Going to spend a max of $10,000 looking at the most reliable and safe family car. Have been looking at a 2010 ford mondeo what are your thoughts? I don't know much about cars.
Yes or no? First family car
FairyHeaven on 18/08/2016 - 23:15
Comments
Agreed. Camrys are great value and the sedans have quite a large boot.
Ty think I'm going to keep looking for a Camry!
I visit OzBargain to save money so I don't have to drive a Camry! lol
I admit I do see the appeal of the Camry if driving doesn't appeal to you.
That was my first pick but I wanted a five star safety rating.
The 40 series Camry (2006-2011) received a 5 star ANCAP rating late in its life. But the 50 series Camry (late 2011 onwards) is a better car compared to the 40 series (newer 2AR-FE 2.5 litre engine vs old and somewhat thirsty 2AZ-FE 2.4 litre engine, 6 speed auto vs 5 speed auto). Your budget should be able to get you into one.
Forget the Mondeo, Euro Fords are great when they're new, but once they get age on them, things start going pear-shaped. Camry will be ultra-reliable and cheap to maintain.
Thanks this is perfect just the info I needed! Going to keep looking for a Camry.
The 40 series Camry (2006-2011) received a 5 star ANCAP rating(ancap.com.au) late in its life. But the 50 series Camry (late 2011 onwards) is a better car compared to the 40 series (newer 2AR-FE 2.5 litre engine vs old and somewhat thirsty 2AZ-FE 2.4 litre engine, 6 speed auto vs 5 speed auto).
Good point. Our 2007 Camry is quite thirsty. They were rated 9.9L/100km when new but in the real world, it's more like 10-15. Definitely go for a 50 series.
I have a MC Diesel Wagon base model…
It's a lovely vehicle to drive… doesn't feel like the tank that it is, feels much more nimble and more like a small car.
Massive passenger and boot capacity, looks decent, the Diesel has heaps of power (the Petrol I test drove made it feel like it was constantly struggling and was immediately struck off my list of options) and fuel economy is as good around the city as on the highway.
However, I have the Dual Clutch Auto.. It's brilliant when it's working properly, unfortunately, it's not working properly and will cost me $4000 to fix, on a 5 year old vehicle that's ridiculous!!! New clutch pack, new shaft sensors (which are the actual problem) and a crapload of labour.
I've called all the Independent clutch repairers around the city and NONE of them can do the job cause they need a special tool kit that costs $1000 alone!My other annoyance is the Bluetooth which takes phone calls only.. You need to upgrade to the ZETEC or Titanium to get Bluetooth Audio!
I didn't even know there was a difference and it wasn't part of my "checklist" when buying the car.. It had Bluetooth, which is what I wanted.As such, my recommendation is to buy one (you'll pay another $5000 for an equivalent Camry), but restrict to the MA/MB models with the standard auto, not the MC with its "special" (in the retarded sense) Dual Clutch Auto.
The euro fords servicing can get pretty expensive, we experimented with them for our company cars but found them unreliable and was not unusual to have a $5-700 service at a ford dealer. Ended up going back to Toyota
Most reliable car, Ford ? Haha, you are kidding, stick with Japanese cars, mate !
I'd recommend second hand Mazda6, but $10k might not go too far as they hold their value well since they're so reliable.
Have only seen mazdas 2/3s in my budget :/
Thanks for the info! Will keep it all in mind.
Camry
We have an '09 Camry. Good car if you have 1 kid. Boot is big enough for toddler's emergency nappy changes :)
Although make sure you get one with a Tow bar it will come in handy.Thanks are the tow bars much extra?
I need one but I dont know the prices etc. But someone at work said you can get'em cheap at the wreckers.
I've just bought a towbar from wreckers, was about half the cost of new. But I'll have to fit it myself. Do some research (ebay is a good start) towbar for Camry might not be that common, they aren't really bought for towing stuff. I bought mine for a ute for $190 delivered with all fittings and wiring. pretty much every ute has one though and the wreckers get plenty.
Towbar can cost up to $500 fitted.
The safety rating site has a whole bunch of Camry 2011s with four star safety rating and some with a five how do I know which one it is when picking a car? I found a 2011 Camry touring which is a possibility. Thanks in advance.
That ANCAP link I posted earlier indicates build dates May to November 2011. But really, the reason they went from 4 to 5 stars was the addition of a seat belt reminder for the front passenger and improved safety integrity for the driver's knees.
reliable and safe family car + ozbargain = camry