Hi guys
I am looking to buy a new car after my old regular Ford Falcon is almost breaking very soon. So need to change the car. The only situation i am in is where of u spend 70-80k got a car but then also bear the expensive maintenance costs. can anyone please help me find such a brand that is luxury to the core but still not expensive to maintain. I am looking at Merc & land Rover at this stage. Please advise your experience.
Luxury Cars with Cheap Maintenance
corepda on 11/03/2020 - 23:17
Comments
Cheap Maintenance
Merc & land RoverPick one unless buying new with warranty cover. What is 'luxury' to you? What size are you after? New or used? High performance or daily economy driver? Why are you spending 80k on a car but worried about upkeep?
where of u spend 70-80k got a car but then also bear the expensive maintenance costs
New cars don't need much maintenance. Find a local mechanic to do the work.
Tesla Model 3? Not really a traditional luxury brand but close enough
I
can make thatam a joke because my grandfatherfought the Germans in WW2taught our family nonsense. Your welcomewhy you being salty tshow ??? ???
all likes from nazi drivers lol.
I can make that joke because my grandfather fought the Germans in WW2. Your welcome.
I don't think you get how this is supposed to work.
If you're making fun of a group (Germans) and want to excuse yourself for it, you should be part of that group (a German). Then it becomes self-deprecating.
If you hadn't tried to excuse it, it would have just been a slightly offensive but pretty common joke.Instead you've made it sound like you think there's some actual justification for calling modern Germans nazis, which they've distanced themselves from enough to be an offensive term.
And your reasoning seems to be that you have the right to be more anti-German or anti-nazi than anyone else. Which is either holding on to a racist grudge from an old war that the rest of the world has tried to get over, or suggesting that the rest of us shouldn't be anti-nazi?I think it is just someone trying to use grandpa's credentials to join the big boy's club which he thinks is all about taking the piss on everyone outside the club.
(Name dropping or using someone else's supposed authority typically stems from one's own insecurities, namely a suppressed recognition of the lack of personal achievement.)
ugh.
Let me guess, you're being gifted the money to buy the car but you have to pay maintenance costs?
Only reasoning I can think of for this to make sense! Otherwise if you can't afford the maintenance, you can't afford the badge, simple!
Not to mention the insurance costs…
Lexus
Don't know why this was downvoted. Lexus is a luxury car made by Toyota.
Can anyone comment on where Lexus reliability & maintenance sit on a scale from Corolla to BMW?
Can't really comment in terms of reliability but from a pricing standpoint they're pretty much the same as any of rhe others.
By all accounts Lexus is more reliable than Toyota because they spend more on QA.
How do you know?
Down vote because Australian people are just money snobs.
It's literally the opposite though
@nikoris: Snobs with money is opposite of "money snobs": people who just wants to pay out regardless for the benefit of being able to display the value.
Spending money on a BMW is just not practical. The only component in total cost ownership that would justify spending the money is the imagine because everyone knows the price or weep at the idea of having to pay for the cost of ownership except for the person who bought it (they might just not know).
only one I can think of
Id love a LC500, thats one sexy car and its a damn Lexus
This. Not only is Lexus reliable due to their sharing of mechanical components with Toyota but their quality of materials and refinement is starting to exceed that of the Germans. Just did the charade of shopping for compact luxury SUV for my mum and the UX completely blew the Merc GLA and even the new A-Class out of the water. BMW X2 was on par with the UX, and the Volvo XC40 was nicer inside but ultimately decided reliability and longevity of the Lexus made it more competitive.
I like Lexus but the UX is outclassed in it's class.
The XC40 destroys it. I will admit the Lexus will probably be more reliable but I'd rather drive a safer and better car and fix it once in a while than drive a reliable but mediocre car.
Get a Genesis.
+1 to that, if I was spending <$100k on a sedan the G70 3.3T would be a frontrunner.
Hyundai aren't as bulletproof as they once were. Lots of stories online about bad dual clutches and i30n's with constant warranty issues
+1 for Tesla Model 3
You'll need to be familiar with mechanics to make sure that call (or just to decipher information from nonsense).
