New Car Advice (2 Viewers)

[astroe]

Yeah this probably will sound like many of the other threads in the past so bear with me if you will.

So, I'm looking for a new car, automatic and not more than about $25,000ish. I'm not so interested in the econoboxes like the Yaris/Mazda 2/Fiesta or anything like that. No Europeans purely for maintenance costs. 5 seat car, either Sedan or Hatch, whatever goes. I'm willing to settle for a demonstrator model, unlikely willing to pay the RRP of the vehicles. Preferably with a 5 star ANCAP rating, as would low fuel consumption (Petrol only), which left me with the following shortlist:

- Toyota Corolla Conquest/Ascent (+ Safety Pack)
- Holden Cruze CD/CDX
- Mazda 3 Maxx/Neo (+ Safety Pack)
- Mitsubishi Lancer ES/VR
- Subaru Impreza R/RX

My reservations with the Corolla are that the 2010 facelift only is applicable to the hatchback model, which isn't too much of a concern. I've been told the Corolla is quite vanilla and well, boring. Apart from that, no real concerns. On the plus side, it's a Toyota so reliability and low cost motoring is to be had. The sedan will get it's facelift soon but I was looking to buy a car ideally before the end of March.

The only problem with the Cruze, from my superficial, internet based research, is something about a very poor engine, no driver's footrest (wtf) and the fact that it's built in Korea. Although quality seems to have stepped up, what do you guys think? One the plus side, it's feature packed and achieved a 96% EuroNCAP adult occupant score, which is one of the best in the world I believe.

The Mazda 3 has had many rave reviews and is one of the most popular privately bought cars on the market. Doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the car, I can probably live with the massive cheesy grin across the front. Paint is a no-cost option, whereas all the others charge for it. There's a 2009 runout sale at the moment, $22,990 driveaway for the manual Neo.

The Subaru Impreza. Not much to say about the car, it seems "okay". Same deal with the Mitsubishi Lancer.

Other 5 Star scorers:

The Hyundai i30, which puts me off for some reason, can't quite put my finger on it but I will still consider it I suppose.
The Kia Soul. Just, just, no. Not my kind of car.
The Ford Focus, but that just seems like a really old car to me, I'd want something to look good within the next 5 years or so.

Now, in contrary to everything I've said, I saw a few late model, low kilometre medium cars, like the Ford Mondeo/Toyota Camry/Mazda 6. Worth the extra money?
(e.g. cheapest = 2008 Ford Mondeo LX, 12,000kms for $23,000 driveaway)

Insurance wouldn't be such an issue, nor would the RTA prohibited vehicles list, seeing as none of these are turbos.
If it helps, I'd want a standard slimline black on white plate, but all cars look good with them so it doesn't matter.

So all in all I'm weighing up the benefits of getting the above listed cars preferably either new or demonstrator, or a slight chance of getting them as low kilometre second hand models. If anyone can sway me enough I may consider the econoboxes. I also realise that with my budget it will most likely have to be a used car or a runout 2009 model, or a demonstrator if I'm lucky. New car with that price would be unlikely, if I wanted the midspec models anyway.

Would anyone be able to shed some light on your own personal experiences with the above cars? Thanks.

 

[theism]

Mazda 3 - Mazda was recently ranked first in terms of quality of their cars (ie. problems faced within 3 years or whatever of ownership. they beat honda and toyota)
my mate has one, but i found it a bit small (i'm used to larger cars though)


don't get a holden cause their value really deteriorates.


All subaru models have been 5 star since 2001 or something.

i30 is pretty good, hyundai have really improved in terms of their quality.

as for toyota, you could probably haggle heaps off their RRP simply because of the bad press they've been having.


another mate also has the mazda 6.
nice car.

i also know two people with the lancer, although one of them has the ralliart evo x


if i was in your position i wouldn't get it from a dealership.
get it from an honest private seller, or get a mechanic buddy and scout out a police auction. (or just an auction house)

there's alot of bargains out there, but you have to becareful of the lemons.


you can get a 2003 Honda Accord Euro for about $15k from auctions, which is a steal.
they would've been well serviced too.

or go to a police auction for ex-police cars.
make sure the car you get is an ex-highway patrol one though
they usually just cruise around 100 anyway, and their miles are mostly .. highway
don't get a general duty cop car though

 

[skyline]

mazda 3 FTW mate

I've read and compared these cars, according to a review done by NRMA the mazda 3 won against all of them

I had a mazda3 once, an sp23, it was sweet ride, remarkably quicker and better engine response.

