Looking for Car Advice - Used or New - Budget $20k- $35k

Lpluggle on 17/08/2024 - 20:09
Last edited 18/08/2024 - 18:22 by 1 other user

I was looking at the MG ZS EV Excite MY23 - from $34,990 ($28,990 after rebates) but was told that EV cars changing too much lately, and MG has reliability issues.

I went to the used car dealership and everything within the $20k price range seems to have very high mileage (~150k-200k). For a Toyota Corolla 22 with 60k KMs, it was $30k and new (24) would be $36k. I'm planning to take it for a test drive. At that price range, I checked the forum, and it seemed that people preferred the Corolla over the Kia Cerato/Hyundai i30.

Ideally, I'd like to spend towards the lower bound, but it seems that the inflated used car market makes buying new more appealing. Do you have any recommendations on used cars/cars within that price range above?

Automotive Car

Comments

  • smartProverble on 17/08/2024 - 20:35
    +10

    Just stay away from MG cars especially the ICE ones, ive heard far too many bad stories about it.

    Corollas / toyotas have a reputation of being indestructible… though it's a stereotype coming coming a time when cars used to break down very easily like in the 70s and 80s, far from modern car reliability standards.

    Corolla. i30. Cerato. Any are fine IMO. Add in the Civic and even an Impreza (though that's a different ballgame with AWD). Oh, the Mazda 3 too, also in the same class.

    Have you considered the Suzuki Kizash? Probably will be even cheaper as they aren't as common, and they have a luxurious feel to them with soft touch areas. When it was sold, it was classed as "mid sized" like a Camry, but it is too small for that, and was bigger than the "small cars" like the corolla / i30.

    Stay away from Ford Focus with DCTs / Automatic transmissions. There was an Aussie (and global) lawsuit against Ford for their reliability issues related to their "powershift" (or "powershit") DCT transmission.

    Disclaimer, I'm talking from a time based on research when I was looking for a car for myself, 3 years ago. I got the Suzuki, and i love it, looks so nice and drives very nicely.

    • pluggle on 17/08/2024 - 20:43

      I haven't considered the Suzuki Kizash. I did have a Mazda 3 Maxx 2009 previously and I had issues with the dashboard melting in QLD weather and the paint fading on the front bonnet. I'm not sure if people are having those issues with the newer models.

      I'll need to do a bit more research.

      • smartProverble on 17/08/2024 - 22:48

        The bonnet melting is insane - your next car could use a window shade?

        Also the fading paint is unfortunate but common in all cars, espexially older ones that haven't been looked after well IMO. I'm lucky that mine hasn't faded but i take "good care" of the exterior IMO - regular hand washing and applying wax. It's parked outside all the time. Maybe something to consider for your next car if you don't do that already.

        • Ade99 on 18/08/2024 - 08:07
          +1

          When water based car paints were first introduced there were lots of fading problems, especially in high UV countries like Oz.

          • boomramada on 18/08/2024 - 14:04
            +1

            @Ade99: Im not sure that's a valid reason, my 15y old car still nice and shiny compared to similar vintage cars. Good regular car wash matters and use of window shade.

            • Miami Mall Alien on 19/08/2024 - 12:16
              +3

              @boomramada: The real issue with modern automotive paints across almost all manufacturers is that due to emissions/sustainability/environmental standards that were introduced for the automotive industry during the 2000s/2010s in most Western nations, the manufacture, preparation and application of automotive paints (including primers, clears, etc) can no longer include a whole host of chemicals/solvents that significantly improve paint durability and resistance to the elements, especially sunlight. Modern automotive paints are a shadow of their former selves as a result and will wear/degrade far more quickly than they used to.

              Also, modern automotive paint layers are much thinner that they used to be in the past. A full 5 layers of substrate treatment, e-coat, primer, base coat and clear coat averaged around ~200 microns thickness (depending on the panel) up until fairly recently, whereas now you can you use a paint thickness gauge on brand-new vehicles sitting in a stealership showroom and find factory paint layers as thin as ~90 microns right off the assembly line. Generally speaking, the cheaper the vehicle or the manufacturer, the worse the paint will be.

