I will be new to CH in August. I was planning to bring my car over, but that plan was shot down in flaming bits. Therefore I need to purchase one when I get settled. What I am looking for, is what car y'all think would be the best choice for daily driving on the roads in say the Zurich/Zumikon area. The catagory of car would be on the lines of say, a BMW M3 size/performance/price, but a sedan would be ok too. Any ideas? Thanks-M
PS the reason I'm asking, is the car market is very different there and I would like to get some opinions as to what to look for when I arrive.

Make the environment a favor and don't get one.

I love my Passat CC:

Nice on the eyes
VW sensibility
Internal comfort & style
More affordable than a BMW
Clean diesel

If you want to waste that kind of money on a performance car in Switzerland with speed cameras then I suppose:

BMW M3
Audi RS4
VW Golf R32

Diesel is very popular over petrol in Switzerland so concider a diesel.

Get what you want... a BMW M3? Forget the market idea, it doesn't matter imho. I would go for a M6 cabrio, a noisy Maser or a Zonda.

Ok, I have no idea what a M3 is and am not being helpful am I?

well - you already said it - a BMW M3 is probably one of the best cars you can get in that price range (I drive a 330xd because I was concerned the M3 wouldn't go well with client visits, but still love it). Alternatively, a Porsche 911 - either a 996 Turbo or a 997 Carrera S (depending on your budget, also a 997 Turbo, of course). Also, Audi S4 or RS4 are fun cars - you'll find many of them on offer in CH.

If you want to get an overview of the market, check out www.autoscout24.ch (not sure whether there's an English version). You'll notice that cars are considerably more expensive than in the US, but that's not a Swiss phenomenon - like that all over Europe.

Just some ideas:

Audi S4

BMW ALPINA B3 S BiTurbo

A super charge dodge Charger ...
Awesome in the winter ....


Are you really so helpless you can't decide what car you want ??

That B3 alpina is stunning! thank you!!!
That's a car I would probably have missed if I didnt know to look for it!

No. I am not. Since I have to buy a car within 2 or 3 weeks after I arrive, I want to know what the heck is out there in a totally alien car market.

I wouldn't be caught dead in a MOPAR.

Alpina also makes a 323d bi turbo or something. Probably not quite as fast as an M3 I guess but probably much less thirsty.

check out mercedes BRABUS also

Price is a big factor. Alpinas, Brabus, 911's will easily set you back 200k vs the 120k of a new M3 (yes, options will play a big part in increasing price, but let's keep it simple for now).

Then you wanna ask yourself how many seats you want, do you want 2 or 4 doors (or as they say 5 doors, dumb if you ask me).

Are you looking to lease or do one large payment?

Do you want new or second hand (an E46 BMW from the previous generation will be half a expensive second hand).

What about the gearbox, auto, manual or f1 box with sequential clutches.

If buying new, are you willing to wait a few months for it to be built if you decide to configure it to your taste?

So many questions, but they need answers IMO if you want a more precise answer of what might suit your needs. I'm happy to help being a car guy myself and waiting for my seond card to be built (a 5 series Audi, it'll be "born" in the factory on the 5th of next month... Can't wait).

Good luck with whatever you choose, just make sure to test drive as well

One you like maybe ?

Dodge Challenger R/T. As simple as that

get a gas guzzler.

Two tips:


1. Buy 'Car' magazine (or, given your taste, 'Evo') and have a proper browse of the European car market before you get here. There are all sorts of interesting Left Field options too (e.g. the Swiss seem to love their Subaru turbos)...

2. Don't dismiss the idea of a convertible in Switzerland (especially a hard top) - I have LOVED my Beemer E46 330ci convertible (plenty of roof-open opportunities from April to October), and have even used it regularly in the winter for the drive up to Andermatt to snowboard.


Enjoy!

Sorry for putting a silly question out there, but, have you been to Zurich before and checked out the public transport system? It's actually pretty good and in lots of cases there is very little need for a car. It's a very different mindset to the North American one.

Have you found somewhere to live? Does it have parking? I know a lot of people who are living in apartment blocks with no parking, so have to rent a space 5 mins walk away.

Will you be driving to work? Do they have parking? Will they charge you for that parking space too?

Don't get me wrong there are lots of times where a car is very useful. If you have family, especially small kids and you need to take a ton of gear with you where ever you go. Or to escape the town and head into the mountains it's also nice to have your own transport.

From my point of view, I've weighed up how often I actually need a car and the costs associated with it, depreciation, insurance, servicing, etc and think that Mobility [1] car sharing is the way to go.


[1] http://www.mobility.ch/pages/?dom=6

We spent some time figuring out what car to get and then decided to go with Mobility, which we use rarely to do those things we can't do by public transport. You can also rent sport cars and SUVs from Europcar or Sixt for those trips to the mountains or when you need to get your fix. Imho you'd need to go at least weekly to offset the cost of buying one of those cars, especially if you are buying new.

If it's the fun, that counts and the power to weight ratio, and you don't plan to lug luggage/dogs/families round, you might want to look at a Donkervoort?

or