Interesting article -if you have $90,000 for a BMW.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/10/27/...une/index.html

I can pay less for a European trip. And the BMW I've got isn't worth it.

franc, you're way off base. If someone is thinking about buying a European car anyway, the trip is essentialy free - plus you get the car for 7% off local price (after haggling). You could turn around and sell it at a 3-4% discount and make money on the deal!

No minimum car purchase amount is required.

>...went there to pick up his BMW M5 in Munich, then drive the $90,000, 500-horsepower vehicle 140 miles an hour on Germany's autobahn.<

See "Autobahn Frustration"
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34891054

Several Fodorites have actually done this and written trip reports. You should be able to locate them with a search.

Some people can afford a $90,000 BMW, and if I could, I'd buy one also.

We purchased a 2002 525i for around $35K, and saved $4,500 by negotiating with the dealer and picking up in Europe.

Ours is a 5-speed manual, and we were told for the first 2000 miles not to go above 4000 RPM's to break in the engine. That held us to 100 mph on the Autobahn.

Volvo has a good program we'd consider in the future. Check it out.

Maureen B is right. Volvo has a good program and so does SAAB. IF you might be purchasing one of these cars anyway, you can save on the purchase and get the transport, overseas insurance on the car, and sometimes, limited lodging for free. When I checked it out the drawback that I found was that the car had to be prepaid in cash prior to the trip. The info is on their websites. After the trip is over the car, with local safety equipment, is delivered to a dealer near you.

I thought it was a good deal but I wanted a Passat.

Most of the time Volvo also throws in 2 tickets on SAS from N. America to Göteborg; however they are less likely to bargain down the European delivery price as far as BMW will. BMW offers airfare discounts on Lufthansa, but the deal is not as good as Volvo's. Both Saab and Volvo also offer a free night in a hotel before delivery, and all offer factory tours subject to timing etc.

I checked into the Lufthansa 2 for 1 airfare. You have to buy the full fare coach then pay the tax on the second seat. You could do as good if not better getting your own round-trip airfare.

Yes, our Volvo dealership told us that we'd get two round-trip tickets, one night's lodging in Sweden, and we could drive the car a week or more in Europe, then return it to Volvo/Sweden for shipping included to our home town dealership. I doubt if they give you a deal on the sales price of the car, and we haven't crunched the numbers, but it's something to think about.

<i>I checked into the Lufthansa 2 for 1 airfare. You have to buy the full fare coach then pay the tax on the second seat. You could do as good if not better getting your own round-trip airfare.</i>

Besides, friends don't let friends fly LH.