what new car to buy

[THE EB!]

Hi, im not sure if this is the right part of the forum to put this, if not could someone please move it. Anyway I am looking at buying a new car in the next few months (end of the year most likely), and have been looking around at my options. I also wanted to get other peoples opinions on what the best idea would be. I am looking at spending $25,000 (possibly stretch to $30,000 but would rather not). Personally I would much prefer a new car, and because of my price range it would have to be something small. Reason being is because I have now had two second hand cars and I am getting sick of spending money everytime it gets a service because something needs fixing. So I have been toying with the idea of getting possibly a fiesta, or mazda 3 etc. I had also had a thought about getting a fiesta econetic – obviously that would save me a lot of money in fuel, but is it harder to get any certain parts that this model might need that aren’t very common? I just had a friend visit from Sydney who bought a second hand liberty GS I think it was, they go for about $60,000 brand new he was saying, and he got it for $30,000. Obviously this would be a much nicer car, but again im a bit dubious about buying second hand. A few small cars I have looked at have real bad plastic looking interiors which turn me off. All in all I just want something cheap and reliable, I don’t have too many other criteria except best bang for my buck. So if you were in my shoes what would you do/what do you recommend? Are there any new cars coming ut soon to look out for?

[RG]

Suzuki Kizashi.

[vanman_75]

Will be hard beating the suzi , excellent build quality .Im with russ

[Giant Cranium]

cant go wrong with a mazda even though the 3's look stupid

[Yellow_Festiva]

I drove the Holden Cruze for a week and came away very impressed. I wouldn't hesitate adding it to my short list if I were looking for a new car.

[LightningStrike]

Brand new Ford Focus XR5 runout for $32k?

[Franco Cozzo]

I've got a Fiesta CL manual, for $25,000 you can get the Econetic or the Zetec. Its a good car, a few minor issues like glitchy radio and clutch pedal squeak, might just be a problem with early build cars like mine. I'm getting 5.5L/100km without the latest ECU firmware (still running original firmware).

[Jimmyd]

A bit of clarification needed to help us understand what you are looking for in a car;
1. Auto or Manual?
2. How much room for you, passengers and/or luggage?
3. Will you be wanting to improve performance?
4. Are you concerned with resale values?
5. How long do you plan to keep it?
6. Do you want it to handle or do you want a cushy ride?
7. Where do you sit on the perfomance v.s economy scale?
8. Are there any cars you don't want in this range?
9. Any defined thoughts on diesel v.s petrol?

Cheers

James

[THE EB!]

Thanks for all your replies, i am going away this weekend so will have a look at some of the mentioned cars on monday. Suzuki kizashi - i saw my first one of these about 3 days ago and had no idea what it was, thought it must have been an import. Might have a look at this, i assume it is a new model?

About the xr5 runout for 32k, sounds good but id be hard enough pressed stretching to 30, without adding the extra 2. Mind you i am looking at the end of the year so who knows what prices will be like then.

Some answers:
1. Auto or Manual? Have only owned autos, would prefer auto but would go manual if need be
2. How much room for you, passengers and/or luggage? I am quite tall, so need a bit of room for myself, i dont care how tight it is for my passengers :P but i would obviously prefer something not too cramped.
3. Will you be wanting to improve performance? Not really, just need something to get from a to b, cheap and reliable
4. Are you concerned with resale values? Not at all
5. How long do you plan to keep it? Havent thought about this one much, but as long as it still runs well i wouldnt want to get rid of it
6. Do you want it to handle or do you want a cushy ride? Cant i have both? :p Handling isnt a huge factor, i dont plan on going fast with it, would much prefer something that is just enjoyable/comfy to drive
7. Where do you sit on the perfomance v.s economy scale? I dont care about performance, as long as it has enough guts to be able to overtake when i put my foot down im happy.
8. Are there any cars you don't want in this range? I cant say yet, ive had a look at a few and some just have dodgy plastic interiors, cant remember which. I would rather steer away from daewoos etc.
9. Any defined thoughts on diesel v.s petrol? Dont really care much at all, to be honest i cant say i know enough about the pros and cons of each.

[EB#]

I'd suggest looking at the base models of the Mazda 3 and the Subaru Impreza, in
either hatch or sedan for the both of them, manual trans. These price up (drive away brand new)
at about $22k for the Mazda and about $24k for the Subie.

