Looking at buying a brand new Great Wall 4 WD. Catch is, it is 2013 model.
I am not overly concerned re the resale value as they don't hold that too well anyway.
Would like to get 10 yrs out of it.Can get a petrol one for about 20000. 2015 new model about 29000 with towbar (new are all turbo diesel).
Any thing I should be particularly concerned about?
Buying Old New Car
ramshead on 20/02/2015 - 09:23
Last edited 20/02/2015 - 09:25
Last edited 20/02/2015 - 09:25
Comments
Any thing I should be particularly concerned about?
It's a Great Wall.
As others have said, avoid Great Wall. Spend the $20k on something a few years old, well maintained and Japanese.
Just give me the $20,000 it'll be a less painful experience than buying a Great Wall.
$20k will get you a good quality 2nd hand diesel that will outlast any Great Wall (I have a 1995 Hilux diesel with 298,000k's) Obviously Great Wall haven't been around long enough to see how well they go after 20 years but the old Hilux is still excellent.
IF you do buy it (I'd much rather buy a second hand Toyota/nissan/mazda) just make sure that the warranty applies from when you drive it out the gate, not from 2013. Also be aware that it is a Great Wall and in 10yrs no one will want to buy it so it won't be worth anything.
Seriously, don't get a Great Wall. At least get a good second hand Triton. For $20k though you could get some pretty nice second hand utes.
Nothing is "Japanese" any more though. They are all made in Thailand, except Amarok, which are made in Argentina.
Don't go near these death traps, only a matter of time before we see a recall like the berries for cars made in China:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-15/chinese-cars-recalled-…
It's an old recall but who knows what recall will be next.
Haha well some of the Great Walls even come with free asbestos! So that takes some topping!
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-15/chinese-cars-recalled-…If you value your life…. then don't buy that Great Wall.
buy reputable second hand 4wd
I am of the opposite opinion to everybody above. Great Wall is really good value for its price.
Best not to give too much weight to the opinions of people who have never owned the car before.
From all the Australian reviews and awards I had thought the Ford Territory was the best value SUV but my friend who owned one told me they were riddled with multiple life threatening safety recalls from steering failure to brakes:
http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?Article…Ask people who own a Great Wall and I'm sure they won't jump at you in the same way to alert you of safety recalls.
Reputation isn't everything and "ALL" manufacturers produce batches of cars containing faults.
http://www.wheelsmag.com.au/features/1409/recall-record-what…Volkswagen has managed to con Australian journalists and motorists. The Volkswagen Golf has won Australia's car of the year consistently but the owners will tell you their engines fail within months and their DSG gearboxes destroy themselves and accessing warranty is nearly impossible after the 2nd or 3rd engine swap:
http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/volkswagen-tackles-qualit…I'd recommend getting opinions from trusted friends and relatives who own a Great Wall.
Below is a link to a car owner review website:
http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/great_wall/x240/
http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/great_wall/x240/r127041/com…
I have driven the car before… Bad workmanship, 'leather' seats were as hard as bricks, and really had no advantages going for it unless you just had to have the newest car for your money.
Depending on what the OP needed from the car, for $20k I'd even look to a 2nd hand Vitara - Might use a bit more fuel, but its a more than capable 4wd that will be bulletproof, and will offer less of a headache than the Great Wall will, and still offer some form of resale in 3-5yrs!
All manufacturers have recalls, and generally its to solve a problem before it becomes a problem.
From the article you linked to:
Ford says the fault affects less than 2 per cent of Territorys – possibly 1500 vehicles – and that all affected cars will display a warning light on the instrument cluster.
The maker says there is no chance of complete brake failure due to the vehicle’s dual braking system.
“The vehicle will still stop using the rear brakes, but for the peace of mind of customers we’re doing the right thing to ensure safety,” said Ford Australia communications manager Sinead McAlary.
Recalls or not, Great Wall/Grand Tiger/Geely etc etc will only offer problems, and they're only to be bought when new, if you really have to!
I was a little brief describing the Ford Territory's problems as its my friend who owned one and alerted me to the problems.
Below is another link for the episode on Today Tonight of a safety related steering problem which Ford has not recalled:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao4vIVSVFhgIn the article I linked it also says:
The recall affects all non-turbo Territorys built between February 1, 2004 and December 31, 2008, amounting to 85,534 cars sold in Australia.
If you were an owner of a Territory would you trust your family isn't inside one of the 2 per cent?
Yep, and I chose a Territory after looking around at different cars. Its a chance of a chance that the rear brakes will fail. Given front brakes make up over 75% of the overall braking, its not a huge cause for concern. Its not going to make you suddenly lose all brakes, not going to make you roll over, not going to have any major effect on your driving.
I have to say that the opinions offered generally conflict with my observations. The particular car has a 4 cap safety rating and it has a Mitsubishi engine.
My neighbour has had his for over 2 years and tows a small caravan - no probs.
My mechanic services several owned by a local electrical business and he says they're fine, he just pointed out that the diesel model is more expensive to service.
Cars can be an emotive issue for some people eg Holden/ Ford: Bathurst 1000. Some people hear a prejudice (anything Chinese made) and just help perpetuate it.
I do appreciate the forums feedback, but I was more interested in getting comments about buying a car that had been sitting in a yard for a couple of years, irrespective of it's manufacturer.
Thanks euphemistic-good advice.The fact they still have a 2013 model, new, has to show something about the desirability of these cars… ;)
and given it is 2013 model it has been superseded by the newer versions which would have (hopefully) improved the car a bit…. so, avoid 2013 and if you are desperate for a great wall then get newer version….. but if the current model is too expensive then it means you will need to compare with other makes…
All manufacturers are continually improving and fixing small problems. My worry about buying a 2013 model is that it's been sitting in a yard and missing all these fixes.
Also, for example, the import storage yards at Port Kembla in NSW are next to the ocean, a coal loader and a sewage treatment plant. I would hate to see the duco on a car that's been stored there for over a year. ( I don't know where the Great Walls are imported through)I don't think they store cars at the wharf, the wharfage alone will be stupid and they're sent on their way as soon as it clears Customs/AQIS. Most of them gets stored at Minto at Prix Car.
I work in the insurance industry and can tell you that Great Walls are very difficult to repair properly
The fw we have had claims on have ALL been returned to the smash repairer at least once to try to realign, etc
The owners are not happy with the repairs (fair enough) but it is nearly impossible to put them back together straight
One repairer even showed me 2 genuine GW parts he had - there was 5mm difference in size
Mechanically they are fine (Mits make good motors)
But body wise they are poor and if u ever need anything done - bad news
mark my words - This is not a car you will keep for 10 years
A skoda wagon on the other hand - similar price range and immaculate (if u fit in it which i bloody dont)Just don't do it…
Great Walls are a terrible quality car, sure they start off 'brand new' very cheap but good luck trying to re-sell one.
Get a couple year old Toyota Hilux or Ford Ranger or something like that - it will be a hell of a lot better.10 years out of a Great Wall.. Can't imagine anything worse personally.
I know someone who has a Great Wall - the first 6 months of owning it (from new) it spent 5 months in the workshop.
Absolute piece of shit wouldn't recommend to a Jap on Anzac day.
Great Walls have a terrible build quality, no proven track record and I am not sure about the exact model you are looking at but I have seen some with a 1 star ANCAP safety rating. At one stage Airbags were an optional extra. I would much rather get an older car of a better make and model. $20k can get you a pretty decent 4-5 year old car.