New Car Buying Help/Guidance/Advice

LLord Ra on 30/10/2015 - 11:59
Last edited 03/11/2015 - 11:22

Hello Oz Bargainers & Oz!

I’ve just moved to Oz and joined here as an alternative to Hot UK Deals & Money Saving Expert. This is my first forum post & I’m looking forward to all the advice I can get.
What am I after: A small car or something without a massive backside / long wheelbase.
Who’s driving: Main Driver – Female (55years), secondary driver - Male (30years).
Primary Purpose – Commuting to work
Budget – AUD$25-35k ± 2K

Important Required Features:

  1. Needs to be easy to park
  2. Must have reverse sensors
  3. Height Adjustable driver seat as the main driver likes to be as high as possible (in the car lol)
  4. Average or better sound system

Points to note:

  1. There are other cars in the home, this is mainly for commuting to work purposes & maybe a bit of shopping on some days.
  2. The in-car nav system is a definite no-no, but not a deal breaker. I know updates aren’t free, it’s clunky & difficult the main driver to (learn to) use, but if it’s not there, the better.
  3. Diesel or petrol, doesn’t matter, but fuel efficiency is important.
  4. Female driver moving up from a 2013 Mazda 3 so this car needs to ‘feel’ equal to or greater than in terms of comfort, ease of use, parking, road visibility.
  5. Engine power is not important, there will be no spirited driving.
  6. Is there someway I can negotiate better deals/discounts with dealers?
  7. I’ve heard about the Honda CR-V & HR-V range. Thoughts?
  8. The decision maker is leaning towards VW Golf 110TDi but Reviews don’t look so good
  9. We already have a Mazda 3 at home.
  10. I’ll add points here as the questions come as I’m sure they will.

Are there any 3rd party people who do special prices, open to negotiations?

How do I wrangle out discounts from a dealer? I know the usual facade, don't show interest, walk away & all that, but who out there is more inclined to give me a discount?

What time of the year is best for this? We can hold out for a month I suppose.

Cheers all!

EDIT:

So the list has been narrowed down to the small car segment.

  1. Hyudai i30
  2. VW 110 TDi
  3. VW 90 Tsi
  4. 2015 mazda 3
  5. Audi A1

The winner, based on price/trim, best deal around, was the, against all my wishes, the VW 110 TDi mach7 top end with all the trim including the driver safety for $31,600 d/a. Audi was too expensive with all the bits thrown in and we test drove the rest. Personally, I loved the CX-3.

Big thank you to all for your input!

Automotive

Comments

  • spackbace on 30/10/2015 - 12:05
    +2

    Buy a Suzuki Swift auto. Biased because I sell them, but based on what you're saying you don't need anything bigger.
    $16,990 drive away (without the Nav), pocket the change and go on a holiday :)
    Just need to add sensors.

    Budget – AUD$25-35k ± 2K

    Important Required Features:
    1. Needs to be easy to park - Tick
    2. Must have reverse sensors - Tick (Optional)
    3. Height Adjustable driver seat as the main driver likes to be as high as possible (in the car lol) - Tick
    4. Average or better sound system - Tick

    Points to note:
    1. There are other cars in the home, this is mainly for commuting to work purposes & maybe a bit of shopping on some days. - Tick
    2. The in-car nav system is a definite no-no, but not a deal breaker. I know updates aren’t free, it’s clunky & difficult the main driver to (learn to) use, but if it’s not there, the better. - Tick
    3. Diesel or petrol, doesn’t matter, but fuel efficiency is important. - Tick
    4. Female driver moving up from a 2013 Mazda 3 so this car needs to ‘feel’ equal to or greater than in terms of comfort, ease of use, parking, road visibility. - Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick
    5. Engine power is not important, there will be no spirited driving. - Tick
    6. Is there someway I can negotiate better deals/discounts with dealers?
    7. I’ve heard about the Honda CR-V & HR-V range. Thoughts?
    8. The decision maker is leaning towards VW Golf 110TDi but Reviews don’t look so good
    9. I’ll add points here as the questions come as I’m sure they will.

    • spackbace on 30/10/2015 - 13:24

      Ok since you're looking at SUVs, have a look at the new Vitara :) Again, has what you're chasing and within budget

  • ESEMCE on 30/10/2015 - 12:08

    Your budget wont buy much better than a Mazda 3 if that hasn't suited your needs previously.
    Do you want bigger or smaller than Mazda 3 (or similar)?
    You've listed Golf and HR-V as options but they're quite different cars.

