Is being "NZ New" important?

[jjs 60]

Had this debate with a few mates the other day.

I'm a big fan of NZ new as you tend to get a better service history, better spec (sometimes) and something that looks more like the European market than a model from a Japanese market. I've also experienced unreliability with imported cars and have heard some horror stories in my time. I even know people that would refuse to look at an import.

I think I would pay extra for a NZ new car and definitely hold it as one of the top criteria when searching for a car. However, if a tidy import came up at the right price, I certainly wouldn't turn it down!

Your thoughts?

[Braeden320 0]

I've never had a problem with jap imports in general(not just bmw). But probably nz new is better if you can get it.

Don't touch anything from Singapore, my Grandad had an S500 Merc from there and it gave no end of trouble with the electronics due to the humidity over there.

Mint car tho

[Guest 540Si]

I have much the same opinion as you. I would consider a NZ new car superior to the equivalent car out of Asia.

I've heard some horror stories too.

But if you're buying a Jappa then you'd have to consider a tidy import due to the likely cheaper price I reckon.

European cars, no question I would prefer to buy NZ new. I also know of people who curse English import BMW's because they've been exposed to salty roads and can be prone to the cancer.

I think the NZ new factor is a strong reselling point too - often an important consideration.

My 2c

[martyyn 2]

I judge a car on its condition and not where its come from. Obviously its sometimes difficult with imports but how long the previous owner has had and treated the car is more important to me than where its from.

What Ive found when buying the touring is that there are an awful lot of people in NZ who keep no record of what theyve done to a car at all. One bloke I spoke to put the car into the garage to be serviced and just threw the documents away each time because 'he felt' they didnt say anything was wrong so why keep them.

Keeping a service history is NZ doesnt seem to be anywhere near as important as the UK, in my experience.

[jjs 60]

MUCH lower kms and tidyness beyond expectations.

Could someone refresh my faded memory as to the extent of the benefits of getting an NZ New bmw?

Much lower kms... The only truly accurate way of determining kms is by looking at LTNZ WOF history

Benefits of buying an NZ new BMW

• Service history (most of the time)
• Tend to be better looked after (owning a New BMW in NZ is seen as something special, and because of the outlay required people tend to look after them better)
• No Japanese writing on TV screens / Japanese radio (yes, I know Jochen can overcome most of this)
• Better spec (e.g. E36 328's in NZ came with leather, as did the majority of E39's, Japs also hate sunroofs)
• More desirable colour combinations (no horrid blue interiors like the E39 touring that Martyyn was looking at)
• Better resale - some people only buy NZ new
• Look like proper Euro spec, e.g space to fit euro plates, proper alloys etc
• Im sure there are more I can't think of at the mo...

[Yuen 16]

I would pay extra for an NZ New car - but I have always wondered what sure of premium it should command over an import. At the end of the day, being in NZ just gives you the peace of mind that it usually has some sort of service history by shops that you have heard of, and the odometer is not likely to have been tampered with.

Condition-wise though, I read somewhere that a Japanese import will be in better condition than an NZ New car. I'm thinking... there's more acid rain in Japan so that's bad for the paint, and a lot of idling, but low KMs. On the other hand, NZ New cars generally have a lot of KMs due to the long open roads and harsher sun. Thoughts on this?

[m_power 0]

I dont care where its from as long as its not singapore. I go by the condition of the car. And would certainly NOT pay extra for NZ new.

Edited November 6, 2007 by E30-IS

[m325i 705]

if its a Japanese brand car, the JDM version is usually higher spec'd.

[bravo 34]

Forget what cars came with what specs. Assume for now that you have two cars of equal spec. One is NZ new, and the other imported.

Benefits of NZ-new would be then limited to that the kms are more likely to be genuine and the ownership history is more easily traced.

For newer vehicles this may be important. However, on an e30 for instance, it is irrelevant. You buy the car with the best recent service history and in the best condition regardless of kms or country of origin. This I think is what Martyn is trying to say.

If NZ new cars are more likely to have the specs you want, then you will tend to end up with one, but that is not a reason to avoid a non-nz car with the same specs.

I suppose it is a good rule of thumb for those who don't have the skill to thoroughly work over a car they are about to buy, but if you have a bit of experience and have a bit of knowledge, then pre-purchase assessment should rule over country of origin.

[Driftit 1963]

I only buy Jap models. The NZ new versions of the cars I am interested in are much much lower spec and usually poorly looked after. In in the case of the Nissan 180SX Type X. It was only sold in Japan.

If a NZ new car has no service history. I would rather go Jap. No way am I paying more for a NZ new car with no history.

Most NZ new cars have a higher chance of Rust for some reason. You would think it would be the other way around.

[bimmer boy 21]

Having a NZ new car is somewhat important to me, esspecially if its a newish car.

Ive had a Singaporean import 320i and needless to say nothing that was electronic worked, only intermitently haha. Now my 325i is a South African and doesnt have any problems what so ever, except for things that tend to stop working over time like my aerial and one of my back windows, easily fixed mind you.

If and when I do start looking at upgrading to a E36 then I would be more inclined to search for a NZ new example over a import. mostly due to wanting history as I can very easily go to a car yard or off trade me and buy a fresh FL E36 from japan but I'd guarantee there would be no history.

