Cars for around $30K (2 Viewers)

[CrashOveride]

Went to a whole bunch of dealers today and the three that stuck out were Honda Accord VTi, Hyundai Sonata Elite & Toyota Camry Altise limited. So I'm after something that gives the most in terms of reliability,performance, etc in this price region, has to be 2.4L (no V6 guzzlers) and have all the normal modern accessories/creature comforts (family car). Any thoughts on any of these 3 cars or any others?

 

[7th Sign]

go with the Accord alright in look and alright in most areas...

maby look at some other cars aswell for 30 k you have a pretty good market ...

look at pickels govt auctions maby aswell get somethgin really nice

 

[CieL]

i wouldnt go for hyundai or any korean models

i've had a daewoo in the past and farkkk more money spent on several minor repairs than the cost price (2nd hand) of the car

i'm not sure about this.. but i heard honda keeps their price better than toyotas if you plan to sell a bit later on? then again, all depends on condition

 

[seremify007]

I'm going for the Astra Coupe CDX- it's $31500 (driveaway auto) but you can negotiate $1k off that, and it's quite decent inside.

 

[CrashOveride]

I'm going for the Astra Coupe CDX- it's $31500 (driveaway auto) but you can negotiate $1k off that, and it's quite decent inside.

the hatchback? hmm the pictures on the holden site dont look too impressive for 31K, but ill check it out tomorrow.

but i heard honda keeps their price better than toyotas if you plan to sell a bit later on?

That's what the Honda salesman said, I'm not sure.

 

[Pace_T]

its clear that 7th sign is primarily concerned about the look of the cars
at least im not alone

 

[7th Sign]

for 30k you could get a top second hand car with low k's that looks great...

most new cars off the show room floor for 30k you loose like 10k as soon as its out of the door and most of them look shit..

honda makes decent cars but most korean cars are shit imo..

Astras look alright but maby give them a look

 

[seremify007]

*chuckles and agrees with Pace_T*

But you can't blame him... I mean, a lot of importance is placed on apperance these days and in Sydney AND when you're on your P's, if you can't race them, what good is great performance? At least a decent looking car can always turn heads. A turbocharged engine only pisses the driver off in city traffic.

"Look there's food but you can't eat it."

Anyway, the Holden Astra Coupe (3-door) looks really nice in person I thought. I remember when I first saw it at the shops I was like.. eww that back window looks disgusting but after looking at it a while I have grown to like it. Also saw a black one in the car park once with black tint and it looked fantastic. The interior is a bit plain for some people's liking, but I thought it was decent and whilst a lot of cars offer 6cd stacker and so on, this one had decent speakers (considering it's stock) which are apparently "Acoustically tuned" to the car. My parents also think it's a good car for my use (driving to uni, driving friends around, visiting clients for work, etc..).



Btw sorry for poor quality- I cropped a photo I took with my phone.

 

[seremify007]

*too lazy to use EDIT since it never works*

Apparently the new Sonata is pretty decent, but whilst it's catching up to Toyota, I heard that it's still not worth the newly "upgraded" price.

Btw (to 7th Sign) the reason why a new car may be preferable is at least we don't have to worry about used car problems with checking history and for any issues with theft/damage/etc... The 6 year warranty plus roadside assist and so on, can also save a lot of money from insurance. Whilst sometimes these can carry over from used car sales, I don't think used cars with low kms are always good value- and I'm one of those people who is a sucker for something new.

 

[seremify007]

Went to a whole bunch of dealers today and the three that stuck out were Honda Accord VTi, Hyundai Sonata Elite & Toyota Camry Altise limited. So I'm after something that gives the most in terms of reliability,performance, etc in this price region, has to be 2.4L (no V6 guzzlers) and have all the normal modern accessories/creature comforts (family car). Any thoughts on any of these 3 cars or any others?

I thought I'd reply- from what I've heard and experienced...

Honda Accord- It's probably the nicest of the lot you mentioned, and considering the price, is damn good value for money. However it's a bit boring to drive (we test drove it once)... but with all the creature comforts (dual zone climate control!) and nice interior finish, I'd pick that as the winner from the list. The sub $30k sticker price just makes it all the more sweeter.

Hyundai Sonata- I heard the new one is quite an improvement for Hyundai cars (similar to the huge thing when japanese quality started improving) but it's still not as good as Japanese, yet the price is also catching up. Probably best to avoid it unless you really like it- resale values are yet to be established and long term reliability is also hard to tell.

Toyota Camry- I personally don't like Camry (or Toyota in general) because their cars are starting to get a bit pricey (not counting the new Yaris) in terms of interior quality/equipment in comparison to the competition... However,t he Camry is pretty decent inside I suppose for a family car. There's a new Camry coming soon though so you might wanna wait for that. Btw did you know there's also a 2-door Camry? I saw it when I was playing Forza! Wow.. (nb. It could be 3 door).

Mazda 6- I'm surprised you didn't check this car out. It's a direct rival to the Honda Accord and is a bit more fun to drive. The Classic model is price matched to the Accord and whilst it isn't as luxurious, it's a little more sporty- iirc it also has a manual override for the automatic transmission (the Honda doesn't have this). Note: This car uses PULP!.. which could be a problem if you drive the car a lot despite the fuel economy being average.