              For proof of all this, just look the insane rates of paint fade, clear coat peeling and premature paint damage you see on the roads with cars from barely 10 years ago. That was something you'd almost never see in the 1980s/1990s (sure, cars back then had corrosion issues but the factory paint would still last for decades). Don't get me started on how easily scratched, chipped and damaged modern automotive paint can be too, again, you can walk through stealership car yards and see ridiculous amounts of swirl marks, clear coat scratches and paint defects on brand-new or near-new vehicles either from shoddy factory paint applications or the vehicles being washed a few times.

      • Nalar on 20/08/2024 - 16:12

        Hey my dash melted too! Did Mazda help?

    • SBOB on 17/08/2024 - 20:51
      +2

      Have you considered the Suzuki Kizash? P

      they are looking for a car in the 20-35k range and considering new, and you suggest a Suzuki Kizash. An 8-10+ year old used car that sells for like $15k max on a good day (if you can find one, likely single digit ones for sale in whatever area you happen to be in, probably in the 80+k km range)

      thats an impressive 'recommendation'

      • smartProverble on 17/08/2024 - 22:43
        +3

        You're welcome, and your recommendation is an MG for the warranty, which is infamous in Australia unless you've got blinders on.

        OP is looking for "lower", so I gave recommendations that would still be good today. Regardless I wasn't talking to you, unbelievable we have MG fanboys.

        • brendanm on 18/08/2024 - 18:24
          +7

          He made a valid point, not sure how that makes anyone an MG fan boy. The car is also called "kizashi" not "kizash", and lord knows why anyone would buy an old, unloved even when new, weird Suzuki sedan.

          • smartProverble on 19/08/2024 - 09:03
            +1

            @brendanm: You can correct the other person with "kizash" as it was them who said it .

            The kizashi was certainly "loved" - check out any review.

            Just didn't sell because it was deemed too expensive for a Suzuki especially compared to the competition when it came out. Due to this "unpopularity" you may find a bargain.

            Some research would go a long way than jumping to conclusions and counting it out.

            • SBOB on 19/08/2024 - 10:04
              -2

              @smartProverble:

              You can correct the other person with "kizash" as it was them who said it .

              direct copy/paste quote from your post

              "Have you considered the Suzuki Kizash? Probably will be even cheaper as they aren't as common"

              • smartProverble on 20/08/2024 - 19:59
                +1

                @SBOB: Oh you're right, my apologies on that part.

                The other dude copied back lol

            • brendanm on 19/08/2024 - 16:20
              -2

              @smartProverble: Lol, you were the first poster in this thread, and in that very first post you called it a "kizash". It didn't sell well because it was boring as all get out, and small sedans suck.

      • zombie hunter on 20/08/2024 - 07:32
        +2

        Recently, I have seen 4 Kizashi's go down with engine failure and one of these had already had an engine change . The problem on all of these was overheating due to a simple drive belt coming apart. These cars range in miles between 115k to 172k . The battery light comes on and yet goes unnoticed due to , in my opinion , poor placement on the combination meter . It can be completely blocked by the steering wheel. The better position was given to that darn tpms light . Since the power steering is now run by a motor right on the power steering rack , that hint that you use to get that something is wrong from the extra steering effort needed like in older models is gone . This can be avoided by 1. Adjusting your seat and steering wheel so that your battery light can be noticed by the driver and they know to shut it down . 2. If your Kizashi, sx4 or Vitara 2.4 has more than 100k miles , install a new tensioner and belt . Oem tensioner 17540-54L00 or Febest 0790-GRV $45 shipped on Ebay. Belt Bando 6PK1795 on Ebay shipped $19 . If you want to check your tensioner before replacing , you can use this simple test . Turn engine by the crankshaft bolt counterclockwise 6 revolutions and check drive belt alignment on all pulleys. If it looks ok, then start engine , run for 30 sec. shut off and recheck . It's working for now, but I would suggest changing it as a preventative maintenance. I hope this saves someone from avoidable engine failure.

        • smartProverble on 21/08/2024 - 08:16

          100k miles

          Are you American?

          But thanks for your tips, will need to look for a tensioner

    • Sinnerator on 18/08/2024 - 08:48
      +1

      you mention the lawsuit against the ford dct, what about hyundai and Kia and their engine problems

      • smartProverble on 19/08/2024 - 08:59
        +2

        Fair but the difference is that it only affected only certain Kia / Hyundai variants, whereas the lawsuit affected all Ford Focuses. Didn't get down to the details but it covers all Focus automatics, unlike all Hyundai / Kia automatics.

