Buy in France or Import from Germany? The Verdict by Budget (2026)

"I have this budget: do I buy in France or import from Germany?" It's the question we're asked most. The honest answer often surprises people: it isn't your budget that decides, it's the car's powertrain and year. Here are five worked examples, and the rule to settle your case.

The short answer

• Under €40,000: rarely worth it. Import costs eat most of the gap.
• From €40,000 to €80,000: yes for a 2022-2024 plug-in hybrid or an electric car; no for a recent combustion sports car.
• Above €80,000: very worthwhile for electric or hybrid; a recent combustion car can, on the contrary, cost more than in France.

The three figures that decide

1. The price gap with France: around 15 to 20% on a recent premium used car, according to our 2026 price guide.
2. Import costs: €3,500 to €7,500 in total (transport, certificate of conformity, registration, inspection and, if you delegate, broker fees). The details are in our guide to what an import really costs.
3. The French penalty tax: it makes or breaks the deal. In France, a used car's penalty tax has already been paid by its first owner. When you import, you pay it, based on the scale of the year of first registration and with an age-based reduction.

Five worked examples

Prices come from our 2026 price guide, for comparable cars on both sides of the border. The penalty tax follows the scale of the year of first registration, with the reduction applicable to a car imported at the end of 2026. These are orders of magnitude: the exact figure depends on the specific car.

How to read these penalty tax figures:

• The 320d emits, depending on the version, around 120 to 135 g of CO2: the 2023 scale starts at 123 g and is €310 at 135 g, before reduction. Its mass stays below the 2023 weight tax threshold (1,800 kg).
• The X5 xDrive45e is a plug-in hybrid with a city electric range of 87 to 99 km: first registered in 2022, it's fully exempt.
• The M3 (around 227 g) and the 911 Carrera S (around 230 to 240 g) exceed 224 g: they hit the 2022 cap of €40,000, brought down to €24,800 to €26,800 by a 33 to 38% reduction depending on the month of registration.
• The Taycan is electric: no penalty tax.

The verdict, budget by budget

Under €40,000: rarely worth it

On a recent premium saloon, the gap with Germany is around €6,000 to €7,000. Once import costs are paid, a few thousand euros remain at best, sometimes nothing. Importing mainly makes sense for a configuration you can't find in France (colour, options, trim) or for an electric car.

From €40,000 to €80,000: it all comes down to the powertrain

This is the bracket where the gap becomes interesting, and where the penalty tax makes all the difference:

• a plug-in hybrid first registered between 2022 and 2024, or an electric car, is imported with no penalty tax: most of the gap stays in your pocket;
• a recent combustion sports car loses everything: its penalty tax exceeds the price gap.

The list of SUVs that qualify with no penalty tax is in our article on which premium SUVs to import with no penalty tax.

Above €80,000: the biggest gains, and the biggest traps

The gap runs into tens of thousands of euros. An electric car like a Porsche Taycan can save €17,000 to €21,000. But a recent combustion car at the penalty tax cap, like a 2022 911, on the contrary costs more imported than bought in France.

For a combustion sports car, aim instead for an older model year: the penalty tax cap was about €10,500 in 2019, versus €40,000 in 2022, and the age-based reduction is larger. It's then calculated case by case.

The rule in three questions

1. Which powertrain? Electric or plug-in hybrid: favourable. Powerful combustion engine: the penalty tax will weigh heavily.
2. Which year of first registration? It sets the penalty tax scale and its reduction.
3. Does the gap exceed costs + penalty tax? If clearly yes, import. If not, buy in France.

How Auto M Import settles your case

Before any search, we calculate the real total cost of importing your project: German price, costs, the exact penalty tax based on the year of first registration. We compare it with the French price, and we tell you frankly whether importing is worth it, or not.

In summary

• It isn't the budget that decides, it's the powertrain and the year of the car.
• Under €40,000: rarely worth it, except for a configuration you can't find.
• 2022-2024 plug-in hybrid or electric car: importing saves thousands to tens of thousands of euros.
• Recent combustion sports car: the penalty tax often exceeds the gap; an older model year can change everything.
• The right method: price gap minus costs minus penalty tax, calculated before buying.