Considering the following aspects:
Any advice in terms of buying a car for an unexperienced individual such as myself is also much appreciated.
I'm a big Honda fan when it comes to reliability. I'm on my 4th Honda now.. never had problem. First was 1st gen CRV, then 2nd gen Civic (which got crashed to ruin), then 3rd gen CRV (which my wife drive now), and I'm driving the 3rd gen Civic.
My 1997 CRV sold for profit after 4 years use. Hahaha… I bought it cheap from a guy who's desperate to sell (bargained), and I wasn't in a hurry to sell so I just get it listed at the higher price. And luckily enough, I got a buyer.
Just make sure with second hand car that as minimum modifications has been made (the more its modified, the harder it is to sell), and the log book are complete. Try to find bargain with low kms car.
You always want to make sure you can sell it at good price after several years of use.
Good luck!
Swallow your pride- Toyota Echo\Yaris
Had one for many years 200,000km+ and later still going strong.
Brother had one until it finally gave up ghost ~320,000km, and he travelled daily interstate in it.
Mum has a 5 year old one now, 120,000km later nothing has gone wrong.
Simple, efficient design. Basically nothing goes wrong in these cars. They are super simple to service yourself and even taking one to the shop is cheap.
money>pride
I'd probably get a Toyota chaser. They're about $10,000 now.
2007 Corolla Levin vs 2008 Citroen C4 Turbo Diesel?
They're roughly the same price and the Citroen has great fuel consumption numbers?
Mx5. Subaru Liberty
if OP really cares about AWD which offers better handling and safer drive in the rain, i would recommend a second hand subaru impreza rs.
Buy 2nd hand, from a private seller in a 'high income' suburb/area as they tend to be willing to let you haggle down compared to other areas. Also bring cash with you. Impulse sellers are just as bad as impulse buyers. Take advantage.
Also, you should really look at something half that. Learn to buy assets not liabilities. A $5k car will work just as good as a $10K car.
Why not a Prius?
I was doing research for my mom a year ago, and to what I know, prius is cheaper to maintain.
We got ours for $11.5k over a year ago, so it's prob close to 10k.
It was a late 2008 model with 91,000 km on it.
We get 4.8l/100km and you get $100 off rego for hybrids.
There are certain years where they had recalls so do your own research. Even our model there were minor recalls and Toyota offer owners free fix for those problems. So we just called Toyota, checked whether it's been serviced for that issue, it hadn't so we took it in and it's free.
Not sure what else to say,. It beats corolla in every way when I compared it, not to mention that it's a $38k car brand new. If you are not in a hurry I'd look out for the iTec(?) model which is $10k more brand new, but in the second hand market, it's practically the same price as the normal model. With that model you get leather seats, reverse camera, keyless start, and nav.
It's also super spacious, much more spacious than the corolla. I do freedom camping road trips from time to time, and the back can be converted to a fully flat surface (I am 178m) for my height, so that's an added bonus.
I am actually surprised there are so many corolla votes as I thought prius must be the ultimate car for ozb-ers.
Hope you haven't got your car yet :)
I have never been and never will be a car enthusiast, I'd sooner spend my cash on travel than be image conscious of the car I drive. I am a mid 30s straight male and have been driving a mint green Getz my09 for the past 3 years? Why? Because it was a deadset bargain and couldn't say no, costs nothing to run and perfect city car in terms of parking. I reckon if I sold it now 50K kms later I would lose maybe $1000 max from purchase price.
It's a valid point.
I quite like cars. I wouldn't say I am a top level car head, but I love motorsports, (car AND bike), and can name most models by sight blah blah blah, would love an AMG Black etc but at the end of the day, when it comes to my own money, I just don't give enough of a crap.
For me a car is a thing to get me around and if it has four wheels, power steering and aircon I am good to go. I would love to have a new(er) car, but to me, the cost doesn't justify the experience. Very soon after getting one, a new car is an old car with spills and tears and dint. If I won $50K tomorrow I sure wouldn't be spending it on a car.
Having said that, can't go wrong with a Camry ;) Indestructible!
First car. Definitely used car.
My first car was a Mitsubishi Mirage and for ages I'd wish I could have found a 90s Honda Civic hatch.
They really just look…. "right". Not perfect it's got no strangeness to it.
A lot of them on Gumtree have been modified or even engine swapped to more powerful engines. Decide if you like that or not.
I'm kind of partial to Honda now, owning a Civic Type R EP3.
A lot of Type Rs are dropping in to the low 10k area. Higher kilometres though.
Fun factories.
Save a bit more and consider a second hand Lamborghini Gallardo getting fairly affordable at around 130k.
