Compare Used Car Dealerships in New Zealand at Canstar Blue. Toyota, 2 Cheap Cars and Turners Cars were compared on Overall Satisfaction, After Sale Service, Customer Service/Advice, Finance Options, Premises, Range of Vehicles and Value for Money.
See our Ratings Methodology.
For the third year in a row, Kiwi used car buyers have voted Toyota No.1 for customer satisfaction.
Our review compares used car dealers on customer satisfaction, so you can discover what other Kiwis think about our compared used car dealers before you go ahead and purchase a second-hand car. Think of it like asking hundreds of your closest friends and family which used car dealership they think is best!
Canstar Blue surveyed 606 Kiwis who had purchased a vehicle from a used car dealership in the past three years and asked for their feedback on the used car dealership they used.
Respondents rate their satisfaction with their used car dealership from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall Satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall Satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Used car dealerships must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all dealerships available in the market have been compared in this survey. The dealerships rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Find more information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.
Toyota Used CarsOnce again, Toyota has taken out the award for Most Satisfied Customers | Used Car Dealership. It’s the only dealership to earn 5 Stars for overall satisfaction, a rating it achieves alongside a sweep of high scores across all categories. Toyota’s customers award it a top rating in every category except one, Range of Vehicles, for which it earns a strong 4-Star Rating.
Toyota offers a huge selection of reliable, high-quality used NZ cars and imports. Each vehicle in Toyota’s used car department is checked and serviced before being mechanically certified.
Until the end of 2024, all Toyota Certified cars come with:
The Toyota Certified Package can be upgraded from the standard one year, to a maximum of four years. To view Toyota’s full range of used cars, click here.
Turners CarsSecond on our awards table, Turners scores highly across the board, earning 4 Stars in all categories, except for Range of Vehicles, for which it achieves a perfect 5-Star rating.
After over 50 years in business, Turners Cars is going strong as the largest seller of cars, trucks and machinery in NZ. Turners Cars now boasts 20 car dealer locations nationwide. The dealership also sells and buys motorcycles, boats, trucks and caravans.
Turners Cars is able to organise car and personal finance through a range of lenders. The dealership also offers two car insurance options:
2 Cheap Cars2 Cheap Cars earns a consistent set of 3-Star ratings across all categories except for Customer Service, for which it earns 4 Stars. It’s worth noting that while not a top rating, 3-Stars still indicates that 2 Cheap Cars consumers are content with their used-car purchases.
2 Cheap Cars is the most recently established in our line-up of used car dealerships. Since opening its first store in 2011, 2 Cheap Cars has grown to 13 branches across the country.
2 Cheap Cars buys and sells vehicles, and allows sellers to use their trade-in amount as a deposit on a new car. The dealership also offers a range of insurance options.
Not all dealerships in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here are some other dealerships to check out before making a purchase decision.
MitsubishiSince the introduction of its first car in 1917, Mitsubishi has grown into one of the largest car manufacturers in the world.
Mitsubishi sells and buys used vehicles, streamlining the process by allowing sellers to receive a quote online.
Like most used car dealerships, Mitsubishi can organise finance and insurance options during the purchasing process.
HyundaiHyundai dealerships offer used cars that have all been checked and given the green light by Hyundai’s in-house mechanics.
Hyundai also offers 12-, 24- and 36-month extended warranties on used cars that are less than 10 years old and have under 200,000km on the clock.
HondaHonda offers two options when buying a used car:
Each Premier Class vehicle is under eight years old, NZ-new with less than 100,000km on the clock. They come with a free WOF and three years of roadside assist.
Used car needs vary from person to person, depending on budget and vehicle preference. But whether you’re a family of six looking for an affordable people mover, or a lone petrolhead, one thing is paramount: value for money.
In our survey, a third of respondents base their used car purchase on how much bang they’re getting for their buck.
However, topping the list of concerns for used-car buyers is Customer Service and Advice, which indicates used-car shoppers put a lot of faith in used car dealership staff.
Here’s the full rundown of what the consumers in our survey say are the main things they consider when rating their choice of used car dealership:
A car service can range from a routine once-over, comprising topping up of fluids and an oil and filter change, to a more comprehensive inspection, testing a variety of components, which can take hours. But in general, a car service is a maintenance check: cleaning, refilling, replacing and inspecting the components that keep cars running.
As a general rule of thumb, professional car servicing is recommended every 12 months or 20,000km, whichever comes first. But if you’ve an older model, it could need more regular servicing, such as every six months.
When working out what’s best for your car, you need to take into consideration:
You should also pay attention to the things you can do yourself in terms of basic maintenance between services. This includes checking tyre pressure and engine oil levels and ensuring all the car’s lights are operational, etc.
Of course, if you notice any issues between services (such as warning lights coming on, or irregular noises) it’s important to get the problem looked at sooner rather than later.
By skipping your car servicing, you can cause much bigger, and more expensive problems down the line. The biggest potential issue is your car’s oil. The breakdown of oil or the sludging of oil can both wreak havoc on your car engine. If that happens, fixing your engine will be a lot more costly than a service.
Furthermore, car servicing keeps your car running at its most efficient, so by skipping servicing you could find your fuel economy gets worse. This can lead to added pain at the pump.
The price of a car service depends on a range of factors. Providers all have different costs, and most will have more than one package on offer, ranging from a basic service up to more comprehensive options. The make, model, and fuel type of your vehicle may also impact the price.
In general, a car service can cost anywhere from $100 – $350. Keep in mind that services at the lower end will be much more basic.
This report was written by Canstar Content Producer, Caitlin Bingham. Caitlin is an experienced writer whose passion for creativity led her to study communication and journalism. She began her career freelancing as a content writer, before joining the Canstar team.
Would buy a new car if they could afford it: 55%
Chose to buy from a used-car dealership because of trade-in options: 36%
Arranges finance before visiting a car dealership: 21%
Canstar Blue surveyed 2575 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from respondents who had purchased a used car from a used car dealership in the past three years. In this case, 622 New Zealanders.
Dealerships must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all dealerships in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criterion.
The past winners from Canstar Blue’s Used Car Dealership ratings:
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