Author Topic: What car to buy?  (Read 5792 times)

truman47

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What car to buy?
« on: December 08, 2016, 03:19:05 PM »
So after 20 years of having company cars I was just made redundant. I start another job next week with a $25k pay increase but no company car so am going to buy a car with my redundancy.

Ive been told by a mate that I shouldnt buy anything that's done more than 100,000 kms or older than 5 years or I will start having troubles with it. But I'm finding any cars in that category are $15k plus. (My redundancy was $20k)

Also for you Aussies on here I'm leaning towards either a VE Berlina wagon, a Mazda 3, a Toyota Corolla, or Hyundai I45. My company cars have always been 4wd dual cabs like a Holden Colorado but I cant afford something like that and realise now that I really just need something to get from A to B.

My new work is only 10kms away so a short commute.

Any suggestions?

StartingEarly

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2016, 03:48:17 PM »
10km is only a little more than 6 miles, are you in a temperate region of Australia that you could have a bicycle? If it's too hot to get there without being sweaty on a bicycle have you considered an electric bicycle? What other driving do you plan on doing outside of work?

truman47

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2016, 04:40:49 PM »
Im in Melbourne so temperate climate but we can get 4 season sin one day. Its middle of summer and its going to snow on the alps today. 2 days ago it was 28C.

A bike isnt an option as the route there is on a freeway. And Im not that fit..LOl

i will be using the car to pick up my sons when they come over and stay and for outings on the weekend with my partner. She has a car too but we dont live together..

ysette9

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2016, 04:50:10 PM »
I disagree with the blanket statement that any car over five years old or with more than x km/mi is unreliable. There are reliable and unreliable cars and brands. Just do your research before buying and get a pre-purchase check by a mechanic before buying. In the US our source of unbiased reliability info for cars is Consumer Reports. They accept no advertising and so can remain neutral. You should be able to find info on a fair number of cars there, you may just need to translate what the same car is called in different countries.

StartingEarly

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #4 on: December 08, 2016, 06:10:10 PM »
If you are driving less than 10k miles a year (20k ish km a year) I would just go with something reliable and simple and not worry about mpg. You can probably find something inefficient for a steal with lower miles and good condition. I wouldn'T worry so much about miles and age as I would service record.

rothwem

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #5 on: December 09, 2016, 09:01:31 AM »
You're in Australia?  I vote ute.  I would freaking love to own one, but the closest we have here is the 5-lug Tacoma, which is a bit lame.



NoStacheOhio

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #6 on: December 09, 2016, 09:18:24 AM »
You're in Australia?  I vote ute.  I would freaking love to own one, but the closest we have here is the 5-lug Tacoma, which is a bit lame.

While I whole-heartedly endorse the sentiment, a two-seat pickup car with the same V8 you get in a Corvette may be slightly antimustachian.

Cwadda

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #7 on: December 09, 2016, 10:15:04 AM »
When I bought a used car I narrowed it down to Honda, Toyota or Mazda. These have been shown to be high up there in terms of reliability. I went with a Mazda3 sedan, haven't looked back.

ShoulderThingThatGoesUp

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #8 on: December 09, 2016, 11:05:30 AM »
Is gas expensive in Australia? With that little driving you might be able to find an electric car that meets your needs. No oil changes, no buying gas. In the US they're pretty cheap coming off leases.

truman47

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #9 on: December 09, 2016, 02:36:27 PM »
@ Rothwem.  Yes a Holden ute would be nice as they look awesome.  I am actually looking at VE Berlina wagons. A ute is all I've driven for the past 20 years. Holden C olorado dual cab, Ford Ranger dual cab and a Nissan Navara, but all company cars and unfortunately out of my price range.

Even the name 5-lug Tacoma sounds lame..LOL

@Cwadda...The Mazda 3 or 6 or a Toyota Aurion is high on my list. Not the sort of car I usually drive but these days i just need something to get to work.

