Best Used Car: 18-25K Range

Hunter14 on 23/10/2017 - 14:30
Last edited 24/10/2017 - 12:28

Hi Ozbargain,

Once again, I require the advice of the Ozbargain family.

Looking for a used car around the 18-25K range. A fan of Japanese and German cars but doesn't have to be one of these.

Some preferences:

  • Sedan (Auto)
  • 2013 or higher
  • 80,000 km or lower
  • Fuel efficient
  • All the basic modern car accessories ie. Aux, smart phone connection, car phone, GPS & parking sensor.

Was considering the Volkswagen Passat. Can anyone vouch for VW's reliability?

Any car suggestions and/or negotiation advice will be much appreciated.

Thank You!

Ps. Please no 80K high yielding investment car.

Edit: Currently already have a reliable but outdated Camry and not keen to go Toyota again because I want to change it up.

Automotive

Comments

  • dylanando on 23/10/2017 - 14:39
    +3

    Mazda 3 :D
    You can get a 2015 top of the line model for around $25k

  • singlemalt72 on 23/10/2017 - 14:41

    Passats had a heap of problems with the B6 variant of the Passat, but I believe they have been ironed out now.
    I have the B6 1.8T 7sp Auto 2010, (probably the worst of the lot) - I think will stay with Passat when I upgrade.
    Alternatively, the Audi based on the same platform (A4 A5) are a good buy.

    • Hunter14 on 23/10/2017 - 14:57

      Thanks mate. How's the fuel efficiency and maintenance cost of your Passat? Also, can I ask what these problems are? Are they engine issues?

      • singlemalt72 on 24/10/2017 - 07:01
        +1

        The 1.8 Turbo had a problem with cracking pistons if poor quality fuel was used - There was a recall with a firmware flash that mitigated this problem, but cars that ran poor fuel before the flash tend to suffer.
        Also the 7 speed dual clutch automatic was a dog with a lot of problems.
        The V6 and diesel didn't have these problems. Early diesels in the B6 line had a few problems, but they were ironed out by 2008 or so.

        Mainenance costs are not too bad for a euro car, but I do a lot of my own servicing and source parts online. Any German car you should use a mechanic that knows his stuff, the local ultratune or repco just won't cut it.

        It is also essential that your mechanic uses the correct oil - VW's call for special oils that conform to their standards.

        I run 95 RON as suggested all the time, probably pulls around 10 to 10.5l/100km around town, this is mainly the wife's car, we tend to use my 4x4 on long trips.

      • dimitryp on 24/10/2017 - 11:05

        I was also shopping with pretty much your requirements and ended up with a Passat too.
        MY13.5 Passat 1.8L petrol, 38k kms, paid $21k in a private sale.
        Initially wanted an Audi A4 but didnt like the way their double-clutch gear-boxes felt (no kick), so the VW was the next nearest thing.

        Great family car, enjoying it. Had a sporty honda before that.
        Fuel efficiency is good, although we dont drive too much, only fill up once a month maybe, so hard to judge accurately.

        Have had it for a year so far. Did actually have a major problem with the clutch, but the VW dealer offered to fix it under "good will" (free). Was $1800 worth of repairs. Not sure why they offered to.

        Otherwise v nice car. Only thing that annoys me a little is the visibility isnt as good as in my old honda coupe, so i end up double-checking blind spots etc when changing lanes.

  • Oz8argain on 23/10/2017 - 14:45
    +1

    You get a decent Camry for less than 25K (maybe even hybrid with higher milage but not sure). Very spacious, decently comfortable, service is cheap and it will probably out live you. I have one and it serves its purpose. If you're just looking for a toaster with wheels that get you A to B, then this or even a corolla is great. It's boring AF.

    • Hunter14 on 23/10/2017 - 14:54
      -1

      Haha my current car is a Camry and it is so reliable. However, it's a 2008 model so it's been left behind in terms of the accessories that I've listed. Probably not keen to go to a newer Toyota. Would like to change it up a bit.

      • Oz8argain on 23/10/2017 - 15:00
        +1

        ok put NO CAMRY in the description, I think there will probably be a lot of camry suggestions coming up! I think Korean cars are getting pretty good as well, I think they could be a solid option

        • Hunter14 on 23/10/2017 - 15:23

          Thanks mate. Done. I recently drove a 2017 Hyundai accent for a week and was quite impressed with it. Although I wouldn't consider a hatchback.

