Inyoury

Hello everyone. I may be moving to Germany (from USA) and I would like to know if anyone here has taken their A6 over seas. Any issues or things I need to know?

Thank you.

uberwgn

Are you military?

50pascals

You may find it's incredibly expensive to own a car there. I travel there and do business there. My associates tell me most of the people with "nice" cars get them as a perk from their employer.

But, if you are OK with he cost, why not buy one there, where they are made?

Fahrer

I have moved to Germany several years ago and I onsidered moving a MB E320 at the time. Some things to consider....

1. You will need to install a new headlight system which will be roughly $1500?
2. Transporting and repairing you car after arrival about $2500 -3000. There will likely be some minor paint damage from shipment.
3. You have the wrong engine and gearing for the German market. Audi A6 models normally will be 1.8T or 2.0T and the gearing in your car will be a bit too short for the driving there. Gasoline is very expensive in Germany. Diesels are generally a better choice.
4. Generally, one does not need a car in Germany ( but it seems like every man, woman and child has one), The trains, light rail, taxis and buses are first rate. Taxis are everywhere.

5. You need GPS with traffic... just to survive.....traffic jams everywhere.

I lived in NRW ( Duesseldorf area) which is basically like Northern NJ....crowded. I did get a car ( VW Passat TDI) and I regularly traveled to Frankfurt. If I tried to drive at 120 mph ( VW TDI) as much as possible in good weather ( that's rare), I could get there in about 2.5 hours via the A45. If I took the ICE train with 5 stops I could get there in about 2.0 hours.

KevinGary

Leave the A6 in the states. Buy a new car when you get there. It will be much easier.

superswiss

Also to add to Fahrer's post. You have to install new taillights, because the red blinker is not legal in Europe. Has to be amber. Furthermore, if you want to use the MMI you have to get it converted and load the European maps, otherwise Audi connect and navigation will be useless and so will Sirius. The FM bands are roughly the same, so regular radio works mostly.

There are short term and military exceptions to these things, for example, you can legally drive a US spec car while doing European Delivery for example, which is what I've done.

As far as cost goes, Fahrer is correct. As opposed to the USA, you will be taxed based on engine size and CO2 emissions. The bigger the engine, the more expensive and the system is progressive. Gas costs at least double. So, you don't see many cars with big engines like in the USA. It's just not affordable for most. 2/3 of cars sold in Germany are Diesel, because of the favorable tax laws.

Germany is big on Dienst-/Firmenwagen (company car). Once you reach a certain level at a company, you lease a car through the company as part of your compensation. Basically, you get a car allowance.

Tinbad

I'm originally from Holland and under certain circumstances you are exempt from import taxes, I'm sure Germany is similar, if not better. It says basically if you've owned the car a certain time (12months?) before importing you are exempt from import taxes. In holland however we also have outrageous (road use) tax that you're not exempt from (it's based on weight and A6 is considered very heavy). I know Germany is a bit more friendly when it comes to car taxes so you may actually be able to import the car without too much extra costs.

I also used to import classic US cars to Holland and no need to change lights, etc. I'm not sure about newer cars but again, I know Germany is usually a bit more chill when it comes to car regulations.

There are many companies that will help you take care of all the paperwork, etc for a fee. I would start googling there's plenty of info out there. The Dutch IRS has a good website in English with all the info (specifically for expats), I'm sure the Germans have something similar. It should state all the rules, etc.

Inyoury

Thank you all for the information.

I am not military, but work for the government and the moving costs will be taken care of. As for the gas, taxes, registrations and fees to bring the car would also be taken care of.

I am more concerned about the MMI and map updates, service cost and if my Audi care which has another 2 years more can be transferred???

For the head lights and tail lights, I had no idea there were strict regulations. I know many things about the A6 is quite costly. I thought about selling and getting another car, however I have grown quite fond of my car and after 20 months, 20,000 miles of ownership I am still completely satisfied with it. I also don't want to take big hit selling it.

Would anyone know about the cost of for MMI and map updates in Germany?

How about window Tinting laws? I don't mind removing the tinting, but not sure how that will affect the rear window...

thanks.

superswiss

To convert the MMI, you have to go through a third-party. The only one I'm aware of is mmirepair.com. Don't know what they charge for it.

Audi MMI USA to EU conversion - mmirepair.com

Audi Care won't transfer. That's an Audi of America thing. There is no equivalent in Germany. Neither will your warranty. Car warranties in Europe are much much shorter and they are not gonna honor the Audi of America warranty.

I'm guessing in order to register the car, you need TÜV certification after you've done all the necessary retrofitting. Germany and other European countries are very strict on modifications. I personally don't know exactly what the tinting laws are, but I'm pretty sure you gonna have to remove it.

tjfogle

I just brought a US spec 2014 A7 into Germany. If you are eligible to register your vehicle on one of the US Military installations, you won't have to modify anything. There is no tint allowed on the windshield or front driver's/passenger's windows. Recommend your u check out the inspection requirements and checklist on the USAEUR website. But, if you are not eligible, you'll have to comply with German laws. Audi USA warranties and Audi Care do not transfer/do not work in Germany. Audi Connect and navigation do not work with your current hardware--it is not possible to load Audi European maps on US hardware. You will also need a front license holder.