Buying a new car

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avecha

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Topic # 105527 5-Jul-2012 23:03
I have this posted on gpforums as well but thought the more exposure the better. Im going to be buying a new car. I have $15,000 cash to spend. I have set my sights on a Mazda Atenza, nothing else tickles my fancy. I have found four cars on trademe, all in Auckland so email will be how i correspond with the car yards. These are the four cars, http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/use...n-489391607.htm http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/use...n-483541174.htm (what do you guys think of the front bumper)? http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/use...n-458823495.htm http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/use...n-486266904.htm The fourth one is the one i want but could go with the second one (don't know if the bumper looks out of place or not). Part of me likes it but part of me thinks there is too much overhang on the sides. The 4th one's car yard matches and beats prices on similar models and specs so that is on my side to haggle as 3 of the cars are pretty much the same thing. The 2nd and 4th cars have been on trademe since march so that's also on my side? Should i be looking at km's or the condition of the vehicle when choosing one? What would my chances be of getting one of them down to my price or near enough to it? The '02-'04 models are in my price range but want something newer and thought I'd give this a go first. Im guessing i only have one shot at the haggle so need to get it right the first time. How would i go about it? Any advice or help is appreciated. Last time i brought a car i was pretty clueless so want to get it right this time. Also the prices etc on Trademe have me stumped as most cars are the same but have very different prices. Cheers.

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Reply # 651651 6-Jul-2012 08:20
Not familiar with this model. I tend towards buying low k's over perfect panels and upholstery. More important if you plan to keep it for a while and drive it a lot because it tends to reduce your overall TOC. IME hardly anything needs doing before 100K, then after about 130K you find yourself replacing suspension components and CV's things like that. Not a big deal but it adds up.

alasta

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Reply # 651656 6-Jul-2012 08:29
Personally if I were going to buy a second hand vehicle in that price bracket I would aim for a more modest low mileage NZ new vehicle, which should be within reach of $15k. It may seem boring compared with what you're currently considering, but you have to be realistic about what you're taking on with an aging used import with boy racer appeal.

stevenz

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Reply # 651707 6-Jul-2012 09:52
If it's a high(er) mileage vehicle, it pays to try and work out if it is mileage likely caused by long trips, or lots of short(er) trips, the latter will likely have a lot more wear & tear. Ex-sales rep cars are often a good buy. Better off buying something within your price bracket rather than $2k above it, so you've got some spare change to fix the inevitable little issues it'll have (brake pads, tyres etc). Of course, if you can talk them down then you might be ok, but times are tough and they don't tend to haggle much these days. "You are" = "You're" - Not "Your". "They are" = "They're" - Not "Their" or "There". You probably mean "lose" not "loose". There's no such word as "Alot". On the internet, wasting time, since '89.

Nety

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Reply # 651809 6-Jul-2012 12:07
You sure you mean the second one for the bumper or the third? The second one looks standard the third I would not go near that bumper with a barge poll. Media centre PC - Case Silverstone LC16M with 2 X 80mm AcoustiFan DustPROOF, MOBO Gigabyte MA785GT-UD3H, CPU AMD X2 240 under volted, RAM 4 Gig DDR3 1033, HDD 120Gig System/512Gig data, Tuners 2 X Hauppauge HVR-3000, 1 X HVR-2200, Video Palit GT 220, Sound Realtek 886A HD (onboard), Optical LiteOn DH-401S Blue-ray using TotalMedia Theatre Power Corsair VX Series, 450W ATX PSU OS Windows 7 x64

stevenz

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Reply # 651811 6-Jul-2012 12:12
Nety: You sure you mean the second one for the bumper or the third? The second one looks standard the third I would not go near that bumper with a barge poll. +1 3rd party body kit (I would hope Mazda wouldn't make anything that ugly) = boy racer owner = car has been thrashed and had who knows what else done to it. "You are" = "You're" - Not "Your". "They are" = "They're" - Not "Their" or "There". You probably mean "lose" not "loose". There's no such word as "Alot". On the internet, wasting time, since '89.

sen8or

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Reply # 651813 6-Jul-2012 12:14
you will lose the front bumber on the third everytime you park too close to a kerb or over a "stop" in a carpark. My old Senator was the same, looked cool, but $200 or so each time I got it wrong

Poll

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Reply # 651826 6-Jul-2012 12:30
How about this one in the Manawatu? Mazda Atenza mps It's in the same price bracket as what you were looking at and is the higher spec'd model.

mattRSK

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Reply # 651901 6-Jul-2012 14:38
Poll: How about this one in the Manawatu? Mazda Atenza mps It's in the same price bracket as what you were looking at and is the higher spec'd model. That is some really high k's there.

nakedmolerat

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Reply # 651905 6-Jul-2012 14:51
What about this? https://touch.trademe.co.nz/listing/view/491186101

Poll

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Reply # 651914 6-Jul-2012 14:57
mattRSK: That is some really high k's there. Yes yes it is, had not noticed that when I'd looked at it.

avecha

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Reply # 651942 6-Jul-2012 15:48
nakedmolerat: What about this? https://touch.trademe.co.nz/listing/view/491186101 Not too bad. Thats my problem, i've searched everything on trademe and the Atenza is the only one that tickles my fancy. The worst thing i could do is settle and not be 100% happy. It also has to be a manual. Auto's and tiptronics in my opinion aren't real cars.

stevenz

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Reply # 651967 6-Jul-2012 16:13
So you want a fairly late model, lowish KMs, manual, Mazda Atenza, for <$15,000. I think you're going to have to settle. If I wanted to be 100% happy, I'd need about a spare $60k to get the car I wanted. Life is all about compromise. "You are" = "You're" - Not "Your". "They are" = "They're" - Not "Their" or "There". You probably mean "lose" not "loose". There's no such word as "Alot". On the internet, wasting time, since '89.

nakedmolerat

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Reply # 651987 6-Jul-2012 16:44
avecha: nakedmolerat: What about this? https://touch.trademe.co.nz/listing/view/491186101 Not too bad. Thats my problem, i've searched everything on trademe and the Atenza is the only one that tickles my fancy. The worst thing i could do is settle and not be 100% happy. It also has to be a manual. Auto's and tiptronics in my opinion aren't real cars. as far as i can remember, last manual i drove was about 8 years ago... i am not a car expect, but i have driven aurion sportivo in the past (rental). i personally prefer it over commodore sv6 or ford g6 (both rental). that aurion is definitely a bargain. still has factory warranty (15 month). 3.5l tiptronic vs 2.4l manual. my pick would be the first one.

mattwnz

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Reply # 651999 6-Jul-2012 17:11
Isn't a Mazda Atenza, just the Jap import name for the mazda 6? I would see if you can find a good price privately, because if you buy from a dealer, you will likely pay more. If you are buying froma dealler, you should be able to shave a decent percentage off the price. eg don't pay the sticker price. Cash is king, so giving them a cash offer today, or you will walk away is a good bargaining chip. You need to make sure you play hard when bargaining, because dealers know all the tricks.

stevenz

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Reply # 652005 6-Jul-2012 17:23
mattwnz: Isn't a Mazda Atenza, just the Jap import name for the mazda 6? You're dead right: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda6 Plenty of those things around, and 6 is more likely to be intended for use in Australasia as opposed to elsewhere, if that even matters. "You are" = "You're" - Not "Your". "They are" = "They're" - Not "Their" or "There". You probably mean "lose" not "loose". There's no such word as "Alot". On the internet, wasting time, since '89.

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