This is where Ship or Sell’s Germany→USA decision model is strongest: the vehicle itself is not unusually large, so import status and market economics can matter more than physical shipping size.
VIN is fastest. The analyzer can separate vehicle identity, U.S. import-path questions, Germany sale evidence and live U.S. replacement comparables.
Analyze my BMW 3 Series →BMW USA lists the 2026 330i Sedan at 185.9 in long, 71.9 in wide without mirrors and 56.8 in high. Width including mirrors is 81.4 in. The 330i xDrive uses the same listed length and width and is 0.2 in taller.
These dimensions are useful for transport planning, but the most important Germany→USA question is often not size — it is whether the car is U.S.-spec, originally U.S.-certified or a Europe-spec vehicle that needs a different federal import path.
If the vehicle bears the original manufacturer’s U.S. FMVSS certification label and satisfies the applicable EPA path, the import analysis is different from a nonconforming Euro-spec car.
NHTSA says a vehicle less than 25 years old that was not originally manufactured and certified to applicable U.S. safety standards generally needs an approved import-eligibility path. EPA requirements are separate.
The NHTSA 25-year rule can change the safety-standard path, but EPA still needs to be evaluated separately.
If eligibility is unresolved, do not let a low transport quote create a false green light.
Use an actual offer or defensible market evidence instead of a guessed Germany sale price.
Ship or Sell can use Auto.dev dealer comparables when available and shows the sample size, range, similarity and confidence.
Pickup, ocean transport, insurance, import/compliance exposure, U.S. inland delivery and destination-side costs belong in the comparison.
Where you bought the vehicle does not by itself prove how it can enter the United States. The important evidence is the vehicle’s actual certification and applicable declaration path. Check the FMVSS label, EPA label and vehicle history before assuming that military or PCS status makes a nonconforming vehicle automatically importable.
Confirm lender/export authorization requirements and compare the outstanding balance with the real sale value. Negative equity can materially change a SELL recommendation even if the transport side looks expensive.
Published and last reviewed: 6 October 2026. Import eligibility must be confirmed for the actual vehicle; this page is decision support, not a customs ruling.