Recommended car around $5k?

Lancerx on 14/05/2020 - 15:56

Hi all, just got an old 08 Mitsubishi lancer wrote off due to an accident. Bloody roo! Only got $1500 payout.

Still pondering if I should go for another lancer? One thing that put me off is the paint job from Mitsubishi is very poor quality, many around my year have faded clear coat all over too. Otherwise, it has been superb mechanically. Should I go with more popular brand like Toyota instead? Or any other suggestion?

I do a lot of country living, so fuel efficiency is a big factor.

Alternatively, guess I could use my home loan equity to buy a new car? That right? Guess that will be the cheapest way to finance a car?

Automotive

Comments

  • MS Paint on 14/05/2020 - 16:34
    +4

    If you travel regional a lot then don't get a new car. Too much depreciation with all those kms.

    If you feel comfortable in the lancer then look for something similar to your old car.

    The I guess there is always a Corolla or Camry.

    • Lancerx on 14/05/2020 - 17:14

      Have exact same thought

  • wiipantz on 14/05/2020 - 16:45
    -4

    Camry hybrid
    /thread

    • MS Paint on 14/05/2020 - 16:47
      +7

      Hybrid for regional driving is a waste of money. Hybrid is near useless on the highway.
      Hybrid suits city stop/start driving.

      • wiipantz on 14/05/2020 - 16:49
        -6

        pffft ok. You do realise it extends your cruising by shutting off downhill or when cruising… you you know to conserve fuel.

        • MS Paint on 14/05/2020 - 17:05
          +5

          The only thing I realise is that you havent researched the use of hybrid cars on Australia's country roads.

        • brendanm on 14/05/2020 - 17:17
          +5

          You know every car does that right? There's a time and a place for hybrid, and ops use case is not it. Also one for $5k would be an ex taxi with 500k km on it.

          • wiipantz on 15/05/2020 - 09:09
            -3

            @brendanm: https://www.graysonline.com/lot/0001-3460204/motor-vehiclesm…

            alotta armchair experts here pfft

            • brendanm on 15/05/2020 - 10:25

              @wiipantz: Lol. If you know anything about GraysOnline, or have visited their premises (hot tip, I have), you would know that that car didn't sell, and was a massive piece of shit.

              • wiipantz on 15/05/2020 - 10:30
                -1

                @brendanm: Bahahahahaha… the Sold sign isn't accurate? Oh wait and my uncle driving it, means he didn't buy it…? Take a jump numpty, thing drives great by the way. Take the rocks outta ya head and stop being jealous

                • brendanm on 15/05/2020 - 10:40
                  +1

                  @wiipantz: Yep, sure he is, just proves you've never actually used grays.

                  • wiipantz on 15/05/2020 - 10:51
                    -1

                    @brendanm: Further proves your full of it, this comment and others, but anybody with half a brain can see that. Making half baked under researched comments then floundering when shown obvious evidence, really telling of character. Keep up the good work, the world needs more slack jaws.

                    • brendanm on 15/05/2020 - 10:57
                      +1

                      @wiipantz: A bit rich coming from someone who doesn't understand how fuel cut on decel works 🤣

        • Euphemistic on 14/05/2020 - 18:19
          +2

          It works best with lots of acceleration and deceleration. Country kms don’t have that. Sure you go up a hill you accelerate, but not enough to make full use of the hybrid system.

          That’s not to say all hybrids are no good on the highway, just that the current ones are not designed/calibrated for it.

        • pegaxs on 14/05/2020 - 18:42
          +2

          As everyone else has said here, and as the owner of a Corolla Hybrid, it is little to no difference fuel economy wise on the highway. The electric motor doesn't cut in for very long, if at all when on freeway speeds. When at 110km/h, it cuts back to idle when on the flat, and that's about it. A few times on a very slight downhill run at 100km/h, I have seen the engine turn off, but usually not. (although, downhill is really goot for making up some regen charge.)

          When I am in the city, I have driven across Sydney in near peak hour traffic and the engine has turned on for about 5 mins total in a 1hour+ drive. On the freeway, the engine is on from the moment I get on the freeway, till I get off it again…

          And as @brendanm said, ALL cars shut off fuel going down hill if you lift your foot completely off the go pedal. A hybrid might shut the engine off, but for that slight down hill section, the car is only coasting and not using fuel anyway, so, same same.

          Camry hybrid
          /thread

          FTFY.

          • wiipantz on 15/05/2020 - 09:13
            -2

            @pegaxs: You'd still be idling at least downhill would you not? So from I can see there is better fuel even with the smaller less refined corolla. Ergo better fuel using a hybrid is the point. Also the other benefit is lower rego in some states. This is OZB afterall

            • brendanm on 15/05/2020 - 10:25

              @wiipantz: In a petrol or diesel car the injectors are injecting zero fuel under decel. Nice work being an "armchair expert" though, lol.

