Think of changing a family car for under $65k on road in mind.
Mainly for wife to drop kid off schools - Safety is important. As you may already know, she can be a better driver.
Weekend family activities - biking, beach….
Need space to transport bigger shopping items sometimes - Like many OZB, we pick up bargains from market. Hatchback, CV, wagon no sedan.
Driving European car so think wife leans towards the same. But we know the price to pay for expensive part and service and reliability is painful.
I am considering a dealership staff used Volvo D4 luxury (MY15 less than 12 months/9000kms) for likely roughly $60k on road or D5 basic for $65k. Haven't test drive one yet.
Also to consider, a choice to get a Hyundai i35 which will be paid off in 3 years or pick a $65K car which has a balloon to pay end of lease or give back.
Open for your input and discussions. Thanks.
Which car for small family under $65k?
Last edited 23/09/2015 - 05:17
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these are still based on X-trails aren't they? (not saying thats bad as we have an x-trail). and I thought previous model were built in the nissan factories, maybe not now though.
So now you've got all this great advice and you know exactly what to buy, working off your 20 car shortlist.
Also you should consider when to buy. Time the purchase right for the best price. I'll let you Google that.
Exactly, so grateful for all the advice given so far. so many that I think of set up a poll in order to short list the top few. Not sure if it is too late now.
Logic tells me the best time is end of quarter/end of year when sales matters or through a car broker to get the best bargain,
Wow…Bose sound system catches my eyes. It is always a boy's dream to have a car with real sound system,
Wonder how much to drive away the diesel sports.If you want a real sound system, you don't buy a Bose. Stay away from the Renault, there are much better cars for the money.
Discussion with a nice cabbie yesterday that taxi seems to go Hybrid instead of Diesel nowadays.
Would you pick a Hybrid over Diesel or others?I'm not going to buy another car until I can get an affordable battery only electric car. I am so over the internal combustion engine.
last taxi i was in was a prius, had done a heap of km's and was still comfortable and quiet, compared to normal engined camrys and commodore/falcons that are always clunky as taxis.
I've test driven every SUV on the market and end up buying Forester XT Premium
The new CVT is good
The engine is very good 2L Turbo - takes around 10/11L per 100km and is powerful
Handling, Space and Visibility is excellentDriver seat is terrible
Interior and GPS is not as nice as other cars but is functionalI would check out Skoda Octavia as well, they are much more refined cars then most SUVs and are very good value
but get extended warranty.CVT is very bad.
2L Subaru engine is old and not very good compared to modern engines. 177kw from a 2.0 Turbo is a joke, especially when you have that much lag.
and
then ≠ than
CVT is bad compared to what?
Why is it bad?The Subaru new CVT is almost as quick as DSG transmission. It's very smooth.
I have driven cars with both DSG and new CVT for long timethis 2L engine first came out in 2013, how is it old?
I can’t feel any turbo lag on this one at all. I think they are using dual scroll turbo.
Because of turbo, a lot of torque comes in very early and it makes a very big difference in everyday driving. Much better than having a large engine and a heavy car where most torque comes at much higher RPM.CVT is bad compared to every other gearbox on the planet.
Its not as fast as a DSG, because that isn't the way it works, it is constantly in gear, there is no shift time. (The C in CVT).
The CVT is an inferior product, it is severely torque limited (and it means you have to use a crappy engine with it), it is not as economical as a good auto or DSG, it does not provide the same performance as a good auto or DSG, it is simply inferior in every way. And most importantly, being belt driven, it is destined to fail.
The Subaru H4 is about 30 years old and has had minimal updates, the only real updates it has had have been provided by electronic partners (like digital injection), but essentially its the same engine. It first appeared in 1988. That is shockingly bad.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_EJ_engine#EJ20
You might not be able to feel turbo lag, probably because you don't really know what it is, but its 100% there.
Also, a large engine inherently has low down torque, not torque high up in the rev range.
That CVT can simulate 8 gears in sports mode
It's much more reliable than DSG as it has less components and it is much simpler. You should probably look in to it.I know what turbo lag is as I have driven a lot of cars with it and had specifically chosen the Forester XT for it's engine performance. It's very good for an SUV.
Also,
Jeep Grand Cherokee Torque 3.6L347Nm @ 4300rpmKerb Weight 2191kg
Subaru Forester XT Torque 2.0L Turbo
350Nm @ 2400rpmKerb Weight 1607kg
You should probably check the tech. specs before posting :)
Simulating 8 gears in a CVT literally means nothing. It does nothing for the car performance.
A CVT is not more reliable than a DSG. Wet clutch DSGs are pretty much bullet proof, the VW/Audi 7 speed wet clutch is ridiculously robust. A CVT is belt driven. Perhaps you should look into that. You know what happens to belts in a mechanical device?
Also, you can't mention a torque figure without mentioning power. They aren't mutually exclusive. 177kw vs 210kw is a big difference. If you want torque, how does 170kw and 600nm sound from the diesel?
Before giving your opinions on the mechanics of a car, perhaps you should actually try and understand it first?
The Forester simply isn't a very good SUV. Its an SUV with a fatal flaw. It is also not in competition with the Grand, which is a 4WD, with a low range gear box, centre diff lock and a rear diff on some models.
