Please help me pick a new car!

[AndyAmine.]

As a lot of you know, I wrote off my car recently and am now looking for a replacment, I was hoping some 'car' people could give me some advice on the best kind of 2nd hand car I could/should get for around the 10k mark and the car I should be looking to avoid in particular.

For example I have heard that the V6 Magna Exec's have dodgy engines and should only be bought in the 4Cyl/V8 models, or that Nissan Bluebirds are shit for country driving because the rattle apart.. LOL. or that Subaru's are great country cars because they handle the abuse well and keep going and going.

I live in the city with lots of stop and start driving but also do regular country and Hwy driving, so I need a good all rounder that's got good fuel economy.

so I've been looking at:

Commodore Exec VT/VX, (preferably on gas)

Honda Civic Sedan, Prelude, Appluase, Integra 1998-2003 models,

Subaru Liberty 4wd 96-98 model,

Toyota Soarer, 95-2000, (insurrance is prohibitive though)

BMW AMG 1988 Model.

I was hoping you guys could tell me the various faults with the above cars if you are aware of any and or suggestions of other cars I could be looking at.

[MORG]

Check out some Eunos 500.

Great cars if they've been well maintained.

The 2L V6 is a very nice engine.

Parts and service might be marginally more than some of the others you have on your list though (eg. Subie, Commo).

[_e_]

personally id go for a van

but seriously u cant beat the subaru liberty or forresters. they are great vehicles for both the city and the country, and they seem to keep going forever. Either that or a hilux!

The next car i buy will either be a toyota hilux diesel 4wd, or a subaru for sure....plus the subaru's have great pulling power so are ideal for the off road camper attatchment so u can take ur comfort deep into the bush without tents e.t.c.

[oxydiser]

I have one and half words. kingswood

[Dodie]

I dont know a hell of a lot about cars but id opt for the Liberty (wagon) myself.

[Legba]

LONG ANSWER...

cross the soarer and beemer off the list (cost prohibative re: servicing and insurance). the older and more exotic the car,the more expense in running it.

how tall are you? this should have a bearing on the size of car for open road or long distance driving.

consider servicing this way... holden, ford, toyota service centres everywhere so getting parts doesnt take as long in the country.

subarus have a great rep re: going forever. hondas also.

salesmen are judged on their performance on a montly basis, generally. hence, end of month+hard up salesman= better dealing power for ya.

post a list of your needs in order from top down from the vehicle and i'll post some suggestions with pros and cons for ur purusal.

the 2l eunos was similar to the nissan 2l pulsar of the same era. the pulsar would probably be a better buy from the viewpoint of price and servicing/repairs.

beware of initial drive/lust/buy syndrome.

remember if u buy from a dealer and its got less than 100 000k's on the clock he has to give a ltd warranty so ova 100 000 car are more risky to purchase.

some good deals can be found at auctions. start going to them to sus em out b4 thinkin of goin to buy.

caviet emptor

OR...SHORT ANSWER

from your list, go 4 the subaru.

[Evil Genius]

Öhm,...., BMW AMG 1988 Model.

These Cars even look cool when crashed. they are safer than some others around here in germany and most of the produced cars have a pretty good engine. But better be sure not to buy something that has actually more miles on the mileage than indicated.

I don´t know the other cars pretty good. It´s more a matter of perrsonal Taste. later

[AndyAmine.]

Thanks for the quality replies fellas. E', belive me I seriously thought about it, if this wasnt going to be a multi-use car that has to be suitable for family members to borrow in a pinch I would be having a good look.

This one is a close second to your Van..

http://carsguide.news.com.au/story/0,20384...5003140,00.html

The more I research the more I like the Subaru Liberty/Impreza particulars the Rx Turbo version Mwwaahahhaa but unfortunately they are a bit pricey and Im worried that if I buy one in the 10k range it will have to be too old, too high on KM's or a wreckers special.

I will do as you say and start going to the auctions, fortunatly my Mum knows a guy that runs a 2nd hand car yard so he's offering to help me out on a good deal.

Baccant, these are my priorities.

Best over all quality, safety-options and Km's vs's price

Good Fuel Econ,

Auto Transmition,

Easy/cheap replacment parts,

Easy service (not imported parts/specialist work preffered)

Something with enough head-room (I am 6.3ft tall)

Clean and tidy look that my parents wouldn't mind driving if needed,

Ability to hold resale value.

Will stay together on country roads,

Quality interior that doesnt feel cheap.