Pros of these cars are:
- Good performers (manual is much better for a 4 cylinder, IMO)
- Jap build quality
- Well fitted out
- More useful/practical in size than say the Fiesta, Mazda 2 type range
- Good re-sale value, best in class I'd guess...
- Keep the change from your $25k

Good luck with your research mate....

[Snake Bite]

Cant go past the Mazda 3, they are great cars and very well built in comparison to others in that class and also they have good re sale value.

[Brazen]

The problem is with the Mazda 3 is that it feels like an economy car, hard plastic, little soundproofing, thin sheet metal and paint - although this is endemic with most cars in the segment. Which is why the Cruze probably sells so well, it has the feeling of solidness and quality from the next class up.

With that kind of money I would be stepping up to the next size car and maybe look at a demo, such as a Mazda 6, Suzuki Kizashi and shock horror even a sports edition Toyota Camry... Much more substantial feeling cars for not too much extra money (if you shop right).

I might want to add, that I would seriously take a low km FG for a drive. This would be my top choice. Great on fuel, powerful, rear-wheel-drive, last forever, cheap to maintain, excellent build quality (dont let past Falcons put you off!). You could be comfortable you are buying one of the best driving sedans on the market if you picked one of these up. A much better drive expirience than a new C-segment car.

[ch33z1l]

New Lancer maybe? However, I'm not yet a fan of the sloping dashes...

[Jimmyd]

OK, selection of current models I have driven in the last 6 months in no particular order;
Subaru Imprezza - just don't put a cannon exhaust on it OK; some killer deals on,
Corrolla - I'm 6'4" and just drove a new one around New Zealand for two weeks, plenty of room and comfortable to drive, nifty manual shift on the auto and had enough poke for overtaking; there is a new 2.0 litre engine with more torque comming to replace the 1.8,
Mazda 3 - ticks the boxes, but in a very clinical manner,
Hyundai I30 - Petrol is ok, but give the diesel a drive, extra torque helps,
Holden Cruize - Nice features and stylish looks, but cramped and auto couldn't pull the skin of a rice custard,
Ford Fiesta - nice bit of kit, but a little cramped,
Ford Focus - as above but more room & zoom
Volkswagen Polo 1.6DT - nice drive, a little claustraphobic,
Toyota Camry - just squeaks in at 30k, most room and zoom for your $$, but absolutely souless motoring....


Cheers

James

[JutroXR8]

Fiesta Econetic for fuel efficiency.

Focus Zetec for handling.

[GTJOHN]

Mazda 3 is nice and in small car terms very good..
But i have had a look at the Suzuki Kizashi and that is a nice looking car ..
have had a few drives in the Cruze thing and found it terrible ... looks crap and felt like a Camira to drive... Stick with the mazda, suzuki or Ford small cars...

[arlester]

Can I suggest the Honda Civic. These are starting to go on runout and can be had for $22,990 for a manual or about $25,000 for the auto.
They are better built than: Cruze, Corolla, Lancer and have more standard features than the Mazda ie: Cruise Control.
Also very very reliable and good on fuel aswell.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Brazen

I might want to add, that I would seriously take a low km FG for a drive. This would be my top choice. Great on fuel, powerful, rear-wheel-drive, last forever, cheap to maintain, excellent build quality (dont let past Falcons put you off!). You could be comfortable you are buying one of the best driving sedans on the market if you picked one of these up. A much better drive expirience than a new C-segment car.

+1

let the previous owner take the main depreciation hit. if you buy a low km 09 or 2010 car, you still have the best part of 2 yrs factory warranty and much better value than buying new. these cars hit the 2nd hand market with as little as 20 - 30000km on them quite a bit cheaper than new. they lose around $5-10k in the first year, sometimes more.

for 30k, you could easily get a FG xr6 or g6 or g6e. even a couple of xr6turbo's although the fuel savings might be affected.

an FG G6E would be hard to top. any brand new small or mid car won't even come close!!

[naddis01]

I would suggest either a Mazda 3 or if you can score one in your price range, a Mazda 6 base model. Having owned a Mazda 3 and now own a 2010 Mazda 6, I have no troubles recommending either. As has been mentioned though, the 3 can get a little noisy, which is why I would go for the 6. Its not too much dearer, quieter, handles well, good on fuel, good resale (if there is such a thing) and is reliable. What more could you want for an A to B car?

On a side note, if you don't want a Daewoo, steer clear of any of Holdens smaller cars as they have Daewoo origins.

