You may have heard that the price of a used Mercedes in Germany, whether it is petrol or diesel, is much cheaper than in France.
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| Used Mercedes Germany |
Used Mercedes: where and how to find it?
To be more precise, it is possible to save between 20 and 30%, but since you are looking for a Mercedes, whose price in a French dealership could give your banker a few sweats, this is a very valuable gain! This is all the more true because you will benefit from a better equipped and carefully maintained vehicle by passing through a German seller.
You might be thinking, "Where is the wolf?" at this point.", or, at the very least, how is it that all of this is possible? This article explains the advantages of a Mercedes import.
Why buy your used Mercedes in Germany?
To answer this question, let's start by recalling something obvious: Since Mercedes-Benz originated in Stuttgart, in Deutschland, there is nothing more natural than to buy a model of the brand with a star across the Rhine. This is not the only reason for such an import and repatriation approach, because, as we will see later, the German market allows us to spend less.
Moreover, the Germans are known for carefully looking after the maintenance and possible repairs of their car. Far from being punctual or cliché, the statistics clearly show that this is indeed the case. In the same vein, motorists from across the Rhine appreciate that their vehicles are very well-equipped, hence generously optioned models.
As for rumors of mileage trafficking in meters, rest assured that this practice is strictly prohibited in Germany, and very little widespread, because the police are intransigent with fraudsters. Even if they do not boast about it to their customers, many French Mercedes concessions will buy in Germany to build their parks.
Why Mercedes is Cheaper in Germany
As mentioned earlier, buying a Mercedes-Benz model - a German brand owned by the Daimler Group - from a Mercedes dealership across the border is a significant cost saving. This price difference stems from the universal law of supply and demand because, in Germany, the "Marcos" are legion. It is this abundant offer, much more than in France, that takes the prices down.
In addition to this, there is an aggressive policy on the part of many garages - concessions from overseas, who have chosen to work with reduced margins and maximize their sales volumes, particularly towards exports. After all, let us not forget that Germany is the largest exporter of used cars in Europe, organizing the transport of these vehicles throughout the Old Continent.
In concrete terms, the average discounts are of course different depending on the model, but here is a non-exhaustive list of savings you could achieve:
- A new generation A-Class is displayed with a price difference of -30%, including with the 4Matic all-wheel drive and Fascination finish, while its CLA and GLA derivatives are cheaper, on average, by -25%
- Class B, derived from the model above, can be obtained in Germany with a -27% discount, in its Style Line or Progressive Line finishes for example
- The C-Class and E-Class, renowned Daimler Group sedans, have average discounts of -23 and -19%, especially in their superb AMG Line finish
- The SUV 4x4 GLC and GLE, meanwhile, are also more affordable across the Rhine, with differences of -16 to 23%
- Finally, a worthy heir to the silver arrows in F1, the coupé (or convertible, for that matter) AMG GT can be obtained with an average discount of -10%
Why are there more opportunities in Germany?
Our German neighbors are fond of leasing to renew their vehicles often, and thus take advantage of the latest models marketed, which they most often do not keep for more than 3 years. Then, by the rental contract, they return their vehicle and take the keys to a state-of-the-art model. As a result, the supply of leased vehicles is considerably higher than in France.
Moreover, the "collaborating car" is also found in large quantities, especially for the steering vehicles, their original users must always have the latest model for a question of the brand image thus conveyed.
Furthermore, if you have already had the opportunity to visit a German dealership, you will no doubt notice that the showroom is much larger, which means that there are more presentation vehicles.
As for the dealer stocks, they are also wider than in France, due to a very high turnover rate - in other words, the managers of overseas dealers do not hesitate to order a lot of vehicles, to present the whole Mercedes range for example, because they know they will sell them quickly.
Finally, Mercedes Germany launches its new models on its national territory before European neighbors are supplied so that recent opportunities are found more quickly on the spot than in France. To date, there are 125,000 Mercedes-Benz offers on sale in Germany, compared to only 23,000 in France.
ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES WELL MAINTAINED?
Since many opportunities arise from leasing offers, including the lessor’s assumption of maintenance costs, all these vehicles have been scrupulously maintained.
In addition, as mentioned above, a large majority of overseas drivers follow the recommended interviews carefully and prefer to have them performed in the brand’s network; the follow-up is therefore clear.
Because of leasing, interviews are often included in it. The vehicles are therefore perfectly monitored and in the majority of cases, the interviews are done in the network of the brand.
WHAT ABOUT THE MANUFACTURER GUARANTEE?
At Mercedes-Benz, the Jung Sterne manufacturer’s warranty is valid throughout Europe and is little or no more than equivalent to the Thousand-Star warranty we have in France.
Don’t worry, with such an import, your vehicle will be properly covered in France. Now, let's answer the question that should burn your lips: How do I purchase a used Mercedes in Germany?
Why go through a Mercedes importer?
Using a Mercedes representative has several major interests, starting with the expertise that such a professional can bring to you in the choice of the model and its characteristics. A good importer will first introduce you to the configurator of the vehicle "of your dreams" to list all your criteria.
Then, he will be able to hunt for the best possible deal, separating the good grain from the chaff among the multitude of offers available on the German market.
Once you have agreed that such a vehicle meets your needs/desires, he will take care of negotiating for you the lowest possible price, before ensuring that you have all the necessary elements for the administrative procedures, in particular for the gray card (CPI, COC, certificate of conformity, VAT regulation and discharge from the tax center, TÜV technical control valid in France, gray card, export plates then temporary plates in WW).
Finally, an importer will take care of the transport of the vehicle to France, by collecting it himself on the spot - not without having checked it one last time before, to avoid any last-minute unpleasant surprises - or by passing through a specialized conveyor.
HOW DO I FIND A RELIABLE AGENT?
While it is undeniably advantageous to use a Mercedes agent, particularly for his proficiency in the Goethe language, which greatly facilitates negotiations, it is necessary to be vigilant when choosing this professional. Indeed, there are still (too) many VAT evaders, prepayment evaders, who are simply false agents.
Given this, we have taken the decision, on Caroom.fr, to systematically verify the reliability of the agents we refer, and all have therefore undertaken to scrupulously respect our rules of ethics. You can therefore contact them with confidence, by selecting the offer of the car you are interested in in in the listing above, or by filling out the search form provided for this purpose.