Buying a car in Hobart

What it costs on top of the purchase price

Tasmania charges vehicle duty on the dutiable value of the vehicle, applied on a scale, alongside registration and transfer fees. Rates and thresholds change, so confirm current figures with the Tasmanian Government before finalising your budget.

As everywhere, the number to negotiate on is the drive-away figure rather than the advertised price, and you should ask for it in writing and itemised.

Buying from the mainland

The mainland offers far more choice and often better pricing, particularly on newer or less common vehicles. Plenty of Tasmanians buy across the strait and it can work well — but the full cost is not just the sale price.

Shipping a vehicle across Bass Strait costs several hundred dollars at minimum, and more for larger vehicles. You will also need to arrange interstate transfer of registration, and you should budget for an independent inspection in the seller's city, because inspecting it yourself means flights and time.

The risk that matters most is that you are buying something you have not seen. An independent pre-purchase inspection in the seller's city is not optional on a remote purchase — it costs a small fraction of what a bad buy does, and it is the only realistic protection you have.

• Shipping across Bass Strait — get a quote for the specific vehicle before committing
• Interstate registration transfer and Tasmanian duty on arrival
• Independent inspection in the seller's city
• How a warranty issue would be handled from Tasmania

Rust is the local check that matters

Tasmania's climate, coastal exposure and winter road conditions make corrosion the primary thing to check on any older vehicle here. It is often well advanced underneath before anything shows above.

A vehicle that has spent its life in Tasmania may show more corrosion than a mainland equivalent of the same age. Conversely, one brought down from a dry mainland climate may be in better structural condition than local stock. Either way, an inspection that specifically examines the underbody and chassis is the money best spent in the whole process.

Finance is where the thin market costs you most

With fewer dealerships and fewer lenders competing locally, the finance offer you get in Hobart has had less competitive pressure applied to it than an equivalent offer in Melbourne. The finance desk is a profit centre in any dealership, and less competition means less reason to sharpen the rate.

This is the one part of the process where being in Tasmania does not have to disadvantage you. Lender panels are national, the whole process runs by phone and email, and arriving pre-approved gives you a benchmark to hold any dealer offer against.

Common questions

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