New Car - Old Car - Decisions, Decisions

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9 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1317299 4-Jun-2015 11:35

Subaru's are great reliable cars but looking at your previous list of "likes", try the new Subaru Impreza instead of the Legacy. Great cars and smaller and more economical than the the Legacy's. And definitely in your price range with low k's.

heylinb4nz

656 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#1317376 4-Jun-2015 13:28

Wheelz: Subaru's are great reliable cars but looking at your previous list of "likes", try the new Subaru Impreza instead of the Legacy. Great cars and smaller and more economical than the the Legacy's. And definitely in your price range with low k's.

+1 Totally forgot about the Impreza. See a nice S-GT on TradeMe for <$20k and 41,000 kms on the clock, listing (893767169)

nzkiwiman

2585 posts

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#1317397 4-Jun-2015 13:53

I've seen the Subrau Impreza 1-X on my trawl around the internet.
Im not sure why I haven't paid more attention to it - something to do with my probably mis-guided thought that all Subaru's are unreliable.

E3xtc

773 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1317418 4-Jun-2015 15:08

yeah and if chance of theft is something that put you off too (it was initially why I had discarded Subaru; but subsequently bought one), take a look at the more recent rates of theft of those models of Subaru you are looking at. When I last looked at it, the mid-late 2000's onwards were far from the top

mattwnz

20149 posts

Uber Geek

#1317423 4-Jun-2015 15:20

heylinb4nz:
mattwnz:
heylinb4nz:

Again why get hung up so much on year ?

Something like a 2005-2008 Subaru Legacy 3.0R is going to tick your boxes

- good economy

How many litres per 100km is that? Mazda 3s are around the 6 mark, which is very economic to run considering size.

Cant have it both ways , hence the OPs comment about finding underpowered shopping carts, and is that 6L per 100 km in the brochure ? or actually use ? town/highway/mixed ?

In saying that I run a 2004 GT Spec B putting out around 230KW (ECU tune, intake, front pipe...<$2k worth of modifications..$18k all in with 63,000 on clock) and I get 7.9L per 100km open road (actual use when driving nice).

A 3.0R stock should get that and closer to 7.5L with an ECU remap.

You can with the new mazda 3's has they have a very efficient new skyactiv engine, which is supposed to have a very high compression ratio, similar to diesels. WHen I was driving one, I was averaging around the 6 mark, and that wasn't driving that conservatively, so it matched the specs. So you do get very good fuel economy. But they new ones are are probably outside the OPs budget. But if I was comparing new cars, I would go for the mazdas. If I was going for older models, the subarus maybe a better bet. I am not a great fan of the previous mazda styling with happy face grill.

The subarus legacies do seem to rate quite highly in the dog and lemon guide for reliability , last time I looked at it.

heylinb4nz

656 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#1317456 4-Jun-2015 16:54

nzkiwiman: I've seen the Subrau Impreza 1-X on my trawl around the internet.
Im not sure why I haven't paid more attention to it - something to do with my probably mis-guided thought that all Subaru's are unreliable.

Yeah the pre 2003 Subaru's had their issues (also high theft rate), but from 2004 up BL\BP shape (in regards to Legacy) they were way more reliable...one of the most reliable cars I have ever owned (and i've owned many).

Have so far put 35,000 kms over 3 years onto our 2004 BP Legacy and other than the Cambelt change at $1000, Air fuel sensor $120, Lower Control Arm Bushings $380 it hasn't needed anything repaired, it gets driven every day plus many regular long distance trips to Auckland and Tauranga...all that while running well above stock power levels.

nzkiwiman

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#1319099 8-Jun-2015 09:32

Over the weekend I finally test drove the 2014 Mazda 3 I had been drooling over for a few weeks
After a decent test drive I knew I had found my car and so organised to purchase it

I'll pick up the car next weekend

Sharesies kids

Free kids accounts - trade shares and funds (NZ, US) with Sharesies (affiliate link).

Batman

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#1319159 8-Jun-2015 09:57

congratulations. now stop looking at car prices on trademe :)

sep11guy

660 posts

Ultimate Geek
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#1319164 8-Jun-2015 10:00

nzkiwiman: Over the weekend I finally test drove the 2014 Mazda 3 I had been drooling over for a few weeks
After a decent test drive I knew I had found my car and so organised to purchase it

I'll pick up the car next weekend

what model / kms / price did u get ? It will be good to know :)

nzkiwiman

2585 posts

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#1319192 8-Jun-2015 10:30

sep11guy:
nzkiwiman: Over the weekend I finally test drove the 2014 Mazda 3 I had been drooling over for a few weeks
After a decent test drive I knew I had found my car and so organised to purchase it

I'll pick up the car next weekend

what model / kms / price did u get ? It will be good to know :)

2014 GLX - the new model with Skyactive
Was a Demo model and had 7020 km on it when I brought it back from the test drive

Paid $27500 for it which I was happy with.

sep11guy

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#1319212 8-Jun-2015 10:42

2014 GLX - the new model with Skyactive
Was a Demo model and had 7020 km on it when I brought it back from the test drive

Paid $27500 for it which I was happy with.

hmmm just looked it up

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/mazda/auction-867850266.htm

neat buy !!

Batman

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#1319223 8-Jun-2015 10:53

June is the month of end of financial year sales for quite a few major companies. or have I got it mixed up with Australia

Boeingflyer

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#1319320 8-Jun-2015 12:26

I like the new front grill shape and glad they cleaned up the cruise controls on the steering wheel. We just bought a 2012 and am happy, just couldn't afford the new shape.

Hope you enjoy it, it looks good

nzkiwiman

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#1319359 8-Jun-2015 13:11

Fabian: I like the new front grill shape and glad they cleaned up the cruise controls on the steering wheel. We just bought a 2012 and am happy, just couldn't afford the new shape.

Hope you enjoy it, it looks good

I was the opposite.
Did not like the old shape - was originally looking at the 2013 Mazda 3 that DC Motors had quite a few off.
All the extra features then sold me on getting the newer car and off course a big thumbs up to my father who assisted with the remaining cash needed to make the jump up

nzkiwiman

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#1320016 9-Jun-2015 09:37

And that is insurance sorted.
What a bunch of wildly different quotes, from $500 to $1250

Come on Saturday

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