Hi everyone
I am looking to purchase an suv (5 Seater) for under $25k. Does anyone have any recommendations of the brand and model etc?
Reason; having our first child
Preferences: Toyota, Mazda or Nissan
Will probably be driving it around 15k a year just for general purposes not for work or anything.
Thanks
Updated, thanks.
having our first child
Then why 7 seater?
I would stick with smaller SUV’s if it’s only one child and maybe a second a year or few later. They are easier to park, cheaper to run/insure/register.
Maybe something like a Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV 4 or Nissan Qashqai would fulfil those rolls quite well and fit with the preferences for brands.
Also still consider the Tucson, Sportage and maybe the slightly smaller Mitsubishi ASX.
Caveat: none of these will be new vehicles in that price bracket, but you will be able to pick up a low km and still covered by manufacturers warranty vehicles for under your asking price.
Out of all the ones you have listed (including Tuscan) which one would you personally recommend? I just want a reliable car with little to no maintenance.
@Westpac: I was in the same boat as this recently (and ended up not buying anything because I got given a company ute.) but I was really impressed with the Tucson. It was bigger than the Kona and felt as big as a Santa Fe, but without the price tag. So, that would have been my pick of the bunch, followed closely by the Sportage, because it almost felt exactly the same and that warranty… 7 years.
Buying a 4yo used Kia Sportage with low km, someone else has eaten a large part of the depreciation pie and you still have 3 years warranty left. Both the Tucson and Sportage are reasonably reliable vehicles from my experience with friends and family that have them.
The Mitsubishi Outlander and Xtrail just felt dated inside. Like they needed a serious refresh inside. They also seemed a little buzzier when driving. Maybe the CVT? They just didn’t feel as refined to drive as what the Tucson did.
Mazda and Subaru are a bit of an anomaly with me. I know they are good cars, and they don’t look to bad, have great features and are pretty good value for money, but for me they are… they just are. They exist, but I just don’t want to own one. I always suggest Mazda, because they are a good selling vehicle, so people must like them.
The one I didn’t like was the RAV4 (sorry @spack) it just felt over priced and devoid of any features. A base model bare bones one seemed to cost more than a feature packed Tucson. It just looked Spartan in comparison to other vehicles in that price bracket.
@pegaxs: Thanks for that!
What year Tuscan could I get for under 25k? 2016? Would you recommend Carsales? Gumtree?
Also in regards to warranty.. what would that cover?
I realise my questions make me sound stupid but this is my first car purchase!!
@Westpac: Yeah, a 2016/17 without much issue for $25k. Aim for Carsales, as gumtree is full of idiot private sellers asking for drug money (avoid private sellers on carsales as well, they are usually wanting more for a worn out shitbox than what your local dealer has it for.)
Also, search around your local dealer listings as they are likely to give you a better deal as they are haemorrhaging money and need to offload cars. Good deals can be found.
And a newish car (less than 5 years old) should still have the balance of the manufacturer’s warranty. This covers everything on the car that isn’t a wear and tear item and covers against manufacturing/design faults.
And questions are fine. But if this is your first car purchase, I suggest at least taking someone with a little more experience with you. It will help to look for issues with the vehicles and to avoid the traps salespeople lay out for n00b suckers. This forum is littered with stories of people who have not done their due diligence when buying a car either out of inexperience or complacency.
We were in the same boat and tried just about everything.
The Kia Seltos ticked all of our boxes with the entry level car at $26,690 drive away - so no extra delivery fee or stamp duty.
We ordered the Sport+ (4 month delivery!) but drove the Seltos S (the entry level) and it was great.
7 year warranty helps.
Hey pegaxs,
Always value your opinion of cars, which brand/car would you consider most reliable (least mechanical break downs or unexpected mechanically issues)?
The way I look at it is, see what the market is saying. Shitbox cars are usually reflected with poor sales figures. People as a population don't tend to go out and buy known shit boxes en-masse, they tend to buy cars that are tried, tested and true.
Next is stick with well established brands with a track record of building reliable vehicles and has a good after-sales record of looking after customers.