I mean there are over 20 million ppl in Australia, everyone chooses the safe choice, the economical choice, the smart choice, but why, let the other 20 million ppl copy each other and repeat those same safe choices over and over.
why not be a little different, be original, be one of a kind, be unique…
Five years ago when I was a young male adult with 10k to spend on a car I bought a Mitsubishi 380 with a super efficient $5000 LPG system already installed (I severely low balled the guy to get the price down to 10.5k). I still have it, it's an extremely reliable car - it has never had a mechanical problem. Very cheap to run on gas, good handling and good safety. A lot of people don't like it because it's a front wheel drive, I find it just fine. Best thing I've ever bought. People that own the 380 generally love it, have a look on car and product review websites for user reviews, almost every owner has a good experience with this car over the long term.
Whatever you do, don't borrow money to do it. Going into debt for your first, car which loses value is crazy.
Falcon ute. Cheap, practical and awesome.
$13,000 gets you a 2005 BMW i320 from online classifieds. An insanely classy car, slightly smaller than regular sedan sized I think. I'm guessing servicing costs are a lot more than a Toyota Camry though.
In a similar situation, I ended up with a 04 Mazda 6 Sedan for about 12k. That was back in 2012.
It was cheaper than a similar age Mazda 3, I think it looked better as well.
Fuel efficiency - Not as good as a Mazda 3, but not bad.
Safety - Good
Maintenance - It's a common Japanese car.
Performance - It has some grunt. Engine sounds nice though. If you want more and can mess with cars, you can buy a bolt on turbo (3-4k), they made a turbo version of the 6. Of the cars I've driven (Corolla, Forester, Octavia), I like how the Mazda 6 handles most.
Looks - I like it. https://www.flickr.com/photos/chingy1788/15615555901/
It also has a big boot and spacious interior.
Mazda 6 sports lux 2004 -2007 is by far the best looking and feature rich car you can get in that price:
leather seats
6 airbags
8 speaker bose audio
sunroof
18 inch alloys
twin chrome exhausts etc
alfa romeo?
OP wanted a car, not an Alfa Romeo.
Toyota or Mazda
Agree if you want a cheap reliable ride.
Toyota Yaris or Corolla, Mazda 2 or 3 plus I would add Nissan Pulsar and Suzuki Swift and maybe a Lancer as well.
Steer well clear of the Focus, Golf, Polo, basically anything VW, anything Opel, Renault,
OK skip anything European, no Deawoos, Protons or silly things like that either. No matter how cheap, they are cheap for a reason.
I've had my Corolla from brand new 2004 and it's as tough as nails. Was advised through a motor vehicle consultant (ex Car dealer) at the time that the rental companies at the time use them as they are so reliable.
Btw I stick my surfboard in it all the time ;)
Well, I'm going to offer a suggestion..
Honda Accord Euro. Put some Pirellis on it and you'll have a great time :D
Mediumish size, so Mum'll be happy.
Stylish, so you can impress the gender/s of your choice.
Powerfull enough, so you'll have some fun.
Pirelli's, so it'll stick to the road like its a rollercoaster.
I've been in this type of car, 4 big fellas, and the driver had me scared. Awesome car.
<AU2 falcon owner who likes his car very much.
If you are getting a first car, you get a $3k Ford Falcon or Holden Commodore. Statistics show you are more likely to screw it up while young. Getting a common car that is cheap to fix and/or runs on LPG would be a winning combination. Put $7k in the stock market on an index ETF. Drive the car for 2 to 3 years to prove to yourself that you will not screw up the nicer car. After 2-3 years, sell your shares. Hopefully you will have close to $10k.
i30 Diesel?
You need to ask yourself if you need a car.
If you don't plan on regularly driving it, you shouldn't buy one. Devaluation, rego, fuel, repairs etc are very costly. I'm just saying this because I know some people who have blown thousands on repairs, rego and devaluation when they didn't even need a car.
If you do actually need one then ignore this.
Hyundai i30. I bought it as my first car for about 10,500 second-hand (2010 model) on the advice of my uncle, who is a mechanic. I love it.
I steered my sister to a 2011 SX auto. She loves it too :)
This may of already been mentioned, but if I was looking at buying my first car again I would buy a Turbo Diesel Ford Fiesta. It's one of the most fuel economical cars on the market at 4.4l/100km. My friend owns one and have driven it myself, and they have a decent amount of power and bucket loads of torque. You can pick up a 2010 for around $10,000.
Although being a smaller car it doesn't have the masculinity you are after in a car as much as a, say, falcon, or commodore. But what's more important really?
The small diesels make sense when it comes to fuel economy.
If OP wants a bit more performance, could try this Renault (after a bit of a haggle)
http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Renault-Megane-20…
Nice economical small 4cyl auto car, rego fees and insurance cheaper too. No need for speed there's nowhere left to do it!.
Just by reading this post makes me want to change my own car. Lol.
Today i bought a mazda 3 neo sport. 2009 model with 6 months rego for $8500. This thread helped me focus on japanese cars. And after reading this thread I realised I should also look at sedan cars. They are somehow cheaper than hatchbacks in the second hand market. (Thanks to whoever mentioned this on page 1 or 2).