@Shoulderthingthatgoesup...Yes gas is expensive in Australia. Its currently $1.26 a litre which works out to $4.76 a US gallon. Which is more than double what you guys say from what I just looked up.. (Around $2.00 a gallon yeah?)

Thanks everyone else for your responses. 


Papa Mustache

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #10 on: December 10, 2016, 11:13:54 AM »
Are you going to buy something and then replace it in just a few short years? If so buy anything that you like.

Are you planning to keep it forever?

I made it to 300K miles (~485000 kms) out of a late 90s four cylinder Honda and previously close to that from a late 80s Honda four cylinder. It took quality fluids, quality replacement parts, don't let problems pile up (and lead to other problems), and a gentle hand to get that far.

I vote for something simple and four cylinder but buying a car is so subjective. While we're fine driving older cars and four cylinder cars, I know plenty of people for whom it just won't do. 

I guess I would prowl the enthusiast forums looking for a best case scenario to see how many miles people are getting from your chosen brand and model. Most brands have the similar failures b/c the designers or factory built some detail too fragile. About 15 years ago VW in North America was in this position with window regulators for example. 

multi-vitamin

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #11 on: December 10, 2016, 01:05:55 PM »
I would check out http://cashcarconvert.com/ before you make any decisions. I honestly don't see the point in spending more than $5,000. I think of it as paying for mileage. The cost of ownership per mile for a vehicle over 200K miles is cheaper than a vehicle over 100k miles.  Anyway, just a different way to look at things.  CashCarConvert is a good podcast.


Cwadda

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #12 on: December 10, 2016, 02:33:11 PM »
@ Rothwem.  Yes a Holden ute would be nice as they look awesome.  I am actually looking at VE Berlina wagons. A ute is all I've driven for the past 20 years. Holden C olorado dual cab, Ford Ranger dual cab and a Nissan Navara, but all company cars and unfortunately out of my price range.

Even the name 5-lug Tacoma sounds lame..LOL

@Cwadda...The Mazda 3 or 6 or a Toyota Aurion is high on my list. Not the sort of car I usually drive but these days i just need something to get to work.

@Shoulderthingthatgoesup...Yes gas is expensive in Australia. Its currently $1.26 a litre which works out to $4.76 a US gallon. Which is more than double what you guys say from what I just looked up.. (Around $2.00 a gallon yeah?)

Thanks everyone else for your responses.

I can't speak much for the Toyota Aurion, but a nice bonus for my Mazda3 is that it's fun to drive. It's zippy and handles well. I'd look for 2010 or later models. You want the Skyactive Technology engine, it increases the gas mileage.

mwulff

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #13 on: December 10, 2016, 04:23:00 PM »
For such a short distance a Nissan Leaf or Renault Zoe. Maybe consider an electric bike.

These things last basically forever and need little maintenance.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #14 on: December 10, 2016, 11:25:37 PM »
Is gas expensive in Australia? With that little driving you might be able to find an electric car that meets your needs. No oil changes, no buying gas. In the US they're pretty cheap coming off leases.

Depends on what you compare it to. Currently it's about $1.25AUD a litre here in Melbourne, which converts to about $3.50USD a gallon.

The issue though is that electric cars themselves are dramatically more expensive here in Australia. There were never any government incentives (like the $7500 tax credit) on the things so no-one bought them as they were too expensive. A used 2011-12 Nissan Leaf starts at about $30K. For reference, a new Toyota Corolla starts in the low 20s.

@ Rothwem.  Yes a Holden ute would be nice as they look awesome.  I am actually looking at VE Berlina wagons. A ute is all I've driven for the past 20 years. Holden C olorado dual cab, Ford Ranger dual cab and a Nissan Navara, but all company cars and unfortunately out of my price range.

Even the name 5-lug Tacoma sounds lame..LOL

@Cwadda...The Mazda 3 or 6 or a Toyota Aurion is high on my list. Not the sort of car I usually drive but these days i just need something to get to work.