    • Lord Ra on 30/10/2015 - 12:30

      The mazda 3 suited her fine! She wants a new car, that's all. Same size or smaller than the Mazda 3.
      Yes, I know they are very different, but does the HR-V come into the picture at this budget? It is bigger, but it seats her higher, but is it a much bigger car in terms of size vs the M3?
      I'm totally NO GOOD at cars, cheers for the help! :)

      • Speckled Jim on 01/11/2015 - 12:48

        She wants a new car, that's all. Same size or smaller than the Mazda 3.

        Surprised nobody has mentioned the Fiat 500 yet. Currently from 16K drive away, but in mid 2013 it was 14K in a deal posted here.

        So probably some margin for haggle-ability.

        • Lord Ra on 02/11/2015 - 11:03

          ME too! I LOVE the car! That they don;t want, I think as older people, they are a bit conservative & want something that's easy to sell on, will fit more people in there comfortably. I didn't agree, said that it was only a commute car, but they threw the 'what if' card at me, but for that price, especially in places where parking is difficult, I would buy it!

          Thru dealers, maybe about 14k. Oh well.

  • Kevan2 on 30/10/2015 - 12:13
    +1

    This is basic but brushing up never hurts http://www.carsguide.com.au/car-advice/how-to-buy-a-used-car… Point 6 is the most relevant these days and http://www.racq.com.au/cars-and-driving/cars/buying-a-car and http://www.carsguide.com.au/ Also if you are with the http://www.mynrma.com.au/default.htm USE THis SERVICE.

    Why all this - for the same price as new you should be able to get a near new car with some warranty left. With correct check there should be no new car fall in price once you drive out of the car yard. There has been some 4wd with $20k+ fall in price as the dealership was given a cash back intensive to sell a failed car model.

    Goodluck.

    • Lord Ra on 30/10/2015 - 12:37

      Hey Kevan2,
      I'm looking to buy a new car, but thank you for those links. WIll come in handy down the line. I'm not with the NRMA. Sounds good though, thank you.
      The RAC link has SO much information!

      What is this 4wd car that you speak about?

    • plmko on 30/10/2015 - 13:39

      Not always the case with 'near new' cars being better priced, sometimes you can make up the price difference of brand new cars through heavy negotiations. I just bought a brand new full import MY16 Subaru BRZ cheaper than the MY15 in-stock 'near-new' stuff currently on sale in the dealer network. Of course I had to spend time doing the research and really waste my time standing around the dealers, but it's possible.

      • Kevan2 on 30/10/2015 - 17:08

        You got the car. Must have been worth the Waite. It is an interesting strategy where the salesman goes back to their manager at every point in negotiations. They must drink a lot of tea whist this happening. Perhaps there are other openings rather than at the same dealership. Pimko you can teach us.

      • cameronianhigh on 21/11/2015 - 18:53

        sounds sweet! subaru brz is on my list of potential buys. when did you buy it and what sort of price did you get for it mate?

  • oscargamer on 30/10/2015 - 12:39

    Mazda 2 or 3. No question

    • Lord Ra on 30/10/2015 - 12:39

      We already have a 2013 M3 at home. :(

      • oscargamer on 30/10/2015 - 12:46

        Mazda 2 then. They are by far the best in their class. Why would you want a car that is not as good?

        • Lord Ra on 30/10/2015 - 12:58

          Righto, M2 goes on the list then! :)
          I've had a look at it, its nice.
          Any thoughts on Kia? With the 7 year warranty, its quite attractive!

        • oscargamer on 30/10/2015 - 12:59

          Which kia?

        • ESEMCE on 30/10/2015 - 13:02
          +1

          @lordra:

          They're pretty good these days. The 7 year warranty must be good for resale too.

        • nocure on 30/10/2015 - 13:08
          +1

          @oscargamer:
          Kia Rio

        • oscargamer on 30/10/2015 - 13:12

          God no.

        • Lord Ra on 30/10/2015 - 13:41

          @oscargamer: HAHAHA! That was funny.. What would you recommend? I was just mentioning the brand.

        • oscargamer on 30/10/2015 - 13:45
          +1

          Mazda 2 3 or cx3. Larger Hyundai's like the new Tucson. I think you need to narrow your search a bit ;-) as it's very difficult to compare cars in different categories. But remember the largest expense you will ever face with a car is the depreciation. Try and minimise that.

