Wagons. So hard to decide!

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Wagons. So hard to decide!

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rhy7s

623 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2573678 24-Sep-2020 17:25

scuwp:

May I ask why a wagon? There is a reason why SUV's are so popular and wagons are a dying breed except for a few remaining examples, which is why there is a limited selection. There are plenty of mid sized SUV's around, possibly better value for money and deliver your needs?

Could you elucidate on the reason? SUVs seem to be worse than wagons on almost any metric and seem to have been foisted on the market rather than competing on equal terms. One pet peeve I have is that boot floor surface area is often minimal and compromised but is hidden by volume measurements reached through increased ceiling height. Saying that, a lot of wagons now are sportsbacks rather than taking advantage of extra space beyond the C pillar.

duckDecoy

896 posts

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#2573703 24-Sep-2020 18:48

nztim:

late to the party but I cant PASS ANY OTHER CAR WITH my Toyota Avensis

Fixed it for you ;)

We've owned a couple of these. Size is pretty good, you can fold the rear seats down flat to maximise floor usage. Doesn't go fast, doesn't handle well, but does everything a station wagon should.

Quirk is using 91 in the 2.0 engine can cause stuttering and stalling from standstill, you have to put the higher octane in.

But be warned: these are generally regarded as not up to the usual Toyota reliability standard, we have had way more fixes to our Avensi than the other Toyotas we have owned. Know weakness is the headlights which fail, HID crack/craze the reflective surface, regular style melt the housing. The HID are over $1000 each to fix and most mechanics wont recommend second hand in case the problem turns up soon after you buy them. Regular are $500 each. We purposely avoided HID when buying our second one given we had to fork out $2k for the HID versions on our first one

Would I buy again? If I was on a budget then yes I would. Its decent sized and has everything you would need. If I had a bit more cash I would get something with more pizzaz and better handling.

ZombieJohn

109 posts

Master Geek

#2578356 2-Oct-2020 22:47

Alright so finally purchased a vehicle.

Got an awesome deal on a 2013 Mazda Atenza Wagon (2.2 turbo diesel). Car is in fantastic nick and with about 65k km on the clock.

Have driven the car around a little and did all the tests etc. I think the thing that blew me away the most was testing the slamming on of the breaks at 80 km an hour. Responded so well. I couldn't be more pleased with opting for a safer car (I've always owned pieces of cheap junk).

All up cost 17k so a little over our 15k budget but was worth the stretch (especially when higher km imports of the same model were getting closer to the $20k mark).

Really appreciate the communities help and advice.

Also the recommendation of buying the dog and lemon reports was a great one. Some really valuable information in those.

jonathan18

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#2578754 4-Oct-2020 07:28

Huh, same wagon as mine - a 2013 diesel! Not the fastest off the line with the turbo taking a bit of time to get going (esp compared to my wife’s Leaf!), but they handle nicely and are pretty frugal. Did you find the boot large enough for you dogs, given the sloping roofline?

The main tip I’d offer is be mindful of the DPF, and the burn-off that’ll occur every few hundred kilometres. You’ll see the green istop icon turn off, the engine revs increase, and if you open the window smell a weird odour. At that point best to find some open road to drive over 80kmh for 10-15 mins until the istop icon comes back on to indicate the burn-off is over.

Batman

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#2578813 4-Oct-2020 08:56

duckDecoy:

nztim:

late to the party but I cant PASS ANY OTHER CAR WITH my Toyota Avensis

Fixed it for you ;)

lol that reminds me of my first 4 toyotas (1.6L, 2.0L). don't talk about passing cars they won't even hold 100kph going up some hills on state highway 1. those were pre 2000 models.

Batman

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#2578815 4-Oct-2020 09:03

phrozenpenguin:

mudguard:

Subarus are traditionally expensive to service because they have boxer engine and are four wheel drive. Personally I wouldn't own a Subaru unless it was turbo, otherwise you're paying for something that is slow, expensive and thirsty!

I'm not sure where this "tradition" comes from but we have owned a number of Subarus and don't agree with the sentiment. The 3L EZ30 engine is pretty quick and known for its reliability. Servicing is straightforward and there are lots of Subaru specialists around, and plenty of parts if needed because plenty of cars around. There is a reason there are so many Subarus around (especially South Island - might get a distorted view up in Auckland) - and its not because everyone love a slow and expensive and thirsty car! In that price range you have a pick of models / trim levels / engines etc. That said, if you don't need or want the AWD capability then you have other options, but the boxer engine and AWD I see as a benefit. I used to drive Audis and VWs in Europe but drive Subaru over here - I believe the cost of ownership is higher on the Euro's here in NZ, but haven't actually owned one.

I would try and drive the top ones on your list. A 3.6L petrol Outback is going to be very different to a Diesel Mondeo - both in driving and probably interior space etc as well. We compared the Audi A6 and the Passat and there was a surprising difference when looking at carseats etc.

Good luck!

i have owned 4 turbo subarus. the latest ones are not EJ engine, they are co-developed by toyota and are either FA or FB engines. they have very tight tolerances and you need to use the correct weight oil. i service it every 12 months and nothing has needed fixing. still runs like new.

downsides - subaru interior - is a generation behind other cars.

CVT - no matter how to paint it a CVT is a CVT. i hate the CVT when i want instant power. 99% of the time though it does its job.

fuel economy - mine is a 221kw car and it consumes 7L/100km on the open road and no more than other cars in town. (sorry town driving is so incomparable there's no point putting a number on it unless you and I drive the same route)

ZombieJohn

109 posts

Master Geek

#2578816 4-Oct-2020 09:05

jonathan18:
Huh, same wagon as mine - a 2013 diesel! Not the fastest off the line with the turbo taking a bit of time to get going (esp compared to my wife’s Leaf!), but they handle nicely and are pretty frugal. Did you find the boot large enough for you dogs, given the sloping roofline?

The main tip I’d offer is be mindful of the DPF, and the burn-off that’ll occur every few hundred kilometres. You’ll see the green istop icon turn off, the engine revs increase, and if you open the window smell a weird odour. At that point best to find some open road to drive over 80kmh for 10-15 mins until the istop icon comes back on to indicate the burn-off is over.

That is really helpful. Thank you.

We have an old Honda Fit that will be doing the shorter around town trips. I come down to Auckland every week or so for work so that should cover the longer distance burn-off.

The car definitely didn't feel super quick off the line (especially when compared with our friends leaf!) But I'm expecting it to be good on the trip from Whangarei to Auckland.

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Batman

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#2578817 4-Oct-2020 09:07

That mazda drive train is a monster. Happy driving.

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