[Brad77]

Hi

I will arriving in Auckland on 2 January 2007. I will be there for about a week to 10 days (before leaving for Rotorua) and I need to find and buy a car. I really just need something that will get me around. I have seen used cars in the $1500 to $2500 range on the net, like 1990/1992 Toyotas.

Anybody got any advice where to look in Auckland? The Herald? The net? or ???

I would appreciate any help.

Brad

[Ana&Steve]

I can think of one thing...noticed it while visiting; car rental places will sell their cars cheap. I can't say that it's worth it, though, as I have no idea how well they service the cars. We used James Blonde, and I saw the offer while we were in the office. Nice people, for what it's worth.
Hope that helps!
Ana

[Rose]

I bought my last car (a Toyota Corolla, formerly business use with high mileage but beautifully serviced)at one of the auction places on Great South Road at Manukau City. You don't have to wait for an auction - they have a fake little auction for you. I had an AA mechanic look over my car and give me a 100-point checklist of pros and cons that I used to negotiate the seller down with.

Good luck!

[ElizabethD]

On this note, what is the custom in NZ....We will be arriving in Auckland Jan 1 and will need to buy a car in the first or second day (as soon as the dealerships reopen). Do people negotiate the price like they do here in the US, or are the cars priced to avoid negotiation?

[Brijan]

Hi
The price on the car is only a guide, personaly ithink they have been priced so they can be negotiated down, we bought our son a small car we he became old enough to learn to drive(15 years old here) the price was $6295 we got the car for $5000 cash, drive a hard bargin as its easy to spend too much, same goes for furniture and electrical goods
good luck
Brian and Jan :)

[ElizabethD]

Thanks for the tip. Was the seller a dealer or a private party?
Iraj

[xanctus]

I found my car from www.autotrader.co.nz, and there u can see many many many cars...

[urban78]

Hiya Brad,

We bought our car from GVI (Genuine Vehicle Imports- www.genuinevehicleimports.co.nz) but had also looked on autotrader and www.turners.co.nz to shop around.

Jen :)

Hi

I will arriving in Auckland on 2 January 2007. I will be there for about a week to 10 days (before leaving for Rotorua) and I need to find and buy a car. I really just need something that will get me around. I have seen used cars in the $1500 to $2500 range on the net, like 1990/1992 Toyotas.

Anybody got any advice where to look in Auckland? The Herald? The net? or ???

I would appreciate any help.

Brad

[Nelsonian]

Hi - if you're flying into Auckland, try the Ellerslie car fair - held every Sunday at Ellerslie Racecourse in South Auckland near Greenlane. Huge field of cars with a section under $5,000. Ownership and registration of all cars is checked and you can do the official ownership transfer on the spot. Make sure you take the car for a test drive and get it checked out by an on-site mechanic if you're not that way inclined. I had met an independent guy at another fair who was very trustworthy and ended up helping me negotiate! His company is called Carcheck (based in Greenlane too)
I bought a 1991 2L Toyota Corona at the fair for £1,000 in March, drove it all round New Zealand and it's still going strong.
There's another weekly car fair near the Britomart but avoid the backpackers car fair off the K-Road - held in a dark car park and felt very dodgy!
good luck

[xanctus]

I believe there is also another car fair, but smaller size in the Auckland city central. Beside the Foodtown close to britomart. (I believe they held the auction in foodtown's parking space, if not mistaken)

[Nelsonian]

Er sorry - if you're reading my previous post on the car price, it was a $1000 not £1000. But hey old habits die hard!