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Just remembered that when I was looking there were many specialist lhd 4x4 dealers in the uk. Some land-rover ones up the east coast somewhere ( advertise on the inside back page of land-rover magazine ). Try googling it.
Here's the autoscout site as well. The European Marketplace for Used Cars and New Cars
I also came across , last week, 2 lhd ,spanish registered with all papers, huyundai terracans here;
Left Hand Drive Cars for Sale, UK - We Buy & Sell Quality LHD Cars 
They're on page 2. It's always worth contacting these people & telling them what you want & they've so many contacts that they can normally come up with a vahicle in no time at all.


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## goodlime (Jan 11, 2011)

Thanks for the info. I'll probably be buying close to Barcelona/Zaragoza area if I buy in Spain. So maybe a 4x4 from the city. I have a lot of friends around there who could be on the look out for me also.

Or if I buy in the UK at an auction or elsewhere I might get more for my money. I could always drive it back to the UK for an MOT once in a while.

My budget will not be more than say 5000-6000 Euros, so I'll need my money to stretch as far as possible.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

goodlime said:


> Thanks for the info. I'll probably be buying close to Barcelona/Zaragoza area if I buy in Spain. So maybe a 4x4 from the city. I have a lot of friends around there who could be on the look out for me also.
> 
> Or if I buy in the UK at an auction or elsewhere I might get more for my money. I could always drive it back to the UK for an MOT once in a while.
> 
> My budget will not be more than say 5000-6000 Euros, so I'll need my money to stretch as far as possible.


no, you can't 


if you are resident here in Spain your car has to be matriculated onto Spanish plates


have a read through the many threads on the subject


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Just on a different tack you said *So I'm in the process of buying some rural land in Spain*

Please be careful, many have been caught out with planning regulations on rural land


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## goodlime (Jan 11, 2011)

Stravinsky said:


> Just on a different tack you said *So I'm in the process of buying some rural land in Spain*
> 
> Please be careful, many have been caught out with planning regulations on rural land


The area that I'm looking to buy in has a general plan that includes limited development on rural lands. On a 2 ha site, I can legally build up to 300 sq/m. Not that I would build anything that big. I've read a lot on these pitfalls, and found an agent with credability and, dare I say it, morals.

I sold real estate on the Costa Del Sol during a brief period several years ago, so I familiar with the dodgy side of Spanish real estate.


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## goodlime (Jan 11, 2011)

xabiachica said:


> no, you can't
> 
> 
> if you are resident here in Spain your car has to be matriculated onto Spanish plates
> ...



At least in the immediate future, I would not actually be a resident in Spain. This would be my European base, but it would be highly unlikely that I would living there for more than 3 months at a time, nor more than 6 months in 1 year.

If you think inside the box with the car solution, I'm sure the answer is no. However, I exist in an outside the box situation, so I think the UK plates option is feasable. I know people doing the same right now, who have been doing so for a number of years without issue. I won't be hanging out on the Costas, except maybe for the occasional visit.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

goodlime said:


> At least in the immediate future, I would not actually be a resident in Spain. This would be my European base, but it would be highly unlikely that I would living there for more than 3 months at a time, nor more than 6 months in 1 year.
> 
> If you think inside the box with the car solution, I'm sure the answer is no. However, I exist in an outside the box situation, so I think the UK plates option is feasable. I know people doing the same right now, who have been doing so for a number of years without issue. I won't be hanging out on the Costas, except maybe for the occasional visit.


after 90 days you should sign the resident list & you would be officially 'resident'


and just because lots of people are doing something it doesn't make it legal



whether you are on the costas or not....................


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

We bought a three-year-old LandRover Discovery which was already on Spanish plates from The LHD Place in Basingstoke. It had the proverbial one lady owner and had 40000 km on the clock.
We had it delivered to our home, then in Prague, for a very reasonable fee.
As I had all the necessary documents, transferring it to my ownership posed no problem. I think it cost about 100 euros, can't remember but I think there is a set fee which any Gestor will charge.
I hated the LR at first as I had mainly driven sporty convertibles and it was like a bus but I soon got used to it and as far as I am now concerned there is only one 4x4 and it's called LandRover.
The LHD Place has been recommended by other posters.


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