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How to buy a car with your eyes open
Practical guides: what to check before you buy, how to read a paint-thickness report, what US customs clearance actually costs, and how to spot a rolled-back odometer.
February 10, 2026 · 7 min read
How to inspect a car before buying in Georgia: the full checklist
Nine out of ten cars on the Georgian market carry hidden defects that don't show up in photos or in a five-minute look-over. Below is the order professionals actually check a car in.
March 4, 2026 · 8 min read
US car import customs clearance in Georgia: excise, VAT and a full breakdown
The auction hammer price is usually less than two thirds of what a US car ends up costing you. The rest is auction fees, shipping, excise and VAT, the part buyers rarely calculate ahead of time and almost always underestimate.
April 2, 2026 · 6 min read
Rolled-back odometers: how to spot one and avoid overpaying
Rolling back an odometer takes an hour and leaves no marks on the dashboard. But mileage isn't stored in one place: it's logged in the control modules, in the service history, and in the wear on parts a seller never thinks to fake.
May 6, 2026 · 5 min read
Paint-thickness gauges: what the device shows and how to read the results
A paint gauge is the fastest way to find out whether a car has been in an accident, even on a perfectly polished body. Its readings can't be argued with, but you need to know how to interpret them.
June 18, 2026 · 7 min read
Buying from Copart and IAAI: how to pick a lot and not overpay
Copart and IAAI are the largest used and salvage car auctions in the US, and that's where most cars on the Georgian market actually come from. The gap between a good lot and a multi-thousand-dollar mistake comes down to how carefully the listing gets read.
July 5, 2026 · 5 min read
Bid deposits on US auctions: how much to put down and what happens if you walk away
Before bidding on a US auction you put down a guarantee deposit to show the bid is serious. If a lot is won and never paid for, the auction keeps a penalty equal to that deposit. Here's how the rules differ by platform.
March 19, 2026 · 8 min read
The 2026 excise rules: why a car up to six years old costs you less
Buyers instinctively shop older and cheaper, then get a customs bill that wipes out the savings. Since April 2, 2026 the excise on cars over six years old is exactly three times the rate for younger cars. That one line, not the hammer price, usually decides what you actually pay.
April 21, 2026 · 8 min read
How to legally cut your customs bill on an EV in Georgia
An EV has no engine displacement, which, with left-hand drive, knocks out the excise that became the biggest line on a customs bill on April 2, 2026. Here's what actually stays on the bill for an electric car, why a hybrid needs to be six years old or younger, and where the savings turn out smaller than sellers promise.
May 27, 2026 · 7 min read
Why Carfax can lie: reporting lag and how to check by hand
Carfax is a useful tool, but it isn't a government accident registry. It's a commercial database that records what it gets told. Between a real crash and a line in the report sits a chain of several links, and any one of them can break.
July 14, 2026 · 8 min read
Five ways a serious accident gets hidden at the Rustavi car market
Rustavi is the largest used car market in the region, and the standard of pre-sale prep there is high enough that a seriously damaged car becomes visually flawless in a week. Here are the five most common techniques, and how to test for each one.
March 19, 2026 · 9 min read
Toyota RAV4 and Camry prices in 2026: buy in Georgia or import from the US?
The RAV4 and the Camry are the two best-selling cars on the Georgian market, which makes them the clearest illustration of where importing from the US actually saves money, and where it just means spending the same money more slowly and with more risk.
April 23, 2026 · 8 min read
Expat guide: buying and registering a car in Georgia in one day
In Georgia a foreigner can buy a car and register it in their own name with no residence permit, no local address and no middleman, and the whole thing fits into one working day. Here's the order of operations, the paperwork, and the usual places where one day turns into a week.
May 28, 2026 · 9 min read
Importing from Germany: when it beats the US auctions
US auctions have long been Georgia's default route, but that doesn't make them always the right one. For several categories of car, Germany and its neighboring European markets win on timeline, on condition, and sometimes on landed cost too.
July 16, 2026 · 8 min read
Cars from Japan and Korea in 2026: the case for and against right-hand drive
Japanese auctions give the most honest condition reports of any market in the world, and Korea offers cheap, recent, left-hand-drive crossovers. Here's what's actually worth importing from Asia into Georgia in 2026, and why the triple excise rate on right-hand drive decides almost everything.
October 10, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Check a Car by VIN in Georgia: Liens, Accidents and Mileage
A VIN check is the cheapest filter before buying a car in Georgia: it shows accidents, mileage records and auction history. Match the number in three places, order the report for the car's country of origin, and get liens checked when the car is re-registered at an MIA Service Agency center.
October 10, 2026 · 6 min read
Rustavi Car Market: How to Buy a Car Without Overpaying
Rustavi is Georgia's largest car market, and the main trading days are Saturday and Sunday. Most sellers are dealers and popular cars under $15,000 sell within one to two weeks, so plan the checks before you go.
October 10, 2026 · 5 min read
Which Cars Are Worth Importing from the US to Georgia in 2026
Since April 2, 2026, Georgia's car excise depends on age, and the six-year line is worth thousands of lari: with a 2.5-litre engine, a 2019 car pays three times the excise of a 2021 one.
October 10, 2026 · 5 min read
Is It Worth Buying a Used Car in Georgia in 2026?
In 2026 the median asking price in Georgia sits around $13,500 to $14,000, exports to neighbouring countries have shrunk, and there are more cars on the local market. That helps buyers in Georgia, while export to Russia got more expensive.
October 10, 2026 · 4 min read
What Car Select Checks a Car With: Scanners, Paint Gauge, Videoscope
Car Select checks cars with Autel and Launch multi-brand scanners, a VCDS scanner for Volkswagen, Audi, Škoda and SEAT, Etari and Carsys paint gauges and an Autel MaxiVideo videoscope. Each tool covers its own part of the check: electronics, body or hidden cavities.
October 10, 2026 · 5 min read
Re-registering and registering a car in Georgia: documents, fees and deadlines
The MIA Service Agency registers cars and transfers them to new owners for the same 200 GEL. What to bring in each case, how long you have to register an imported car, and how to check for liens and seizures before you pay.