car info
 

Can anyone tell me if you have a MOT test on cars in nz? Also is car insurance similar to the uk for a medium sized family car?
Last thing do you pay road tax in nz? All varied questions i know but just trying to budget for a car,new or second hand? All info gratefully accepted thanks!

Re: car info
 

Road tax is around $200 per annum, car ins is MUCH cheaper..I pay in $ what I paid in pounds back in the UK. If the car is over 5 years..maybe six it needs an MOT every six months..they WoFs over here..cost about $45 eah time. If the car is younger its once a year. Don't buy new buy 2nd hand..preferably a japanese import..very cheap and very, very reliable. I have had 2. If you decide to buy a deisel you have to pay about $300 (ish) for a 10000 klm 'road user charge' (RUC). Derv is waaaaaaaay cheaper $1 V $1.6 for petrol because the duty is less..the govt claw back revenue from the RUC. If you are caught not having a valid RUC 'tax disc' the fines are HUGE!!!!!!

Re: car info
 

If your vehicle was first registered (in NZ or overseas) less than six years ago, it requires a WoF inspection every 12 months.

If your vehicle was first registered more than six years ago, it requires a WoF inspection every six months.

Rego (car tax) is $211 for 12 months petrol and $336 for no petrol

No complusory insurance here but you can get third party and fully comp insurance. Costs of course vary depending on the same factors as the UK roughly speaking. - Costs apear to be cheaper by about 30% becuase ACC covers personal injury.

Re: car info
 

WoF is not a dog on the backseat by the way.. :D

Warrant of Fitness = MOT
Rego (registration) = car tax

The advise to shop around is good advice. I had to get us a second car recently. In one dealership the guy told me it is a buyers market and said no sane offer would be refused. Ended up getting 40% off the price on the windscreen.

If you want to check a car's history just put the registration in to www.carjam.com - for free you will get a pretty good history for the vehicle including it's WoF's, import date etc. If you then want more info you need to get your credit card out.

Re: car info
 

Couple of tips:

Be careful buying an older car (or any car) from an address near the beach. Sand and salt damage

Another tip: Careful with some european cars and some japanese cars which have been used and imported here depending on whether salt on the roads had been used in their home country.

Re: car info
 

is it 6 years , thought it was 3 years before having the WOF every 6 months.

Mind you WOF's are pretty easy anyway.

Thing to remember is they are displayed on the windscreen and traffic wardens, being the utter bastards that they are, can fine you as well as cops for not having valid WOF and tax. Nice !

Oh especially the ones in Auckland - see there is justice in the world.

Re: car info
 

Older than 3 years in the UK for MOT I think. And you'll find that traffic wardens in the UK now have a full range of things you can be fined for, far worse than their NZ counterparts.

For example - no insurance, car tax or MOT, outstanding fines or congestion charges and you could potentially find you vehicle clamped at best, removed and crushed at worst.

Re: car info
 

Thanks for that just checked my car - I'm amazed that detailed info is out there online.