Buying used car in New Zealand

Buying even a used car may be a luxury for people in several countries, but not in New Zealand. You can buy a decent runner for a less cost. Thanks to Japanese cars that are being imported in large numbers to New Zealand. They are reliable, low on mileage, good quality and cheap; making it the best value for money cars here. This helps even tourists who visit New Zealand for few months afford this car. They buy a car for around NZ $2000 and after few months sell it for NZ $1500.

Where to buy a car

New Zealand is a tech savvy country. You will find plenty of online dealers who can help you with buying this value for money Japanese cars. There is very popular website called Autoworld International. Autoworld International is the most trusted car dealer importing Japanese used cars to New Zealand. High quality service, best in class cars and effortless process make them the best car dealer here. They have quality Japanese used cars for sale in New Zealand at the best price.

You will also find advertisement in newspapers, notices, car auctions and car fairs. Take help of even localities to know the best place to buy cars. New Zealanders are very helpful and probably the best in the world. Car fairs and auctions take place in most of the cities. You can find best car fairs and auctions in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland.

Dealers will help you much more than ads on newspaper or classifieds. They have range of options; you can buy a similar category car with them; if you are not finding the car you wanted. They analyze your budget, needs and show you the car that suits you. Another advantage is offers, buyback option and warranty they provide. On top of this, we can be sure of the car condition.

Warrant of Fitness (WOF)

Warrant of Fitness is a car fitness test conducted in New Zealand. It is similar to SHAKEN in Japan or to the MOT in England. The Warrant of Fitness (WOF) needs to be done every six months for an old car. While purchasing a used car, be sure to check the car has passed WOF test.  Also, keep in mind that if the car is bad condition it may prove to be very costly to get it fixed.

Registration Tax

You can pay the registration tax in post offices. All you need to take is the old slip. Of course, don’t forget the cash!

Diesel Cars

Though diesel is cheaper than petrol in New Zealand, you need to pay road usage charges for 1000 kms driven in a diesel car. So, now you know the diesel car does not give so much of an advantage as it appears at first.

Car Inspections

Make sure to get a mechanic or person who can inspect the car for you. It might save you from buying a bad car and help you negotiate the price, if you find parts off. Please follow the below checklist you can do it yourself before buying the car.

Check for parts of car rusted. Check thoroughly the door hinges, open the front and check for any rust on the engine parts, bottom of the car and so on. Rust could mean the car has not been properly looked after or has been idle for years. WOF test for rust and is one of the main reasons for failing the test. Rectifying it can be very expensive.

Check for black smoke coming out from the exhaust. This means oil leakage in the engine, which could mean the engine is at its last phase. To check this, take the car for a drive and step on the gas hard. If you see thick black smoke arising from the exhaust, it is better to get the car engine checked.

Check for small cracks and broken headlights. These might look smaller and you may ignore it. As time passes these small cracks get bigger and may come off. Broken headlights cause inconvenience during rain. Rain water may accumulate and disrupt the headlight or dampen the intensity of light. If you can’t find a cheaper replacement in junkyard, getting a new one from showroom may prove costly. Particularly because you bought a second hand car to suit your budget, you don’t want to spend money on replacing the car parts now.

Check for engine’s noise. Listen to the sound engine makes while changing gears or giving full throttle. A spluttering sound may be an indication of a bad engine.

See how the car feels when driving on bumpy roads. If the car feels bouncy or you feel a strong hit whenever you hit a small bump, this may be a warning of a worn out or damaged shock absorber.

Make sure the gear plates, tires are changed periodically.

Get the car history checked. We would recommend getting a car history checked. There are several websites online which can help you in getting a car history at a nominal price. They give details of the mileage, loan on the car if any and any reports of being stolen. It will also help you confirm the current owner so that you can be sure you are dealing with the right person. This car history can be bought instantly online.

Make sure you read as much as possible on the topic before you jump into a decision.

To find out the top selling cars in New Zealand read this article. https://autoworldjapan.blogspot.com/2019/05/top-10-cars-in-new-zealand.html