Back to square one, this time Japanese Car recommendations please.

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Back to square one, this time Japanese Car recommendations please.

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6325 posts

Uber Geek

#1702265 12-Jan-2017 21:43

No no, I just think it odd to dis Subaru over mazda or honda or toyota like they dont have sensors or shock problems or head gasket issues.

ie an exert from a 2004 Corolla Hatch 1.8 "occasionally engine smokes for few seconds and goes normal. Mechanics suggest some faulty sensor".

You cant tell me a corolla is bullet proof vs an H6 3.0 Subby engine. Subbies have strong transmissions and engines and are safer with AWD and 5 star ancam. A lot of Japanese cars of same era are 3 stars. Safety is important.

But no, I havnt said it has to be a Sub, just a bit like "any car can cost you a money pit", Toyota Tax doesnt garuntee you its not going to cost you $3k to fix a $8k car the week you drive it away.

Oriphix

523 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1702274 12-Jan-2017 21:57

Nissan Tiida.

TeaLeaf

6325 posts

Uber Geek

#1702303 12-Jan-2017 23:14

Rofl my most hated car Ive ever leased and the reviews agree. ;-p. I think the nissan pulsar 2004 with 110kkm for $4500 would be a better buy.

What transmission is used in the Honda Accord. I also notice they have a 6 3.0 version Mugen. And of course the Accord Euro.

I tried to get her to buy a very tidy Intergra 2 door, but of course that wasnt practical.

Jase2985

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#1702390 13-Jan-2017 08:22

I have a 2007 Accord euro, it has a 2.4L 200hp motor with a triptronic automatic transmission.

TeaLeaf

6325 posts

Uber Geek

#1702546 13-Jan-2017 10:41

Finally got the Mrs to look at other cars, not righting off Subbies, the B4 Sedan is still nice. But we dont need an outback and if we did Id prob go a forester or Xtrail.

Ok so, Im trying to find Mazda 6s and Honda Accords, but need details. I DONT want a CVT, not negotiable. When did Honda introduce non torque based tiptronic CVTs? Same with Mazda?

As I mentioned as we might be moving overseas in 6 months, whats my best beat not to lose too much resale? Not buy from a dealer? Usually then though an imports done 170000km.

Is the Honda Mugen 3.0 good? Or is the 2300cc Euro better?

I noticed AA gave the accord 3 stars, bit harsh I thought.

Jase2985

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#1702555 13-Jan-2017 10:48

the Accord Euro is a 2.4L not 2.3L as you mentioned.

The accords dont have CVT's they are standard triptronic autos. ie 5 gears that change automatically, or you can chuck it in sports mode and change up and down as you wish with the gear leaver.

Define better? i dont like the V6 accords, i dont like the look and they use more gas while not offering anything major more.

remember reviews from the likes of the AA are subjective, they are personal opinion.

trig42

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#1702559 13-Jan-2017 10:52

Smithy100:

trig42:

Very similar cars. $1000 difference in asking price (you may be able to negotiate the NZ new one down more than the dealer import?)
Say you put another 80,000km on their clocks, and 5 years. They will both be worth around $2-3k I'd say, and a buyer of a car (in 5 years) that is 15+ years old and has close to a quarter of a million on the clock will not care where it started its life.

Bad example - the NZ one is an '06 facelift vs the import '03, original model... for $1k I'd absolutely be buying the NZ one. Notwithstanding the fact you'd get the Kiwi one for less than $8k anyway, reducing the difference even further.

That import car is worth $5k on a good day - it's certainly not worth 7.

Oops, my bad. I thought I had linked two '06's. Bad example indeed.

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Inphinity

2780 posts

Uber Geek

#1702567 13-Jan-2017 11:03

joker97:

Where in the country are you? Just know that most Subarus (not the current ones, they have a different engine) will need head gasket replacement at some point in their lives (just once, once it's fixed it is fine - think of it as a genetic factory flaw). Make sure you are not buying one for sale for that reason.

The non-turbo 4-cylinder engines (primarily the 2.5L) between approx 1996 and 2011 are potentially at risk of head gasket issues relating to the design. The turbo and 6-cylinder variants are not (though like any car, you may still have issues arise - they just don't use the known-problematic head gasket design)

TeaLeaf

6325 posts

Uber Geek

#1702658 13-Jan-2017 13:21

Thats good to know re the Subaru.

So accord, the Euro is a LOT better or would a 2.3l 2005 100kkm asking $6k be ok? The Accord is a cambelt? I saw that listed on a 6 cyl.

And the Mazda 6, anything specific to worry about?

So worried about imports, none have service history. Dont want to pay $150 6 or 7 times to get an inspection to find an ok car. Already wasted one inspection.

Jase2985

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#1702705 13-Jan-2017 13:53

There is no 2300cc accord euro, its a 2354cc which is called a 2.4 because it gets rounded up. The engine model number is K24 (ie 2.4L)

They (the above i mentioned) are chain driven, unsure about the V6 models (ie the mugen you mentioned but google will tell you)

Smithy100

180 posts

Master Geek

#1702725 13-Jan-2017 14:49

What's your budget OP? Buy my '06 Euro... and in six mths you'll probably get your money back - as I will when I sell it.

But in all seriousness; the Euro is a good option. Plenty NZ New available, cheap enough to run and reasonably economical whilst also being reasonably powerful. Easy to get repairs/services/parts as and when needed. As long as you don't massively overpay you can't go wrong, and if you strike a bargain you'll be laughing!