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Hi there
We are looking to buy a first car for our daughter. Looking to spend a max of $9500. We have looked at a few makes and models, can you recommend one over the other?
Toyota Yaris/vitz. Honda jazz/fit. Mazda demio. Suzuki swift.
Any advice at all would appreciated 😊.
Also any thoughts on buying a car that has just been imported (which all seem to have low Kms) verses a car being sold fully registered?
Thanks so much
Kelly
Hi Kelly,
These vehicles are all generally popular choices, cheap to run and maintain. However safety specs and ratings could be hard to find as Imports don't have ANCAP safety ratings. So you can use the Rightcar.co.nz used car safety information as a guide in driver protection ratings. https://rightcar.govt.nz/ucsr.html?group=Light
We recommend buying the safest car your budget allows.
Japanese imports are cheaper, but also a bit of an unknown with regards to how its been treated and servicing. They can also be a bit rusty if they come from a cold snowy area and can have studded winter tyres which are not ideal for NZ. But it is common for these imports to have not travelled many km's and may have just been driven around the city.
Thanks Cade
I have just looked at the website and it seems that none of the cars we are looking at are safe?!! That's concerning. What make/model of car would you consider to be the safest option within our budget?
Would you recommend trying to buy NZ new instead of an import?
feeling confused, Kelly
If all the vehicles you are looking feature a UCSR of 1&2 stars, then a 2 star would be the safest pick for your budget. NZ new vehicles will cost a little more but you can be sure that the vehicle distributor in NZ hand selected those models to be a choice for NZ roads ( vs a Japanese domestic spec vehicle imported here) and should have the best chance at having access to safety specs and vehicle history. Note: ANCAP tests and rates the total vehicle safety and crash avoidance relating to all occupants and road users, where UCSR is a study of police reported driver-only injuries and so is only one aspect of the vehicle- albeit a fairly import one.