        • Euphemistic on 19/08/2024 - 17:54
          +1

          whereas the lawsuit affected all Ford Focuses

          All automatic Ford Focuses

          • smartProverble on 20/08/2024 - 20:02

            @Euphemistic: Yes, the powershift transmission, problematic, is automatic.

          • Ametric on 29/08/2024 - 16:23

            @Euphemistic: not all, but only dry clutch ones used on petrol focuses, the wet clutch used in diesels is a different story.

    • npnp on 20/08/2024 - 07:18
      -2

      For those who compare Toyota with Hyundai i30 and Mazda 3, just don't. Lol. They are not the same league when it comes to reliability of mechanical parts and longevity. If you love the new car smell so much, and want to save some money over Toyota, by all means go for i30 or Mazda 3, they are brilliant cars to drive no doubt. But don't be delusional in thinking they may be as reliable as Toyota after 10 years time. People in many third world countries where they use cars in extremely harsh conditions, on worse roads with little maintenance for so much longer than here, would happily pay a lot more for a used Toyota than a Hyundai or Mazda. Those guys will laugh at you when you do these comparisons, believe me, they know their cars inside out and won't judge a car by the brand new smell, infotainment system or honeymoon ride out from dealership like many of us do over here. Lol

      • Nebargains on 21/08/2024 - 07:18
        +2

        Most cars are reliable, we just hear about the horror stories not the thousands of people who look after their car and have no issues.

        Personally I have a Mazda 3 and I've done nearly 300k in it, still in great condition and pretty reliable.

        • Jackson on 21/08/2024 - 17:55

          I have an 04 Elantra with 280k and an 01 Camry with 225k. The Elantra has a few little issues with plastics and switches, but still doesn't leak a drop. The Camry has definitely held up better but isn't without some issues, in particular the rear main seal which is starting to let go and is a common problem, and not that cheap to fix. If you take care of your car it won't matter too much over the long run, mainly because most people just don't keep cars that long. Check any student's car these days and they are way newer than these if they bought them themselves, and even newer if mum and dad have bought them. The real issue is people know too little about cars these days, any little issue they can't deal with and mechanics are too expensive and they convince themselves they need an upgrade

    • Mr Freeman on 20/08/2024 - 21:31

      i30's got transmission issues, it runs a dry-clutch system which tends to overheat and boil the fluid. N performance seems to have a better system with the wet-clutch. Also, compared to other DCT's, they do not shift as well.

      Friend of mine sold his i30 as the clutch died, metal in fluid etc, yes it was under warranty but the car barely did 70k. He had no trust after that and got rid of it for a toyota.

      With every auto transmission, they do need service despite what dealerships say and toyota's can last longer without a fluid change.

      Agree, MG's are no go..they got all kinds of engine issues and tacky tech inside to upsell as a budget "luxury".

      • Jackson on 21/08/2024 - 17:58

        If my transmission died at 70k and I didn't kill it I would be asking for a new one

        • Mr Freeman on 21/08/2024 - 20:10

          It's still a design flaw that may occur later out of the warranty period. The only way to possibly stop it from happening is regular fluid changes but dealerships claim "lifetime" yeah the lifetime of that transmission until it dies due to neglect.

          It's like the holden cruze, their auto transmission is trash but you can prolong its life with regular fluid servicing. Yeah sure you can replace it with a new and it will more than likely suffer the same fate due to shitty design that burns the fluid quickly.

          • Jackson on 22/08/2024 - 01:15
            +1

            @Mr Freeman: Yeah but 70k would still be in the upper range for a lot of transmission service intervals, it's definitely a defect, whether one off or a design issue as you are suggesting.

            No such issues with EVs of course they don't really have a complex transmission, and 10 years warranty is the longest comprehensive warranty in Australia. I wouldn't buy an MG that wasn't an EV

            • Mr Freeman on 22/08/2024 - 09:48

              @Jackson: Agreed, most will probably need it around that time or 100k with a toyota.

              MG, Kia etc have decent EV options that are proven to be less problematic then their petrol counterparts.

