Romanian consumers used to buy second-hand Dacia cars from the former East Germany in the early nineties because of the very low price of such cars, only DEM10 at the time and of the rumors that the cars, which had been made to be exported, were better built than those sold in Romania.
The people who are buying an imported second-hand Dacia from Germany do it because the owners take better care of their cars there.
“Many people in Romania choose the cheapest solutions when it comes to maintenance or skip the regular checks altogether. The same goes for fuel, as some use truck diesel to save money, while in Germany people use quality diesel for their cars,” says Silviu S., who owns a Duster he bought in Germany in 2012 and is now selling it in Romania.
Another factor is the lower price in Germany than in Romania. A Sandero Stepway with a 90 HP 1.5-liter engine running on diesel, top trim including navigation, costs EUR6,500 there, while in Romania costs at least EUR1,000 more.
More and more car dealers have entered the used car market, as the number of new car registrations stood at more than EUR80,000 last year, while the number imported second hand car registrations stood at more than 220,000.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)