Cost of vehicles - State by State

Hi Rob, Generally prices on new vehicles don't alter too much around the country.Buying on a sale can save money as can purchasing at months end when the salesman is chasing his quota can help.Second hand market can produce bargains for the astute buyer as can the motor auctions but check as thoroughly as possible before purchase.Queensland has the lowest stamp duty in the land at 2% whereas it is 4% in most other states.Stamp duty is payable on new and second hand vehicles.If buying a second hand 4x4 in queensland many up there spend a lot of time on the beaches(permissable in many places)so look over and underneath to make sure it hasn't been "salted". Hope this helps Mark.

WA Stamp Duty is MUCH higher than elsewhere in Ozso many places, so little time !!!

rob
queensland is the place to buy low purchase cost than wa & stamp duty in wa is up to 6.5% just payed $39000 for car $2700 stamp duty on top & for what just so i can say its mine
'Regarsd Bruce

Hi Rob S,
Depends of course what age vehicle you are buying. We just spent six weeks searching for a decent 92 - 96 model 80 series TD, buying all the 4x4 trader mags and Trading Posts etc (we live in Sydney) and while I believe the market is more competitive in the Eastern states, for some reason Melbourne had more vehicles to choose from. Not sure if it was maybe because the mags were printed there or not, but if I had the time I would've gone for a drive down there. Ended up getting a good deal from a caryard (I despise used car salesmen...!!) that I found on the net... http://www.carsales.com.au/ just punch in what you're looking for and it'll do a search for you.
Not sure about the stamp duty bit though...but on a $27000 'Cruiser the stamp duty was $813
Cheers

Rob. downside of a Sydney purchase is that with NSW registration annual checks are compulsory.
Thay being said it is not overly difficult or expensive to change registration to another state, but you are required to prove that you have been living in that state.

Peter

Bought our 2000 model 78 Series Landcruiser pop-top camper in Albury NSW. This is an easy place to get to if you have the time being on the main SYD MLB highway but is a long way from anywhere (4 hours from Melbourne). Use a rental car to get there and dump it when you buy your new vehicle which is what we did.

We paid $A8000 less than Melbourne prices and $A12,000 less than Sydney prices for the truck - mainly becuase who would want to buy a pop-top Troopy camper in Albury and the dealer was sick of it sitting on his yard.

The vehicle is VIC registered and stamp duty was just over $1,000.

Our dealer was Orix and the camper was an ex-rental. If Orix have a vehicle on their yard for over 8 weeks, they will drop their pants big time to get rid of it - like sell it for what it owes them. Orix are a major lease car company in Australia and New Zealand. You may be lucky like us, good luck.

A worthwhile consideration depending on your budget is the Govt Auctions at Fowles in Sydney. Most 4WD's are under 2 years old, have service books, accessories like Air Con, B/Bar, Tow Bar, Cargo Barrier, Winch and Driving Lights already fitted. Plus you have the balance of the manufacturers 3 yr / 100,000 km warranty for peace of mind.

Recent Eg. 2/2002 100 Series Cruiser in very good condition, with all the above accessories, + Dual Airbags, Tinted Windows, Dual Batteries & Central Locking with 62k's on the clock went for $34,800.

Rob,
Personaly I'm a big fan of the 80 Series just like you are. I've spent many hours behind the wheel of several 80's on and off the tar and I love them. The problem is in the year 2003, finding one in good condition with the minimum fuss. Sure, if you look for a few weeks, even a month or three you will find the proverbial - rarely used, meticulously serviced & maintained every 5000km weekend cruise vehicle, that has rarely if ever been off the bitumen, is in pristine condition and if you hold out for long enough you will get it at a bargain price.

Now, back to reality.

The last of the TELSTRA 96/97 model 80 Series Diesels are now being off loaded with a good 160,000km plus on the clock, fitted with a few extras like Air Con, Tow Bar, B/bar & Winch and NO WARRANTY. Otherwise good 80 Series are few and far between unless you are prepared to wait and wait and wait.

In Victoria for example for a couple of thousand more, you can get an Ex Police 100 series 2 y.o. or less (Nearly all the Police ones in Victoria are fitted with B/Bar, Winch, Tow Bar, Dual Air Bags, Dual Batteries & Cargo Barrier. Some also have Tinted Windows. They usually have between 40,000 & 60,000 km on the clock.

Some of these vehicles have had HF radios fitted to them during their Police service life which operate perfectly. (Yes HF is used in even in Victoria) Any decent Auto Elec can fit an aux fuse board for acessories and a few condensors to allay any concerns you have re static.

Otherwise, you can always explore the option of an EX NSW Police Cruiser, or 3.0 Turbo Intercooled Diesel Patrol DX with similar accessories. Problem with the NSW ones is they are sold off with much higher mileage on them, usually min 65,000 and upto 85,000 km on them (meaning very little warranty left).

You will find the odd Patrol ST at Auction in NSW, but it won't have the extras fitted.

At the Govt Auctions in NSW the Patrol is more common, whereas the Govt 4WD vehicle of choice in Vic is the Cruiser.

So, in conclusion, if I was wanting to buy something in good condition, with low k's (plenty of Manufacturers Warranty left) and with some of the extras necessary for proper 4WD travel, without needing a lot of work to get it ready for a trip, I'd be heading straight to Fowles in Melbourne to one of their fortnightly Govt 4wd auctions.

Depending on how much space you REALLY need, while you are at Fowles in Melbourne, it is certainly worthwhile considering a Prado 3.0 Turbo Intercooled Diesel. (In reality, there's very little difference in size between a Prado & a Cruiser, but the Prado drinks a lot less diesel) There are quite a few of Ex Govt Prado's going to Auction with accessories selling from about 32k to 34,500 with 45,000 km on the clock an under 2 yrs old, which makes them well worth a look.

Good luck with your search, purchase and trip.

Maybe you can post a few pics of your eventual tour vehicle and of the trip.

Cheers,

RGG.