At the moment, it's hard to top the Koreans and Japanese for cars. Hyundai, Kia, Toyota and Mazda are at the top of their game, followed closely by Nissan and Subaru with Mitsubishi in that mix. I cant remember the last time I had to perform anything on any of these brands that was major. It's usually servicing and an odd thing here or there. These would be the vehicles I would be looking at.
While there are some emerging brands that are still finding their feet (LDV/MG/Haval/Foton), they tend to have build quality issues because they build cars on the cheap to get a foot in the door, while they might not be an absolute "avoid" brand, it's best to see how they go over the long term.
Also be wary of long term players losing their sales grip (Holden/Ford/Jeep/Chrysler/etc) and churning out cheap shit boxes in an attempt to regain a foothold buy underselling their competitors. They play off their name's heritage but make their vehicles out of mud and sticks. (See recent Jeep crash test flipping.)
Ignore JD Powah!! They are a cash for comments publication. Some of the cars they have as their number 1 for reliability are absolute dog shit cars that only got there through someone paying them to say it.
Vehicles to avoid are a majority of the Euro Müllwagens. They are expensive to buy, expensive to maintain, expensive to repair and depreciate faster than caravans and boats and their parent companies treat consumer laws as if they are "Opt In" (I'm looking at you VW/Audi and MB). The only notable exceptions to this would be (and this is a BIG if) are Skoda (Being the affordable arm of VAG) and BMW (Pretty good reliability and decent customer service). But as I always say, if you cant afford a new Euro Scheißkiste, you cant afford a used one.
Others to avoid are brands that have "Made in France" on them. There are a few pro-french enthusiasts on this forum and they are only fooling themselves if they think French cars are good. Only notable exception is the Renault Megane RS range. Still shit cars, but cheap, fast and a hoot to drive (if you don't mind them being the disposable cameras of cars.)
But, with all that being said, it's very subjective. You might hit a really bad Hyundai while your friend nails a really good Audi. But it's how you look after the vehicle that probably helps the most. Take care of it and any vehicle could be a good vehicle.
Awesome answer.
As always, really appreciate your views.
Hi Pegaxs - heard that there were issues with the engine of Hyundai Tucson once they hit 70-80km. They become very loud. Have you heard anything about this?
Not to my knowledge. And do you mean 70~80km/h or do you mean 70,000~80,000km in distance?
Either way, I have friends and family that have these and some customer cars, and none of them have ever complained about engine noise. at, around or after this distance or at that speed.
Thanks. I meant the distance travelled.
Very tempted to purchase one now as I got a great offer with 2 years warranty still left.
People around me telling me that Hyundai’s are not that great which is turning me off. Very hard to choose an SUV with this budget.
People around me telling me that Hyundai’s are not that great
Probably the same idiots I deal with on a daily basis that still think that Hyundai make the same cars as they did back in 1996. The "I don't buy any of that Korean crap" types…
Dont let them tell you or influence what you buy. Go down and compare them yourself. ALL cars have issues, to me, it's how the manufacturer and dealership network act when you have an issue, and companies like Hyundai and Kia are pretty good around customer service.
Jeep cherokee
SsangYong korando
Great wall v240
Haval h7
No BMW X3, Land Rover Freelander, Peugeot 3008, Audi Q5 or Chery?
The Audi Q5 does not belong in that superior list of vehicles.
Source : Audi Q5 owner.
You’re right, I would actually buy a Chery over a Q5…
What do you need it for? Do you have any purchasing criteria other than "four wheels"?
Toyota something or Honda Odyssey
Updated the question now.
Overall, you're going to be looking in the USED market, for a vehicle that's 3-5 years old (2015-2017). And these are generally similar to buying one of the Brand New models, except for warranty purposes and new-car-smell.
I'd stay away from Nissan's recent troubles with low quality and poor QC (Qashqai wtf).
The same goes for any offerings from Ford or Holden, which is a shame.
Mazda is generally decent, but they have issues with safety and road noise.
The Honda CR-V, just a shame the quality of the brand has dropped yet it's prices have risen. It's not a bad car, but it's certainly not the best one or the best value. Frankly I'd pass.
There is an inherited risk of getting something "exotic", like a VW Tiguan, Jeep Cherokee, Skoda Yeti, Haval H7, Ssangyong Korando, etc etc.