      • RockyRaccoon on 23/10/2017 - 17:20
        +1

        And which 2008 car of any make hasnt also been left behind?

  • josh676 on 23/10/2017 - 14:50

    VF SV6 Sedan with satelite navigation. No competitors at the price point used.

    • Oz8argain on 23/10/2017 - 15:16

      Do you own one? What's the L/100km? I'm guessing fuel efficient is at least under 10L/100

      • dogboy on 23/10/2017 - 16:13

        It is 12.5L/100km in urban setting.

      • jazattack on 23/10/2017 - 16:23

        I do. I get combined (bit of city and bit of freeway) for about 8.4L/100km.

        • Oz8argain on 23/10/2017 - 16:25

          hey your 6 cylinder is more effcient than my 4 cylinder camry

  • myusername on 23/10/2017 - 15:05

    diesel ford mondeo 1000kms per tank

  • oscargamer on 23/10/2017 - 15:18

    Mazda 3

  • pantsparty on 23/10/2017 - 15:19
    +1

    You can buy a nice brand new car for $25k with a full manufacturer warranty - any interest in new cars? Buy something reliable for cheap maintenance throughout its life - Japanese is good. European cars are known to cost a bucket load in maintenance.

    • Hunter14 on 23/10/2017 - 15:27

      I went into this with an Ozbargain 'never buy a brand new car' mentality so I would only be interested in a new car if the deal was amazing :) I guess in a way, I want a bit more to my car than Japanese reliability and want to experience a European feel to my vehicle.

      • p1 ama on 23/10/2017 - 15:47

        "European feel" is a placebo effect, all cars work in (mostly) the same way.

        If you find that you car is boring, figure out what it is - is it that you want something faster, more responsive, a bit of a stiffer ride…etc.? Going from a run-of-the mill average Japanese family sedan to an average run-of-the-mill average European family sedan won't automatically make your car any more interesting to drive.

        The Passat will feel no different to an Aurion/Commodore on the road if I'm being perfectly honest. If you want something fun, get an MX-5 or something, great fun for summer weekend driving.

  • dasher86 on 23/10/2017 - 15:20
    +6

    Ps. Please no 80K high yielding investment car.

    $81k high yielding investment car. The prices have gone up since the forum post.

  • AdamFury on 23/10/2017 - 16:37
    +1

    Subaru Impreza / Liberty. Have an Impreza myself and it’s fantastic and the AWD in the wet is unbelievable.

  • AusGP on 23/10/2017 - 18:07

    Well if you want Japanese car with European luxury then Honda Accord Euro comes close. Very fuel efficient on long journeys in particular (I get 6.6L/100km), great speakers come standard, good power for such good fuel efficiency.

    • Hunter14 on 23/10/2017 - 18:14

      Wow. Scary, I was just looking at the Honda Euro just now. It was a car I wanted a few years ago so will consider it too. Can I ask which year your one is? What would your cons be (if any)?

      • oscargamer on 23/10/2017 - 18:37

        underpowered

        • AusGP on 23/10/2017 - 19:41
          +1

          Well you can’t have everything! Powers decent for what it is overall.

        • TheGhost on 25/10/2017 - 08:34

          True. I have a 2010 model and it feels so underpowered.

      • AusGP on 23/10/2017 - 19:39
        +1

        I have a MY2013 (bought 2012). You could probably get the lux version with GPS and all the bells and whistles for around 18k.

        The cons are that a lot of people drive it so it’s not “unique” - but that could be a pro for me as I don’t really want to stand out anyway. The other con is I shouldn’t have bought it new but that’s more a thing of cars in general. The resale value is good as far as I can tell. My wife’s Nissan bought almost 2 years later has just slightly more value than mine even though 2 yr diff. To be honest I can’t think of a con unless you’re really after a sporty car. It’s not going to break any speed records but in sports mode it gives a decent acceleration /torque around 4K+ revs. It basically is the best of a bunch of other standard family friendly sedans in terms of speed / luxury in my opinion. Having said that it’s personal and the newer Mazda’s also seem to give the same feel.