              • npnp on 22/08/2024 - 12:55
                +1

                @Mr Freeman: With Toyota hybrids, you never need to change transmission fluid unless you have very specific reasons to do so. I once came across a 2nd gen Prius with 1 million KMs and the guy has only done one transmission fluid change for the entire time.

  • SBOB on 17/08/2024 - 20:38
    +13

    but was told that EV cars changing too much lately and MG has reliability issues.

    With a 10 year warranty, if an EV suits your use of the vehicle, I think you'd be want to consider how 'educated' that advice maybe before passing on the MG if you can get it for $29k

    • pluggle on 17/08/2024 - 21:11
      +1

      You may be right with that one. I was reading comments on the previous threads and it looks like some people are sceptical of what the 10 year warranty will cover and how hard it would be to claim. I'll keep my eyes peel with the EV if the price is right though. I think it'll suit me 95% of the time as a daily driver and then I may need to rent if I decide to go a bit more distant.

      • Euphemistic on 17/08/2024 - 21:59
        +17

        Be aware there is a lot of anti-ev garbage out there. Much of it focuses on how 'all evs are scrap at 10 years old becasue the battery costs more than a new car'. At best, thats an exaggeration, at worst its downright deceitful.

        10 year warranty implies they are confident itll run pver ten years. Batteries last a lot longer thanna lot of people think. Survey of around 25000 EV pwners found something like q% had needed a new battery within the battery warranty period.

        • coffeeinmyveins on 17/08/2024 - 22:44
          -6

          10 year warranty implies they are confident itll run pver ten years.

          No. 10 year warranty is to make you forget how bad these cars are made and think that it's an invincibility cloak that solves all issues they may have

          • Bruceflix on 18/08/2024 - 14:16
            +9

            @coffeeinmyveins: 10 year warranty in conjunction with Australia's robust consumer laws is a win for car buyers. Can't see how this could end badly.

            • JIMB0 on 18/08/2024 - 18:39
              +2

              @Bruceflix: I'd rather have a car that works than one that is always being fixed for free.

          • Euphemistic on 18/08/2024 - 08:27
            +7

            @82norm: We dont really know yet, but my guess is there will be a decent market for those wanting a cheap commuter car. If you dont need to travel interstate and stick to a city commute, an older EV will be cheap to buy and cheaper to run. There will be demand.

            Right now there isnt a lot of demand for used EVs because they arent 2nd hand camry cheap and buyers are preferring to spend more and buy new instead.

            If I could buy a $10k EV with 100-150k of range now it'd be great as a runabout.

            The market will change when theres more EVs

            • Jackson on 21/08/2024 - 18:05

              @Euphemistic: You should be able to get a Nissan Leaf that will do 100kms for around that price. Maybe you want one that does closer to 150k for longevity though if 100km is a minimum

          • Poor Ass on 19/08/2024 - 10:03

            @82norm: I could be wrong but most EV owners expect it will be worth nothing at the end because it's fairly new concept and nobody knows yet the fate of these things

            As an EV owner I don't expect it to be worth anything to avoid disappointment

        • Ade99 on 18/08/2024 - 08:09
          -6

          Just a matter of reality, EV car batteries degrade after numerous re charge cycles and then they become useless ….

          • Euphemistic on 18/08/2024 - 08:22
            +7

            @Ade99: Yes, degradation is a problem but with a decent range at the start what is being seen is that the batteries degrade initially, the seem to plateau at less than 20% degradation.

            Batteries failing at 10 years or degradation rendering them uselss is an anti EV talking point that is turning out to be false - except in the nissan leaf.

            Edit: looking for the long term battery survey data link that I thought I'd saved. Its probably linked elsewhere on this forum.

            Edit edit: https://youtu.be/DL8ot9JqS78?si=9eMtKt127JXIDxd-

            • Jackson on 21/08/2024 - 18:08
              +2

              @Euphemistic: I have a 12 year old Nissan leaf and it still a daily driver, albeit I don't drive big distances each day. A replacement 400km battery is current 11k, and by the time I need it hopefully will be a lot lower.

              In the 10 years I have owned it it has paid me back the initial purchase price entirely in petrol and servicing savings. OP, if you have some where to charge at home or locally, you would be mad not to buy an EV. Do the maths, it's a no brainer. Even more so if you own your own place and can put solar panels on your roof, and can charge at home (which is not everyone)

          • JIMB0 on 18/08/2024 - 08:31
            +2

            @Ade99: There's plenty of hybrid Toyota's getting around that are 10+ years old on the original battery with a couple hundred thousand on the clock as well.

