Hi Ozbargainers,
I have been holding a full license for the last 5 years and finally decided to buy a car. I have considered following options -
The cars I am looking at is Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Kia Cerato or Hyundai i30.
My wife just got her Learners Licence and is keen to learn to drive. Given that my wife would be learning, would it be better to buy a lower value car? Or should I buy the newer car?
Plus one. It makes a big difference if one car is a (insert Chinese brand here) and the other is a Toyota.
Wouldn't there be cars in between (2012-2017, $10-16k)?
Buy the newer car, but please don't be the one to teach her! Get her a proper instructor and pay for lessons.
I thought her once, and I slept on the couch that night. Won't be making the same mistake again lol.
This is the best bit of advice here. Get proper lessons first!
For sure, I had to help teach my missus, was not a fun experience for either one of us. Pay for a teacher it will help your marriage.
Are the cars otherwise the same? Are we comparing Camry with Camry or Kia with Audi?
But the one that suits your need the best.
It sounds like you've both gotten on just fine so far without a car. Buy a $5k beater with 3rd party insurance. Once you're both experienced then consider an upgrade?
This sounds like the best advice, learners will make more mistakes and such so the lower value car would be better suited for learning and the wallet over all.
Option 1. If you get a 2017, it might still be in warranty.
If you keep it for 5 years the difference isn't that much $2k per year vs $3k per year but if something is wrong you will save that much in repairs.
If you are buying privately spend $300 to get it checked by RAC or something like that. Might save you from a lemon.
not sure which state your from buy Used 2012 car($10k) for a corolla you will struggle for find any decent one with less than <100km
I don't make many comments or advice on here, but when I do… I try to give it my all. This comment isn't about which car you should buy but rather checking the condition of the car before you buy so you're not left with a lemon.
Start up the car from cold if possible. Do you hear strange noises? Loud tapping sounds? Clicking sounds? (If it struggles to turn over, you'll need to factor in money for a new battery)
Take it for a test drive. Does the steering wheel pull to one side when you partially let go of it? Does it vibrate or shake? Does it vibrate when you brake?
Go through all the gears and verify that it all works and isn't clunky/making strange noises.
Accelerate hard and brake hard; see if it stutters upon accleration and see if it manages to lock up the wheels and engage ABS (let the owner know first and only proceed if they agree).
Look to see if there are any check engine lights on the dash.
Park the car on concrete after the test drive and leave engine running for a little as you verify if aircon, heater, radio, electric windows and central locking works. By the time you're done, carefully look underneath the car to see if there are any drops of oil. (Spending 16K… I would not accept 1 drop of leaking oil).
CHECK PPSR!!!! (You'll need the VIN, an email address and a card to pay the $3 fee). It will tell you if there's any finance on the car, if it has been written off or if it has been stolen.
Tranfering rego can now be done online via the RMS website. It's really reassuring for the car to officially be in your name the second you pay for it; no more waiting a few days for the notice of disposal to be lodged by the seller.
Buy insurance for it immediately, litterally right after or even before you transfer ownership.
PS. To the other Ozbargainers, please add anything that I've missed.
TLTR; CHECK PPSR before buying!!!
Don't forget the big one. Make sure it's actually their car. That they actually own it or have authority to sell it. Quite a few do all the checks above but fail to investigate this.
Countless stories of dodgy or desperate people selling off a family/work/friend's unencumbered car for some quick cash. If the rego isn't in their name, ask questions.
Well I mean like… if they're/you're able to transfer the registration into your name online on the spot at the time of purchase through the RMS's website then it doesn't really matter who the car belongs to (apart from a financing company, thus CHECK PPSR).
And if the seller is able to provide the rego papers and gives you the completed part B slip to hand into the RMS, then that should be perfectly fine too despite the seller not being the registered owner of the car.
Ford Falcon XR6
Wow, OP making the smart decisions. Expected to open this thread and see OP asking about 10 year old Audi's, VW's or Peugeot's…
i30 - buy a 2nd gen one (lower value 12-13k)
Kia! 7 years warranty for peace of mind. Any car with warranty for just in case, specially if it is your first car. Any used car buying tip, check above.
More info needed. Obviously the cheaper car will cost you less… is the enjoyment of the nicer car worth it or would you rather spend the money on a holiday?