... anyhow, the only reason I seem to know a bit about the $30k price bracket is because that's what my parents were willing to spend on a car for me =] so I did a lot of research but mostly focussed on smaller cars (not the Camry/Accord/etc..) so if you wanna ask about that- maybe I can help you there?

 

[mr_brightside]

Subaru Impreza '06 R

"Impreza 2.0R is the newest addition to Subaru's small car range. It offers the most powerful naturally aspirated engine in the Impreza range. The Double Overhead Camshaft (DOHC) 2.0-litre horizontally opposed Boxer engine produces 118 kilowatts of power and 186 Nm of torque. With sporty side sills, five-spoke 16-inch alloy wheels and dual front and side airbags, it's a comprehensive package."

Manual Sedan is $29,990.

Definetly worth a look.

http://subaru.com.au/explore/impreza/exterior.asp?body=Sedan&grade=2%2E0R

 

[seremify007]

The Subaru guy (in the Parramatta dealer) told me it'd be about $35k driveaway for the auto 2.0R... He also kept trying to flog me some other crap to make it look like a WRX. But when I asked him the simple question of why pick the 2.0R over the cheaper Impreza which is advertised in the papers... he said "Oh this one has nicer spoiler and look more like WRX"... and I'm like.. "$6000 more and all I get is a WRX-wannabe?"... In the end I walked off because I thought $35k for an Impreza without anything special was a jip... and ironically I walked towards Mini, then Peugeot, and then stumbled into the Holden dealer where I found the Astra Coupe CDX!

 

[Pace_T]

for 30k you could get a top second hand car with low k's that looks great...

most new cars off the show room floor for 30k you loose like 10k as soon as its out of the door and most of them look shit..

my thoughts exactly, 7th Sign.
i dont think i'd ever buy a brand new car. too much value is lost as soon as you first drive it. + if you put in the effort/time/money to check the quality of a used car before you purchase it, in the end, its not exactly what you'd call "unreliable"

 

[mr_brightside]

The Subaru guy (in the Parramatta dealer) told me it'd be about $35k driveaway for the auto 2.0R... He also kept trying to flog me some other crap to make it look like a WRX. But when I asked him the simple question of why pick the 2.0R over the cheaper Impreza which is advertised in the papers... he said "Oh this one has nicer spoiler and look more like WRX"... and I'm like.. "$6000 more and all I get is a WRX-wannabe?"... In the end I walked off because I thought $35k for an Impreza without anything special was a jip... and ironically I walked towards Mini, then Peugeot, and then stumbled into the Holden dealer where I found the Astra Coupe CDX!

Thats cause he's shit.

The spoiler on the 2.0R comes standard.
And the auto should have costed 32,000.

 

[seremify007]

We did ask for driveaway price, but still.. $35k for a very ordinary car was rather disappointing. Especially when I know my friend got his Impreza for around $27k (manual) in 2005 but with leather bucket seats, sunroof, etc..

 

[mr_brightside]

We did ask for driveaway price, but still.. $35k for a very ordinary car was rather disappointing. Especially when I know my friend got his Impreza for around $27k (manual) in 2005 but with leather bucket seats, sunroof, etc..

Gotta work on your bargaining skills.

Type up what you want in a car and fax it to all the dealers in your area.
See who offers the best price.

Go their, appear interested, then beat the price down even more.

 

[seremify007]

Bargaining skills is one thing, but when a guy gives such an inflated starting price.. it's just a turnoff. That, and the fact that he was the fobbiest car sales person I'd ever met.. ugh. I think the lady at the counter must've thought "Oh look it's an Asian customer, let's give him our only Asian salesman"...

Compared to some of the other dealers who actually did a convincing effort of "selling" the car, he just kept trying to talk up how "it is very popular and look like WRX. Very good look for teenagers."...

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Bargaining skills is one thing, but when a guy gives such an inflated starting price.. it's just a turnoff.

Don't talk shit with these people... in fact don't even pay attention to any of the small talk - just focus on the nitty gritty. Pressure them about the price, give comparisons from other dealers... give comparisons with other cars that are just as good.

I mean he wants to talk up the WRX, talk it down a little and talk up another car...

I think maybe (if you have a dad) he should assist you? Experience really does help with such matters...

 

[seremify007]

Yeh my Dad was there but he was also turned off (and rather insulted) by the salesman's poor attempt to explain what a double-overhead-camshaft engine is- (my father is an engineer).

Not sure if you ever get that.. but after going to a lot of dealers lately, you realise that some are more keen on selling the car than others. The ones who don't seem to really try, or talk about things which you clearly don't care about, just.. put you off from buying the car? I had my heart set on a Mini Cooper but then when the guy talking to us asked me "What is a CVT?"... there was little point in asking about the other things (such as the Park Lane package which I was interested in).

So far, the only dealer which really did a convincing effort were the Holden dealers- the one in Parramatta and the one in Castle Hill really did make me want to get the Astra, and we've already talked price so now I just need to go for my P's before my rents will order it.

 

[Pace_T]

yea read up on bargaining techniques
it worked a treat for me

remember to bargain towards the end of the month. thats when salesmen are desperate to meet their monthly quotas

also, point out anything shit about the car. dont sound ecstatic everytime he says its got this this and that. always compare it to other cars that you've seen. and point out things that other cars have that that one doesnt



remember, some of the money that you spend on the car (assuming you buy it) goes into his hand. so, really, he works for *you*
/sarcasm