        • stewy on 14/05/2020 - 22:41
          +2

          Don't forget the Hybrid Camry from what I understand is using the Atkinson cycle engine. So that alone will still deliver some level of fuel consumption improvement on the highway. The Hybrid Camry will also have better acceleration whilst it's got charge in the battery.

          Whether those two factors are enough to offset the additional cost of the vehicle is up to the individual to decide.

          Personally for majority highway driving I would pick either a V6 or V8 car if not expecting to encounter much wildlife. If there is a bit of wild life around then a dual cab ute or wagon derivative with a bull bar would be the go.

          • Nugs on 15/05/2020 - 08:47

            @stewy: Yep to 6 or 8 if geared correctly.
            Our 6 litre WM Caprice (without cylinder deactivation) got 10l per 100km on long trip (gets 14.5 on local school run etc).

            "Personally for majority highway driving I would pick either a V6 or V8 car if not expecting to encounter much wildlife. If there is a bit of wild life around then a dual cab ute or wagon derivative with a bull bar would be the go.'

  • bazingaa on 14/05/2020 - 18:46

    was it a Lancer CH or CJ ? just $1500 from the insurance ?

    • MS Paint on 14/05/2020 - 20:54
      +2

      Probably insured for market value. Probably has high kms. Probably has high excess. Probably with a budget insurance company. Probably the reason why.

      • Lancerx on 14/05/2020 - 23:51

        Well, it's cj. high excess, and I dialed down the agreed value to 2.3k due to high kms. On hindsight, shoulda have done that to save 200 bucks. If market value, it will probably be just around 4.5k, so most likely will be write off anyway,excsot more money in my pocket.

    • stewy on 14/05/2020 - 22:29
      +1

      CJ Lancer came out in 07, although the CH wagon lingered for a bit longer. So unless it's the wagon, an 08 would be a CJ.

      I'd say MS Paint is on the money as to why payout was so low.

  • Euphemistic on 14/05/2020 - 22:43

    Lancer, corolla, i30. Maybe Mazda 3.

  • unicorse on 15/05/2020 - 16:09

    There's 18 Dealer used, Private and Demo Diesel cars Between $3,000 & $5,000 for sale in Western Australia
    https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/dealer/private/demo/western…

    Diesel because you do lots of k's, though they're more likely to be European (which translates to OzB as "unreliable, expensive to maintain"). There is a Mazda 3 and Hyundai Sonata in that list though.

  • WreckTangle on 15/05/2020 - 17:22

    Get a car with cruise control for those country roads (so no Corolla).

  • HeWhoKnows on 15/05/2020 - 20:25
    -1

    Firstly with fuel around $1 per litre now its no longer a consideration.
    Secondly ALL CARS do well on fuel economy in the country so again not a consideration
    Thirdly bang for buck you cant go past a 2005-2007 Lancer again and at least you know the car well.
    Cheap parts, insurance, repairs - everything as you know.
    And its super easy to change the stereo (yourself) to a bluetooth one - very important these days
    I have a 2007 Lancer and paint work is perfect. Ive seen a few cars with peeling clear coat but that goes with all metallics so just buy a white one. Not red. It will fade.
    Most impoprtantly in knowing your Lancer it will make it far easiler to pick a good one over a bad one.

    • Euphemistic on 16/05/2020 - 07:33
      +2

      Firstly with fuel around $1 per litre now its no longer a consideration.

      How long do you think $1/L will last? Just this week fuel has gone from under 90c to close to 1.20 in my area. Sure, it’s probably part of the ‘price cycle’ but once demand ramps up again worldwide they gouging will continue. It’ll be back to $1.50 in no time.

      Secondly ALL CARS do well on fuel economy in the country so again not a consideration

      The more kms you do the more fuel economy makes a difference to your running costs. Do more than a tank a week and you’ll quickly be considering how to cut down your fuel bill. OP want economical for a reason. Using an extra 1L per 100km makes a big difference for big kms.

  • OpayuOnam on 16/05/2020 - 07:20

    Unpopular opinion, but if you do a lot of highway driving get something with good noise isolation and good comfort as some of the outback roads are pretty rough.
    This means getting something with large tyres/small wheels (they look ugly but trust me they will be super comfy compared to a big ass wheel and slim tyres that look cool).

    A very unpopular opinion, but with that budget you can get an okay ES300 from the 2003-5 era, these are essentially a much nicer Camry. Very cheap to maintain and the V6 in them is super reliable.

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