I also recommend you stay away from "lifted hatchbacks" like the Holden Trax, Mitsubishi ASX, Mazda CX3, etc etc. The Honda Odyssey, Mitsubishi Outlander, VW Passat, fits closer to that last category (station-wagens), personally I'd stay away from it and look for the Midsized SUV category.
The short-list cars you should be on the look for are:
4 - Kia Sportage, the only one on this list to still have some warranty (thanks to Kia's generous 7 year service)
3 - Toyota Rav4: most dealerships, great parts, quality, and resale proposition. Solid all-round.
2 - Subaru Forester is just a tad more refined/posh, mostly bred for Aus-roads (the newer lifted Outback is worth looking at)
1 - Hyundai Tuscon, probably the best value on this list.
Toyota rav 4 is the car of the year… awesome 2019 models
Lol good luck find a 2019 Rav 4 for under 25k….
Kia Sportage. You will be able to pick one up with warranty left.
Honestly most 'good' SUV hold there value these days 25k might not get you as far as you hope
Otherwise
Consider an ASX 2wd for $26,740 drive away, at least in Victoria. I think it is Australia's top selling small SUV, good safety and cheap. The resale is not good, but that is true for most cars given the price of new cars.
Try using a fleetbuyer such as privatefleet.com.au to get a better price on a brand new car. It is better to wait towards end of the month and I expect the end of June would be good for sales.
I was looking at a new/demo to replace the 2nd car, but the wife preferred the Eclipse over the ASX. She also prefers Japanese cars over Korean hence the Mitsub.The ASX is a dull car to drive but that is a good thing when driving kids.
The 2019 demonstrators should cost around 20k, driveaway for something with 30,000 km and balance of 5 yr warranty and roadside assistance.
An 2019 Eclipse ES with 10,000 km can be sub 25k from a dealer. Got more zip than the ASX. An outlander is ok too, meant for larger families.
The 2019 demonstrators should cost around 20k, driveaway for something with 30,000 km and balance of 5 yr warranty and roadside assistance.
Ex thrifty rental cars. Avoid.
And if they are ex-rental vehicles, they won’t have 5 year warranties, but will have a 3 year instead and it will most likely have expired in that time. And taking an ex-rental vehicle in for anything warranty related is a pure nightmare. It would be considered as “commercial” use
Toyota, Mazda, Subaru, Kia, Hyundai.
Choose from one of the many options available from the above and ignore the other brands.
Go to drive or carsales.
Plug in your criteria and do the search
Lots of professional car reviews there too
Cant go wrong
Unfortunately there is built-in bias and any opinions provided here
Thats quite normal. Everyone thinks they made the best choice.
And you don't think a site that does car reviews, that takes money from advertisers, is biased in any way? It is literally the textbook definition of biased. Take money, say good things…
People here are not paid by anyone (except @spackbace who is a Toyota shill :D) to push any vehicles. It's more of a consensus of people's personal experience. We don't have to worry about our next advertising pay cheque if we rag on VW or Nissan. I find forums a great way to work out what people's real experiences are with different types of vehicles.
Built in bias on this forum, but advertorial websites that take money from manufacturers for favorable advertising and reviews are ok?
Perhaps think about getting a sedan/hatch which would mean you can either get a brand new car with all the new passive safety tech or a second hand which would leave you plenty of change from $25K?
I bought one when my son came along and it really hasn't been bad on the back putting the baby in the seat. An SUV is definitely easier but the difference really isn't that great unless you have a pre-existing back condition.
The bonus of a sedan/hatch is that when my son became semi independent he actually prefers my sedan over my wife's SUV given that he can open the car door by himself, climb in and buckle up whereas the SUV was more challenging.
$22k will get you into a 2019 5k ASX auto base model (facelifted) with manufacturers warranty and <10k on the clock. Mrs has a 2018 one (she wanted manual). Does everything we ask of it, reliable, efficient, popular, cheap to run and insure, not tuned til it's balls squeak so nothing really to scare you. As transport, it meets your requirement. $25k gets you the MR (top end) version https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2019-mitsubishi-asx… . They're common, dated and boring but drive fine, are relaible, crash test well even by todays standards are are class comparable efficient.
