⚠️ Important: All cost calculations, fuel economy figures, vehicle price estimates, CO₂ estimates, and safety ratings on NZ Car Compare are indicative estimates only. They must not be relied upon as financial, legal, mechanical, or safety advice. Always conduct independent research before any vehicle purchasing or financial decision.
Acceptance of terms
By accessing or using NZ Car Compare at nzcarcompare.co.nz (the "Site"), you agree to these Terms of Use. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.
What NZ Car Compare does
NZ Car Compare is a free tool that helps New Zealand consumers estimate and compare the total cost of owning two vehicles. Key features include:
- Comparing up to 5 NZ vehicles by total running costs (fuel, electricity, Road User Charges) and purchase price to calculate break-even points
- Looking up vehicle details by NZ registration plate using the Carjam API, which sources data from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register and EECA fuel economy testing
- Displaying fuel economy figures, CO₂ emissions, safety ratings, odometer readings, and ownership history as provided by Carjam
- Generating indicative market price estimates based on Trade Me Motors historical averages, adjusted for actual odometer reading using a depreciation model
- Browsing a database of 43,000+ NZ vehicle variants from the NZ registered fleet with fuel economy and pricing data
- Linking to third-party services including Trade Me Motors, Carjam (affiliate), and NZ insurance providers
Accuracy of information — please read carefully
NZ Car Compare makes no warranty regarding the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or fitness for purpose of any information on the Site. In particular:
- Running cost estimates are calculations based on user-provided inputs and displayed fuel/electricity prices. Actual costs vary based on driving conditions, style, maintenance, and fuel price fluctuations.
- Fuel economy figures are laboratory-tested values (WLTP or equivalent) sourced from EECA via Carjam. Real-world consumption typically differs — often significantly for EVs, hybrids, and PHEVs depending on usage patterns.
- CO₂ figures represent tailpipe emissions only from manufacturer testing. They do not account for upstream emissions from fuel production or electricity generation.
- Safety ratings reference ANCAP and other test bodies via Carjam. Ratings apply to the specific tested variant and year — individual vehicles may differ due to modifications, damage, or equipment differences.
- Vehicle price estimates are calculated from historical Trade Me Motors average sale prices, adjusted using an odometer-based depreciation model (approximately $0.065 per km deviation from expected mileage for the vehicle's age, capped at ±25% of base price). These are indicative estimates only — not valuations, not appraisals, and not offers to buy or sell.
- Odometer readings are sourced from the NZTA register via Carjam and reflect the most recently reported reading, which may not be current. The actual odometer on the physical vehicle should always be verified.
- WOF status reflects the most recent result held in the NZTA register and may not be current.
- Fuel and electricity prices are manually maintained averages and may not reflect current prices in your region.
- Road User Charges (RUC) are based on current NZTA published rates and are subject to change.
Vehicle data and Carjam
Vehicle information displayed following a plate lookup is sourced from the Carjam API. Carjam is a licensed data reseller accessing the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register and EECA datasets. NZ Car Compare displays this data as received and is not responsible for errors, omissions, or delays in the underlying data.
By entering a registration plate number, you confirm you have a legitimate purpose for looking up that vehicle's information. The plate lookup feature is for personal vehicle research only. You must not use it for bulk lookups, automated data harvesting, or any commercial purpose without prior written consent from NZ Car Compare and compliance with Carjam's terms of service.
Plate lookups are rate-limited to 10 per IP address per hour. Attempts to circumvent this limit are prohibited.
Not financial or professional advice
Nothing on NZ Car Compare constitutes financial advice under the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013, mechanical advice, safety certification, or any other form of professional advice. The Site is an informational comparison tool only. For significant purchasing decisions, seek independent advice from qualified professionals.
Third-party links
The Site links to Trade Me Motors, Carjam (affiliate partner), Quashed, AA Insurance, AMI, Tower, RightCar, and NZTA. Links to Carjam may be affiliate links — see the "Affiliate links" section above. All other links are provided for convenience only. NZ Car Compare accepts no responsibility for the content, accuracy, pricing, or practices of any third-party site.
No liability
To the maximum extent permitted by New Zealand law, NZ Car Compare and its operators accept no liability for:
- Any loss or damage (including financial loss) arising from reliance on information on the Site
- Any inaccuracies in vehicle data, cost estimates, fuel economy figures, safety ratings, odometer data, or price estimates
- Any decisions made regarding vehicle purchases, insurance, or financing based on the Site's output
- The accuracy or currency of data sourced from Carjam, NZTA, EECA, or Trade Me
- Site unavailability, errors, or interruptions
- Any loss resulting from third-party websites linked from this Site
Acceptable use
You agree not to:
- Use the Site for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any NZ law
- Scrape, crawl, or automatically extract data from the Site
- Circumvent rate limiting or other security measures
- Use the plate lookup feature for bulk or automated lookups
- Interfere with or disrupt the Site's servers or infrastructure
- Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Site
Affiliate links and commercial relationships
NZ Car Compare participates in the Carjam affiliate programme. Links to Carjam on this site (including the "Get full Carjam report" button and the "Vehicle data: Carjam" footer link) are affiliate links. If you purchase a product through these links, NZ Car Compare may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Our affiliate relationship with Carjam does not influence which data we display or how we present vehicle information. All data is displayed as received from the Carjam API without modification for commercial purposes.
We may add further affiliate or partner relationships in future. Any such relationships will be disclosed in these Terms and in our Privacy Policy.
Intellectual property
The design, code, and original written content of NZ Car Compare are protected by copyright under the New Zealand Copyright Act 1994. Vehicle data, fuel economy figures, and emissions data are sourced from public datasets and attributed to their respective owners (NZTA, EECA, Carjam). Market price estimates are derived from publicly available Trade Me Motors data.
Changes to these terms
We may update these Terms at any time. Continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance.
Governing law
These Terms are governed by New Zealand law. Any disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the New Zealand courts.
Contact
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