@Shoulderthingthatgoesup...Yes gas is expensive in Australia. Its currently $1.26 a litre which works out to $4.76 a US gallon. Which is more than double what you guys say from what I just looked up.. (Around $2.00 a gallon yeah?)

Thanks everyone else for your responses.

It depends on what you need size wise. There's plenty of stuff from around 2009-2012 that's really well priced. The Nissan Pulsar and Holden Cruze are dirt cheap secondhand, ditto the Hyundais and Kias (and the Hyundai i30 is a damn good car). If you're after a bit bigger, then maybe check out the Toyota Camry (or the Falcon/Commodore), they're pretty cheap too being common fleet cars. If you do a lot of kilometres, consider the hybrids or diesels.

How many k's do you do a year? Why the Aurion and not the Camry?

Ive been told by a mate that I shouldnt buy anything that's done more than 100,000 kms or older than 5 years or I will start having troubles with it. But I'm finding any cars in that category are $15k plus. (My redundancy was $20k)

Honestly unless you really need a larger car, just get a used car around Corolla size of about four-seven years old. A car should be good for 300,000km anyway. Even if it requires a tiny bit more maintenance than something newer, you're not spending a shit-ton of extra cash that could be used to generate investment income :)

With the whole biking thing, yeah it depends on where you ride (my commute is about 7km and fairly flat and not near a freeway (inner suburban roads with bike lanes)). It is possible to ride in Melbourne year round but it's a bit less pleasant on the hot days in summer or the rainy winter days. I rode through almost all of the 2015 winter except maybe a week or two. :)

Jump on Carsales and have a look around. You should find something decent for comfortably under $10K. :)

Plenty of cars like this around:

http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/Hyundai-i30-2008/OAG-AD-13991153/?Cr=6

Or this:

http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/Nissan-Pulsar-2013/OAG-AD-13201977/?Cr=2
« Last Edit: December 10, 2016, 11:34:53 PM by alsoknownasDean »

truman47

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #15 on: December 11, 2016, 12:54:56 AM »
I suppose I don't really need a larger car. It's just that I can't seem to shake the stigma that Corollas, hyundais, and Nissan 4 cylinder smaller cars are chick cars. I have 2 daughters 19 and 20 and I feel it's the same type of car they drive.  I really shouldn't give shit. I'm 47 but for 20 years I've driven dual cabs so to switch to a small car is kinda hard. I will only average 150-200 kms a week so I shouldn't really care what I drive I suppose.  The missus has a Cruze which is a 2013 and has been okay but it's very gutless.  The Aurion seem to be old mannish inside, something my 75 yr old father in law should drive. I dont mind the Camrys though. 

I love the VE Commodores but I e read they are not that good on fuel.

Tell me is 150k the new 100k these days? I've been told not to get anything over 100k but then others have said 150k is still good mileage.

hdatontodo

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #16 on: December 11, 2016, 06:21:03 AM »
I suppose I don't really need a larger car. It's just that I can't seem to shake the stigma that Corollas, hyundais, and Nissan 4 cylinder smaller cars are chick cars.
http://forums.motortrend.com/70/9561030/the-general-forum/average-new-toyota-corolla-buyer-now-58-years-old/index.html

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truman47

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #17 on: December 11, 2016, 11:29:16 PM »
Haha I forgot to mention .. or old man cars too...lol.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #18 on: December 12, 2016, 06:38:11 AM »
I suppose I don't really need a larger car. It's just that I can't seem to shake the stigma that Corollas, hyundais, and Nissan 4 cylinder smaller cars are chick cars. I have 2 daughters 19 and 20 and I feel it's the same type of car they drive.  I really shouldn't give shit. I'm 47 but for 20 years I've driven dual cabs so to switch to a small car is kinda hard. I will only average 150-200 kms a week so I shouldn't really care what I drive I suppose.  The missus has a Cruze which is a 2013 and has been okay but it's very gutless.  The Aurion seem to be old mannish inside, something my 75 yr old father in law should drive. I dont mind the Camrys though. 