Not to large, good for city parking. (ie, ford Fairlane)

Thanks a heap and I look forward to your reply.

[_e_]

This one is a close second to your Van..

http://carsguide.news.com.au/story/0,20384...5003140,00.html

.

OMG- ANDY WHAT HAVE U DONE?

you bastard, you must have known about my carrot fetish and to do so u must have hyper intelligencia spying on my every move... nah fuck that, u must be a fukn psychic... and uknow what youve done by introducing my consciousness to the existance of that car? youve ruined any hope we have had of getting cashed up and getting healthy, now all i wanna do is sell my soul to buy a carrot...

[Torsten]

my sis has a forester and we are seriously considering one as a replacement for my nissan because it will do both city and country driving, is comfy and has lots of space.

[Legba]

i havent really gone into it too much yet but at this stage id suggest lookin at a 2000-2002 toyota camry v6. i'll post more soon.

[foolsbreath]

Well subarus are good, go the AWD!, but expensive if the motor needs work, the boxer engine need an out and in for any internal works.

BMW, had a 94' M3 for a few years, and it was absolutely fantastic, very fast, but broke engine mount once, apparently it was quite common around that era, that and a service $1100!!

Commodores VT, had one as my previous work car, bad drive sloppy transmission stupid gear changes, sticky excellerator

But the new falcons, had one after the VT, only a BA XT, but it was hand and foot over the commy, excellent power delivery nice drive!! look for an ex fleet vehicle our company passed them on at 110-120 thousand K's regularly serviced for $9000-12000 for a 2002 model, check out drive.com in fleet vehicles

[Dirty Old Man]

I would avoid any grey import because of parts and insurance costs.

Forrester is great but of the price range.

The liberty is a good idea but How about a 4 cyl camry?

Not the most stylish thing. Looks like it was drawn by a bored kid.

but.. comfortable, cheap to run, insure and service and bullet proof reliability.

Also the eunos 500 is an excellent car. Reliable economical and luxurious. Parts are perhaps slightly expensive. Mazda's of that era were some of the most reliable cars ever built though.

[Legba]

Baccant (sic), these are my priorities.

here are some GENERALISATIONS...

Easy/cheap replacment parts/Easy service (not imported parts/specialist work preffered)...

that narrows it down to ford, holden and toyota. most townships cater for these 3. other japos to a lesser extent. a front or rear wheel drive wil cost less to run than an AWD

Best over all quality and Good Fuel Econ

that rules out ford and holden. the last model of a series, whichever brand, has usually had most of the bugs ironed out. honda, subaru, toyota, nissan and mazdas are all know for good reliability

safety-options

size helps here. newer models tend to have better safety features like better brakes and scare bags. Objectively, driving tek rather than the vehicle is the key to safety.

Km's vs's price

country miles arent as bad as city miles. if you buy private get them to drive u round the block. then u can see wat sort of driving the car has been subjected to. startin a car up then drivin off straight away b4 the thing warms up is really bad for engine longevity. also, if the interior and exterior appears pampered the rest may have been treated right also- (regular oil changes etc). i'd say around 100 000km +/- 20 000 will be the range for $10 000.

Ability to hold resale value.

honda and subaru are good here. then toyota, mazda nissan in that order at a guess. a model made in this century will probably work in your favour when its time for u to sell.

Auto Transmission

make sure it doesnt have 3 pedals where the driver sits.

Something with enough head-room (I am 6.3ft tall)

try b4 u buy.

Clean and tidy look that my parents wouldn't mind driving if needed/ Quality interior that doesnt feel cheap.

subjective. your choice here.

Will stay together on country roads

nothing stays together if driven on rough roads continuously. driving tek comes in here too. the better designed for the rough, the more expensive to buy and run.

Not too large, good for city parking. (ie, ford Fairlane)

again, something for u to decide on when u get down to a short list.

other considerations....

fleet cars can be good or bad depending on the employee/s that drove it. an ex-public service vehicle is probably better than an ex-sales reps car. think about what the cars may have been thru.

go over the whole car as best u can, inside and out. is there an oil patch under where the car is usually kept?

stand bac and look at the paint job. slight differences in colours might indicate panel work ie its bin bent at some time. also check the gaps between panels- another telltale sign of post-production bodywork.

check the spare and the jack.

when will the tyres need replacing? wat will they cost.

is the owner (if private sale) proficient with opening the hood. if not, how often did they check the oil?

some car salespersons lie. the more u talk to, the easier it becomes to decypher their bs. eg

he says... "you don't find many of these models available for sale." ... and your reply may be...