          • miicah on 19/08/2024 - 07:44
            +4

            @Ade99: A minimum expected cycle life for LFP batteries is around 3,000 cycles. A cycle in the case of the MG4 SE is (rough medium) 250km, so you can expect to get 750,000km before you need to replace it.

        • HeWhoKnows on 18/08/2024 - 13:49
          +5

          BYD is the obvious EV choice - leading world class technology
          BYD is best selling EV make in the world and price leader in Australia - basically same price as MG EV except much better!

          BYD make everything from the ground up including thier own batteries
          They are largest lithium battery manufacturer in China.

          Aparently the technology in BYD cars is amazing so worth checking out just for the experience

          See here for cheapest EVs in Australia as at August 2024
          https://www.mynrma.com.au/electric-vehicles/buying/the-most-…

      • Ade99 on 18/08/2024 - 08:11
        +1

        With so many Chinese firms going out of business how many will be around in 10 years to meet these warranties?

        • coffeeinmyveins on 19/08/2024 - 08:54

          Not sure why you're being downvoted. Maybe the CCP has paid shills on OZB.

          There are more than 100 Chinese EV car makers, down from more than 400 in previous years. If they come to oz and then decide to back out, there's nothing to protect consumers from a foreign company.

          Those 10 year warranties won't mean anything.

          • fgfash on 19/08/2024 - 09:49

            @coffeeinmyveins: Second this.. the rate of EV car makers collapsing in China is astonishing… I really doubt the 10 years warranty will be valid if the company goes bust..

            • coffeeinmyveins on 19/08/2024 - 09:52
              +2

              @fgfash: It won't be.

              It's a risk you're taking as a consumer. With MG it may not be a huge risk compared to "random Chinese EV company" that decides to come here in 2025 or Chery (who have previously up and left), but it's still a risk.

              and as I've said, a warranty isn't a magic cloak of invincibility. Sure you have a 10 year warranty, but at the 5 year mark where things start going pear shaped, do you really want to be without a car for months on end etc. They can also claim things as "not in warranty", like Toyota is doing with the GR and their tendency to explode.

            • Jackson on 21/08/2024 - 18:11

              @fgfash: Except not one EV car maker that sells in Australia has ever gone belly up, so your advice is only for Chinese consumers

        • Poor Ass on 19/08/2024 - 10:05
          +1

          good thing I plan to get another car less than 10 years :)

        • TightAl on 19/08/2024 - 10:58
          +5

          Lmao what kind of stupid broad argument is this.
          We have a handful in Australia and they are only the biggest ones, not the small niche players.

          • fgfash on 19/08/2024 - 11:48
            -2

            @TightAl: When everyone was buying "Evergrande" properties, they also thought.. this is the biggest property development company, what are the chances of it going bust.. and now heaps of people are stuck with uncompleted apartments which they still have to pay the monthly mortgage for… Same can be said for "Country Garden"

            • TightAl on 19/08/2024 - 11:51
              +2

              @fgfash: No different from Porter Davis, Grocon, Probuild i guess?
              What's your point?

              • whitepuma on 19/08/2024 - 13:08
                +2

                @TightAl: If you don't understand fgfash's point when describing that just because their big companies doesn't make them invincible, then i think it's on you to figure it out, not on us to explain it further, it was made very clear.

                • TightAl on 19/08/2024 - 13:17
                  +2

                  @whitepuma: Lmao literally every country has examples of the same big companies failing.
                  We're not talking about the small niche EV players and BYD do more than build cars.

                  Cool story

          • Euphemistic on 19/08/2024 - 18:02
            +1

            @TightAl:

            We have a handful in Australia and they are only the biggest ones, not the small niche players

            They need to be an established brand to enter foreign markets. Its a big investment to start distributing your vehicle to another country. That is unlike startups that fade and die unless they have a fantastic products.

