I am selling a car and thought NZ new with similar specs to an import would be a good selling point. Along with known history. What are your opinions folks? Thanks
socram,
May 5, 6:42pm
It depends on where and how it has been used. Known history is valid but would you rather buy a low mileage local where all the journeys have been to and from the local shops, or a higher mileage import, where it has all been longer trips? Or vice versa of course.
Manual or automatic combined with the above may also be valid.
tgray,
May 5, 6:47pm
My experience is it makes little difference. History helps somewhat.
russ6,
May 5, 6:49pm
Thanks for the feedback. Mine is a moderately high km NZ new car. 2005 Lancer, auto 185,000km at $4000. Good buying I thought. I wonder about engine hours with imports, sitting in traffic for most of their life. Odometer readings only tell half the story.
tigertim20,
May 5, 6:55pm
personally, to me it means nothing. I dont know for sure how a vehicle has been treated, whether it be NZ new, or imported. I do my own checks, and get the things I can't check myself looked at by a qualified person.
A vehicle can look clean, have all the paperwork, a full sevice history, and have still had the sh!t thrashed out of of for it's entire life - you just never know.
For me, it isnt a selling point at all - more of a gimmick. a car in good nick is a car in good nick, whether it's been owned by tame iti, rod stewart, or ho sum chun makes no difference to me.
russ6,
May 5, 6:59pm
I guess that's why folk buy new cars. known quantity.
franc123,
May 5, 7:10pm
There's only a certain sector of buyers I think who really pay attention to this, they are buying new or late model and will generally seek out and deal with dealerships or other yards/lease disposal outfits that specialise in such vehicles anyway. The rest don't know or care about history and will be more interested in how shiny the paint is and how good the stereo and aircon work and how cheap they can get it for.
budgel,
May 5, 7:30pm
Yep, I think Franc123 is right.
A well presented vehicle will always have some sort of advantage, and rightly so.
rbd,
May 5, 7:47pm
It completely depends on the car type. I've owned a rare NZ new performance model (5 sold) where it was important, and I've owned a jap import BMW where I didn't care.
NZ new cars of some type can be better specced than their Jap equivalents.
Once cars are only worth a few grand NZ new doesn't make a blind bit of difference. As a nation we don't maintain our cars any better than in Japan so it is 100% down to condition.
bjmh,
May 6, 5:57am
park two comparable cars beside each other. one an import ,one N.Z new. give a discount on the import and a free bottle of wine. bet I know which one sells first.
kazbanz,
May 6, 7:21am
I genuinely feel that as a rule it comes down to specific model. In some cases theres a huge advantage buying NZ new -NZ spec cars. In others if anything its a disadvantage.
intrade,
May 6, 8:09am
advantage is only milage tempering can be more accuratly guessed it will still be a guess and it was only important for older vehicles where a nz new had no cat converter compaired to my 1982 carina toyota import who had a melted cat.
westwyn,
May 6, 8:17am
It's always amusing to hear, after 26-odd years of imports being a part of the New Zealand automotive landscape, the same old wives tales being trotted out, usually by (with no offence meant) those who have never visited or travelled in Japan in recent years.
Speaking as someone who has made the import industry (and predominantly Japan-focused) the central part of my career, visited there many times, driven around much of the country and (as part of my professional career) spent a lot of time understanding the dynamics of the Japanese fleet, I can assure you that- if it's "idling in traffic" you're worried about, you should NOT consider a car from Auckland, or even Wellington- because the time spent "idling in traffic" is many, many, many times greater than the average Japanese car will ever do.
The Japanese have congestion- yes. But it tends to be short-term around certain choke points at certain times (thinking of the Loop in central Osaka) or entering expressways at rush hour- just like a certain Oceanic largest city motorway system with those infernal entrance traffic metering lights.
The Japanese expressway system is excellent, for the most part, although expensive to use, it gets you places fast.
The major cities have awesome public transport systems that make the argument for driving in to work not only poor, but often preclude it. Company-owned cars tend to be used every day, but private vehicles are more likely to stay home during the week, and get used for short-haul local journeys, and larger trips in the weekend. That's just the dynamic of their fleet.
Idling in traffic DOES occur, like it does in every semi-developed nation in the world. But it occurs a whole lot more in Auckland, I'm willing to bet, than Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo or Kobe. And that's coming from someone who drives the North-Western and Southern motorway almost every day.
tgray,
May 6, 12:27pm
If you worry about a cars idling time, then don't buy an ex Police car or an ex sales rep car.
russ6,
May 6, 12:44pm
I remember being told by a Jap import car bod who visited an associate in a big city in Japan. Their car was able to be plugged into the household power through some inverter system and so ran all the time generating cheaper power than available off the mains power supply. Certainly wouldn't be the norm but interesting all the same.
elect70,
May 6, 1:55pm
Having helped a guy starting his own auto trans repair firm id buy NZ new any day . Jap stuff thats done mostly short runs & rarely ( if ever )serviced, all the jap boxes we had in all had burnt clutch packs & relatively low kms on them .
richardmayes,
May 6, 2:56pm
There certainly ARE people who think NZ new and full service history are desirable things to have.
And there are no doubt other people who don't know what those things are, and still others who couldn't care less.
So you should definitely mention it, but it will only count for something if the right person comes along.
russ6,
May 6, 3:05pm
So it seems. cheers
kazbanz,
May 6, 3:08pm
Im sorry russ but that's just a twist on the old 1980's story about the jap guy running his diesel all day and night to keep his flat cool. Ive had a few campers with inverters though.
kazbanz,
May 6, 3:09pm
Um and the kiwi boxes with eh same issue?
clark20,
May 6, 6:24pm
I have never purchased a used import and never intend too, that's my opinion.
oemaudio,
May 6, 8:26pm
Absolutely correct
myrns,
May 6, 8:38pm
Unless the NZ new car has a service history. it wont make a single difference which is better/easier to sell
elect70,
May 7, 1:29pm
These were all dealer imports obviously bought dirt cheap knowing the trans were stuffed then , they just wanted patch repair with few new fibres & a flush . Then on to the lot & dealer would talk the buyer into warranty as he knew the patch up would only last 3 months or so . Rremember the 70s when dealers had a little wksp out the back for bodge repairs. at least they have gone .
kazbanz,
May 7, 1:54pm
And I compete with those guys.--the public can't see the difference.
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