Some cars, regardless of manufacturer, are going to be duds. Some manufacturers have cars that are as reliable as any other but charge an arm and a leg for parts. Some models are not suitable for bumper to bumper traffic.
If you cannot make sense of these things for yourself nor can you filter out misinformation, you're likely to be buying a car with high ongoing costs. In that case, better put aside half of what you can afford for repairs and/or to change cars should you need to.
Merc - cheap maintenance??
MB dealer workshops charge $265 per hour for labour and will only fit genuine MB parts, which are priced at ridiculous levels. e.g. about $20 a litre for 5x/40 oil, $150 for an air filter, $50 for an oil filter etc etcAny luxury car will have premium maintenance costs. What you want is reliability or a long warranty as breakdowns are the killer. I'd go with Lexus for reliability.
What do you mean by "luxury" as there are mid-range cars out there that are just as good as a luxury car from 2010.
BUy a Lexus and service like a Corolla
BMW offer a 5 year "Service Inclusive" package ranging from $1550 to $2150 for most models - https://www.bmw.com.au/en/topics/offers-and-services/persona…
"The BMW Service Inclusive Basic package covers your scheduled servicing needs for 5 years or 80,000 km, whichever comes first*. With packages starting from RRP$1,550, the Basic package includes your annual vehicle checks, oil changes, all filters, spark plugs and labour costs for the duration of the package."
We have this BMW service package on a 2015 1 series. So far it has ended up being cheaper for servicing if you calculate per Km than fixed price Ford servicing on a 2012 Focus but YMMV.
However, last service they suggested an extra oil change between services and when I asked how much they quoted $350 which seems crazy money… Most of the cost was in the genuine oil. Also a metal clip came loose on the headlight module and the dealer quoted $3500 for a new headlight… I fixed it myself with some patience but once again crazy money for parts out of warranty.
So I would say it works well if you have warranty and service package but risky if anything fails out of warranty.
Seems about right.
My ND's LED modules are $2k+ each without the MB tax.
Does it have to be a luxury car?
I mean higher trim level cars from all manufactures are pretty good and these days much a muchness tbh
Agree. Buy a top of the range Camry if you want comfort, reliability and cheap service. Only thing missing is the brand snob badge which a lot of people seem to define as luxury.
Even higher trim Corolla these days is pretty luxo.
Was thinking Kia Stinger or Kia Cerato GT. Particularity the Stinger GT, very nice car, 7 year warranty too.
what's your definition of luxury?
If Jap or Korean then maybe
If Euro then no.Some very valid questions from you folks, yes i am after badge by the looks of it. I am buying it mainly for aspirational reasons. I always wanted to get something like Merc. Then i wanted to buy Tesla. But i have seen Range Rover as a brilliantly looking car too.
i am not sure how much of maintenance that would be? Also i am looking for something which is high tech and pretty impressive looking car. But at the same time i don't want to pay for the cost of the maintenance.
I can see such 70-80k cars for 35-45k on car sales but they're 2-5yrs old so if most of the warranties are for 5 years, are we looking at buying something for 35k then paying like 2k for every service then it makes no sense. That's all i am trying to make sure.
Only Mercedes is offering 5 years for purchases from this month I believe.
Lexus is 4 years, the rest are 3 years.
All cars have potentially expensive servicing past 5 years, just check out the Camry Hybrid year 6 at $773 and year 8 $832.
At the end of the day it isn't so much the servicing that will hurt, it will be the replacement of parts as they wear out.
Yes the camry hybrid gets very expensive after 90000km. Not sur why.
Buy the car WHEN you've 'made it', NOT before, or you'll be another mug paying for an image over substance. People who have luxury brands as daily drivers who are those you aspire to are either:
just like you, stretched to keep up image
or
living within their means and for them it's a reasonable expense.
The fact you've asked about money saving AND luxury indicates you're in the former category. Be in the second category before burning money, as the rest of your life won't be aspirational or you'll be in constant debt. This is the insta trap people who think real life can ever be like that fall into.
Much more respect will be earned by driving a decent 'normal' car and reinvesting that capital into growing something that will give you the lifestyle you want in 10-20 years of hard graft.
Good points made - bought my wife a BMW only when we were comfortable, even then I am still happily driving my KIA.