            Chery up and left becasue they worked out fairly quickly that while aussies do enjoy a cheap product, cars still need a good level of quality. This time around they seem to have upped their game significantly (but i still wouldnt even look at one)

  • dylanando on 17/08/2024 - 20:41
    +7

    Unpopular opinion: Just get an EV
    Get a 2021 tesla model 3

    • nobro25 on 20/08/2024 - 20:51

      100% on that if I can get one at around $30k brand new drive away. I'll even get one for $35k at OP price range.

      • Jackson on 21/08/2024 - 18:13

        There was a few on car sales last week for under 30k, and people take care of them so they look immaculate

  • localhost on 17/08/2024 - 20:47
    +1

    When car is advertised (second hand) for $30k ask for a better price. Check similar cars on carsales.

    But first make a shortlist - go to few dealerships and have a test drive. Nothing can beat personal experience.

  • boomramada on 17/08/2024 - 20:59
    +5

    Even we are in a Toyota/ EV forum, You can't go wrong with new Hyundai i30/ Kia/Mazda 3.

    And you get to experience the new car smell over Toyota.

  • coffeeinmyveins on 17/08/2024 - 22:44
    +1

    Go drive them and you'll realize how utterly boring Toyotas are. Get a Mazda 3.

    • supersabroso on 20/08/2024 - 01:38
      +2

      This is true, I took a gamble on a Haval H6 Hybrid Ultra and it's leaps and bounds better than the Toyota RAV 4 hybrid cruiser at 3/4 of price and 1/4 of the wait time. It's better in almost every single aspect and far safer and more fun to drive with way more technology. If this car proves to be as reliable as it is now in the future then it's time to end the 3 decade Toyota legacy in my family. The next car will likely be a medium/large BYD fully electric car if they ever manage to release one in Australia.

      • Bargain-er on 21/08/2024 - 09:48

        Yeah, these Jap manufacturers have to up their games. I ve been a loyal customer of Mazda. Test drove both CX5 and BYD Sealion 6. I still like Mazda but it feels it s very similar with my 2015 Mazda 3. Sealion 6 on the other hand feels much more exciting techwise regardless the quality and longetivity doubt by some ppl.

  • kerfuffle on 17/08/2024 - 23:59
    +4

    If you're going to buy a 22 Corolla, make sure it's made after September; that's when the facelifted one arrived with a slightly more powerful engine and improved infotainment system

    • pluggle on 18/08/2024 - 01:08

      Thanks for this information. Is there a big difference between the 2L Petrol and 1.8L Hybrid? Seems like the dealership near me only has the Hybrids in stock.

      Also on someone else's comment, I might reconsider Mazda 3, it sounds like part of the issue I had originally was because I didn't take good care of it. It drove well for the time I had it.

      • kerfuffle on 18/08/2024 - 20:33
        +3

        Dunno why you'd want petrol (which you can't even buy new any more) when you can get the hybrid … 8.5L/100km in my old Corolla vs 4.5L/100km in my hybrid Corolla is the bee's knees. I changed my order from petrol to hybrid once they started making them in the body and trim I wanted

        • Bruceflix on 18/08/2024 - 21:34
          -3

          Yeah ok. What is the consumption in the new corolla petrol v corolla hybrid? And the price difference? Will the (slightly) better consumption pay off the difference over the warranty period 5 years? After doing the maths I think Hybrids are only for those that want people to think they are "doing something".

        • Poor Ass on 19/08/2024 - 10:17

          does it still smell like fish inside?

          The 10th gen 2007-2012 fabric smells so bad it's like someone chucked a bunch of fish in the car

          • kerfuffle on 19/08/2024 - 19:00

            @Poor Ass: No. But my seats aren't fabric. I also had a 10th gen Corolla (aka old Corolla mentioned earlier) and never had the fish smell … But also had genuine seat covers installed

      • npnp on 20/08/2024 - 07:08

        Hybrid version is so much smoother and seamless (and will save you thousands over the years). Toyota new hybrid battery warranty (after 2020) is 10 year unlimited km so nothing to worry there. Even after 10 years if that need replacing, the cost would be (unlike EVs) a fraction of the new car price (a new battery for 10 year old Prius is now only 2 grands) because it's a very small battery.

        On another note; Toyota corolla comes with vastly improved new 2.0L hybrid engine lately (the one they have got in Corolla Cross SUV) and that is sooooooo much smoother and refined than previous gen. If possible, buy one of those. Speaking from experience. (There's nothing wrong with precious 1.8 hybrid version - pretty much identical engine as second-third gen Prius and Lexus CT200h) which is extremely reliable and has been proven to be so for over 15 years now. It's just that latest 2.0 hybrid has sooo much new tech, is much more powerful, quieter and even more efficient.)

