I need a car to commute in, but don't want to blow the bank. Help?

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › I need a car to commute in, but don't want to blow the bank. Help?

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#1123313 6-Sep-2014 19:59

jnimmo: Loved my Nissan Sentra (96) - if I could have found a newer version with airbags I probably would have got another

got the same car, it's the best ever, justs keep going and going and going.

Batman

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#1123362 6-Sep-2014 21:23

He wants one that is safe.

For safety of course I would suggest something with full airbags AND ESP

cnor152

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#1123574 7-Sep-2014 11:29

I am not too keen on the corolla and jazz. The former seems pretty pricey, and I have had small uncomfortable cars my entire life. I sort of want to try something different.

I thought the Bluebird looked okay (The Toyota X might eat too much gas, and I am worried about the parts), but the low safety rating worries me. The Dog and the Lemon groups the Bluebird Sylphy and Pulsar together, and i don't understand how those two cars can have the same safety rating.

Jase2985

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#1123601 7-Sep-2014 12:28

if you have actually been in a Jazz you will see its far from a small car inside.

jonathan18

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#1123603 7-Sep-2014 12:33

Jase2985: if you have actually been in a Jazz you will see its far from a small car inside.

Yeah, ditto with the Corolla, which is far from a "small" car! Drive them and check for yourself... At this rate you'll rule out all good cars!

alasta

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#1123605 7-Sep-2014 12:53

jonathan18: Given the experience we had with a Nissan Primera (01) about three years ago, I think I'd always purchase from a dealer. The car - despite an inspection - had a blown head gasket (the dealer paid to replace the engine) that was picked up soon after purchase, and then only a few weeks later the gear box went (the dealer paid for this as well, the cost being fairly significant).

This really highlights the importance of inspecting maintenance records prior to purchasing second hand. A mechanical inspection will only tell you about the state of the vehicle on the day the inspection took place, whereas verifying correct maintenance gives you confidence that you are unlikely to ever experience any problems until the vehicle reaches very high mileage.

At this price point the difference between various makes and models is immaterial as long as you don't buy anything silly like an Alfa or Merc. You should simply purchase the best NZ new vehicle with full service history that fits your budget. If this means buying something less than ideal then you need to be realistic.

Finally, always use ANCAP ratings to judge the safety of a vehicle rather than just looking at the safety features. Passive safety is complex, and this scientific testing takes all factors into account.

Mark

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#1123629 7-Sep-2014 14:14

His about going for a diesel? I had an Isuzu my for a while, big noisy 3.1 turbo diesel with a body made of cast iron ;-)
Did 800km on a tank of fuel easily ... Engine is oversized for the vehicle so it barely had to strain at doing anything.
And every time I hit something I won ;-)

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mattwnz

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#1123631 7-Sep-2014 14:46

jonathan18: Remember, you'll pay a premium for a Corolla, given what people are willing to pay is based on the assumption of its reliability etc, however it'll probably retain its value at a similar rate when you come to sell it.

My suggestion is go and test drive a few cars as well - find out which ones you actually like to drive, and try them out in both urban and open-road settings.

You may also find the last edition of the Dog and Lemon guide useful - it'll be available at your local library. The reports are all now available on its website (I recall you can buy individual reports or a 'pack' of them, and I remember seeing such packs for sale on TM at one point.) This suggestion, however, will possibly elicit some contrary views...

I don't believe they print the dog and lemon guide anymore, so the ones in the library will be a few years old at least. You can buy D&L reports from the website, but many people like to read through all the options, rather than just a few.

From memory, Toyota, Subaru and Honda Civics all rank quite well. I don't think it gives the new corrollas top marks these days, as toyota have had a number of recalls. Hyundai new models are also supposed to be pretty good. The old models however aren't ranked as highly.

richms

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#1123728 7-Sep-2014 17:41

Dont get a 6 year old hyundai getz. Aweful cars.

Richard rich.ms

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#1123955 8-Sep-2014 00:21

Btw, go test drive some cars even just to rule them out.

DravidDavid

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#1123993 8-Sep-2014 08:33

Can't go wrong with a Camry! Even if you got one at 300,000KMs...It's practically brand new at that age!

xpd

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#1123995 8-Sep-2014 08:44

cnor152:

Also is it hard to get the GPS thing to work for these jap cars?

Generally useless in NZ due to the system they use in Japan.... throw it out and replace with a NZ model system.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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04fuxake

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#1123998 8-Sep-2014 08:52

Late model Daihatsu Sirion (also found as a Toyota Basso). Incredibly cheap to run, very easy to drive and surprisingly spacious for four adults.

jonathan18

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#1124000 8-Sep-2014 08:56

xpd:
cnor152:

Also is it hard to get the GPS thing to work for these jap cars?

Generally useless in NZ due to the system they use in Japan.... throw it out and replace with a NZ model system.

... Though the ability to "throw it out" is dependent on the level of integration with the rest of the car's AV/electrical system. Some, like the P12 Primera, have (like many modern cars) all these systems fully integrated. This makes for interesting work even just adjusting some basic settings (given they'll tend to be in Japanese). In these cases one can't even switch out the stereo let alone the GPS (though some additions may be possible, eg we were able to add after-market inputs for the iPad/MP3/USB via an adapter through the CD changer input).

MikeAqua

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#1131972 19-Sep-2014 09:50

I've said it before, I'll say it again - Buy NZ New as a preference. You avoid a whole lot of potential issues.

Mike

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