Ive had a bad run with cvt when towing. Not really designed for it, stick to gears and cogs.it is g
ood for everyday running about. Nice and smooth, like dropping off the kids at the pool@thorton82: I don't understand the amount of vitriol coming from you about Subaru. Did they steal your lunch money or something??
Horses for courses buddy. You don't like Subaru - we get it. The rest of us are extremely happy with how our Subaru serves us. My old one saved my life in a 100km/h crash and both Subarus I've owned have been nothing but reliable and joyful to own.
Do you also know that the CVT belt in Subarus is actually a steel chain? Do you also know that cars with timing chains don't require replacement? Or are you just making up hyperbole because you're not actually a mechanical engineer yourself and you're just spewing crap that you only half understand?
You also complain about us comparing Subarus to your precious Jeeps and that they can't be compared to each other, yet you were the one who brought up Jeeps in the first place.
Not everyone needs to cross the Kalihari desert on the weekends. The rest of us are perfectly happy with a Subaru that takes us onto unsealed roads every now and then, carries 5 people and luggage, doesn't cost you a left testicle every time it needs servicing and doesn't break down every 500 yards.
First of all the new CVT has been rated for high torque - hence why they are now offering it with the Turbo 2.0 WRX and the 3.6 Outback/Liberty
Second of all it's "Direct Injection", not "digital injection".
Thirdly the boxer engine hasn't had much fundamental change because it works. Subaru parts are mostly interchangeable and the blocks and mounts go together like Lego, which lets them keep production costs down which is crucial for a small manufacturer. Subaru is the only mass manufacturer of boxer engines in the world and they've been doing it for 30 years. They know more than you do buddy when it comes to engineering and manufacturing, that much is readily apparent.
Subaru don't make high torque engines
Digital injection and fire t injection are the same thing
Poor excuse for a lack of development.
@nytrojen: some fair points, but you'd be crazy to take a Jeep across the Kalihari, it would break down.
Subaru outback.
if 65k your budget, get a base mx5 or toyo 86 and a base suby outback. that way you get a sensible and a cool car. 65k car will likely depreciate 50% in 3 years, thats almost the equivalent of 1 of these cars cost, why throw 30k in the bin. also running costs for 2 jap cars will be just a bit more than for 1 expensive euro
Im confused I think everyone's idea of family car and a budget of $65K is the problem here. Most "family" cars are under 30K so you are really looking for a luxury car IMHO. And how many kids are in this family?
My pick would be a Suzuki Kizashi, beautiful to drive, less thirsty than a SUV, plenty of pickup and Japanese reliability. The boot is a little smallish though but if you are just doing the shopping and running about it wouldn't be an issue. Test drive one you might be surprised.
The Hyudais are all rubbish IMHO. I test drive the 2014 Elantra, the i40, the i50, the accent sports and came away very unimpressed. The interiors and the seats are so poor.
We have a 2014 Toyota Corolla Sport which is really just a smallish family car that's cheap and cheerful, looks interesting and dead reliable. Not bad, but wouldn't compare to a Euro style car very well ;) We purchased it after losing $20,000 on a Mazda 6 diesel…a total lemon. DO NOT buy a diesel car, especially after the VW fiasco. Far too many issues with DOF systems. I think BMW and Mercedes have managed to figure out low emission Diesel engines, but I just don't think it's worth the risk personally.
Kizashi - yes great build, comfortable, very well featured, but definitely thirsty! Looking at about 11L/100km, which is damn thirsty for a 2.4!
And this is coming from someone that sells them!
On carsales there are 24 Camry's that are less than $1900 each…..
Just get a Toyota. Most reliable brand in the world and cheapest parts.
You'll get a nice one for under $65K, Prado 3.0L Diesel are top, RAV 4 or an Aurion.
Lexus RX450h second hand might be a good choice (-:
VOLKSWAGEN CANNOT GO WRONG ESPECIALLY THE ALL NEW PASSAT <3
Can go very wrong with a VW…!
OP, this probably isn't the best place to ask about cars that cost 65k.
FWIW, I also get a car allowance and I prefer wagons and I spend about 65k as well. In that range, as mentioned, you would be looking at the Octavia RS wagon, Golf Wagon, Passat Wagon, GLC, GLA. I'd personally wait for the GLC.
There's unfortunately not much in the way of nice wagons.
FWIW I drive a 3.6L Outback. I don't think at that price point, Subarus are all that worth it. Interior isn't anywhere like the Euros and servicing is almost as expensive.
thanks. have not made up my mind yet.
I was only looking last night for something similar. I'm considering second hand, near new…
I would consider the 2012+ BMW X3 Diesel LCI or stretch a little more for the Mercedes ML250 also in diesel which are currently around $70k. Some may not recommend them because there is a perception of luxury being unncessary or not bang for buck in comparison to a fully loaded SantaFe or jap car but I say if you're spending that kind of money you'd want something to show for it. I've had Jap cars and euro/lux cars and would opt for the euro if budget permits over value for money.
I'd also look at the Jeep SRT if you're wanting the v8 rumble in the school pickup line
Get a Toyota Aurion with a tow bar, and when you need to transport something hire a trailer from bunnings or your petrol station. No use getting a cargo carrier for those once a year things. 3.5 litres of Toyota goodness that will last until you die.
Go Japanese or Korean and don't look back.