        • kerfuffle on 20/08/2024 - 10:10
          +1

          Source? The engine in the hybrid Corollas sold in Australia is 1.8L, not 2L. The old petrol Corolla was 2L.

          My source? My own hybrid Corolla which I bought in 2023.

          • npnp on 21/08/2024 - 00:26

            @kerfuffle: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Corolla_(E210)

            The exact engine code is 2.0 L M20A-FXS I4 (that's the hybrid version of 2.0L engine).

            When I purchased my corolla cross late last year, Toyota dealer said they're going to get 2024 smaller Corollas also with same 2.0 hybrid engine as 1.8 engine is too old and will be phased out. I just had a look in Toyota website corolla specs, apparently they still haven't done that here (some other markets yes they have). Perhaps we can expect that in 2025 with a facelift by the looks of it. Test drive a corolla cross Hybrid, you'd love it. Just for comparison, corolla cross Hybrid 0-100 figure is 7.5 S (that's pretty good for an SUV). Same for 1.8 L hybrid corolla hatchback is rather slow 11 S. But the fuel economy of this 2.0 L hybrid is 4.7L/100 km for an SUV. That's an impressive feet in Engineering by Toyota (plus it uses a smaller battery…) Don't know how they managed to do all that.. (larger engine, still efficient, larger car but faster, more torque but smaller hybrid battery.. crazy stuff)

            • kerfuffle on 21/08/2024 - 07:27

              @npnp: Didn’t read the article properly, did you? Nor should you be using Wikipedia, a repository that anyone can edit, as a source.

              The Corolla Hatchback was launched in Australia on 7 August 2018, while the Corolla sedan went on sale on 26 November 2019. Both the hatchback and sedan are available in three trim levels: Ascent Sport, SX and ZR. All variants are powered by a 2.0-litre engine. The 6-speed manual transmission is only available as standard on the base model Ascent Sport, while automatic CVT is optional for the Ascent Sport and standard on the mid-level SX and top-of-the-line ZR. The 1.8-litre engine with hybrid drivetrain is also available for all trim levels except the ZR trim of the Corolla sedan. See how I crossed out that last sentence because it’s no longer factually correct? My source? I have a Corolla ZR hybrid sedan.

              And the 1.8L engine that’s currently in the Corolla was only introduced in 2022, so not sure what you mean by ‘old engine’. Nor do I want to test drive a Corolla Cross when I already have a perfectly fine Corolla.

              • npnp on 21/08/2024 - 07:54

                @kerfuffle: The 1.8 engine hybrid corolla has now is basically the same engine (with some minor improvements over the years) that 2009 Prius had. Believe what you want to believe, I'm talking from my experience. I used to have 2010 Prius and now have Corolla hybrid and cross Hybrid, I know what I'm talking. This engine is extremely reliable (I've never had any issues with my Prius even at 240,000 KMs when I sold it) so you don't need to feel bad about your corolla by any means. In North American market they have already phased out 1.8 hybrid engine and Hybrid corolla and corolla cross both come in 2.0L new engine (eventually will be the case in Australia as well).

              • npnp on 23/08/2024 - 18:55

                @kerfuffle: A bit more information on below link, in Europe they do engines 1.8 and 2.0 (both hybrid engines with different sized electric motors). Not sure why they maintain both engines but 1.8 engine itself pretty much remains the same as 3rd gen Prius (with very minor improvements) but due to more powerful electric motor in 2024 model will result in snappier performance.

                https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/toyota/corolla

  • USER DC on 18/08/2024 - 02:22
    +3

    Cheapest models of cars

    MG 3 auto
    Suzuki Ignis
    Kia Picanto

    • Bargain-er on 18/08/2024 - 07:11

      Have you looked at BYD (if u want ev) ? My Chinese friend told me it's like the Toyota of China. Lots of haters tho. A friend of mine is very happy of his Sealion 6. I have a 2015 Mazda 3 sp25 and super happy with that zippy little car. If I have 30k to spend (either ev or petrol) , I may look at new CX3. $30k drive away if not wrong.