        • Lord Ra on 30/10/2015 - 12:59

          Cheers for the link!
          Yes, will look into that as well.
          The reason is that the current M3 is going to another family member. :)

        • Lord Ra on 30/10/2015 - 13:08
          +1

          OMG, I LOVE THE Mazda CX-3!!!
          Deffo going to look into it!

        • Lord Ra on 30/10/2015 - 13:19

          @Cheap Charlie: Yes, I AM! Also, yes, we will be looking at resale in the future. I'll pop it onto the list. We'll look into the dealer. But carsales is an awesome price drop!

        • Lord Ra on 30/10/2015 - 13:41

          @Cheap Charlie: Wilco, shall discuss and come back to you.

        • plmko on 30/10/2015 - 13:43

          @lordra:

          Back in August when I was looking at it in Melb, I negotiated $27k CX-3 Maxx Auto drive away. Good car, I'm all about value stuff but it must have at least some reasonable driving qualities, the CX-3 would've been the one I'd go for.

        • oscargamer on 30/10/2015 - 13:49

          If you buy from a dealer and get it serviced at a dealer, you are throwing money away.
          A broker is the way to save 2000 on a car in the low 20's.
          A good local mechanic will charge half of a dealer service and it won't be a 17 year old trainee doing the work

        • spackbace on 30/10/2015 - 14:05
          +1

          @oscargamer:

          A broker is the way to save 2000 on a car in the low 20's.

          Brokers charge their own finders fee, so that comes into the possible negotiation power of the OP.

          No direct communication with the dealership means zero after-sales support. Sure, the service department will look after you, but no one will give you the time of day if you need your bluetooth set up or gps etc. Why would they, they weren't involved in the sale.

          Brokers don't always (read, 99% of the time never) know what they're selling. I've seen a broker sell a car, and the customer thought it was a slightly upgraded one (model change, same badge etc but new one had cruise control). Customer called after they took delivery, when they were down the road. Came back, customer's words "well I guess that's what I get for going through a broker".

          Oh, and add to everything that stuff all cars sub $25,000 have ~10% margin to work with. Unless you're comparing to RRP vs campaign pricing.

          OP, if you look at prices today/tomorrow there's every chance they will change on Sunday. Prices change monthly due to manufacturer bonuses changing. Keep that in mind when you do your research prior to then.

        • Lord Ra on 30/10/2015 - 15:04

          @Cheap Charlie:
          +1 to:
          Your warranty is only ever as good as your dealer.
          The option that appears cheapest initially does not always prove to be the most cost effective option.
          "…it does however happen on a daily basis."

          Very good long term information for everyone to know. I agree with this.
          My list has been taken into consideration and I shall update the options that we are limited to now.

        • oscargamer on 30/10/2015 - 15:08
          -1

          I have to disagree… Nothing new there… We had work covered by Jeep on our old thing that was just out of warranty and that had only been serviced not at Jeep.
          The warranty is with the manufacturer, not the dealer.
          How about a middle ground, buy through broker. Service at dealer?

        • Lord Ra on 30/10/2015 - 15:40

          @Spackbace:
          WOW! No way, I didn't know that! So if I got a quote today, and then prices went up on Sunday, would they honor the lower price? :D
          Just being cheeky, lol, I did this a lot in england, but not for cars, haha!

        • Lord Ra on 30/10/2015 - 15:42

          @plmko:
          Could you tell me a little more about this 'negotiation' process of yours?

      • [Deactivated] on 31/10/2015 - 10:25

        You have a BMW M3? That's what most people think of if you refer to a car as "M3"

  • Findo on 30/10/2015 - 13:33
    -2

    What about FG X falcon or VF series II commodore?

    • oscargamer on 30/10/2015 - 14:02
      -1

      Depreciation….

    • Lord Ra on 30/10/2015 - 15:01
      +1

      Thank you though.

    • Findo on 30/10/2015 - 19:52

      But falcodore tick all the boxes, they are easy to park and the new ones come with reversing gear too…

      • altomic on 30/10/2015 - 20:24
        +1

        Joan Rivers - commode d'ore = gold toilet.

    • Lord Ra on 31/10/2015 - 00:06

      I don't see myself associated with the brand is all…
      .

      • [Deactivated] on 31/10/2015 - 10:28

        Get an xr6 turbo!