corolla's whilst are reliable, are the most freakin boring cars to drive, ive driven em before, soo shit, dont get it, breaks arent that great either, engine is boring and sounds like a fan, doesnt feel any sporty, really boring car..but it does the job, although it hardly comes with anything

suburu is a no no...slowest one out of all of them, driving wise ok, with 4wd, but still, lacks to the others, its a bigger petrol eater tested 9.2l/100km which is fuelly, and i think requires premium if im not mistaken, eat fuel the same as a v6..not good, and its more pricey then the others too.

holden cruze...forget it, one of the worst cars out, its just another daewoo when you think about it, value for money is shit, not as quick, and the engine not as strong, driving feel not the best, its worst then the corolla, you would be better off with a corolla then a cruze.

when you compare, look at the specs of each, the stuff it comes with, price, reliability, depreciation value etc..

mazda has a good re-sell value Ive seen 2004 neo autos on sale for 18k and they have done 80,000kms, so you wont lose nothing...oh mind you, that was a dealer sell, not private. private you can usually win back more.

and let me tell you, the mazda3 neo in manual is pretty damn quick for a 4 cyclinder, 0-100 in 8.5 secs and the auto is 9.5 secs, its an awesome ride, good on fuel, test proven that eat less then a corolla and beat the claimed 8.2l/100km, ended up getting 7.7l/100, its a winner, sporty looking car etc..

perfect for the young and youthful, dont go cruze, they are old mans cars..lol

research urself, and let me know what you think, the mazda3 neo is capable of beating alot of turbo cars trust me i had an sp23 once and i could beat v6's, they are sporty yet the quickest cars in its class, and end of yr sales on M -day mean u can get extras...go for the mazda FTW.

hope this helps.

 

[Graney]

Mazda 3 is the pick of te bunch

hence it's popularity

 

[Riet]

Mazda 3 is brill, also i30 is genuinely worth having a test drive in, has won a lot of awards.

 

[murphyad]

Consider the VW Golf Trendline, despite the cost penalty.

 

[astroe]

Thanks for all your replies guys!

Looks like the majority of you guys say Mazda 3.

I only omitted the Honda Civic due to the non-5-starNCAPness and also because it's already had a facelift, hence new model coming soonish? By that logic I should remove the Corolla though. The VW would be waaaay too expensive. If the Subaru drinks like a fish, forget about it, aaannd, I'm actually a little put off by the Lancer due to the subtle 'hoon' stigma attached to it, attributed from the Evolution of course.

I guess I'll have a look at the i30 and 3 this weekend probably, and report on my personal experience. I still can't get my mind away from the Cruze, epic safety results and you get leather for a $25k-ish car!

Will probably go see all three of them then.

 

[proringz]

How about a 2008 model Accord euro, won Wheels Car of the Year and also has a 5 star ANCAP rating which you want

edit: oh you want a new car

 

[seremify007]

Drive them all. I think you'll find the Lancer has a lot of poke in it and apart from the Mazda3, offers the best experience. However I'd probably put my money on the Mazda3 for it's quality feel, resale values, etc...

 

[astroe]

Hm, I had a chance to see the Cruze and Corolla in person.

Thoughts:

Cruze - the interior is really nice and the seat feels quite comfortable. The car is pretty big actually. The no footrest thing is nothing, you can comfortably put your foot on the floor or whatever. Steering wheel was nice. It had like mesh material on the dashboard, seems a bit strange. Gooseneck hinges are the only sign of costcutting. I think it has that feature where all the doors automatically lock after you reach a set speed? Not a bad car, despite the whole Korean thing.

Corolla - I really see no use for the twin glovebox thing, you can hardly fit anything in the top one. The overload of plastics makes the car feel really cheap. Steering wheel wasn't as nice as the Cruze. Just all round mediocre.

I don't know if it was my seating position but I can't judge accurately where the front end of the car is, in contrast to my current car where I'm kind of looking downwards along the bonnet to the edge.
So, in conclusion - still looking.

Oh, what are people's thoughts on the 2nd generation Prius?

 

[seremify007]

Hm, I had a chance to see the Cruze and Corolla in person.

Thoughts:

Cruze - the interior is really nice and the seat feels quite comfortable. The car is pretty big actually. The no footrest thing is nothing, you can comfortably put your foot on the floor or whatever. Steering wheel was nice. It had like mesh material on the dashboard, seems a bit strange. Gooseneck hinges are the only sign of costcutting. I think it has that feature where all the doors automatically lock after you reach a set speed? Not a bad car, despite the whole Korean thing.

I think the Cruze is a huge step in the right direction for the Holden cars sourced from Korea. They have made it look a lot more funky both interior and exterior. Haven't driven one or looked at it in detail but it got good reviews from a non-driving perspective. That being said, if it's the same price as a City, Civic or a Lancer, I'd find it hard to recommend. Even an i30 would be better value and also hold more resale. Cruze is a bit of a gamble still but drive it and see if you like it.

