We are considering relocating to India with our present cars for a couple of years. The problem is that our car models are not available there. So, we would like to take a few spares with us - Question is - what do you all suggest?
The cars are - Toyota Avalon 2000 and Mitsubishi Galant 2001
In case you are unaware of the road conditions in India - disastrous is being polite. Indian roads make Mexico look downright desirable - lots of potholes, dust and pollution in the air, etc., not to mention the year round tropical weather conditions
I wouldn’t take anything, except for maybe a few oil and air filters. You can buy just about everything you need over the Internet and have it shipped to you there.
I’d just sell them. While you like them, they are nothing special and can be easily replaced when you return. Do you really want to subject your cars to those terrible roads? would they be worth brining back when you return? If the roads you wil travel on will be that bad, get a Land Cruiser or something equivalent. BTW, here’s a URL that discusses importing cars to India:
http://www.iloveindia.com/cars/imported-cars/index.html
Do you really want to drive your American cars on the other side of the road? Will India let you? It is not clear whether these regulations apply to all cars or just those for sale. It is clear that you could not sell them when you leave. You would have to ship them home no matter what.
I agree. Leave the cars behind and buy something there.
the requirements that are listed on the web page that jtsanders notes make it almost impossible. eg, right hand steering is required.
We’ve had a number of posts on this subject and in all cases we discouraged our posters from taking anything like a car overseas. Or bring back cars that did not meet US safety and environmental requirements.
A colleague of mine some years back was tranferred to Australia, and the company paid to have the car shipped over. It was an Olds 88 convertible, something Aussies drool over!
However that car is not sold in Australia and he had to convert it to right hand drive, just as you would have to. Parts were hard to get (air express) and mechanics were baffled by the big V8. The whole thing cost him a fortune, but the company only paid the transport; he left it there after the 2 year assignment.
I would not even entertain the thought of doing it. We spent 5 years in SE Asia and drove local cars that could easily be fixed by local mechanics.