"yes you do. zzz caryard has one and xxxx caryard has 3." this shows the salesperson that u know theyre a liar and ur a serious buyer. as a rule of thumb, if the salesperson is still smiling, you havent knocked them down far enuf on the price yet.

recommendations from people who have owned a particular type of car can be deceptive. if i owned the only homermobile that didnt have any problems, i might swear by it. if i owned the only rolls royce that fell to bits...u get the idea?

check out prices, reviews and details of various vehicles on the net (LINKS HERE) if $10 000 is ur budget then check up to $13 ooo asking price. compose a list in order and dont be surprised if you change your mind from day to day. its all the info sinkin in.

compare the details. the more u know about the cars ur interested in b4 u go out lookin in the real world, the better prepared you'll be for what to look 4. whats good and whats bad. it could save u time if u take a

visit to some yards to see what you'll fit into and what look ok to u.

remember to factor in insurance and rego change costs into your budget. a bit aside for "unforeseens" is a wise move too.

check out the...

subaru liberty (not sure if youd be comfy in the others). the 2wd is still subaru quality.

toyota camry (drive the 4 and the v6 so u know the difference-the v6 will cost more to buy and run so do u need the power? do u want the power? )

nissan maxima. dark horse, perhaps.

compare other ideas with these cars. let us know what ur considerin b4 ya buy. dont let this task frustrate u into a rash decision. good luck

[MORG]

I'm not sure where you live but if you can get a pre-purchase check done it's an excellent way of avoiding a lemon. The NRMA costs an absolute motza to do a vehicle check here in NSW. I had a couple of checks done by Stateroads (much cheaper than NRMA) when I was car-shopping and was very impressed with their service. The first saved me alot of money on a dud vehicle and I bought the car I now own and love on the basis of the second report.

http://www.stateroads.com.au/

Edited March 17, 2006 by MORG

[Legba]

the nrma have been known to miss some 'lemon' qualities. dont take their word as gospel.

[DuG]

I had a 94 liberty 2wd and it was great. I bought because it was great for the long drive to work (1 hour each way). libertys have got good handling and drives smoothly. I didn'thave any major repairs, but the 100,000k service set me back $700. if youcan find a rallye version they come with all the extras, power everything, cruise control, cd etc

my girlfriend has a 2000 model impreza 4wd. it has less power than the liberty, (amazing how 200ml makes a difference). Its a great car too and the roof rack are a god send for those camping trips.

The impreza is a smaller car therefore easier for parking in town.

my dad has a 96 camery wagan. they go well but are a boring car really. the do their job and don't cost that much to repair.

[eeroborroc]

.

Edited September 13, 2013 by eeroborroc

[woof woof woof]

good service & easy parts is important.

I love my Toyota Hilux (single cab) Diesel > '93 > still drives like mad!

depends on what your needs are mate!

Just one thing ,.... no evil gas devouring beast of a car though! ;)

[Legba]

Toyota Camry Forum

Subaru Liberty Forum

owners-based forums provide very useful info.

[mescalito]

Ok I've had a few cars in my time though not many around or over 10K.

'75 Mazda 1300-first car small but indestructible.

'83 Celica 2L 5sp-Absolutely brilliant on fuel,handling and ride but only 2 doors.

'79 Mazda 929(rx4)-Top little 1800 but handling not that great.

'80 Sigma 2L 5sp-Excellent car all round.

'76 XC panel van 302 auto-POWER and thirsty!

'90 2.4L 5sp Nissan Urvan-THE BEST VAN I ever drove!

'85 Celica 2.4injected-not as grunty as the 2L but superb ride and economy.

99' AU Falcon 1tonner-Beautiful to drive but exxy on fuel as an auto.

'82 Celica with imported 3Tgte 1.8 twin-cam turbo on straight LPG-my current project

We used to own a TC magna too and it was shit! though I recently drove my Dad's V6 magna Altera and as far as new cars go I couldn't fault it for road feel and excellent economy!

He paid less than 10K for it and if I had the money I'd buy one.

I'm not biased toward older celicas though ^_^

[WitchDoctor]

i agree with the kingswood comment... haha

get a HZ panelvan, can't go wrong with an old holden.

but in practicality and seriousness, v6 magna's are terrible, vt's and vx's arent all that crash hot either, but they are still a lot better than the au's and ba's i've driven. As much as i hate admitting this, go the subaru (just don't expect to be able to take it everywhere, my friends parents ripped the underside of their's apart going offroad)