So can sometimes make it hard to know what work has been done in the past and what will be need to be replaced withen the next year of ownership.

In saying that though I don't find anything wrong with owning a Jap import just as long as I have had a professional to check it out and check out things you don't normally check out when doing a backyard sale. The car would have to be stripped of all signs of it being a import though but thats just me

But other than that I thnk it comes down to the condition of the car itself not the genral consensis of which country looks after thier cars the best. But if knowing your car is NZ new helps you sleep at night then by all means go for it, but it just doesnt mean ALL NZ new cars are good, a lot of imports are good if not sometimes better, just not singapore.

Cheers

[Andrew 30]

It's pretty obvious how a car has been treated by the PO.

I hate the Jatco gearbox - and for that reason will probably never buy another Jap import that has one.

[Guest Rick James]

You know you could buy a japanese E46 with a single cam. Nuff said

But seriously, I don't care where it's from.

[madandy 0]

Ya forgot Seth Efrican imports...

Jap Import GT-R's are a compulsory re-build in most cases...as are Jap Import E36's with 'those' auto boxes...I'd base my purchase on spec level, service records and condition. Sometimes that means NOT an import, but not always.

[Andrew 30]

You know you could buy a japanese E46 with a single cam. Nuff said

But seriously, I don't care where it's from.

M10 E46 FTW

[jjs 60]

So I guess we can conclude that

- NZ new is attractive, but not worth paying much more for

- The condition of the car is more important

- Import history becomes less important as the car gets older

However, I am very surprised to see the significant amount of people selecting the third option in the second question!

[hybrid 1039]

3pedals ... bullshit

I actually owned one of those singapore import e36's and trust me when I say you cant fake a f**ked ECU circuit board and solinoid's

[PBOY23 0]

nz new to me is only important if your gunna pay me more money for it lol

[kiwi535 538]

service history is important,overll condition is very important,how car drives and result of pre purchase equally important of o/a condition.The main downside of A import is ..it may have only done 80 000 ks but all of them are low temp,low speed,long idle cycles.....probably more wear on the engine than simons nearly 400 000 k 540.So NZ new for me,and i will pay for it if it checks out in all other respects.

[hotwire 352]

Im on the fence, I bought in myself our 99 E39 525i 3 years ago ex Japan. Car at that stage was just on 5 years old, done only 24k with service history documentation matching milage/ time (serviced twice), all books (albeit in Jap), all keys & a high specced car - leather TV /nav etc - the latter 2 not on NZ cars.

Had original tyres 1/2 worn with same unused spare in the boot so matched milage.

Oil & antifreeze looked as new.

This car was probably first in NZ to have nav converted after a lot of research by Jochen & I -mostly him.

Only unexpected downfalls when it arrived were: perished tyres - didn't matter as we hated the alloys so 18's were fitted, & pixel failure in instrument cluster - dash to the US for repairs as at that time no one here could fix.

Euro tuner to fix radio frequency issue & all is good.

Car was unmarked, NO stonechips --- until after a week on NZ roads

Was around 12k cheaper than equvilent NZ car at the time with more bells & whistles to boot.

Reality is - a good deal can be had with a Jap origin car providing it is low milage, known history, youngish & NOT from northern Japan where salt is used.

On the other hand I have seen through work some horror sights with Jap/Singapore cars without those credentials.

[Guest 540Si]

service history is important,overll condition is very important,how car drives and result of pre purchase equally important of o/a condition.The main downside of A import is ..it may have only done 80 000 ks but all of them are low temp,low speed,long idle cycles.....probably more wear on the engine than simons nearly 400 000 k 540.So NZ new for me,and i will pay for it if it checks out in all other respects.

367,000kms is not nearly 400,000!!!! I prefer to call it the mid 3's

She's still pulling hard and making the world go all blurry so I'm happy - ask Joel

And she's NZ new and I have the FULL service history since original purchase - which is pretty cool IMO

[Yuen 16]

Wow your car is 367,000kms? It looks like it's only done ~100,000!

[jjs 60]

Reality is - a good deal can be had with a Jap origin car providing it is low milage, known history, youngish...

But, how can you really be sure the mileage is original? There is no 100% genuine way of working it out with an import

[Guest 540Si]

Wow your car is 367,000kms? It looks like it's only done ~100,000!

Yip! That's not even 230k miles so she's only just run in

[jimbo01 0]

NZ New is important only if it comes with a full service record that confirms it's been services preoperly, and regularly. And there is more chance that you can get this with NZ new.

It is unusal for imports to inlcude service records, or manuals that you can read. Japanses brand cars from Japan may have lots of features, - but who knows how to operate them. And when something breaks you discover it's a 4 week wait for parts from Japan, even though they look the same as a NZ model, under the hood there can be a lot of very different bits.

My old NZ new 1991 Honda Legend at 230,000km (made in Japan) was showing very little wear on the steering wheel, or the leather drivers seat, yet so called low K import models of the same car had buggered drivers seat leather, and completely worn steering wheel leather - my conclusion was faked millage - of course they were certified millage OK.