Hey Guys,

I'm in the extremely fortunate position of being about to place an order for an '02 model stook. I've been following your posts here and other posts in other sites for the last couple of weeks, and in conjunction with what research I have been able to do into the EU or non-EU import route, I've been thoroughly put off the idea.

Don't get me wrong - the up-front savings are considerable (at least 4 large), but considering the worry I'll have with potential problems such as incomplete specs, wrong factory options, unreliable delivery times, worse re-sale values - not to mention the annual hassle of messing around trying to get a quote for a non-UK sourced car (hard enough already as I've just turned 26 with 1yr NCB living in London) - means that I'll probably end up paying through the nose at my local snotty, indifferent Honda dealership.

Chalk another one up for indifferent customer service, ignorant insurance companies (EU is *not* an 'import' car) and general ripping-off of the consumer.

I wish I had the balls to take the path less chosen... (or is it?)

Cheers for sticking through my rant if you've got this far!


Ted


BTW, I was in San Jose earlier in the year and I hired a stook for a couple of days to confirm what I suspected - that I wanted one! (A blast up and down the PCH was all it took). Why on earth don't we get cruise control here as an *option* even?
Not to mention dealer fit sat nav?
And why is it that buyers of Civic Type-Rs will get a free advanced driving course and not buyers of the more expensive and powerful stook/NSX?

 

Because any muppet could afford a Civic Type-R?

Who would have thought that you could get a ~200bhp hot hatch for 16K last year?

 

I was also not happy to go the import route and upon reflection, I am glad that I did not.

 

Welcome aboard!

I went for a UK car for many of the reasons you outlined, i.e. I needed it quick, had concerns on residual value and potentially inflated insurance premiums. Many board members have EU sourced cars and at least one has a JDM import (sigh, no annoying headlamp washers ) If you run the math I guess you can still come out ahead over 3 years if you get lucky come resale time, I didn't have the time to play with though

On the cruise control question, Honda just couldn't fit all those clever mechanicals into the right hand drive cars, I guess all the ancillaries/headers etc. and other bits they couldn't reshuffle around the engine bay got in the way, so we're SOL there! Sat Nav? Only JDM, shame I'd love that screen too!

PCH, you lucky SOB

By the way, what colour are you going for (please say yellow, no-one else has one and I want to see it at the next meet )

 

OK let's put this "re-sale values of imports" issue to bed once and for all!

I'll start a new thread and let's see how we go!

 

Don't know if its down to just the cruise control, burt US cars without washers and with cruise are 12 kg heavier, another good reason not to get it.

I think everyone would say avoid a non-euro import, especially bargains from Cyprus, as in three years you'll be left with the bonnet and engine, as the rest is not weather-proofed like an Euro car. Also Japanese imports will be subject to higher insurance, and you have to present a good case to some insurance companies to avoid a hike for a Euro import.

Re-sale I think is an issue, two Honda dealers and a specialist car dealer sniffing around for my UK car were not interested at all unless it was a UK sourced car, they were adamant that it was not worth it to them to try and convince customers that it was the same.
This won't be an issue if you are keeping it for 5 or 6 years I guess, by then the resale values will be pretty close (and low, if Autocar have anything to do with it, see thread!!)

Finally, the savings are there for a Euro import, order today and I think you will get it for March, however these saving of

 

Thanks for the replies, guys. It's really helpful and comforting to know that others have been through the same questions before me.

I've been mulling Nurburgring blue metallic as the hood will be a matching blue colour too.

Currency fluctuation is a good point, Paul. With current worldwide uncertainties who knows what will happen. My own hunch is that the dollar will take a gradual slide and people will keep on moving to the Euro - and the Euro will, like you say, keep on getting stronger.

As for Honda dealers, can you guys recommend any dealers where people have had good service or a good deal from? Of course I'll phone around but it'll be good to have a starting point. Any which aren't too far from London would be appreciated

You guys will like this - when I had my go in the stook hire car, the guy also had a TT roadster with the horrible baseball stitching interior sitting on the forecourt. Not a popular car, where I was. Too flash for SoCal tastes apparently! Also, any TTs I did see were 2wd versions.

When it was time to go home I took an AVIS Mustang V6 conv from SJC to LAX one way for a comparison. Going one way cost me a whole lot more than a regular rental, but it made me appreciate the remarkable torsional rigidity of the stook's x-frame. The Mustang shook and shimmied a lot more over the same rutted surfaces at the same speeds. However, there was no comparison when it came to the sound - that V6 thunder at kickdown (four speed auto was all they had) was addictive. Unfortunately, the interior was appaling - as featureless as the stook but full of contrasting angles and cheap surface finishes. Lucky the view outside was so good...

Another thing I found, and I'd appreciate any comments on this, is that the factory fit perspex wind break on the stook didn't make much difference to buffeting at speeds above 50mph. Perhaps it's my height (6ft 2in)? Guess I'll have to invest in a warm windproof hat.

 

If you do decide to go EU you can fix the currency in advance with HIFX and I think TTT also allow you to do the same. As your buying bulk currency the rate you get is actually a little better than what tends to be qouted in the papers.

I used HIFX who required a 10% deposit for a forward currency deal i.e you want 20K in Euros for 5 months time at todays rate will cost you 2K in Euros now and the rest to be paid in 5 months time or when you require the remainder.

There is a lot of debate going on here at the moment about the pros/cons which you should probably take a look at, also checkout the newsgroup uk.rec.cars.imports where you will find lots of people in the same boat and usually some good contacts i.e. dealers, transport co's etc.

Good Luck, whichever way you go Im sure you wont be dissapointed.