Our car is on its last legs with almost 280K on the clock.
I am looking for a small automatic car (eg. Hyundai i30, Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla) new (not confident buying 2ndhand).
questions
a) any idea what the price climate is given current covid-19 situation?
b) Holden Astra R…comments?
Thanks all. Stay well.
Edit. Perhaps (I mean really) I should also ask myself what can I do to help our economy and businesses who are doing it really tough these days.
Thanks for the comments pao2x. FYI, post edited. Perhaps the time isn't for me to think about bargains as much as about how I can do my bit to help local businesses…re: our car, its the family car that we bought new. We always keep our cars until they get written off or combust (our kia did that but most certainly my fault…that's another story). Will confirm the year we bought it and report back. Thanks again!
I would keep my camry til it combusts or gets written off but that only means I might never buy another car again
Im sure you are better at maintaining cars than I am so I hope neither of those 2 scenarios happen:) So I've found out. Current car was purchased new in 2004, it was a 2003 model. It replaced our Ford Econovan which did over 300k.
The AUD has already tanked but may fall further with RBA policies and a global credit crunch. Haha, Pauline Hanson must be in heaven now we are closing borders and printing money.
She'll have to share it with the climate alarmists who absolutely ecstatic that the planes aren't flying and the cars aren't driving anymore! :)
Climate alarmist aren't happy.
COVID-19 is stealing the headlines!
Hahaha, you read the same newsfeeds as me then?
@EightImmortals: Possibly.
Glad that the climate fear mongering is suspended…
No for the COVID-19 which is actually relevant.
What exactly does this have to do with car choice?
Have you noticed how many cars are made locally these days?
Job security may be an issue in the coming months. Keep that in mind when purchasing a new car & taking out a loan.
This is probably the biggest consideration.
If not second hand then a demo.
2nd hand can be okay, and some dealer cars get dumped at auction (saw a few almost new cars go on sale this week)
But tbh, it might not be a great time for you to buy for your own sake, but wherever you buy will help the economy. You can help out a dealer, or you can help out a neighbour trying to get rid of assets for cash to spend. Whoever spends more is better, but you can't predict that. Money in the economy can help wherever it ends up.
For the record, new car dealers can sometimes send stock to Auction. They often brought in the wrong colour/options/spec and it just sits there. Sometimes it is better to take a loss and be done with it than to pay floorplan (the interest only loan that covers the cars on your lot) on it for 12 months until one of your sales guys carves it up and you have to pay them a commission on top for selling it.
It is when they start sending good stock to auction (i.e. not 90-day-beige) that it is a bigger sign that things are going to the crapper
Also consider that the dollar has tanked. Import prices are likely to rise.
Just don't spend over 10K in cash or the government will lock you up. (depending on what date their recently passed nonsense kicks in. :) )
Hybrid toyota corolla. My sister brought one for 25000 basic corola hybrid model
Honestly. Just get a hybrid 'rolla. Mum's got one, it's great.
Buy one yr old / demo, both from a dealer. Can't go wrong. Very well-specc'd and comfortable for a base model.
you can wait for another month or two when all businesses go down the hill and everyone looking for cash
But then the Aus stock may have dried up and the imports are costing more due to the dollar.
if you wait too long, maybe.
you just have to find the balance.
A) - unlikely a lot for the car you are looking at. A base model Corolla should get you through another 200,000km. Over the life of the car. It is negligible. Just go for it.
B) don't bother. It won't make it to the 200,000km mark.
Wow 280k how long did it take you to rack up that mileage?
Astra, maybe the bargains going around are real maybe not. But if you save $5 for every 100km you drive on a Toyota Hybrid 280K is $14000 grand. Obviously prices are erratic at the moment because of a certain beer virus but in the not so long future you will be saving alot more than $5 for every 100km