Can I ask if you bought from dealer or private sale and how many kms on car? I'm also in market to buy car with budget around 8k. Thanks…
Dealer from Homebush NSW. 100,000km on the clock.
I was looking for a Honda Civic (2007-2009) or Mazda3 (2007-2009) or Corolla Conquest (not that eagerly tho) for around $8000 price tag.
I vote for a subaru WRX or liberty GT.
Fast but economical when you're not driving too hard.
Very safe, also AWD.
Easy to maintain (oil changes take no effort). Parts are decently priced if you order from the US and can wait for shipping.
COROLLA. Or toyota something.
NEVER EVER AGAIN WILL I GO VOLKSWAGGEN. Switched from toyota and it's a nightmare.
Had 2 golf gti's replaced due to faulty engine/other problems…and they still can't get it right! The one I have now has a leaky sunroof!
I taped my toyota's bumper to my car because that's how run down it was and still ran like a dream.
Nothing as reliable or easy to maintain than a toyota.
No to suzuki swift, sister has one…nice car to run but your body panels dent simply by leaning on it. You can't even slam the boot because it'll crumple!
Heard that mazda's a nice. See plenty about, hear good things about them but never tried one.
Honda accord euro. They look gorgeous on the outside. Luxury on the inside. They run great, are reliable, fuel efficient and have all the safety features necessary. I picked up my 2004 accord euro for $9,500 including all onroad costs around 3 months ago from a dealership. Only had 128,000kms on the odometer. Make sure you have a really good look around, spend weeks looking at what is on offer and don't settle for something just because its cheap or seems like a really good deal. More often than not if it looks too good to be true it is. Get someone to come and inspect the car too. I'm only 21 now and I've been burnt on 2 cars so far. Made sure when I got my accord that I wouldn't let the same mistakes happen as the last two. Good luck
My final thoughts on this topic — I promise.
Mid sedan/hatch: Honda Accord Euro or Mazda6.
Small/mid hatch: FD series i30 CRDI; nice torquey diesel, but better as manual for fuel economy.
Let us know what you settle on, OP.
mcmonte - i read all of your comments in this thread and they are informative.So don't stop.Keep writing…It seems you have great/good knowledge about cars…
Aww thank you :) Staying off-topic now cos I promised…I'm just a cynical middle-aged man, and I admit to being biased where cars are concerned.
I only know the basics really. What's valuable to me is the ownership experiences of others and reliable press information. NRMA, RAC(T/V/Q), RAA, BestCars, JD Powers, Carsguide etc are all good indicators.
Here's an illustrative link. Notice I haven't commented on it ;)
I'm surprised a mod hasn't closed this, as they often do when they consider enough opinions and arguments have transpired.
1996 diahatsu charade for $4,000.
$6,000 for beer.
Geez, that's an expensive Daihatsu!!!
More like $400 for a 1996 Charade and $9600 for beer…
…and you'll need quite a few beers before each drive.
(Muscle relaxant/poor crash safety/go limp)
Geez, that's an expensive Daihatsu!!!
most of that cost is for the stereo
For 10k you can get a 06-07 automatic 8th gen Honda Civic; it looks good, feels quick and is fuel-efficient as well. Having owned one I honestly think it's one of the best in class.
Totota Corolla…LOL although it might be a reliable car you would be buying the motoring equivalent of a washing machine…whitegoods on wheels. Whoever said an Aurion was obviously commenting from the 'learn to use the internet' class at the Bowls Club! If you want to potter about town in a beige cardigan smoking a pipe, if you wear socks with sandals and have at least 3 pairs of mission brown pants in the cupboard go ahead and get a Corolla or an Aurion!
I dont know how much they are now but I would look for something like a Renaultsport Clio RS 186. I had one brand new 6 or 7 years ago, awesome little car, looks a bit quirky but an automotive classic. No turbo, naturally aspirated. Best cornering car i've ever driven, you don't have to break the speed limit, you just don't have to slow down for things like corners or roundabouts, goes around on 2 wheels like it was on rails!
Everybody will post up that French cars will break down all the time etc, mine was admittedly brand new but it went like clockwork. Renault, unlike many other brands have a seperate factory for their Renaultsport cars, they arent just the base model with better mats and a couple of decals. Sport models go through better QC. Clio's were massive in the UK and there is a large cult following. I used to buy parts on eBay for mine as they were a load cheaper than at the dealership.
My suggestion would be to get a commodore as new as you can afford with your budget. Despite what some people may think you will get a better commodore/falcon second hand compared to smaller cars. Use redbook.com.au to research fair prices for second hand cars, this site will also give you the price the car was new and all features the car includes. Go and test drive a few models you are interested in and get a feel for what you like you may change your mind. Maintenance is easy on these cars and parts are cheap. My wife and I both own commodores (I have owned 3 different models) and I do all services myself (and I am not a mechanic just willing to read and learn to save money). The money you save on the initial price plus included features and cheaper maintenance will easily make up for the small increase in petrol price/usage. Hope this helps a little but as I said just my opinion.