Corolla - I really see no use for the twin glovebox thing, you can hardly fit anything in the top one. The overload of plastics makes the car feel really cheap. Steering wheel wasn't as nice as the Cruze. Just all round mediocre.

I know what you mean here- steering wheel quality makes a lot of difference. I found that Honda has the best steering wheels across the range (even in the Jazz) in terms of feel... have you driven either car yet?

Oh, what are people's thoughts on the 2nd generation Prius?

My mate got a new one for a good price recently when the 3rd gen launched. It's really nice inside IMO and feels very modern/futuristic! Not my kind of car but I suppose some would enjoy it? Drive it and see what you think.

 

[rozymisty]

Just under a month ago i got a late 07 corolla. It was the model that didnt come with the ABS etc but the pple who got it before me was a company and they put it on, along with cruise control, tinted windows and audio controls in the wheels.

I do find, and ive only really driven this car since i got my licence in Sept last year, but when i go from 60km to 80-90 going on the freeway the revs go realy high and im like ahhh this is a 1.8l engine, surely it should take up the speed quicker than that.

But yeah i find the twin glove box a bit weird too but oh well. The um gears control thing being higher up is annoying if you want to stretch your legs to the side. Plus that couldve been a problem 2wks ago if my sis was in the front passenger side coz a lady reversed into the front wheel and the door wouldnt open so it wouldve been hard for her to get out through the back....

I paid $17990 for mine.

But i like it, its my first car and i know toyotas are reliable.

Mazdas though are reknown for their expensive maintenance costs. Toyota service only cost $130 fixed for 3yrs...mazda is like $200 for first service and it varies......

 

[rozymisty]

oh yeah and i like the look of the 07 model than the new model, it looks even more chunky at the back.

when i was looking at cars , new was like $24k...... mine had done nearly 54 000 when i got it......so not to bad.

you can get some old ones that have done like 80-90k and are 10yrs old, toytotas are renown for their good resale value...

 

[zombie omie jay]

1.8 corollas are SO underpowered

 

[seremify007]

1.8 corollas are SO underpowered

I thought it was pretty good when I was on my L's relative to my 1.3L Daihatsu Terios

But in all seriousness, depends which model of Corolla. There were some 100kW models available (both AUDM and JDM) in the 1.8 guise- I'm not an expert on the model numbers or anything but I'd imagine these would be decent. A 1.8L N/A will never be blistering fast especially in the 60km/h-100km/h range but it all comes down to gearing and power delivery.

 

[zombie omie jay]

i dont know what power output, it was a 01 model accent i think

i have driven it a few times before and thought it was decent but i took it on a trip to qld and it was fairly gutless. and i drive a diesel slowlux lol.

 

[astroe]

Ah, well, I guess an update.

I'm torn between a Holden Cruze CDX and a Mazda 3 Maxx. Stuff the Toyota dealers, they're idiots. The Lancer is a bit meh for my liking.
Both cars look alright.
Anyway it all comes down to this,

Cruze CDX:
Good
- Leather as standard
- Reverse parking sensors as standard
- 8 year warranty by dealer. (5 factory + 3 dealer)
- Guy is willing to give mats for $110, tints for $325 (normally $500ish).
- Driveaway for a little under $27,000.
- Kickass crash ratings.

Bad:
- Engine underpowered and crap apparently. Didn't notice it whilst driving though, I'm not going to be hooning around anyway.

3 Maxx:
Good:
- Better engine apparently
- Still 5 star rating
- Standard 3 year warranty
- Still has a 5 star crash rating.

Bad:
- Leather isn't available, not that I NEED it, just more of a nice thing to have.
- Parking sensors will cost $500 more, as well tinted windows (i.e they're not willing to discount them), so $1000 for both.
- Fog lights are extra whereas standard on Cruze.
- Mazda knows their 3 is popular so wouldn't budge on pricing, looking at the $28k mark.

I guess it looks like the Cruze is the better car? Just judging from the outcome of my genuinely impartial attempt to list the credentials of both cars.

 

[Ritard_]

28k

 

[Ritard_]

how much are you paying for yourself?

 

[astroe]

It's more of a second car for the family, not personally for my own exclusive use.
Just thought I'd get input from you guys.

Edit:

Called up local Mazda dealer to see how much options were exactly,

Alarm - $595
Auto on/off headlights - $695
Front corner parking sensors - $695
Reverse parking sensors - $695

So in order to get it on the same level, feature wise, as the Cruze, I'm looking at $695 + $695, so about $1480, without the leather.