Bonjour tour le monde! I just booked my initial 3-month residence for my upcoming move to France at the end of May - hugely excited! One of my next questions is: wiuld it be better to purchase a car in/near Paris when I arrive and drive it down to my new home, or to wait and buy it in or closer to the city I will be living in? I will be staying for my first three months in Castelnaudary, between Carcassonne and Toulouse.
Any thoughts or experiences? TIA!
Buy where you are going to be. Most likely cheaper and better after sales service.
If you’re buying a used car, particularly a German marque with higher than average spec, I strongly recommend Reezocar’s service, which I’ve posted about before and would certainly use again if in a position to wait a few weeks before delivery.
Tell them what you want and they’ll search most of Western Europe, get a 32 point independent mechanic’s report, which they may also use to knock the price down a bit They’ll also handle the import, transferral to French plates and for an extra charge deliver it to wherever. Last but not least there’s a 12 month mechanical guarantee, which is more than you’ll get from most French s/h dealers.
Wouldn’t at all recommend a private seller.
We’ve found choice very limited, if you’re not near a big city and don’t want a French car.
Well I wouldn’t buy in Paris. We found most garages sourced cars across France (we haven’t bought French cars) so choice as good as anywhere else in France. At the time there was a huge shortage of new cars so fewer 2nd hand available and we ended up with a car that was a higher spec overall than original plan.
But then all we wanted was a car that worked with a sun roof. Nothing recherchée.
Fantastic! I will definitely connect with them. I have six months.
Oh no, that’s a shame, they were so good!
In light of Reezocar’s apparent demise, I’ll try to offer some more useful advice!
Smaller cars are obviously less hassle in old French towns and villages with narrow mediaeval streets. But no matter what size of car, push button, easily retractable mirrors can be one less source of worry when driving as well as when parked
While you are visiting look at hiring a car from a local supermarket. That can be very good value.
Spoticar is the network for Stellantis*, they might be useful.
*It’s the umbrella term for Citroën Fiat Peugeot Chrysler and I can’t remember who else
La centrale is another big network (we got our last car via them) But here is some guidance no matter who you buy from
Don’t disagree, but think that depends on duration and what you’re comparing it to. We recently hired from Leclerc Auto after our (Reezocar) BM was destroyed in a head-on collision with a crazy Frenchwomen (the resulting thread was just before you joined SF). Looking at our insurance claim for the little hire car, the cost from 6/9 to 2/10 was €460. This was with a comparatively low cost per day and just daily local travel.
I hate to say it but the last time I saw that wording on a German company website they had gone bust, were in receivership and continuing to trade only as it was approaching Christnas so an opportunity to clear stocks if tbey continued.
Such a shame, that company had also made a point of being good to deal with.
Avoid ADBlue cars! 
I have apparently, and unwittingly, done just that. 
oh dear… but you’ll likely have plenty to post on SF now ! Obviously there are horror stories about ADBlue, but i imagine the majority of people get by relatively unscathed. I hear most people get an issue by 100000km or is it miles? and have to replace the system. I read (could be myth) that the onboard computer is programmed to give the countdown to doom at that landmark figure regardless of whether the internal ADBlue parts are worn out or not. Good luck with yours. Which brand of car? I’ve only really read bad stuff about Citroen and Peugeot, mainly because of the type of van i was after.
I think you’ve misread David’s post. 
Note his joy emoji.
yes! you are correct. well done david
Yes, thank you @SuePJ 
Perhaps I should have used a slightly longer sentence, thus:
I have 2 cars from pre AdBlue era and, due to my satisfaction with both of them, and my advanced age, I have no intention of ever buying another one.