I ended up trading my old Outlander for a 2018 one myself, again, does the job I ask (starts every morning, holds a ton of stuff/kids when required) as efficient as anything else in that category, android auto works well etc. Not going to win any cutting age tech awards but then again gremlins largely ironed out and the car park I use looks like a Mitsi dealership because they're common! It's just a way to get around safely and reliably, so does everything I need. Paid Sub $25k with balance of warranty 50k on the clock auto LS with 7 seats if I ever need them (better resale) as 5 seater offers no space/cost advantages, 'AWD" if that tickles your fancy, although I wouldn't be climbing the bungle bungles in it!
https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2018-mitsubishi-out…
Less with just 2WD.
You can pick up an MY19 Sportage for sub $22 drive away, probably a bit better than the ASX (Same as a tuscon, don't ask for a tuscan!).
Carsales search is your friend.
Try them all, be honest with yourself do you want safe reliable transport or an image? (note, you're driving an SUV, you've already accepted life isnt't taking you in a Porsche direction any more!) so embrace it!
Not that many true lemons if you stick to Mazda/Mitsi/Honda/Toyota/Kia/Hyundai to be honest, just don't let your heart lead as this doesn't sound like a heart decision, that's how people end up on 60 minutes with a 60k paperweight, sorry, Jeep, complainaing they had read the owner reviews but "never thought it would happen to us". There's a reason these are complete sh!tboxes.
Infiniti Qx70 - you can pick a 2017 model for around 30k.
I wouldn't rule out a regular wagon - like 2nd hand mazda 6's, Subaru outbacks, passats and skoda Octavias (if you are game on the euro's because they do seem to be more expensive when things go wrong). A lot of the SUV's I've seen have short/tall boots which is not always ideal for a pram.
Sure the visibility being higher in the car but the handling of a wagon is just WAY better than an SUV.
+1 to considering a wagon. Skoda Octavia is so undervalued in Australia and such an amazing all-rounder.
Agree with most of the serious comments above. I was in the same position as you late last year with a little bub and needing more space. Ended up with Outlander LS (2016, $16.5K, 23K Km, private seller). Here is my experience and thoughts.
INTERIOR
I tried 2018 Rav4 (my previous work lease back car) , 2018 Forester, 2017 CX5, 2016 Tucson, 2018 Xtrail and 2016 Outlander - my work places have lots of leaseback options and I was lucky to try my colleagues' cars and their opinions. All are equally good. CX5 more of a premium package than the rest, Forester comes second.
Outlander and Xtrail feel like the poorer cousins but that also means less to go wrong.
SPACE
You will need boot space and second row leg room with baby seat. Only Outlander from the list above offered enough space that the pram can be put into the boot with enough left over space to stack groceries, food and baby bags etc.
We have Britax safe and sound baby seat and the front seat can go all the way back + quite a bit of recline before it even touches the baby seat. Pretty happy with the space in it.
MECHANICALS
Choose wisely. I went for 2L engine knowing what I would use the car for while embracing the daddy life. Similar choices are available on others too. Mazda might take premium fuel thus might increase the running costs.
Gearbox - I have had two Hyundais before - Veloster and Tucson. Both with Dual Clutch transmissions. My experience, stay away from them. They appear clunky, jerky, had to be reprogrammed a few times and while a little more fun to drive might annoy the back seat passengers. You want the smoothest car. Go for the CVT (imo).
COMFORT
You might want a relatively comfy car. I recommend three pointers:
Seats - Get the most comfortable seats. There have been trips where we had to pull over and then let wifey nurse the baby. Get something which will allow passengers to relax and even drift to sleep.
Wheels - don't go for the fancy big rims with thin wall tyres. Alloys that allow for thick wall tyres may not look flashy but will allow of smooth travel over uneven roads and bumps while keeping low noise levels inside. Our little used to get agitated in my Veloster before we got the Outlander.
Rear Air Vents - make sure the car has rear air vents. Baby needs airflow around especially in Australian summer. Outlander base models have hidden air vents under the front passenger seats. Lucky for us as I did not consider this before buying. Not the best solution but it is something.