I love the VE Commodores but I e read they are not that good on fuel.

Tell me is 150k the new 100k these days? I've been told not to get anything over 100k but then others have said 150k is still good mileage.

Does it really matter? I was the same ten or so years ago, now I drive an old 1.4L Barina (I had a Falcon for a while and realised it was way too big). I don't care anymore now, a smaller car means less money leaving my wallet (my last full tank of fuel was under $50). That and it's a pain in the clacker driving a big car around the inner suburbs. Maybe this 'big powerful cars are more manly' thing is largely rubbish. :)

I don't know what you mean about the 'new 100k'. I've not owned a car with under 100,000km on the clock. When I was growing up my parents' cars went to over 250,000km. Modern cars should be at least as good as that.

By the way, is it a 1.8L Cruze? The 1.4L turbo and the diesel ones are a bit more powerful, but naturally if you've been driving 3L diesel utes, going to a 1.8L petrol engine will involve putting up with quite a bit less torque.

Ultimately though, if a VE Commodore really does make you happy (and happy for the longer term), and you're prepared to accept that it'll cost more to run, then get one (maybe consider an LPG one). A mate of mine's got a VE SSV. Nice enough car to drive but I wouldn't want it's fuel bill.

rothwem

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #19 on: December 12, 2016, 01:38:30 PM »
I suppose I don't really need a larger car. It's just that I can't seem to shake the stigma that Corollas, hyundais, and Nissan 4 cylinder smaller cars are chick cars.

Ah, I totally understand.  I vote F350 Diesel with duallies and the crew cab (to carry around all the hotties).  Don't forget your lift kit!  6" is just average, I'd go at least 8". 

truman47

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #20 on: December 13, 2016, 03:44:49 AM »
I suppose I don't really need a larger car. It's just that I can't seem to shake the stigma that Corollas, hyundais, and Nissan 4 cylinder smaller cars are chick cars.

Ah, I totally understand.  I vote F350 Diesel with duallies and the crew cab (to carry around all the hotties).  Don't forget your lift kit!  6" is just average, I'd go at least 8".

Haha yes I'm sure the missus would be pleased.

Actually I test drove this tonight and was very impressed so I left a Deposit. Thanks for the advice and tips gents.

http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Toyota-Aurion-2011/SSE-AD-4418535/?Cr=3



mustachepungoeshere

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #21 on: December 13, 2016, 03:55:17 AM »
I suppose I don't really need a larger car. It's just that I can't seem to shake the stigma that Corollas, hyundais, and Nissan 4 cylinder smaller cars are chick cars.

Ah, I totally understand.  I vote F350 Diesel with duallies and the crew cab (to carry around all the hotties).  Don't forget your lift kit!  6" is just average, I'd go at least 8".

Haha yes I'm sure the missus would be pleased.

Actually I test drove this tonight and was very impressed so I left a Deposit. Thanks for the advice and tips gents.

http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Toyota-Aurion-2011/SSE-AD-4418535/?Cr=3

Good choice. The Aurion has a bit of a reputation as an old man's car, but it means that the value is depressed which certainly works in your favour.

Great engine, not super efficient, but the power and Toyota reliability are certainly there.

Fun fact: that engine is used by Lotus in performance cars, and by Lexus in luxury cars, so you're getting a lot of car for the money.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: What car to buy?
« Reply #22 on: December 13, 2016, 04:33:34 AM »
They're a bit big and thirsty, but it's a decent enough price and you're not doing a huge amount of k's.

Some sucker probably paid over $40K for that thing five years ago.

Congrats.

(note to non-Aussies: the Toyota Aurion is essentially a V6 Camry with different styling, they decided to sell the 4cyl and 6cyl versions of the Camry under different names in the Aussie market)
« Last Edit: December 13, 2016, 04:36:41 AM by alsoknownasDean »