Back to Europe! What Germans Cars Should You Consider Bringing from the US?

German cars are considered high-quality and prestigious all over the world, even in America. It seems strange, but bringing a German car from America is often cheaper and more reliable than buying the same one in Germany. So which cars should you buy in the US to allow for maximum savings?

Columbus professionals have selected 5 of the most reliable cars of German brands whose models from America can offer you hefty savings since buying the same cars in Georgia would be 20-30% more expensive.

Traditionally, we consider the most cars for customs friendly cars in 2024: 3-5 years old, with minimal damage and a price indication that already includes the cost of delivery and customs clearance.

1. VOLKSWAGEN JETTA S (2020)

• Engine: 1.4 L, 147 hp

• Transmission: manual transmission, automatic transmission

• Drive: front

• Fuel consumption: 5.9 - 7.8 l/100 km (highway - city)

• Reliability rating: 85 out of 100 (excellent)

The Volkswagen Jetta is considered the best choice for those looking for a small, reliable sedan with a decent sized interior and good fuel efficiency. It is a typical representative of the German automobile industry, although it has a conditional relation to Germany - after all, the seventh generation Jetta is assembled in Mexico. The city of Pueblo is home to more than a VW assembly plant. It is also a home to one of the largest enterprises in North America, the second largest foreign plant, supplying the markets of the two Americas with VW models like the Jetta, Taos (the local little brother of the Tiguan), the Tiguan itself and the T- Roc.

It should be noted that assembly in Mexico has not had any negative effect on the quality of the cars: the Germans managed to establish production as best they know how. This is evidenced, in particular, by the high reliability ratings of vehicle that came off the assembly line in Pueblo. According to the JD Power scale (a US company providing global marketing and information analysis), the Mexican-assembled Jetta sedan has a reliability score of 85 points out of 100, which is considered an excellent result.

Of course, the car cannot be called a sports one, like some of its competitors, but the that was not the goal of its creators. This is a reliable car, not without a certain charm that will take you from point A to point B with decent comfort for the driver and passengers. Everything in the interior and exterior inside is of high quality and good looking, as well as thorough as most things German.

Despite the fact that the Jetta is the most inexpensive car in the Volkswagen line, the influence of its corporate brother Audi A3 on its design is visible to the naked eye. For example, one of the Jetta's interior elements, the Digital Cockpit, previously debuted in the Audi TT under the name Virtual Cockpit.

The car has 7 trim levels to suit every taste: S, SE, R-Line, SEL, SEL Premium, GLI S and GLI Autobahn.

And even the simplest S, as befits a car meant for American market, has a decent set of features and equipment.

The 147-horsepower 1.4L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine is available with either a 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic transmission.

Other standard features include cloth upholstery, 60/40 split-folding rear seats, a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a four-speaker audio system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, Bluetooth, a Wi-Fi hotspot, 2 USB ports and rear view camera.

Thanks to the 1.4-liter turbo engine, the American Jetta has ideal fuel consumption for its class. And it is identical for the same car regardless of whether it has a manual or automatic transmission - 5.9 liters per 100km when driving on the highway, and 7.8 liters in the city.

Price with delivery from the USA and customs clearance: from $12,500

2. VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN (2021)

• Engine: 2.0 L, 184 hp

• Transmission: Automatic

• Drive: front, full

• Fuel consumption: 8.4 - 18.1 L/100 km (highway - city)

• Reliability rating: 76 out of 100 (good)

In recent years, Americans have been increasingly turning to SUVs, so the Tiguan compact crossover came in handy on the US and Canadian markets. 

Right off the bat this car impresses with its high-tech interior and premium finishing materials. It is also a rare breed of small SUVs that offer third row seats. There are only four of these on the local scene - the Korean Kia Sorento, the Japanese Mitsubishi Outlander and the American Dodge Journey. But they are all much larger than the German.

Despite its modest dimensions, the Tiguan offers impressive interior space, allowing it to accommodate up to 7 people, provided the third row is meant for children.

The car is quite practical. Large door openings make it relatively easy to get in and out of the cabin, even for third-row passengers. Thanks to the large window area and compact pillars, the driver has excellent visibility.

The 2021 Tiguan comes in five trim levels: S, SE, SE R-Line Black, SEL and SEL Premium R-Line. All of them have the same 2-liter turbo engine, paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The dirst 4 come with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive with all front drive having third-row seats which is optional for all-wheel drive.

The base S trim is well equipped, with a 6.5-inch touchscreen, 6-speaker audio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, Bluetooth, a USB port, a Wi-Fi hotspot, keyless entry, and several basic active safety systems.

The SE looks like a better choice though – the fabric upholstery is replaced with eco-leather, the touch screen is increased to 8 inches, it offers heated front seats, a power driver's seat, satellite radio, HD radio, 2 additional USB ports, keyless entry, push-button engine start and dual-zone automatic climate control.

More expensive editions have genuine leather trim, a digital instrument panel, a panoramic sunroof, parking sensors and more advanced active safety systems.

The 2-liter engine with 184 hp is more than enough for everything a compact crossover owner would need. Within reason of course and following the slow and steady wins the race principle.

A fair description of the Tiguan would be a high-tech, stylish and comfortable crossover for family use.

Price with delivery from the USA and customs clearance: from $20,900

 

3. VOLKSWAGEN E-GOLF SE (2019)

• Engine: electric, 134 hp

• Transmission: Automatic

• Drive: front

• Range: up to 180-190 km on one charge

• Reliability rating: 75 out of 100 (good)

If you want to make sure that others know you are driving an electric car, then the Volkswagen e-Golf... is not it! On the contrary, VW engineers did everything possible to ensure that the electric version of the popular Golf hatchback retains its familiar exterior and interior as well as its gasoline habits. This “normality” of the e-Golf is one of its strengths. 