Username doesn't check out???
@Peter Enis: I was poor in 2013.
I still feel poor in 2020 as my wife is doing her best to support the economy.
I see this all the time by the "aspirational" class.
Trying to make a statement that "IM NOT POOR" by buying these crapboxes, parked outside a ghetto apartment, going broke through rent, car repayments, stupid maintenance costs and ended up poor by stupid choices. Trying to make a statement that no one cares about anyway…
Oh dear what are you making up for? Who are you trying to impress? Luxury badge won't get you a partner, not when they realise you're struggling to pay bills and can't take them out to dinner. No friends will give 2 shits about your badge, and they'll laugh when you sell it in a short time and make a massive loss on it
Again, if you can't afford maintenance/insurance, then you can't afford the car.
"What the point of having a Honda if you cant show it off"
Hector would agree
I can see such 70-80k cars for 35-45k on car sales but they're 2-5yrs old so if most of the warranties are for 5 years, are we looking at buying something for 35k then paying like 2k for every service then it makes no sense
Are you serious? You think servicing is likely to make up 35-45k cost difference? Buy a low kms BMW or Mercedes that you like, put 10k away that you can't touch, use that if anything does go wrong, and find a good local mechanic that you trust to work on the car.
Save yourself 30k.
New luxury cars are a rip off. Buy a used one off some other mug and pocket that change.
Luxury cars and cheap maintenance is an oxymoron.
Pick your maker and model and research before you buy. Perhaps surprisingly the major German marques have still managed to release cars with major engineering flaws in recent times, so you really do need to do your homework before purchasing one of these potential maintenance money pits.
Partly because of the reputation of Euro for being expensive to maintain, these brands suffer significant depreciation once the warranties run out.
You can pick up a great value, affordable to maintain luxury car if you look for:
* Volume models - Chinese part makers produce after market parts for the volume selling Euros and will usually a small fraction of the price of Original Equipment.
* Reliable engineering - As above, do your research on the specific model, engine and transmission variants. Problems don't always extend across an entire model range, but can tarnish the resale value of the whole range, which can be good for you as a buyer. For examples of unreliable engineering google BMW Vanos, Mercedes Benz head bolts. There are unfortunately plenty more.
* A good third party mechanic - This is really important, you don't want to rely on the dealer's workshop out of warranty. The dealer's workshop is the major profit taker of dealerships for a good reason, find yourself an experienced reliable mechanic who either specializes in or is highly experienced in the Euro brand you buy and your ownership experience will be a lot more pleasant and affordable. You can find them by asking other local owners, or by joining Australian forums for the marque and searching / asking there.
* Doing your own work - You can save a lot of money by doing your own work and for volume models there's plenty of YouTube videos and internet guides, but that's really not for everybody, and even so you'll still need the help of a professional from time to time. So see the previous point, find a good third party workshop.hahahahhahahahahahahhahahha……
Owned 2x BMW, 2x Merc, 1x Land Rovers, 1x Alfa Romeo, 1x Holden in the past 15 years and i ended up owning and recommend Lexus for luxury car… I agree Lexus is not exciting, and to drive, nor having a massive road presence in their design. But there are reasons they are popular.
Yes they are Toyota parts allover but don't forget many high trim level Euro cars also have parts shared with their cheaper models or mainstream sister brands. The Euro brands mostly have very nice design, massive innovative technologies, and nice interior material to lure buyers but all these cost money, and to be able to sell at a competitive price means cost reduction in bits you cant see such as components inside the engine bays. In my opinion it was one of the reasons euro brands generally suffer poor reliability after 3-5 years just happen to be when new car warranty expires.
Being a Toyota also has the advantage of reliability, easy to service, and obtain parts. My 13 year old RX has everything in working order since new, now it takes $250 for a minor service done by an independent garage. Consumables like filter, pads and rotor can be replaced pretty easy and cheaply in comparison to other luxury brands.
My experience is those bash hard about Lexus never owned one, and yet many Lexus owners had German or British cars and most likely got burned by poor quality, reliability and cost of ownership. Just go to a Lexus dealer and see how many German cars are traded in.
I was interested in the IS series awhile back which appear to be based on the Camry.