Depending on how mechanically minded you are, get something that you can look after yourself i.e. basic service + pre ride checks. Lift up the flashy cars and they are covered in plastics. Outlander, previous Rav4 and Xtrail are easier to check and assess.
Also, as stated by others above, I would also recommend staying away from Euros/Americans. They are feature rich and fancy but are equally expensive to maintain and run. You pay to play.
Last recommendation - buy private from an older couple/person from a good area, a car that is about 3years old and with full service history. Generally speaking, it would be maintained well, not hooned around and would have taken most of the depreciation hit and you will have the rest of 2 to 4 years of warranty.
Good luck with the search.
Hi - thanks for providing this information. I was about to pull the trigger on a Hyundai Tucson. Very low Kms etc. But based on what you wrote I don’t think I’ll go with it. Have you heard about the engine making loud noises once they hit 70-80kms?
Hi, thanks for the feedback. Hope it did help.
I haven't had any loud noises from my cars at most speeds in both the Hyundai cars. However, I had some funny clunky noises in both. Had it looked by Hyundai at Castle Hill and they mentioned that even though Hyundai says E10 and unleaded compatible, I should fill it with either 95 or 98 only. Since then I used atleast 95.
If it makes a noise at 70km/hr then either stay away or atleast get it checked by your trusted mechanic. Also check if all of the service was performed regularly as per km or time in the log book.
I see Hyundai and Kia as the second adopter cars (VAG products are early adopters and Japanese normally late adopters) in tech. They are more complicated than the regular cars with smaller engines and dsg gearboxes. Read on failure of 2012 to 2014 Hyundai Velosters and how they blew holes in the engine blocks.
Lastly, with a baby and family you might have enough on your hands. For peace of mind look at buying something with manufacturer warranty and if things go wrong then it is one thing less to be worried about until you gain confidence and trust in your car.
We are also expecting a baby and wanted to replace our Mazda 2 for an SUV without forking too much money for the difference. Went for the Outlander, got the 2018 LS MY19 2.4 2WD for $19.000 with 33.500 kms on the clock. Private seller also.
Very happy with the purchase, I was aware that I was going to buy a boring car to drive, but we also have a Mazda 3 2.5 which is not a sports car but it is very fun to drive.
We also decided for the Outlander because we didn't want to spend money on baby car seats. Just bought an Infasecure from 0 to 8 years old. We are not planning on buying a capsule either.
Have a look at the Kia Seltos. It's surprisingly roomy, feature packed and comes with 7 year warranty. You will find the base model comes within your range (perhaps a demo). I dont drive one but my brother does, although he paid to get the top spec model, overall car felt good.
If you want to have a baby seat and two other passengers in the back make sure you inspect the suvs for the hump caused by the transmission in the Back seat footwell. When we looked last year (we have 3 kids, the youngest 11);the three kids could not fit comfortably in the back of Mazda 5 and a few others suvs because of this hump.
You don't need an SUV, a simple corolla will do. They are cheap to run and maintain. Remember the tyres and maintenance for an SUV is also expensive as compared to a car.
But but but… all the other mums???
Any recommendations for a bigger sedan?
We run a Renault Clio GT with our kid and it fits the pram and bags if we go away. Our 2nd car is a Yaris. Admittedly, it can be a bit tight, but it's not a $25k outlay and that money can be saved and spent on more worthwhile investment. Cars are bad investments. Just wait until you see someone pipe up about Renault resale value.😂
I agree, we had a corolla sedan and nissan pathfinder (7 seater), same age. Although wifey liked the view of the pathfinder, the corolla was easier to park etc and got used for a lot of school runs. This being noted, the wifey complained about bending over when doing up the child restraints (bend the knees). Maintenance and tire costs on the corolla was less than half of the Nissan and dont mention the fuel costs. We did use the Nissan for alot of long trips, beach house, interstate etc. We swapped out the Nissan for a Mitsub but kept the Corolla as the older kids are using it to drive.
Hyundai Tucson
Mitsubishi Outlander
Kia Sportage
Nissan Xtrail
Subaru Forester
Mazda CX-7
I can keep going… got any other criteria other than price and shape? Preference for brands? What will you be doing with it? How far will you be driving it? What type of driving, urban or highway? Comfortable 7 seater or emergency 7 seats…