[Fi&Pete]

Hi

My husband and I are debating whether to bring a car with us to NZ. We would be buying new or nearly new.

One of our cars is for the scrapheap thanks to excessive rust and we really need two cars - hence the head scratching on the best way to go. We don't really want to buy a cheap car for use until we move as neither of us know much about cars and don't want to end up with even more bills and time wasted at garages.

We have narrowed the decision down to

Mini Clubman D

Suzuki Swift DDis

Both of these cars were initially chosen for their eco-friendlyness :nice1

What we would like to know is - have any of you got one of these cars? Are they any good on NZ roads? Are the prices (especially for the Mini) of parts extortionate? Any good/bad dealer/servicing stories?

I know Japanese cars are popular in NZ - but I really like the Mini!

Any info gratefully received.

Fi

[JandM]

Everybody will tell you that European car parts are MUCH more expensive in NZ than Japanese ones, simply because they have to be imported from farther away, and you're paying transport costs. Also, there will be a longer wait if you have to have any not so commonly needed part, as it will have to be ordered from Europe specially.

What you decide depends on how much your sentiment is worth to you (and if you'll be able to afford it), rather than going only for more economy. My son's a family man on a tightish budget, and told us the thing about Japanese vehicles, so his NZ cars have been Renaults, a Volvo, a Fiat, a VW, a Peugeot...;)

[Farfields]

I've also heard the perception that Euro cars are more expensive for parts, service, etc. But have no direct experience. I also read somewhere that the Swift is one of the most expensive small cars to get parts for after a crash. But it is very popular. You will also see a greater variety of Jap car models than you are used to in UK. There are cars here you will not have seen before. We have a 2005 Mazda Demio which is very cheap to run and has enough space for 2 mountain bikes inside with the rear seat folded down. BTW most cars are auto gears but manual is better for economy/performance, especially with a small engine.

FF

[Sporty]

I am totaly in love with new Ford Fiesta. I am wondering how is with Ford parts there?

[Jon-and-Lou]

You are buying a car to bring to NZ?

Why not just put up with your current car, and buy once you are here? Loads of choice, and personally I think cars are cheaper here.

Just my 2c worth.

[mylesdw]

A quick search shows that the Clubman D is ONLY available in Europe. There are no new Clubmans whatsoever on TradeMe so it is possible that there are none here, making parts a real issue. I also see that there are NO Suzuki Swift diesels on TradeMe either so the same may be true.

Small diesel cars are not nearly so popular here compared with Europe, firstly because petrol is cheaper and secondly because the Road User Charge scheme does not favour them.

You would have to get a very good deal to make it worth bringing a new(ish) car with you by the time you have included shipping and around $1000 to put it on the road.

[talisker]

Hi

Both of these cars were initially chosen for their eco-friendlyness :nice1



If eco-friendlyness is your goal, why ship a car to the other side of the world? Surely the best option would be to buy a second hand car that is already in New Zealand. As mylesdw said, diesel cars are pretty uncommon here, and it's certainly not thought of as being a more eco-friendly option. The cost difference between diesel and petrol is not nearly as clear cut here, and in fact diesel may end up more expensive depending on your mileage.

[bobo]

I am totaly in love with new Ford Fiesta. I am wondering how is with Ford parts there?

Should be good for parts for Fords as there are plenty of them here.

Most young Kiwis I have met are either big Ford or Holden (Vauxhall) fans as these are the cars used for the V8 supercar racing.

[norma]

Before we arrived three years ago we e-mailed a few dealers in NZ for quotes on our preferred car - it turned out to be much cheaper to buy in NZ than the UK. We'd decided on a manual diesel but ended up with an automatic petrol.

Just a thought if you plan to do a lot of travelling/exploring around NZ - a lot of rural roads can be unsealed and sometimes very rough so a 4WD might be worth considering. Some of our best trips have been along these routes that we just wouldn't have considered in a small 2WD.

[pleccy2000]

I have a Swift 1.5 (2005). got it form TradeMe and it's awesome!

[Kea]

I got a two year old Japanese imported Swift this year and love it. It only had 10,000 kms on the clock and has that new car feel. I think we paid about 16500 for it. But they hold their value well.

OH and I were very keen to get cars with front and curtain air bags which are not standard in NZ. This is partly cos we both find the driving scary but also because the rate of road death in NZ is twice that of the UK. The newer 1.5 Swifts have the airbags, but the 1.3's don't

[cappuccino]

My husband and I are debating whether to bring a car with us to NZ. We would be buying new or nearly new.


Remember, if you ship a car to NZ, you should have owned it for 12 months to avoid paying tax. It also has to comply with various safety rules and regs and can be an expensive experience. Far better to save your money and buy a car when you arrive.

