Insight in Germany

[phil.stratton]

I may be moving from the US to Germany. Should I take my Insight with me or sell it before I go? If I take it, can I get maintenance done there, or can I at least get access to the 0W20 oil and do it myself? Does it hold up on the Autobahn?

Thanks for your help

Phil

[Tim Maddux]

I don't know of a reason why you couldn't take it. You might be spending extra money on the service manual, shipping for oil or parts. I found that you can drive safely at just about any speed on the Autobahn, because everyone is following a predictable ruleset (stay to the right, pass on the left).

[windmill]

Hello Phil,

Take your Insight with you !!! It is possible in Germany to perform full maintenance on the Insight. I bought mine also in Germany and it performs verry well on the German Highway, I think that there are around 100+ Insights in Germany.
Ask No:166 !!! (the only German on this forum I think)
If you are in Germany let us know, I am the only one in Holland/the Netherlands with the Insight, it is always nice to meet fellow Insightowners We still need to organise a European meeting!!

[No. 166]

Originally Posted by Tim Maddux

........ I found that you can drive safely at just about any speed on the Autobahn, because everyone is following a predictable ruleset (stay to the right, pass on the left).

There is NO reason whatsoever, why you shouldn't take it with you. It may be rare but my dealer did a very nice job with the side-panel change in perticular and the servicing in general.
Just as if it is a normal Civic

And for the "ruleset": Complete bollocks ! Stay away from the Autobahn with the Insight or you'll have the car behind so close, you can see your own reflection in the drivers eyes
Everything under 110 kph is a traffic obstacle, even the trucks from Eastern-Europe overtake you with that speed no matter-what. Normally limited to 80 kph.....
The Germans tend to drive like complete maniacs. As for vehicles, the (Mercedes) Diesel delivery-vans are the worst, as they do drive 180 kph......

To what part of Germany are you moving to btw

[james]

"Everything under 110 kph is a traffic obstacle..."

Yeah, but how often do I drive under that speed? Though maybe a turbo mod would be a good idea

I may be moving to Europe also (Switzerland). Going for a couple months trial early next year, then move May or June if it works out. Haven't yet done more than cursory search on auto shipping and so on, but so far it looks reasonable.

[phil.stratton]

I'm looking at a job in southwestern Germany close to the border with France. Right now I'm in Washington DC, so keeping it over 110kph isn't an issue. Anything slower than that is a hazard in the HOV lanes, too!

Phil

[sippin]

I'd definitely take it. Have you seen what they charge for a liter of petrol over there?

I can't wait for the day gas prices go through the roof here in the states. We'll be laughing all the way to the bank!

[windmill]

Originally Posted by sippin

Have you seen what they charge for a liter of petrol over there?

About 1.15 Euro for 1 liter=$1.54 US dollar

[james]

Yeah, but for some reason they don't seem to care I have friends who lived in Britain for 5 years or so. He was an exec with a major computer firm, and they gave him company cars as perks. But would they give him something fun? Heck, no: had to be about the biggest petrol-sucking thing in BMW's lineup. Some sort of status thing, I suppose.

On top of the petrol cost, he'd manage to knock off a side mirror every month or so, navigating the narrow lanes, at a couple of hundred per.

[The Citrus Smoothie]

Originally Posted by james

I have friends who lived in Britain for 5 years or so.... had to be about the biggest petrol-sucking thing in BMW's lineup. Some sort of status thing, I suppose.
On top of the petrol cost, he'd manage to knock off a side mirror every month or so, navigating the narrow lanes, at a couple of hundred.

Yep, us British can be very snobbish when it comes to cars; it is a status thing here, keeping up with the Jones's, old class system etc - that is one of the reasons we end up paying over the odds for our cars.

I like the "navigating narrow lanes" bit - you get used to driving within inches of oncoming vehicles. I was only reminded of this recently when I had to drive some of my wife's American relatives around in my sister-in-laws Accord (they were over for a funeral) and they would be flinching even though I was driving like an old man and going through gaps wide enough to get a bus through!!

As everyone knows, petrol costs are sky high here in the UK but it doesn't stop people buying SUVs (the X5 has great "I'm better than you" appeal). Those harbingers of doom in America that claim the economy will grind to a halt if petrol was $5 a gallon are wrong - people would not give up their cars and would find the money to keep driving everywhere, just as they do here.