        I should clarify re: fuel - it’s purely on freeway, but an urban mix averaging around 9L/100 in my experience.

        • Hunter14 on 24/10/2017 - 12:32

          Thanks for the breakdown. I see. Sounds like the type of car I would like. Sporty Euro feel without being over the top. So you're saying it's less fuel efficient when driven at a lower speed. I don't really plan to use it to go on long trips. Just to work on weekdays and here and there on the weekend.

        • AusGP on 24/10/2017 - 22:33
          +1

          @Hunter14: It's not less efficient at lower speed but the nature of city driving means with all the idling in traffic it will burn some fuel (unlike the newer instant ignition European cars which stop their engines in between).

        • OpayuOnam on 25/10/2017 - 02:30
          +2

          @RJW: is not so much the idle engine burning fuel, but more the inertia required to move the car from zero into speed that uses more fuel in urban driving. Auto engine shut off used in many modern cars (not only European, Mazda 3 for instance) does not save that much fuel actually, it is more fooling the lab test. Especially when you consider the fact that most people end up accelerating more due to the delay the engine takes to turn on after it being off.

        • AusGP on 25/10/2017 - 13:09
          +1

          @OpayuOnam: Thanks oops should have thought about it that way! Forgot to apply high school physics when considering XD

  • sly on 23/10/2017 - 19:02

    Not sure if you're interested but I can see a 2013 BMW 318d F30, 95k KMs, for $21k in Gumtree ;)

    I'm actually looking for the E90 which are older 2009 - 2012, I heard E90 is nice to drive.

    • whooah1979 on 25/10/2017 - 00:38

      BMW

      our mechanic love these. to fix of course.

    • Hunter14 on 25/10/2017 - 11:56

      Haha staying away from Mercs and BMW for now. Love them but potential maintenance costs would leave me stressed out. One for the future definitely.

  • Chewie on 23/10/2017 - 22:29

    80km or lower..?

    So a demonstrator model..?

    • Hunter14 on 24/10/2017 - 12:29

      Haha sorry, 80,000 km or lower.

  • mvrj on 24/10/2017 - 12:35
    +1

    Subarus. people who buy them stop buying other cars. Imprezas are fantastic, so are liberties if you want a bigger car. the outback is also great, though a wagon. same thing as a liberty wagon, really, just raised. Subarus are the natural ozbargainer car - value, longevity, and functionality are their key characteristics. The fact that they are really driveable is a bonus for those who are petrolheads. Great engineering. 500,000 km life if properly maintained.

    My '96 Impreza bottom of the line el-cheapo is still going strong. None of the little bits break - I had a '95 volvo wagon, great car, but little things were gradually deteriorating (e.g. the exterior trim along the front roof pillar; the seat belts weren't retracting quickly enough and getting caught in the door; the knob on the top of the gear shift was disintegrating). Nothing like that on the Subaru.

    For that price you could get a great Subaru. A little older, but I just bought a 2010 Liberty Exiga (6 seater minivan version of the liberty, like a Honda Odyssey but better; they had 7 seats from 2012) for $13.5k. 92,000 km. brilliant condition. great car.

    Anecdotally —- my dad had some VW's. Constant maintenance problems, culminating in 'sorry we sold you a poison factory that is KILLING people, but here's a big fat check.' He bought a Mazda 3 with the money (also a good car). Come to think of it, the poison factory was a Passat diesel. He complained about that thing endlessly.

    And as an Ozbargainer, you want to stay away from modern bmw's unless you want serious service bills. great cars though.

    • Hunter14 on 25/10/2017 - 11:56

      Good points. Never considered a Subaru but will definitely look into it! Thanks.

  • [Deactivated] on 29/10/2017 - 22:57

    mazda 3 is a good choice. sp25 is great with 2.5 ltr engine. bit of tyre noise though.
    or maybe a newer honda civic.
    if you dont mind the dated interior,save some money and you can get a kia cerato with some warranty left :)

  • SaveTheManuals on 30/10/2017 - 20:00

    Mazda 3 or Camry would suit your needs and are both reasonably priced. They should have all the features you're after too, especially if you're willing to go up to $25k

  • krisspy on 31/10/2017 - 21:47

    Kia optima. Poor mans Audi thanks to Peter Schreyer

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