Would there be a compelling reason other than the badge to get the IS instead of the Camry?
You might be thinking of the Lexus ES series The first five generations of the ES were built on the Toyota Camry platform, with the sixth and seventh generations more closely related to the Avalon
The Lexus IS is a smaller rear wheel drive compact luxury car. If you can't find a compelling reason there, buy the Camry.
Thanks, really showing off my car knowledge here…lol
BMW 240i
What kind of maintenance costs do brand new car have? Do you mean the service fee?
Let's not factor in any deals on servicing or corporate deals. A minor service at dealership would start around $500 for the low end models and close to $1k for high end models, typically I never walk out parting $700-800 for these for a entry level Euro sedan. Any major service you will be looking at 1k-1.5K if nothing else goes wrong. Small repairs like broken window motor or replace small senors is around $500. Anything in the engine like hose/cooling tank would be between $1k to $6K (yes Porsche Cayenne I am looking at you!) Serious problems like Turbo / cranks / alternator starts around 2-3K and any transmission issues $5-10k. A full rebuild of a BMW V8 would cost $30k to 50k.
Price may vary depend on details on each case.. I'm just giving some figures from experience. yes I had lots issues with Euro cars owned in the past…
*Cars
Thank you. All my cars were bought through a corporate deal with Porsche and came with fixed service cost. The macans and the cayenne were $700. The 911 was about a $1000 + I paid for extended warranty($2000?) before I sold it. That's all I've ever spent on them. I've never realised how good I had it until now.
Just take it to a VAG specialist (I'm waiting for that obgyn joke).
The most I ever paid for regular oil change service is $400. Ironic that it was for the cheapest car… ute.
@[Deactivated]: Aren't vags self-cleaning? Why would you need to have yours service?😏
The fixed service costs that I've been paying includes more than the oil change. Everything that needed replacement was replaced free of costs. They also collect my car from my workplace in the morning and dropped it off in the arvo , just in time for school pickups.
I'm going to have such a rude awakening when I leave this job, aren't I? :(
I'm going to have such a rude awakening when I leave this job, aren't I? :(
Maybe.
Honestly, I love my mechanics. If the end of the world comes, they're vital so I keep an excellent relationship with the exceptional ones.
Everything that needed replacement was replaced free of costs.
Apart from consumables, this is covered by practically every car warranty. If a car requires more than filter and oil changes at the regular service interval, the car is a lemon.
They also collect my car from my workplace in the morning and dropped it off in the arvo
Awesome service but not sure I'm willing to pay what seems like $300-700 for.
@[Deactivated]: I meant including consumables like spark plugs and air filters.
$700 didn't seem like a lot to pay to not have to worry about the car but now that I'm seriously considering going back to uni FT , I might need to learn how to do my own oil change. That or get a bike.
I meant including consumables like spark plugs and air filters.
That's peanuts.
I might need to learn how to do my own oil change.
I feel like this is a minimum requirement for anyone who wants to claim they are independent.
@[Deactivated]: Ouch! Is this what I get for fondly calling you my canary?
I do have some 'manly' skills . The missus and I have renovated 5 properties together . I've built numerous tree-houses for the kids, chicken coops , rabbit hutches,tables, picnic benches, rustic tricycle planters…etc But there's something about the entrails of a car , just like that of a human, that I rather not get too close and personal with. It ruins the magic for me.
But there's something about the entrails of a car , just like that of a human, that I rather not get too close and personal with. It ruins the magic for me.
Changing the oil is more akin to burping a human than performing open surgery.
With your repertoire of experience, you should be able to give the old YouTube a once over and change the oil.
The hardest part is driving the used oil down to your local creek.
@[Deactivated]: Not the best analogy to use😱. I have fairly traumatic memories of burping my kids: they would burp delicately for their mother but projectile-vomit for me…every single time!
@[Deactivated]: No repair, replacement or refunds were provided. Each time it was deemed user error resulting from use of improper feeding apparatus aka not-boobs.🙄
@[Deactivated]: That's what happens when you try to perform certain tasks without having OEM support. In these cases, I believe the manufacturer is obligated to complete these tasks as part of the purchase package and not make it user serviceable.
