bananalana

I always think that newer cars in NZ are expensive, but older cars are well cheap.

DC10

Hmm. All in all I think I would rather buy a 500 quid car for 500 quid, instead of $10k.

I could live with some pretty ferocious depreciation if I only spent 500.

VickyVN

Has anyone used this when starting out? - http://www.backpackerscarmarket.co.nz/

Be good to know what the experience of it was, whether it's a gamble or pretty safe?

sirplug

Personally, I wouldn't. These are cars bought by backpackers to get around the islands as cheap as possible. We have had a few backpackers in at work and they never want to get the car properly fixed, just cheap repairs designed to last a few weeks or months............I expect the cars on sale here, are the same......

sirplug

Depends what you look for. I'm after an Alfa...can buy the one I want in the UK for 3 grand, here, it's $20,000. Cars in the UK are cheaper to buy but as Simon has already said, what you pay now and what you sell for in a year won't differ that much, unlike the UK, where what you pay now you have no hope of being within 50% of next year!.....depreciation doesn't exist here, in the same way as UK

simonsi

A car is worth what you can sell it for, hence 10yr old Estimas sell for $10-12k, no bother and they can be resold for similar.

Good for you, we'll see how that works out for you. Remember there isn't any salt use here, 10yr old cars can be pretty indistinguishable from new in the body/chassis depts.

Oh and you'll be surprised what you see as daily drivers here, Austin 1100, Fiat X1/9 1300, Triumph 2500...

DC10

I am pretty familiar with the situation - spent much of my childhood on the showroom floor at Turner's auctions.

Whilst the bodies might last, the general standard of vehicles is very poor in NZ: Engines spewing out black smoke like two-strokes, technology and safety equipment generally a decade out-of-date... things improved dramatically with the introduction of mass Japanese imports c.1990, but seem to have reverted to mean recently (maybe to do with currency appreciation)

Charismatic

Just my view of course.

simonsi

Sure there is the odd banger on the streets but I'd say the vehicles I see generally on Auckland streets are pretty good condition, not sure how relevant your childhood is mate, when were you last here???

DC10

Last lived there 2001, visits every couple of years since with latest in Feb 2011 and next on 9 Sept

groovy_sparrow

Toyota Corolla.

I got an old one, 1995, which had done 218000kms for $3K All I had to do was change the cam belt ($300) and get a new battery ($150) and it was great to go. Travelled 3 months in it so far. It's also $50 to fill up the gas and lasts ages (1.3 engine)