Car ownership? Anything I need to be wary of?

[bobley]

I'm heading back in a week or so and I'll be getting a transfer up to town as it's a late landing. The intention this time was to just be lazy and do shopping locally, maybe use the bus or my bike.

On the flipside I've got a few garden ideas and I'm fed up of mollycoddling hire cars. I'd rather have my own wagon to allow me to go to the garden centre and do some tip runs etc. I also worry about leaving a hire car in the street and getting it scratched.

I'm thinking about buying a Renault Kangoo combi. I'd probably dump it in the car park behind the Renault garage down the street when I'm not here (there are plenty of proper abandoned cars down there). I could leave them the keys to service/inspect it when I'm not there?

Are there any big issues? Is the IVTM tax in the Islas still cheapish on a little van? I've found a friendly insurance broker (not had a quote yet but a forty something engineer with 20 years clean history cant be that bad??)

Anyone thinking about flogging a little boxy car/van??

Plan B - bring my 2008 Mini over and re-register it? Might give the game away with a union jack on the roof but I'd love to bomb around the lanes in it - yes it would be useless at a garden centre though...

 

[Disorderly]

I’ll be very interested in the replies to your post. Since we bought our apartment in April I’ve struggled to decide whether to keep hiring cars, or buy one that we can leave at the airport (Fly/Drive) or main car park ?

Advice from those who have been there already will be appreciated by me and bobley.

 

[bobley]

We should just share a car. Tell you what, I'll leave the keys on the rear left wheel . No one will find them and only you know about this eh?

 

[MPH133]

consider leasing a car - we have just leased a new SEAT Arona for 4 years incl maintenance and insurance for €285pm - only fuel needed.

 

[bobley]

I think it would cost a lot to refurbish a Pollenca car back to the minimum Seat standard after 4 years. Also the repayments add up to €13,700 and a new Arona is only €14,400 so I'm not sure the maths stack up fo rne.

A new Ibiza is €10K and a 3 year old one is €7K so it shows just how strong residuals are on Mallorca. Also, a lease agreement is based on a mileage which I'll barely use a few percent of so you're paying for mechanical wear which you'll never see and the long interval variable servicing would only need 2 oil changes in 4 years .

To be honest I just handed back a 2 yr lease Octavia VRs which cost me £300 for a new wheel (deep scuff) before I could hand it back so I've now bought my own car again.

Might just buy a snotter to be honest.

 

[alcanadakid]

Once you have paid out for the cost of the car, then the other costs are:-

Insurance - we use Lineadirect and it costs €435 for a Toyota Auris
Tax - €57 each year
Airport parking €995 (one year) for the multistorey attached to the airport.
Car service €200 ( we need this to maintain warranty)

The parking can be done cheaper, but for us it is well worth it. The car is then parked safely while you are away and easily accessible. It depends how often you visit, but with the cost of taxis it can quickly pay for itself.

The MOT ( IVA) is due after 4 years, then every two years until the car is 10 years old then it needs doing every year. Cost is about €95. It is easy to take your car in to get an IVA. There is a centre in Inca, Manacor and Palma.

We did all the sums and for us it was cheaper to buy a car. New cars are cheaper than UK for the same model.

Hope that helps

 

[Sparky]

Just to clarify the MOT is called the ITV in Spain. IVA is the Spanish equivalent of VAT .

 

[alcanadakid]

Just to clarify the MOT is called the ITV in Spain. IVA is the Spanish equivalent of VAT .

You are quite correct Sparky, I got my I's and V's mixed up!

 

[bobley]

I cant believe that parking at the airport is effectively €3/day. I did accidentally park up on level 4 or 5 once and wondered why everything looked like it had been abandoned!

 

[JPALCOVER]

Hello, there. If you spend less than 90 days per year in PdP, your are probably better off (cost/benefit) renting. In some cases, you can get the best prices by renting in three installments of 28 days rather than a single 90 day period).

 

[alcanadakid]

I cant believe that parking at the airport is effectively €3/day. I did accidentally park up on level 4 or 5 once and wondered why everything looked like it had been abandoned!

With the €995 annual contract you can park on any floor except level 4 and are restricted to 24 entries and exits. Level 4 is higher (€1300, I think), and has unlimited entry and exits.