        • Bargain-er on 18/08/2024 - 08:20
          +5

          Link? Or just random hate?

        • Poor Ass on 19/08/2024 - 10:09
          +1

          Really? I've seen more ICE cars burst into flames and this was in person too at multiple servos

          • CocaKoala on 21/08/2024 - 21:45

            @Poor Ass: Right. If you saw multiple cars bursting into flames at multiple servos and were present in person to witness them all, you were likely the one setting them all on fire.

      • pluggle on 18/08/2024 - 10:11
        +5

        One of my friends has a BYD Atto 3 and really likes it. But they're probably out of my price range, and with my current sentiment I wouldn't want to be buying EV 2nd hand.

        I'll have a look at the CX3 too, thanks for the recommendation.

        • Euphemistic on 18/08/2024 - 10:50
          +2

          my current sentiment I wouldn't want to be buying EV 2nd hand.

          If youre buying 1-3yo the reasons not to are mostly not rational.

        • Poor Ass on 19/08/2024 - 10:12
          +2

          don't do it

          CX series is a real piece of shit in general but mechanically is alright

          CX3 Mazda on stilts

          CX series in general guzzles more fuel than other brands of the same type and this is from experience. I've commented on this before and all the CX series have a very non practical use of space in the boot and bad leg room in second row

  • Wiadro on 18/08/2024 - 08:03

    Don’t do it

  • 82norm on 18/08/2024 - 08:10
    +2

    You’d have to me mad to spend $30k on a 2nd car, when you can get a new one a few extra grand.

    • imurgod on 20/08/2024 - 16:26

      A 2nd hand car has already lost the costs of dealer delivery, CTP, etc. and still have the balance of the new car warranty.

      So you might be able to get a better 2nd hand one than you would a new one (like a higher model or something).

  • Lastchancetosee on 18/08/2024 - 08:35

    In the process of leasing a Nissan Leaf, and the price is very competitive: $35k. Five year warranty on car and ten on the battery. It's capable of bidirectional charging, but the company which produces the Wallbox is bringing out their next model in 22-18 months, so have to wait to link it to my solar system.

    • pegaxs on 18/08/2024 - 22:33
      +2

      Doesn’t the Leaf still use that gawd awful CHAdeMO charging plug for DC? With hardly any new DC chargers supporting this shit standard, if the Leaf has this on it, I would avoid a Leaf based on this alone.

      I know the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has CHAdeMO, even though it also supports Type 2. Why (fropanity) around with two entirely different ports when you already have 80% of CCS2 already in the car?

      • Lastchancetosee on 22/08/2024 - 09:22

        Yes, it does, but that's currently the only way to do V2H as far as I know. It's got both ports like the Mitsubishi Outlander. Oh, and the Lexus, but that's a bit out of my price range :) . One nice thing is that many of the key components are manufactured in Australia.

  • tabitha731 on 18/08/2024 - 09:01
    -3

    Kia and Hyundai EV’s are pretty clunky.. I test drove them and the Toyota… i ultimately went with the Corolla hybrid… I asked friends of their experience with the Kia and Hyundai.. most have said they regret buying it, and wished they had test driven more options before deciding

    • smartProverble on 19/08/2024 - 09:13
      +2

      Very vague… You test drove Hyundai and Kia EVs (what models?) and you bought a Corolla Hybrid. Your friends regretted buying Hyundai's and Kias (again, what kind do they drive…? PHEV? BEV? FCEV? etc.). Hyundai / Kia's have been winning World Car of the Year awards with their EVs which is why specifics matter.

      E.g. https://www.carsales.com.au/editorial/details/kia-ev9-named-…

      and check out the past few years - World Car of the Year and World EV of the Year.

      • WeeDeePotato on 20/08/2024 - 20:11

        I’m not the person you replied to, but I have a Cerato GT. The DCT does feel vague / gets confused at slow speeds. You really have to be predictable with your accelerator pedal so it doesn’t start hunting between first and second. Once you’re used to it though it’s fine. DCT is definitely not as good as an auto in traffic.

        Recently my reverse gear stopped working as well. They fixed it under warranty (broken clutch pack).

        I don’t regret buying the car as otherwise it’s been fantastic, but yeah I can vouch for the transmission being sub-par

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