Hello guys!

I am moving to Baden area, and I would like to know if is very important have a car in Swtizerland, I had been there dor one week but anyway I think the public transport is very good, but I have my family, and I think is very bad walk all the time to go to the supermaket during the the winter, etc. Here in Brazil the car is more expensive than there, for example, my car is a ford fiest 1.6 2005 65,000km, and it cost around 18,000 CHF here. I could sell it here and buy another one there better. What do I have to pay attention when buying a car there? Power, Km, Year, Insuarance?? My insurance here is 1,000 CHF a year. Is it good idea to buy a used car there as an BMW or Audi? Where is the best place to see that? www.azw.ch?
Thanks and best regards.
Marcos

As far as I remember cars are expensive in Brazil due to taxation. So do not bring you Fiesta here... It is impossible to give you a statement on insurance costs as long as you did not decide the model. Then you can check it here: www.comparis.ch

The shop you found is a big reseller of used cars and has reasonable prices. Cheaper are of course the cars you buy from private people. The biggest ad site is www.autoscout.ch

Cheers,

Chris

Hi,

Cars are fairly cheap here, and it really depends on your budget and the size of the your family (i.e. if you are four people dont buy a Citroen C1).

A good place to check for cars is autoscout24.ch and for insurances check comparis.ch.

Cars in Switzerland need to be inspected and approved by your local kanton every two years. So either try to find a car that is more than 2 years old with low millage or go for a new car.

If you plan to go driving in the mountains or up some hills, get a 1.4 as the minimum.

Personally, I can a Nissan Note, http://picasaweb.google.com/debrass/NissanNote. The car is cheap here, I paid 21K for a brand new one, and my insurance gives full coverage for 1.3K per year. But, that is not to say, that they are other cheap and good cars (even used ones) out there. But, remember, you also need to pay for your plates (circa 100 CHF) and taxes (circa 500 CHF).

/Peter

Thanks guys!
So do I have to pay the car plus the insurance, plates and the taxes in cash?
How about to buying a car y leasing there? Is it possbile with a B permit?

Tks
Marcos

Yes you can drive out the garage with a new car or used car with as little as 1000chf. You need to factor in the insurances. Road tax is like 300chf per year.

Leasing with B-permit is ok. But maybe you need a salary slip or employer's letter.

Avoid www.azw.ch (many of these are accident cars)

Do not buy BMW,...this is a foreigner's car. People in CH, do not like foreigners in BMWs.
I am one of these BMW owners.
Sigh.

Audi is good.
Even better could be Toyota. Reliable, cheap.

Good luck
HAT

Thanks HAT for the tips, but I didn't undertand you about the "foreigners in BMWs". Is there a kind of "prejudice"? Did you fell that driving this car? How?
Thanks and best regards
Marcos

Did you check whether your Driving License (Brazilian I assume) is recogonized here? Your car insurance may vary a lot depending on the answer to this question.

BMWs are usually the choice of people coming in from Eastern Europe, many of them are on welfare money from the Gemeinde (village authority). How can they buy these cars?

There is perceived "foreigners problems" with many of these people.
They also love to buy and sell BMWs here and back in their home country.

Like in Japan, one would never buy a big black Mercedes (Yakuza mafia).

From my experience, if you look foreign, and you drive a BMW or Mercedes, many people will frown on you. Although they may not say it openly.

Buying a less expensive car, like japanese or maybe Opel, Kia, Seat etc...will help you avoid unnecessary unwanted stares.

But of course many people may not agree with my perception.

I drive a BMW (too expensive to sell away now, a bit regret) and I also have a Honda.
Honda is very very good.
Conservative look....

HAT

It is possible to manage without a car - I know families who do. You just have to choose the right place to live with good access to shopping and public transportation.

Thanks Kaps, that I know my drive license is valid for 1 year there. Which is the impact for that?
Regards
Marcos

How about Audi? A4 or A6 for example?

Living in Zurich, I haven't missed having a car (admittedly we're only in Zollikon, but still). This does make the (empty) garage my flat includes somewhat ironic .

I have missed my motorbike, but that is purely a leisure issue.

Instead of buying a car, consider appropriate use of public transport (for getting around day-to-day) and rental cars (eg: Mobility) for those times you genuinely need a car (as opposed to just being lazy ). CHF15-20,000 will buy you a lot of that.

You may need to adjust some of your living patterns that "require" a vehicle - eg: shopping daily on the way home from work rather than weekly or monthly (other things will stop you doing that anyway, like how poorly fruit & vegetables here keep and - typically - small fridges and freezers).

Personally, in Zurich, I would consider owning a car a luxury, rather than a necessity. I can't say for sure whether the infrastructure in Baden was similarly conducive to being vehicle-less, but I would assume so.

What does it mean, to look foreign? What a ridiculous thing to write on a forum like this where I am sure we have many nationalities. So which ones look foreign? What if you are from India, for example, and are also Swiss? So does that mean you look foreign?

Usually when I am driving I am paying attention to the road, not checking out who is driving what car. But just to set you straight, I know plenty of Swiss who own a BMW, or a Mercedes.

Many or most?

Do you want Marcos to post his picture so you can decide whether he looks foreign or not?

__________________

What a load of BS.....

However there used to be a saying where I lived (in the UK, I hasten to add): "BMW's are like hemorrhoids...every ***hole has one..." There are plenty of those around and believe me, they are not all foreign...

These is my first goal, find a right place, but is a little difficult!

Thank you for the tips!

No, thanks!

See?
You have not yet bought one hemorrhoid, I hope.
You don't have to be foreign, you just have to buy a "nice" BMW.
I am an a-ss-hole, for just mentioning I drive one.
sigh.
I rest my case.

Dear Mrs,

The answer is YES. Sorry.

I am guessing you are caucasian so you have no anti-foreigner looks and stares.
I am chinese, I get that look and stare all the time.
I am also stating Indians or any dark skinned person, walking or driving in Switzerland do not get the SAME treatment as a white-skin caucasian person.

Many times, my swiss colleagues do not believe me, when I tell them the anti-foreigner stories (or maybe perceptions). This is mainly because they have not seen it themselves. So they (you also) do not believe it exist.

Let me tell you this: it exists.

Let me substantiate with a current situation (happened only yesterday).

I drive close to a pedestrian crossing and stopped. The girl started to put up her hand to wave "thankyou". Then she saw me clearly, and she abruptly dropped her hand, stuck up her nose and walked away.

Huh?
Although this is sort of an exception than the norm. Old people are especially non-biased, I must admit.

I was advised by my swiss manager (when I first arrived) NOT to buy a BMW, because of the reasons I stated.


Thanks for "correcting me".
I still stand by my perception.

However, do not mistake this to become "I hate switzerland or swiss, etc".
I have learned to accept that this is "possible" in Switzerland, where I cannot and will not change my skin color. It is just one of those things, which will take centuries to change.

HAT

Thanks for the reply! I think we had a good conversation about many things, that we will help me to understand a little bit more about a country with many cultures and expats.
Anyway, my decision in to buy a car, but for while nor a BMW, but a good one. Which car would be better to buy there for a family 3 people?
Tks
Marcos