I am looking a purchasing a new car in a Holden approved car yard and have noticed it has 51km on the speedo and they want the new car price for the vehicle. I accept when a new car arrives in the country it may need a quick road test by the dealer but think 51km is excessive and wonder if it has been used as a temp demo car. Would you consider 51km for a new car excessive and be happy to pay at a new car price?
tgray,
Aug 13, 3:31pm
Well it does represent little more than 30 mins total driving and I would consider it a new car. If you think otherwise, consider this - Say you thought 20k's on the clock was OK for a new car - How much compensation/discount would you expect considering the 30k difference? (approx 20 mins more driving)
petal_91,
Aug 13, 3:31pm
Holdens are all driven for several laps around the Holden test circuit by test drivers. That will account for most of the kilometers.
kazbanz,
Aug 13, 3:38pm
So what is the difference in value to you of a car with 0 km and 50km on the clock?
m16d,
Aug 13, 3:43pm
I would expect it to have zero on the clock. Most test drives are done with the speedo disconnected. This car has obviously been used as a demo.
petal_91,
Aug 13, 3:44pm
When you take delivery of a new Ferrari you can expect up to 800 kilometers on the clock.
m16d,
Aug 13, 3:59pm
yea right.
gman35,
Aug 13, 4:04pm
Why would you not believe that the engineers would properly test a car of that price and category ? They will want to ensure there are no rattles etc. But as to #3 post , I would be surprised if every Holden model is driven for several laps. Some HSV's excepted though.
kazbanz,
Aug 13, 4:11pm
this comment is based on your years of personal experience working within the Holden franchise network isn't it?
saxman99,
Aug 13, 4:14pm
I consider anything with less than 100,000 on it to be new.
bwg11,
Aug 13, 8:08pm
Back in the late 70's and early 80's, I used to deliver vehicles from the Toyota plant in Christchurch to a dealership in Alexandra. A distance of about 450 kilometers. Speedometers were left connected and customers seemed happy with the practice.
Railway was the other option, but took days not hours and batteries and stereos tended to vanish without a trace. Using vehicle transporters was out of the question because it was prior to the deregulation of the railways, and road transport was no allowed to compete with rail.
pandai,
Aug 13, 8:11pm
Often it's around 100km for a Ferrari, give or take 20.
I think the dealers are allowed 1 reset, if it's under something like 200km, then they have the opportunity to reset to zero.
richardmayes,
Aug 13, 8:46pm
If it had a thousand kilometres on the clock, then I would question how "new" it is.
50 kilometres is nothing.
A car has a million parts in it. If I was spending a whole year's wages on a new car I would want the factory to have at least started the finished car up and taken it around the block a couple of times to check that everything works, and that it points straight under acceleration and braking, before they wrap it in bubble wrap and ship it to the dealer.
It also has to get from the factory to the ship bringing it to New Zealand, and from the ship to the dealer's yard, somehow. Magical sky hooks are not normally employed.
hi-ling,
Aug 13, 9:20pm
EVERY Holden built at the Adelaide plant is driven of the assembly line and they do 2 laps of the track around the Holden plant, then if any rattles found or adjustments needed, these are done then retested. But this would entail no more than 8-10kms total. So 51 kms while still low would indicate its been test driven after leaving the plant
brapbrap8,
Aug 13, 9:21pm
Yes, in America they often have people drive the cars when they deliver them to customers, don't ask me why they don't put them on trucks. A friend worked as a delivery driver for Ferrari a few years ago, got paid good money for driving new Ferraris across America to their new owners. Dream job!
My last 2 new cars (not Ferraris!) had 17km and 44km on the odometer when I drove them out of the showroom.
corkranb,
Aug 13, 11:21pm
I was thinking along the lines of if it had been used as a demo test drive car even 3 or 4 times and 51kms is above the normal you would expect to see in a car yard for a NEW car then it has been used over and above what is expected, then obviously it would have devalued just like when I drive it out of the car yard.
pandai,
Aug 13, 11:35pm
One of our cars had about 50-60km on delivery, I just put it down to an extended road test and a trip or two to the groomer and back. Another of the cars we got had 2km on delivery. Funnily enough it was the car with 2km that started burning oil later in its life whereas the other car never has.
noswalg,
Aug 13, 11:47pm
Why don't you just ask the dealer to explain the KM's ? Are there other new cars in the showroom with similar KM's?
survivalkiwi,
Aug 14, 1:30am
My current ute arrived off the transporter with 9km on the clock and the wifes arrived with 16km.
tgray,
Aug 14, 1:45am
Ok so it might have had a couple of test drives. Do you really think with 51k's on the clock it is now devalued and should be considered a used car?
robbief,
Aug 14, 2:18am
I have just got a new Nissan with 50km on clock and I am happy with it.Is new to me.
corkranb,
Aug 14, 4:16am
Pull your head in knob. That is what demo cars are for. Ethically a new car to me is one either inside the showroom or outside that is parked up till sold.
darryl,
Aug 14, 4:16am
Wow - just wow!
Have you made sure to have it up on a hoist and search for stone chips in the underseal as well?
Oi vey
morrisman1,
Aug 14, 4:25am
I heard older BMWs came out of the factory with 999980 or similar km on them so that by the time they had been driven to the yard they only had very few KM showing.
corkranb,
Aug 14, 4:34am
Tell me the name of your car yard so I know to avoid it. No wonder car dealers are up their with politicians.
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