[Mgee]

I currently own a Mini Cooper and plan to buy one once we get to NZ. The remarks in previous posts are right: all Mini models sold in Europe are not available in NZ, which is likely to mean that any parts for models not sold locally are a LOT more expensive and will probably need to be ordered from overseas. This could mean weeks of waiting and not being able to drive your lovely Mini... You can find the models sold in NZ here: http://www.mini.co.nz/view/home.aspx I can't comment on the UK vs. NZ price, but if you decide to ship a Mini over to NZ, I definitely recommend buying a model that is also sold in NZ.

A couple of my friends have brought over cars from abroad, and most of them have had some trouble with the imported model: there have been some issues with the compliancy with local regulations or simply a question of having to wait several weeks for a spare part that had to be ordered from the factory.

There are plenty of fairly new Minis for sale on Trademe, some of them with very little mileage (or should it be kilometriage for NZ ? ;) ), so a used one might be a good option as well -if bought from a reputable dealer.

IMHO a Mini is at its best when driving on a winding road. It's a fun car to drive, and although it's perfectly OK on motorways, it's definitely at its best on more challenging roads. I personally don't like the clubman that much, as it feels like driving a regular Mini Cooper that has too big a bum :D

[Fi&Pete]

You are buying a car to bring to NZ?

Why not just put up with your current car, and buy once you are here? Loads of choice, and personally I think cars are cheaper here.

Just my 2c worth.

One of our cars is actually a van - only seats two when there are three of us - and is going to cost way more than its value to put on the road this year.:wah

We are in a position to think about at least nearly new if not new cars - but don't know whether we should bring it with us if we go for a newer, more efficient car.
Useful to know that cars are cheaper in NZ -not bringing a car is still an option.

[Fi&Pete]

If eco-friendlyness is your goal, why ship a car to the other side of the world? Surely the best option would be to buy a second hand car that is already in New Zealand. As mylesdw said, diesel cars are pretty uncommon here, and it's certainly not thought of as being a more eco-friendly option. The cost difference between diesel and petrol is not nearly as clear cut here, and in fact diesel may end up more expensive depending on your mileage.

The thought was if we buy a more efficient car -and are sending whole life over anyway - possibly send car too. Yes, not totally eco-friendly to do so - but it might end up best option for us. We would get the savings on fuel and car tax over here. We don't have a definite time frame for moving for personal reasons, so the car has to work in the UK for at least a year. I worked out we could save approx £720 on fuel a year with a newer car.
Scrappage deal over here enticing when you want to upgrade at the mo as petrol prices rising practically daily it seems sometimes.
We can't estimate our driving in NZ - we'll only know when we get there. We plan to be in town and move more rural later - but who knows how long that will take?!

[Fi&Pete]

I currently own a Mini Cooper and plan to buy one once we get to NZ. The remarks in previous posts are right: all Mini models sold in Europe are not available in NZ, which is likely to mean that any parts for models not sold locally are a LOT more expensive and will probably need to be ordered from overseas. This could mean weeks of waiting and not being able to drive your lovely Mini... You can find the models sold in NZ here: http://www.mini.co.nz/view/home.aspx I can't comment on the UK vs. NZ price, but if you decide to ship a Mini over to NZ, I definitely recommend buying a model that is also sold in NZ.

A couple of my friends have brought over cars from abroad, and most of them have had some trouble with the imported model: there have been some issues with the compliancy with local regulations or simply a question of having to wait several weeks for a spare part that had to be ordered from the factory.

There are plenty of fairly new Minis for sale on Trademe, some of them with very little mileage (or should it be kilometriage for NZ ? ;) ), so a used one might be a good option as well -if bought from a reputable dealer.

IMHO a Mini is at its best when driving on a winding road. It's a fun car to drive, and although it's perfectly OK on motorways, it's definitely at its best on more challenging roads. I personally don't like the clubman that much, as it feels like driving a regular Mini Cooper that has too big a bum :D

Thanks for that - I hadn't realised the difference in models between countries. We fancied a clubman as there are 3 of us, and we're hoping to make it 4, and the extra space would be useful!

I'll have to check out Trademe a bit more I can see, regardless of make.
Thanks for all the replies, they have really helped - I'll update when we've finally made up our minds! :clap

[James 1077]

I personally wouldn't buy a small diesel for New Zealand. Although the fuel is cheaper the road user charges add up and it is, generally, cheaper to run a petrol car. Also, as stated above, parts are going to be very hard to come by if the model isn't sold here and labour will be more expensive as your mechanic will have to learn your car's layout rather than just knowing it.

For "enviromentally sound" cars there are a lot more hybrids available in NZ than the UK - here is a dealer (http://www.cleangreencar.co.nz/)that specialises in them.

Finally diesel is the work of the devil and the thing that I like most about NZ is the lack of diesel particulates in the air which means that I can walk around without getting an allergic skin rash and sneezing all the time! So don't bring in diesels - for my sake! :)