@[Deactivated]: Hmmm… a bit of a grey area as no purchase package was negotiated prior to sale. In fact, manufacturer was adamant that their factory was not fully operational and may never become so. They suggested ordering a 4-legged baby from a different producer.
A glitch in the system led to User inadvertently ordering a product of unspecified sex through the manufacturer's automated process. Deliveryman delivered 2 products (one of each sex), handed over 2 green books as receipts and promptly disappeared.
Manufacturer was flabbergasted at this turn of events and about as clueless as user as to how to service this product, let alone 2 of them.@[Deactivated]: Ah. You didn't specify the variant you're after so they must have ordered one of each.
You can't fault the dealer/manufacturer when you have left some ambiguity with quantity and type. You only have yourself to blame.
Thank goodness these things are generally good value. As long as you do not leave out basic care and maintenance, you are holding an appreciating asset.
Having said that, I've seen a few neglectful owners that think they can automate ongoing maintenance with apps alone. Now they're stuck with lemons and cannot offload them for a good many more years.
Thank goodness these things are generally good value
That is a relief to hear as our order for the 4th one has just been confirmed 😁 The 3 others are going off like frogs in socks : can't sit still , won't sit still. Delivery time uncertain though due to the corona virus.
@[Deactivated]: Congratulations.
Delivery won't be affected. Warehousing cannot hold stock longer than the typical lead times.
@[Deactivated]: Thanks :)
It's an import …from Japan. We've already been advised to expect delays anywhere between 2 months to 10 months before she can come to live with us :(
Ahh… The classic OP wants a high yield investment vehicle but can't afford to run one.
Give him/her a break. Just got gifted a budget to spend after completing unit. :)
If you really have to spend those money and hope the maintenance is "minimised" among all luxury brands, my experience is a Mercedes. Don't touch the rest. BTW, be prepared to spend at least 25% - 30% of the cost over the next 5 years to maintain and "upkeep" to make the car stays "luxury".
Damn I wrote a big post but page reloaded and I lost that. Thanks for this suggestion. In my research I have done so far, Merc seems to be fitting and people says it doesnt give too much drama.
All I am looking at is if someone has a personal story of keeping many of these luxury brands and found one better than others from maintenance perspective. Just your opionion would be ok and if you have some numbers or e.g. then even better.My criteria is to buy something 2yrs old and in the range of 70-80k and use the official servicing for few years and then get them serviced from outside and hence I want to understand some costs related to it.
People negging me because I am after a badge but I am not blindly following it and it is rather my childhood dream to keep such a car. I am invested heavily in other assets and think I deserve some love for myself at the end. Thanks Guys for your comments, please keep your personal opinions coming and if with facts then even better :)
It’s your money. A$70-80k budget is far from a cheap car. Actually it irks me a bit that someone is looking for bargain advice on this forum and then going and spending a crap load of cash. But like I said, if you can afford it, and want, then just do it. No one cares if you do.
If you want it, buy it. Just don’t expect any expensive car to be cheap to maintain. FYI an expensive car is anything more than the value of a new Camry.
Sorry what do you mean? Let's stick to the topic. I need personal experiences and if based on that people say it is stupid to ask for cheap maintenance, I'll accept that but if people have not bought a luxury car ever then probably their advise is not appropriate in this instance. Thanks
Well, ignore what other people said, we all have our priorities and dreams.
OK, to some people, owning a European brand car is egoistic. I think my personal experience is they are well-built cars, and they have technologies 8-10 years ahead of the rest. They worth the money, whether it is worth buying them is another topic.
Let me share my experience, I have owned old (8 years old or more) MBs and BMWs. Yes, they are money pits.
