Recommendations for a small runabout car

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martyyn

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#2267778 1-Jul-2019 14:25

When I looked into this a couple of years ago we had the same requirements and ended up with a 07 Ford Focus Zetec which is the 2l engine and 5-speed gearbox.

It cost significantly less than your 10k budget and it was a brilliant little car to drive. Just oil changes and tyres in our ownership and even though I'm used to big BMW engines it always put a smile on my face when driving around town.

My wife has a 51km round trip and as much as I would have loved a Leaf it would only save us around $1100 in fuel each year and would cost several thousand more to buy in the first place.

I'd rather save money upfront and pay the $1100 a year and have a great car with all the toys and never have to worry about being able to refuel to be honest. Having to own the car for five years before breaking even really doesn't interest me either, although I admit prices are slightly different now.

nofam

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#2267797 1-Jul-2019 14:56

martyyn:

When I looked into this a couple of years ago we had the same requirements and ended up with a 07 Ford Focus Zetec which is the 2l engine and 5-speed gearbox.

It cost significantly less than your 10k budget and it was a brilliant little car to drive. Just oil changes and tyres in our ownership and even though I'm used to big BMW engines it always put a smile on my face when driving around town.

My wife has a 51km round trip and as much as I would have loved a Leaf it would only save us around $1100 in fuel each year and would cost several thousand more to buy in the first place.

I'd rather save money upfront and pay the $1100 a year and have a great car with all the toys and never have to worry about being able to refuel to be honest. Having to own the car for five years before breaking even really doesn't interest me either, although I admit prices are slightly different now.

Thanks - have been 'umming and ahhing' about it all weekend - the fuel savings are pretty damn compelling, and given my daily commute round trip is around 35km, I can probably go with an older model Leaf with less range. Luckily, I have two colleagues that both live in my area and recently bought Leafs, so I can get some real-world stats from them. I've also just run the numbers on Meridian's Electric Car plan, and the day/night rates are actually slightly worse that what I'm already on, so I'd still be doing alright charging it on current night rates.

Obraik

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#2267799 1-Jul-2019 15:01

nofam:

Thanks - have been 'umming and ahhing' about it all weekend - the fuel savings are pretty damn compelling, and given my daily commute round trip is around 35km, I can probably go with an older model Leaf with less range. Luckily, I have two colleagues that both live in my area and recently bought Leafs, so I can get some real-world stats from them. I've also just run the numbers on Meridian's Electric Car plan, and the day/night rates are actually slightly worse that what I'm already on, so I'd still be doing alright charging it on current night rates.

Yeah, 35km should be easy even for the most worn Leafs out there. On top of what you mentioned, it also helps reduce your carbon footprint :)

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martyyn

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#2267805 1-Jul-2019 15:17

nofam:

Thanks - have been 'umming and ahhing' about it all weekend - the fuel savings are pretty damn compelling, and given my daily commute round trip is around 35km, I can probably go with an older model Leaf with less range. Luckily, I have two colleagues that both live in my area and recently bought Leafs, so I can get some real-world stats from them. I've also just run the numbers on Meridian's Electric Car plan, and the day/night rates are actually slightly worse that what I'm already on, so I'd still be doing alright charging it on current night rates.

Are the fuel savings really all that much if you are only doing 8500 kms a year ?

mattwnz

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#2267819 1-Jul-2019 15:50

Mazda 2s look quite nice for what they are, and mazda is known to be quite reliable brand. Dog and lemon guide gives a good idea of what can go wrong and safety ratings of different older models. Toyotas are often known to be reliable too.

nofam

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#2267833 1-Jul-2019 16:05

martyyn:

nofam:

Thanks - have been 'umming and ahhing' about it all weekend - the fuel savings are pretty damn compelling, and given my daily commute round trip is around 35km, I can probably go with an older model Leaf with less range. Luckily, I have two colleagues that both live in my area and recently bought Leafs, so I can get some real-world stats from them. I've also just run the numbers on Meridian's Electric Car plan, and the day/night rates are actually slightly worse that what I'm already on, so I'd still be doing alright charging it on current night rates.

Are the fuel savings really all that much if you are only doing 8500 kms a year ?

Nah, that's just the daily commute for work - adding in weekend trips etc it's more like 13000 km a year. And if I was to get a Leaf, our current petrol car would effectively just become the spare/runabout. We only do out-of-town trips a few times a year (~600km).

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