European delivery presents a rare win-win proposition that lets buyers pick up their new car directly from the factory, often saving enough in the process to fund a European vacation. The details vary from one manufacturer to another, but the basics are the same: You order the car from your local dealer, fly to Europe to pick it up off the line, tour the factory, and take your new ride on a road trip around Europe. Then you drop it back off, fly home, and pick it up again at your local dealership several weeks later.
So why doesn’t every customer take advantage? For starters, you have to pay for the car in full or have financing arranged before it’s even built. There’s generally a lead time of up to 12 weeks between ordering and taking delivery. Also, not every automaker offers such a program, and the ones that do are typically for more upmarket shoppers. Here are details on the five automakers that make European delivery available:
Audi offers a discount of 5 percent on most models, along with a one-night hotel stay, ground transportation, and breakfast and lunch on the delivery day. Customers can pick up their car at the Audi Forum in Ingolstadt or in Neckarsulm. Both include a factory tour, but Ingolstadt also includes museum tickets. Fifteen days of insurance are offered, and the vehicle can be returned at any one of 17 locations.
Nearly the entire Audi lineup (in U.S. spec) is eligible—except the A3 e-tron and the Q5—for the discount, but the full price applies to the R8 and RS models.
For European delivery, BMW offers up to 5 percent savings off a vehicle’s base MSRP, a discount that ranges from $1740 for a 230i to $7835 for an M760i. Airfare and accommodations aren’t included, but airport transfer is. Handover takes place at BMW Welt—the brand’s flagship showcase in Munich—and includes a tour of the factory and museum. Fourteen days of insurance and registration are included, after which the customer can drop the vehicle off at any one of 12 locations.
Availability is extended to the 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-series models as well as the X1, the i8, and a range of M and Alpina performance models. Note that the X3, X4, X5, and X6, all made in South Carolina, are not included, nor is the i3, which is built in Leipzig, Germany.
Mercedes-Benz offers up to 7 percent off the purchase price for European delivery and waives the usual $925 destination charge. It also includes a $200 airfare voucher, one night’s hotel accommodations, airport transfer, a meal at the Delivery Center in Stuttgart or Bremen, and a tour of the factory and museum. Road insurance is provided for up to 15 days, along with a full tank of fuel. At the end of the trip, customers can drop off their vehicle at one of 11 locations for transatlantic shipment.
Eligible models include the C-class (coupe and convertible), E-class (coupe, convertible, sedan, and wagon), CLA and CLS four-door coupes, SL roadster, and GLA, GLC, and GLC coupe crossovers. The C-class sedan and GLE and GLS crossovers are made in Alabama, so picking one up in Europe isn’t an option.
Porsche is the one automaker that offers no discounts for European delivery. It does, however, offer airport transfers, a night at a hotel, 16 days of insurance, and a free lunch (and here we thought there was no such thing). Customers can pick up their cars in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, where the 911 and 718 are made, or Leipzig, home to the Panamera, Cayenne, and Macan. Zuffenhausen includes a tour of the factory, while Leipzig offers a chance to drive the on-site test track.
Dropoff can be made in Leipzig or, for a fee, at one of 16 additional locations across Europe. Porsche customers needn’t fly all the way to Europe to get the experience, though. The Porsche Experience Center (PEC) in Atlanta includes a tour, lunch, and a 90-minute track session for an extra $400 or so, depending on model. Porsche is now also accepting orders for delivery in 2018 at its new Porsche Experience Center in Los Angeles. The customer can choose between delivery at either of those facilities or at the German factories—but European delivery cannot be combined with PEC delivery in the U.S.
The only automaker outside Germany offering European delivery is Volvo. Discounts vary by model, but you’re typically looking at about a grand off the list price, and Volvo waives the destination charge. The Swedish automaker throws in two complimentary round-trip tickets, one night’s accommodations, and a factory tour. Fifteen days of insurance are included, after which the customer can return the vehicle to the factory or, at added cost, to other locations around Europe. Every model in the Volvo lineup is eligible, and each has its own pricing scheme unique to the program, with the upcoming XC40 freshly added to the list. Volvo’s Overseas Delivery program also offers some European colors, options, and accessories not otherwise available in the United States.
Other Considerations
With all the programs, the final purchase price is negotiated between the U.S. customer and U.S. dealer. Some of the participating manufacturers allow the European-delivery pricing to be combined with additional promotions, while others do not. The discount is offered by the manufacturer, and its application varies. BMW applies it to the base MSRP, excluding options. Audi and Mercedes apply it to the total MSRP, with options.
As for Value Added Tax (VAT), that double-digit-percentage levy on consumer goods in the European Union? Audi and Porsche collect it up front but refund it as long as the vehicle is returned when the contract specifies; Mercedes-Benz and Volvo say that the VAT will be charged only if the vehicle is kept in Europe past the period specified in the contract. BMW says the customer is not required to pay VAT up front.
In the end, the biggest reason that more customers don’t opt for European delivery is likely because they don’t know it’s available. But if you’ve gotten this far, consider yourself in the know.
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