  • snajper on 31/10/2015 - 00:48
    +1

    New cx3

    • Lord Ra on 02/11/2015 - 10:54

      I wanted to, I love it! But I got shot down cos the rest don't like it …

  • onetwothreefour on 31/10/2015 - 08:33

    Corolla ascent sport.

  • rickxs on 31/10/2015 - 09:19
    +1

    no bullshit reviews http://autoexpert.com.au/ see the top 25 small car clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt5UTFuQUys

    VW see their massive deceit & are unreliable
    Rio — no legroom for driver
    Cerato — Im biased i have one ,
    Elantra —the best car out there -just gets nudged by Mazda3 on reviews, but is cheaper & service is 15,000kms + 5yr warranty
    beats my Cerato by having eco mode [yes it works] but then Kia get's 7yr/unlimited

    • Lord Ra on 02/11/2015 - 10:54

      The youtube link is great, Ta! VW quality hasn't been affected in Oz, so we're safe.

  • dawannabe on 31/10/2015 - 09:45
    +1

    Having purchased a new i30 in may my review may be a bit biased. Value for money nothing even comes close to what Hyundai are offering.

    The i30 has reverse camera as standard which after using I don't think I could go back to the conventional way of reversing. One thing I also noticed having gone to 2 different Hyundai dealers, the dealers are much less pushy and feel more welcoming where as at Nissan and Toyota I felt really uncomfortable with there sales tactics and was trying to get out asap. Having done almost 15000k's on our I30 our combined fuel usage is sitting at about 6.8L/100kms.

    Hyundai are also running a promotion ATM which offers free auto upgrade, which means you can pick up an auto I30 for just over $20k or an auto elantra if you prefer a sedan for just under $20k.

    I agree that the Mazda 3 is also a really good car but to buy Mazda 3 with the same features you are looking at spending at least $5000 more. I also found the i30 more aesthetically pleasing then the new Mazda 3's but that of course is subjective.

    Final tip test drive as many cars as you can, don't let the sales person sell you the car unless it's 100% the car that you want. Say no to the added paint protection, interior protection and rust protection unless you want to spend the extra 2-3k on something that would cost you a third of the price through an aftermarket company.

    • Lord Ra on 02/11/2015 - 10:52

      Saying no is EXACTLY what I did, haha, good advice there! Now some kind of temporary tints in the back that keeps the sun out would be nice without having to spend a bomb, like those silver reflective things at the Reject Store…

      Would you mind saying what model you got and at what price?

      • dawannabe on 02/11/2015 - 21:39

        I got a manual I30 active x with metallic paint for $21,990 drive away. First thing we did after we received the car was take it to have the tint done makes such a difference. Hope you enjoy your purchase :)

        • Lord Ra on 03/11/2015 - 11:19

          Great. The dealers wanted 700 for the tint. If I wanted to do just the rear windows, is that possible & if so, how much would it cost approx? In NSW.

        • rickxs on 05/11/2015 - 09:28

          @lordra: we did the whole Kia for $300 in Nth Vic—- you can get cheaper in Sydney- Melbourne around $200 i believe , I went 25% which is darker than legal but smick

  • TailsK on 31/10/2015 - 10:03

    If you like the Mazda 3, what's wrong with getting another one?

    • Lord Ra on 02/11/2015 - 10:49

      The family wants a different brand you see… They wanna try something else.

  • User166092 on 31/10/2015 - 12:45

    Subaru Impreza

  • mjerath on 31/10/2015 - 14:57
    +1

    Bought Hyundai I30 Active X CRDI Auto with metallic paint for $24.5k d/a.

    • Lord Ra on 02/11/2015 - 10:48

      Good information!

  • Lord Ra on 03/11/2015 - 11:22

    The winner, based on price/trim, best deal around, was the, against all my wishes, the VW 110 TDi mach7 top end with all the trim including the driver safety for $31,600 d/a. Audi was too expensive with all the bits thrown in and we test drove the rest. Personally, I loved the CX-3.

    Big thank you to all for your input!

  • Lord Ra on 03/11/2015 - 11:33

    And also, this was from other people.

    Me - VW 110 TDi mach7 for $31,600 d/a with a full tank of gas

    mjerath - Hyundai I30 Active X CRDI Auto with metallic paint for $24.5k d/a

    dawannabe - Hyundai I30 manual , active x with metallic paint for $21,990

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