Looking to Purchase a New Car Mid 2015 | Calais V Vs. Mazda 6 Atenza Vs. Merc C200

CI on 05/11/2014 - 18:44
Last edited 08/11/2014 - 16:19 by 1 other user

Hey Guys, I am bored of my Camry and ready for a car to take me through another 5-8 years. I will be making the purchase mid 2015.
Lets get to it, I am trying to decide between 3 very different cars which you can say are all in a league of their own. Other cars I have in mind if someone could convince me Accord euro or Grand Cherokee.. However, lets stick to these 3:

Holden Calais V 2014
Mazda 6 Atenza 2014
Mercedes Benz C200 2013

I am definitely going to buy slightly used (brand new never again).

Heres what I am after which all three cars cover: Fuel Economoy must be below 9l/100km, lots of tech features(nav,sensors,lane assist,reverse camera, collison alert, keyless entry is a must along with starter switch) , luxury(leather interior, heated seats)

This is what "i think" all three don't share: servicing has to be reasonable, I should be able to get decent resale value in 5-8 years time

My driving habits: Mostly urban, ~10k-15k km per year

And just your general opinion

Help me decide fellas? Budget is resonable at $45k-$55k

Poll Options

  • 15
    Calais V 2014
  • 64
    Mazda 6 Atenza 2014
  • 11
    Mercedes C200 2013
Automotive

Comments

    • CI on 09/11/2014 - 01:08

      Bit too small.. Camry is freaking huge. Yea property it's always on my mind. Leach of parents I shall..for now at least.

  • PVA on 07/11/2014 - 19:03
    +1

    Get the Holden, really nice inside and out. great value that people just ignore think its aussie junk.

    I have the base one (wagon) for work and I am super impressed by it. pity most people write it off their list when looking at cars to buy.

  • usman6062 on 07/11/2014 - 22:01
    +1

    I would say to have a test drive for Mitsubishi Outlander with 2liters/100km.
    It has tech,luxury including sunroof and seems to be economal to drive. Consider how much u will be saving on petrol.

    • ShortyX on 07/11/2014 - 22:09

      2L engine perhaps? :|

      • usman6062 on 07/11/2014 - 23:10

        Yes Engine is 2 litre but they claim that car does 100kms in 1.9 litres.

  • Serapis on 07/11/2014 - 22:07
    +2

    Currently driving a 2011 WRX hatch and still loving it, got premium pack (leather, satnav, sunroof, etc) but sunroof always bugged me because whoever sits in shotgun just plays around with the switches for it…

    However if I was in the market for a second car (in your price range + non family car), would consider the following:

    • 2013 Lexus IS250 F Sport (9L/100km) [or if budget can be pushed an extra 5k - 10k, 2014 Lexus IS300h F Sport (5L/100km)]
      • Have seen this car in action (tbh with you, only the 2014 IS300h F Sport) and it is a very well designed car. Exterior and interior looks of luxury, and it is feature packed. Ticks all the boxes on your list. However it does pack a punch if you decide to floor it and it has nice handling. Maintenance is cheaper and parts are relatively easy to source as Lexus is owned by Toyota.

    • 2014 Mercedes-Benz A250 Sport (6.6L/100km)

      • Same as all the above, in my opinion slightly faster and sexier, but will cost more to maintain. But it is damn fun to drive and handles well.
    • striker5950 on 08/11/2014 - 10:43

      @serapis "sunroof always bugged me because whoever sits in shotgun just plays around with the switches for it…"

      haha i know what u mean, that always was the case with my 2010 rx and later my 350z convertible's retractable roof, its like they keep fiddling with the switches to see how it works :/

  • Davros on 07/11/2014 - 23:32
    +6

    LOL's at people thinking they can afford a big dollar luxury car and then worrying about fuel usage.

    • May4th on 08/11/2014 - 05:44

      'rich guys' don't get to being rich by not being smart with money. likewise most people who act like 'rich guys' either aren't rich to start with or don't stay rich for long

      • Davros on 08/11/2014 - 07:48
        +3

        Yes but if doing low klm like the OP says, the cost of buying a new fuel efficient car costs far more than the fuel used in less efficient model.
        eg: $5000 commodore using 11 L/100 Vs $50,000 A250 benz using 6.6L

        $45,000 difference in cost and considerably more in insurance and maintenance but hey, each year they save $500 on fuel but spend $2500 extra to get it.($45000 + $5000 extra in insurance and maintenance at 5%)

        Its false economy.

        • Cheshire Cat on 09/11/2014 - 10:00

          Yeah if you see my post we did the maths and decided on the less efficient bigger car (Calais) as you say the numbers don't add up.

  • smpantsonfire on 07/11/2014 - 23:32
    +4

    This thread makes me cry. OP sounds like such a rational smart switched on guy, you don't get this is most car threads, most OPs are already set on one car and start a thread for the fighting that ensues.