2019, alas, was the last year of the car’s production for the American market – its run on the assembly line in Mexico lasted for only 4 years, so today you won’t be able to one younger than 5 years old, unless you can find a pure European e-Golf which was assembled at Dresden and Wolfsburg factories till the end of 2020.

Meanwhile, the e-Golf's trim and equipment were richer than the regular Golf's. The car came with the advanced Volkswagen Discover Pro infotainment system, an 8-speaker audio system and dual-zone automatic climate control. Additionally, the SE 2019 models included a fast charger as standard.

The range of the new car is up to 175 miles (a little over 280 km). Considering that electric vehicle batteries lose 1-2% of their range per year, a 5-year-old e-Golf should easily cover at least 180 km on a single charge. The manufacturer also offers 8-year warranty on the battery.

It should be noted that unlike the gasoline version of the Golf, the basic e-Golf SE did not have any driver assistance features other than a rear-view camera required by the US regulations. But a wide range of safety systems was optionally available - from adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring to forward collision warning systems, pedestrian detection, autonomous emergency braking, and so on.

The Volkswagen e-Golf also had the top SEL Premium edition, with a 9.2-inch touchscreen, navigation system, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel. It came standard with all possible active safety and driver assistance systems, but this car is not easy to find as it had a higher price tag (without being equipped with fast charging).

Price with delivery from the USA and customs clearance: from $14,600

4. BMW X3 XDRIVE30I (2021)

• Engine: 2.0 L, 248 hp

• Transmission: Automatic

• Drive: full

• Fuel consumption: 8.1 - 10.2 L/100 km (highway - city)

• Reliability rating: 81 out of 100 (excellent)

The X3 compact luxury SUV has it all: practicality, safety, comfort, technology and performance. It's the most balanced model in BMW's X line-up, giving its owner more interior space than the X1 and X2, while maintaining a reasonable price compared to the larger X5. 

The X3 has not yet been passed on to Mexico - the X-series is assembled in the US, at the BMW plant in South Carolina.

The X3's interior not only looks rich, but is also well thought out. It has enough space for passengers and luggage, so a run to the supermarket or a trip with a bunch of family belongings will not be a problem. The X3's handling combines comfort and sportiness; the 2-liter base turbo engine is powerful one to take you 0-100 km/h in just 6 seconds, and the xDrive AWD will keep is great off-road.

The X3's pros include an easy-to-use infotainment system and excellent JD Power reliability ratings (81 out of 100).

In 2021, the X3 got more standard features across all editions (of which it had four – 30i, 30e, M40i and M) like Android Auto support and a new package of active safety systems.

The all-wheel drive xDrive30i edition does not differ from the rear-wheel drive except for the slightly better fuel efficiency of the latter. 

Both are equipped with a 248-horsepower engine and an 8-speed automatic transmission, have the iDrive infotainment system with a 10.2-inch touch screen, a navigation system, Bluetooth, 2 USB ports, HD radio, satellite radio, a 12-speaker stereo system and Wi-Fi access point.

Standard features include keyless entry, push-button start, three-zone automatic climate control, SensaTec synthetic leather upholstery, 10-way power front seats, a power liftgate, dual parking sensors, a rearview camera, LED headlights and 18-inch alloy wheels.

The active safety and driver assistance systems include forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring and lane departure warning. 

The list of available options is also extensive: there is leather upholstery and seats, ventilated/heated front and rear seats, heated steering wheel, panoramic sunroof, 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, and a Harman Kardon stereo system with 16 speakers. And there is still more including parking assistance systems and adaptive suspension. 

Price with delivery from the USA and customs clearance: from $30,000

 
5. AUDI A4 PREMIUM (2020)

• Engine: 2.0 L, 188-248 hp.

• Transmission: Automatic

• Drive: front, full

• Fuel consumption: 6.7 - 8.7 L/100 km (highway - city)

• Reliability rating: 74 out of 100 (good)

For the 2020 model year, Audi has updated its popular A4 model with an impressive combination of luxury and technology. The car got an MMI infotainment system with a large 10.1-inch high-resolution touch screen, the appearance of the car changed (the body became even more teardrop-shaped), and the manual transmission shift knob disappeared. 

The 2020 A4 has a signature balanced ride, powerful and quite efficientl engine for the premium standard. The base 2-liter unit with 188 hp is worth a separate praise. Paired with a 7-speed dual clutch automatic transmission, it accelerates the car to 100 km/h in 7.1 seconds. In everyday driving, the engine is smooth and quiet with almost imperceptible gear changes, and city consumption less than 8.7 L/100 km (with  front-wheel drive). 

Audi A4 sedans are available in three trim levels: Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige. The first is basic and, perhaps, optimal - it only lacks a full package of active safety systems. However, the basic systems are available, and the advanced ones were installed only on Premium, and then as options, so don’t rush to get upset.

As standard, the Premium package was equipped with a 2-liter 188-horsepower engine with 248-horsepower engine and Quattro all-wheel drive optionally available.

The basics include leather upholstery, electrically and heated front seats, push-button engine start, keyless entry, three-zone automatic climate control, sunroof, rear view camera, Audi Pre Sense City/Audi Pre Sense Basic active safety system packages, 10-speaker stereo, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support, 2 USB ports, Bluetooth and HD Radio.

The car's suspension is a bit harsh, but it steers well, and American auto journalists hailed its brakes as one of the best in the class. In general, the A4 is a car that is difficult to find an issue with. This is a worthy purchase compared to more expensive competitors.

Price with delivery from the USA and customs clearance: from $19,500

Sources: Cars.usnews.com, Edmunds.com