[naddis01]

Originally Posted by prydey

for 30k, you could easily get a FG xr6 or g6 or g6e. even a couple of xr6turbo's although the fuel savings might be affected.

For $30k you could have got a brand new manual XR6 off a forum sponsor a couple of months a go.

[Fiesta God]

More specifics re: size of the car?

There's a huge difference between a Fiesta Zetec and a Mazda 3 or a Kizashi in size.

If you're looking for something cheap to service, reliable and something you'll hold onto long-term, and you're not fussed about re-sale ... hard to go past a Hyundai i30 Diesel.

Room inside, enough grunt, 5 yr warranty, cheap parts/service costs and fuel efficient and safe.


If you're happy with something small, can't go past a Fiesta Zetec in manual. Best new car under 25k on the road IMO.

Or wait for the new Focus next year.

[JimNiki]

Best bang for buck is a car about 2 years old with warranty left.
The money you'll save more than makes up for petrol and other parts...

If you really want the smell of a new car, you will, like everyone else have to pay for it.

I've just bought my work 06 outlander which still has 1 year left on warranty (5 years) for 11,500. (This was the residual owing after the 4 year lease has expired).

Even on the net they go for 15-17K.
That's a big saving to paying 25-30k. (especially if you have to borrow the money!)

Anyway there's more to life than saving money ... you gotta be happy to... but let me tell you, the smell of a new car fades very quicky but the debt lingers for ages like a stale old fart! hehe.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by arlester

Can I suggest the Honda Civic. These are starting to go on runout and can be had for $22,990 for a manual or about $25,000 for the auto.
They are better built than: Cruze, Corolla, Lancer and have more standard features than the Mazda ie: Cruise Control.
Also very very reliable and good on fuel aswell.

Don't bother with the Civic, its horrible and over-priced especially the auto, the clutch has no "feel" to it either in the manual. Plus major service every 40,000km intervals. If you want Honda, go one better and get the Accord Euro in manual, much better car, but then you are VERY close to XR6 money.

[minheim]

New lancer auto will be under $25,000. The Activ currently gets you alloys, spolier and 7 airbags with capped servicing thrown in. You also get a 5/10 year warranty. My daughter bought one earlier this year to replace her mirage and loves the extra power and gets great economy. She was thinking of a focus but felt the lancer offered more room and was swayed by the warranty. Also its Japanese built.

[cycle myth]

Civic auto

Accord (either model)

XR6 as suggested.

The Suzuki has had good reviews too.

Mazdas are overrated and overpriced.

[arlester]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Don't bother with the Civic, its horrible and over-priced especially the auto, the clutch has no "feel" to it either in the manual. Plus major service every 40,000km intervals. If you want Honda, go one better and get the Accord Euro in manual, much better car, but then you are VERY close to XR6 money.

Yeah the clutch is abit nasty but the auto is fine. At the moment civic's can be had for good money with the Auto being around the $25,000 mark. After driving the civic with it's competitors back to back the other day it difienantly wins with: Standard Features, Driving dynamics, Safety features, Fuel consumption and build quialty.

Yes when I drove them I literally got out of one straight into another car sitting right behind it.

[bigdude1011]

Why not step up to a Falcon, you can get an ex-fleeter FG XR6 for under $25k, though it's only a 5 speed auto.

[XRtowcar]

I'd go for a Focus or if you dont like driving, a Corolla.
Cheaper servicing costs than some of the other brands of imported cars.
Worth finidng out what ownership cost are involved.
Major services, timing belts, etc.
Wifes Peugeot 307 is $840 for a major service and $810 for a timing belt.
Ridiculous.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by arlester

Yeah the clutch is abit nasty but the auto is fine. At the moment civic's can be had for good money with the Auto being around the $25,000 mark. After driving the civic with it's competitors back to back the other day it difienantly wins with: Standard Features, Driving dynamics, Safety features, Fuel consumption and build quialty.

Yes when I drove them I literally got out of one straight into another car sitting right behind it.

Auto is so damn slow and isn't responsive at all I reckon, I had the displeasure of having to drive a new Civic Sport Auto, traditional auto and 4 cylinder = big no no in my experiences.

Plus it looks like ***.

[mrghia]

dont buy a Holden Cruze its just a daewoo with a opel motor my mate is a EX holdend mechanic and said that they are the worst car they have released. Volkswagen are good cars very reliable. Have a look at demos they are like buying a new car but without the price still and all the warranty's a new car has.