One of the frequent questions asked by our subscribers living in Portugal is why it's worth buying a car from the external market in Germany when it's possible to buy one internally in Portugal. Let's address this.
Every newcomer to the country notes that Portugal is a country of cars. Its roads traverse it far and wide, and outside major cities, one simply can't go anywhere without a car — not even to the grocery store. The country is tailored for personal transport.
However, buying a car in Portugal can be a headache: limited choice, high prices, high mileage, poor service quality, and subpar conditions. Moreover, waiting for a car from a dealer can take up to six months. Despite all this, the need for reliable wheels remains.
When it comes to searching for a car in Portugal, options are limited. Websites like Standvirtual, OLX, AutoSapo, and CustoJusto offer a narrow selection of a couple of dozen models. Typically, you'll find only 10-50 options on the entire domestic market. Additionally, many car stands lack websites.
Moreover, conservative Portuguese tend to dislike automatic gearboxes, so over half of the market consists of manual transmission cars. Diesel is also preferred to save about 10% on fuel costs, although this is debatable due to expensive diesel repairs and fuel costs.
In summary, the internal car market in Portugal is very specific. The cost of older cars with high mileage (>150,000 km) is extremely high, yet people still want to drive fun cars. Additionally, cars on the internal market in Portugal are 20-30% more expensive than in the rest of Europe.
Every newcomer to the country notes that Portugal is a country of cars. Its roads traverse it far and wide, and outside major cities, one simply can't go anywhere without a car — not even to the grocery store. The country is tailored for personal transport.
However, buying a car in Portugal can be a headache: limited choice, high prices, high mileage, poor service quality, and subpar conditions. Moreover, waiting for a car from a dealer can take up to six months. Despite all this, the need for reliable wheels remains.
When it comes to searching for a car in Portugal, options are limited. Websites like Standvirtual, OLX, AutoSapo, and CustoJusto offer a narrow selection of a couple of dozen models. Typically, you'll find only 10-50 options on the entire domestic market. Additionally, many car stands lack websites.
Moreover, conservative Portuguese tend to dislike automatic gearboxes, so over half of the market consists of manual transmission cars. Diesel is also preferred to save about 10% on fuel costs, although this is debatable due to expensive diesel repairs and fuel costs.
In summary, the internal car market in Portugal is very specific. The cost of older cars with high mileage (>150,000 km) is extremely high, yet people still want to drive fun cars. Additionally, cars on the internal market in Portugal are 20-30% more expensive than in the rest of Europe.