  • DiscoJango on 08/11/2014 - 08:16

    speaking from experience in owning jap (mazda 3, honda accord euro, toyota supra), local (holden calais) and euro cars (VW golf R), the euro cars are the most expensive to maintain. a regular service on my golf was $700. on my calais it would only be about $100. also euro cars are much much more expensive to fix should anything go wrong - and they do

    stick with jap or local, preferably a car that still has warranty

    also large cars (falcon, commodore) sales are down, no one wants them anymore, which is why ford is pulling the falcon. have you considered medium sized cars, eg ford focus, mazda 3

    much cheaper to purchase, run and maintain, easier to park and the drive and handling overall is amazing, and good luck trying to fix a large car in city car parking!

  • nhbvgynh on 08/11/2014 - 09:01

    Ford's about to release FGX - probably too early to tell, but if you're interested in that luxury segment that the Calais V occupies but with better fuel economy, it might be worthwhile checking out the G6E Ecoboost.

  • salamander on 08/11/2014 - 14:33
    +1

    Wait until next year when they begin to sell the new Ford Mustang : D

    • CI on 10/11/2014 - 01:21

      And double, even triple the price of what our US counterparts will pay

  • goraygo on 08/11/2014 - 17:47
    +1

    Get the C200. I have the 2012 model and it drives really well. The new one is even better.

    Cost of running is cheaper than my previous Honda Euro. I drive about 10,000km a year and service is like $800 each year. On top of that my dealer pick up my car, drop off a loan car and deliver the car back when service is finished without extra cost. Try getting that kind of post sale services from Mazda and Holden.

    Stop/start is quite nice to save on petrol, took about a week to get used to.

    Resale value for Merc isn't bad, if you plan to keep 7-8 years, all 3 options you have would depreciate about the same.

    I have had own, Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Mitshibishi before the Merc, all of them are top of the range in their line up. Comparing the drive and comfort, I will never go back to those Jap brands anymore.

  • Architectonic on 08/11/2014 - 18:07

    Alternatively, you could sell your car and save tens of thousands of dollars by utilising multimodal transport options (a bicycle, car share and public transport on rare occasions).

    Oh wait, no you can't because our cities are planned so that you only have one choice: drive a car.

    Sorry I mentioned it.

    • Davros on 08/11/2014 - 21:51

      And yet here I am in a city with a car and I never use it for driving around the city because public transport is easier and cheaper.

      Obviously you are doing it wrong

      • Agret on 09/11/2014 - 03:57

        He might live in Melbourne.

  • whirlpool_guy on 08/11/2014 - 22:25

    Mazda 6 is probably the best of the 3, but…

    1. Make sure you test drive on motorway and rough road surface. Mazda's are known for bad road noise / NVH.
    2. Two electrical recalls this year

    P.S. Honda planned to stop making Accord Euro.

  • [Deactivated] on 09/11/2014 - 13:56
    +2

    C200. Benz Never loses it's attraction

    • Davros on 10/11/2014 - 01:26

      How would you know, they haven't been on the market that long.
      Give a a few years and it'll lose 50% + of its value like all cars do including mercedes.

  • Archi on 10/11/2014 - 11:05

    im considering at the moment between a mazda6 or mazda CX5 i'm leaning towards the CX5

  • branners on 13/11/2014 - 12:07
    +1

    Well, 3 utterly different cars. My neighbour on one side has a Mazda 6, on the other side the wife has a Mazda 6 and her husband works for Mercedes-Benz so he has a new (usually black) car in the driveway every 2 weeks.
    If you buy a Calais V new, you will have taken a dump on resale and that is without factoring in how the resale value will be affected when Holden ceases local manufacturing. Also, in spite of what the fuel figure says, a Calais struggles to make it to 9L. It might get there if you fill it with Premium, which kinda defeats the purpose and if that is really important.
    The Maz will stand up better on resale and fuel economy but does not have as much interior space as the Calais. The up-spec versions are quite luxurious but they can be a fraction more noisy than other cars in that category. The new model drives like a champ, way better to steer than a Camry (sorry!)
    I have a friend with a C200. Stunning car, bought it as a demo. Look for a low mileage example, buying used means must of the resale hit will be absorbed already. Also, Benzes are bulletproof (usually) and they are… Benzes.
    But, left-field, and I know I go on about this brand a bit (I own one, my brother owns one), if I was shopping for a new ride now and I wanted luxury, economy and value, I would be looking at a Skoda Octavia. Brilliant car, great engines, the top of the line versions drive like Audis, only cheaper. Or, even bigger, a Superb. There is a recent new model (a freshen-up, not all-new) so there are bargains to be had on the exec-driven low km examples. If you look on a few websites, you will find an Elegance (luxo) version, with under 3000km, with remainder of 5-year warranty for well under $30K. Well worth a look, dealers will haggle and even if you decide against it, WTH.
    Cue hilarious and disparaging Skoda jokes… now!
    In any event, good luck with your search, none of those cars you mentioned are duds.

    • CI on 14/11/2014 - 00:30

      Thanks.
      But I am buying used though so Calais or Mazda would have already done there big price depreciation.

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