MBs, I have owned two s-class. S500 and S600. They are speed fines magnets as your 120km/h is a Civic/Corolla 60km/h, feeling-wise. You have to try the airmatic suspension to appreciate what exactly means by "riding on air". That's the good part. The bad part is airmatic suspension is a consumable item. It needs to be replaced over a number of kms. They are like your syringes, when the seal starts to leak, the car has NO suspension, total collapse. These beauties need good engine oil, and all the other consumables have to be top class, if you want to enjoy the "feeling". Mine has got air-conditioned seats. This is not your heated seats, it has got micro holes blowing cool air to keep you bums cool! How about that for a feeling in the Aussie hot summer! One touch setting for everything, you have a card access, you walk close to the car, it unlocks, adjusts the seats, mirrors, steering column for you, including your driving style! BTW, one of my s-classes has a champagne fridge at the arm rest of the rear seat. Just in case you are travelling with the "right" travel mate…
For BMW, I have owned a 5-series and 7-series. You need to try out the german-built 7-series v12. The 750iL e38 was the same model used by James Bond in the movie Tomorrow Never Dies. Trust me, it doesn't do what it does in the movie, not the one I have got anyway! But I have out-raced Porsche and other local muscle cars, at ease. The beauty of the v12 is that it will never run out of torque, at least not within the speed limit of instant licence loss (whatever the speed is). And its wheels do not spin out of control. It's not a drag racer, it is just a car to get you out of trouble if the assassin is driving a muscle car to chase after you. You need to try closing the door of the e38 to get a feeling of what it means by built like a tank.
The 5-series is nimble.
Anyway, the negative side of owning these beauties is it will burn holes on your bank account. Very big holes. But when I dream of those experiences of driving these cars, it still puts a smile on my face.
So, be prepared to spend a significant % of the purchase price on these beauties to keep them stay as beauties… And you will fall in love with them.
Learn how to change oil urself, would save u lots of money.
Go to mechanic for harder jobs, problem solved.Jokes aside. If someone is asking this question, that person shouldn't (can't afford) be buying a "luxury" car.
Lexus ES300H Sports Luxury. Absolutely quiet. Great torque. Only 5 litre per 100 km economy. Real aniline leather seats. Has the same hybrid 4 cylinder as the camry so very cheap to service and maintain. Rear seats recline. Has everything you can handle in terms of features. Nothing optional extra. Approx 75k on the road brand new or 65k near new. Very roomy.
Purchased a silver 2014 Mercedes C Class W204 Coupe with a mere 58K on clock, one owner with logs, just 58,000 kms, like new with huge black glass sunroof for $23,500, new about $65K, serviced locally at authorised mechanic for $350, its not missed a beat in past 9 months, nice to drive, nice shape. A mate liked mine he has one now. While back seats are there we rarely have more than two in it, car has all the power we need.
That's exactly the experience story I want to hear. If people find such cars hard to keep or not and by your experience it is not hard. For a local service $350 in 3 months, it is pretty good mate.
its not missed a beat in past 9 months
Yeah, I wouldnt base a purchase decision over someone's 9 month ownership period
Only had service done when due it was 6 months after purchase. The shop I had it serviced at were really good, while they changed the oils and tuned it up advised me on collection there were a number of items that did not require replacing due to low km use like brake pads, I was very impressed at the time.
Go for it. You only live once.
Wouldn't recommend a Land Rover but Mercs and BMWs are ok reliability wise.
You looking for an SUV?
Yes, SUV. I have driven Sedan form factor for a while and with expanding family, I feel SUV is better. What is your experience?
I like Merc sedans but have always felt the X5 was always better than the Merc equivalent, certainly better to drive.
Have family members with X5s and they are happy enough.
The current model X5 is fantastic. Even the base model engine is excellent.
I saw a 2019 with 14k for $83k driveaway. That's pretty good value.
BMW and Merc maintenance and reliability are similar. Once out of warranty or service packages, definitely find yourself a good independent specialist. It will mean the difference between 'more than what I want to spend but acceptable' and 'what a rip off, I'm getting rid of the car because it's costing me too much'.
Definitely steer clear of Landrovers.
Please note that after a while, the lustre of a luxury car wears off and it's just a car.
Two of us have 2013/2014 Mercedes C Class w204 coupes another 2 have earlier 2007/2008 model sedans, All serviced at same mechanical shop, all 4 cars found to be reliable.
I have a Lexus ES 300h. This is a camry hybrid engine so parts are dirt cheap and the engine is cheap to service. The car has no fancy suspension or exoensive technology. It's just super quiet and I get around 7 litres per 100 km economy. It's super reliable and sure its no sports car but it's luxury.
Umm.. nope!