Car tips, detailing and import guides in Switzerland
Tips, tricks and news from the automotive world for premium vehicle enthusiasts.
Used Audi R8: generations and what to check
Buying a used Audi R8: Type 42 or 4S, V8 or V10, manual, R tronic or S tronic. What to check on the test drive, wear items to budget, papers to ask for.
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Keep or replace your car: the real cost of ownership
Keep your car or replace it? A cost-of-ownership method: depreciation, upcoming maintenance, insurance, tax, and the point where replacing makes sense.
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Used Audi RS Q3: generations and what to check
8U or F3: the Audi RS Q3 generations, the equipment to look for and a test-drive checklist to tell a good used example from a bad one in Switzerland.
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Car not selling? How to find what is holding it back
Listing live for weeks, few messages or only lowball offers? Read how buyers react to find out what to fix first: the ad, the photos or the price.
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Wrap or PPF on a leased car: what to check first
Your car is leased and you want a wrap or PPF? Leasing company consent, film removal, return inspection: what to check before the installation.
Read article→Test drives: who pays if a buyer damages your car
A buyer wants to test drive your car: who is liable if it is damaged, what casco cover pays, and what to settle before you hand over the keys.
Read article→Leaving Switzerland: selling your car before you go
Leaving Switzerland? How much time to allow for the sale, what to do with plates and insurance, and how to sell your car once you are abroad.
Read article→Buying a car on consignment: who is the seller
Buying a car sold on consignment: who signs as the seller, which warranty applies, how to negotiate, who to pay and how the test drive works.
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Selling a car with an outstanding loan: the steps
Car loan not paid off yet? Retention of title, code 178, early settlement, order of payments: the steps to sell your car without a nasty surprise.
Read article→When to sell your car: age, mileage and season
Before which mileage, before or after the inspection, in which season? The milestones that lower your car's value, and how to plan the sale around them.
Read article→Selling a deceased relative's car: who can sign
A relative has died and the car is in their name? Who can sell it, which documents you need, and what to do with plates and insurance meanwhile.
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Wheels, headlights, trim: restore or replace?
Scuffed wheels, hazy headlights, faded trim: what a workshop can restore, what must be replaced, and when to do it before a sale or a leasing return.
Read article→Private car sale contract in Switzerland: key clauses
What a Swiss private car sale contract must contain: parties, vehicle, mileage, disclosed faults, payment, and the clauses that protect nobody.
Read article→Cash, loan or leasing: which really costs you less
Cash, consumer loan or leasing for a used car in Switzerland: total cost, ownership, flexibility if you resell early, and the insurance each one requires.
Read article→Repairs before selling a car: what pays you back
Expertise, tyres, servicing, small defects: which repairs pay for themselves before you sell a car in Switzerland, and which ones you never get back.
Read article→Car lease declined: what the lender checks
Affordability check, IKO, ZEK, debt records, residence permit: what a Swiss lender checks before approving a car lease, and what to fix before reapplying.
Read article→Selling your car: how to avoid payment scams
Fake transfers, payment screenshots, overpayment refunds, buyers abroad: the scams aimed at private car sellers, and the one rule that gets you paid.
Read article→Hidden defects: what a private seller risks in Switzerland
A fault found months after the sale, sold-as-seen clauses, notice deadlines: what Swiss law puts on the shoulders of a private used-car seller.
Read article→End of a car lease: handing the car back without surprises
Return inspection, fair wear and tear, excess mileage: what you may be charged when you hand your car back at the end of a car lease in Switzerland.
Read article→Vehicle inspection in Switzerland: how the check works
Appointment, items checked, common failures and re-inspection: how a Swiss vehicle inspection actually works, and how to prepare your car for it.
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Leaving a lease early in Switzerland: what it costs
Termination, transfer, buyout: the five ways to leave a Swiss lease before its term, what each one costs, and how to choose the right one.
Read article→Used car valuation: what actually sets the price
Mileage, service history, inspection, options, wrapping: what genuinely drives the value of a used car in Switzerland, and what barely moves it.
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Consignment car selling in Switzerland: how it works
Consignment car selling in Switzerland: who sets the price, who collects the money, when you get paid and who answers for defects. The full process.
Read article→Taking over a car lease in Switzerland: how it works
Taking over an existing lease often costs less than a conventional purchase. Conditions, pitfalls and checks before committing.
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Car wrapping in Switzerland: price, lifespan and registration
How long a wrap lasts, what makes the price vary, and why a colour change must be reported to the cantonal vehicle authority.
Read article→Buying a used car near Montreux: 8 things to check
Inspection, service history, import papers, warranty: eight checks that prevent unpleasant surprises when buying used on the Swiss Riviera.
Read article→Selling your car fast in Switzerland: the 3 options
Private sale, dealer buy-back or sale or return: what each option pays, what it costs you in time, and the documents to gather before you sell.
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Importing a car into Switzerland: the steps in order
Transport, customs, cantonal inspection and plates: the steps of importing a vehicle into Switzerland, in order, and the pitfalls to avoid.
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Buying a Used Car in Switzerland: The Complete Guide
Where to look, how to read a listing, negotiate, finance, gather the paperwork and register the car: the full process for buying used in Switzerland.
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Car PPF: priority areas, lifespan and maintenance
PPF shields the paint from stone chips and UV. Where to fit it first, how it differs from a colour wrap, how long it lasts and how to look after it.
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Car detailing: cleaning, correcting, protecting
Decontamination, paint correction, ceramic coating and leather care: what detailing covers, and what separates it from a careful wash.
Read article→Looking after a high-end car: five practical tips
Washing, paint protection, tyres, service intervals and battery: five practical tips for looking after a high-end car on the Vaud Riviera.
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