Considering the following aspects:
Any advice in terms of buying a car for an unexperienced individual such as myself is also much appreciated.
I pretty much fit your description, and I bought an older Nissan X-trail for well under 10K.
It's certainly not sporty, but I like to go skiing/camping/bike riding, and I can fit enormous quantities of crap in it and go into the alps without having to worry too much about carrying chains or road conditions.
It's also pretty fuel efficient (for a larger vehicle) and a pretty simple, reliable Japanese build.
What you get obviously depends on what you're likely to use it for.
Don't ride a bike ,you will be tomorrows news
I sold my 2001 VX Holden with RWC —12 months reg ,ex cond & I mean that,clean as clean,no smokers ever in car
dual fuel -auto , rev camera 92.000km for $6000 , i do less than 4000km a year.
First, do yourself a big favour and choose a car that does not have an east-west engine. (Get a rear-wheel drive car - not a front wheel drive.) On many front wheel drive cars, unrelated engine work requires the front steering be dismantled, adding to the cost. Avoid everything electrical you can too - power windows, power steering… Get aircon, but expect to be gassing it every year or two - unless you can find an installer that will fill it with "hychill".
Oh - and most guys enjoy driving a manual over an automatic. Auto gearboxes are very expensive when they require work too.
$10,000 is what we spent on our latest car. Built in the early 90s, it cost as much as a house at the time, and only had 20,000km on the clock. So start searching websites. Drive/ebay/gumtree/classic cars magazine, at the newsagent. Look for something someone else paid a fortune for - or spent a fortune doing up - and be the one that reaps the benefit when they find they can't get their money back.
Have a look at Volvo 240 or 940 models. Rear wheel drive. Available in sedan and wagon. Parts VERY cheap online. Large online support community (turbobricks/ozvolvo), because they are a world-wide car with very few differences between countries…
If I were forced to deviate from these things, I'd probably buy a Toyota - or more preferably - a Honda. Although even saying that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Knowing the cars for years now - and the other garbage other manufacturers (including Volvo now) foist on people… I'd rather drive a $2000 240 or 940 than a new Toyota or Honda. In fact, I'd SELL them both and be able to buy several $2000 cars - do nothing but oil changes - and when something expensive breaks every 4 or 5 years, leave it on the side of the road with "Free" on it, and buy another - and come out miles in front with money in the bank.
skyline or silvia
why would people give you negs? Especially considering the young age of the ozbargain audience… wow Gen Z sucks!
they are awesome cars. Had both back in the day!
Seriously, a few years ago I got a brand new Subaru Impreza - and it was boring as F - it literally felt worse than my 20 year old Silvia back in the day!
Silvia had more power, less weight, more electrics and 4 wheel steering!
So much more masculine than a queer Corolla or Hyandai. OP may as well buy a Great Wall and change his sex! lol
I'm still driving my car from uni days, Honda Civic 1997… Almost 300,000 on the odo ;-)
Good modern cars in your price range, with safety, power, mileage and importantly service/repair costs in mind are Corolla and Lancer.
For masculinity requirements: Get the Corolla hatch Levin or (if you're lucky) Sportivo variants. Almost all ES model Lancer's in mid 00's came with a mild sports bodykit including spoiler. These two cars are also easy to do a minor service yourself (oil change and fluid top ups) which, being a young man myself, is a great thing to be able to tell your mates you can do.
Hyundai i30 is a great car, but probably not ticking the "coolness" box for you.
Don't be buying a car with a Milo tin exhaust (i.e. Pointlessly riced up bog standard car). The above two would be my best bet. I've driven both and they are great, beats my 97 civic!
Be aware that these cars are extremely wanted, just keep hunting. Goodluck!
Lol @ milo tin exhaust
I'd suggest the following…
Hyundai i20
Mazda 2 - from 17k driveaway
Suzuki Swift - from 17k driveaway
I wouldn't recommend a corolla simply because it is an extra 7k on top of the cars listed (except the i20… couldn't find the price). Though the corolla is a good car, the price is from $24k driveaway.
Look again at topic title
~10k to Spend
Corolla for old women) come on! not for a young surfie guy)
Bought Lancer SportBack 2010 low kms
Love it! Awesoem car. Looks good. Reliable. Fuel efficient.
Cant imagine a young male in Corolla or YAris. Or other smaller cars…
those cars are for Women) heheheh
lol your lancer is no different to the corolla in the sense that its a 2 litre economic Japanese car in the same price bracket, hmm actually cheaper than a corolla.
ProjectZero
I'd suggest the following…
Hyundai i20
Mazda 2 - from 17k driveaway
Suzuki Swift - from 17k driveaway
He said 10k —- you added 70%
Lol my bad, I just thought everyone else was suggesting buying new… Either way those cars second hand would be great for a first car.
when i was 22 i bought a 2004 renaultsport megane 225 - paid about $10k for it, was an awesome car despite having a couple of niggles that i ended up fixing with new/wrecker parts as required. that car was an absolute bargain, bang-for-buck.
im now 24 and have a 2006 BF XR6 Turbo - not fuel efficient but a hell of a lot of fun - it also cost me about $10k.
plenty of good, modern, safe and yet fast/enjoyable cars out there for $10k.
full comprehensive insurance for each of those cars was easily under $1000 per year with AAMI, despite my age.
keep in mind though i hardly drive these days. i ride my motorcycle to work in the city (adelaide CBD), and only really drive short distances on the weekends if i need to actually physically pick something up that i couldn't carry on the bike.
My first car was a $1800 Datsun, took me 1 month to get onto the road learning how to DIY repairs :) Lasted for 7 years. haha the wealth of today. :P
Seriously anything Japanese (Kia/Hyundai are okay as well) and 5 years or less old. Keep away of Euros, they get expensive to repair as they age.
You can pick up a previous model Honda Accord Euro for around $10k.
They are a great car, classic looks, good fuel economy, get a luxury model and they are quite nice IMO.
VERY reliable.
I have an accord euro, 180K on the clock and running like an absolute dream.
Never had a problem with it (serviced at every interval, of course).
Would recommend.
Get the luxury variant, it's worth every dollar!
I sure hope you're not another young professional driver ;)
I've been playing need for speed a fair bit lately so you could say I'm getting pretty good at driving fast (not serious)
I consider myself a sensible driver but a car with a sporty and/or aesthetic edge to it would make driving more enjoyable.
Then this or a Mazda 3/6. Just try to find a decent one with full service history, because it will most likely have exceeded 150,000km.
Sorry ExpressCoffee I forgot those were still from Japan, but I automatically thought of <= 2l cars for the budget and running costs. Of which in Honda's case, are from Thailand.
Gee I'd love a K24 swap for my CRX ;)
Haha it was actually a reference to a similar thread - the person driving around your age was a "professional driver"
Value retention does not really matter. If it retains its value its going to to more expensive (for age and mileage), conversely, if it loses its value fast its going to be cheaper. Most of the cars would have done most of its depreciation in the first 4-5 years of life. After that they depreciate pretty much at the same rate (per year and mileage), the base price will only reflect its original price when comparing to others.
The best value for age and mileage I can find is nissan latio.
Next comes the ford focus and toyota corolla
I've seen some cars remain on the market for quite long so if you take your time and monitor the adds you can get a bargain from people who want to sell quickly.
These two are one of the few cars with a decent selection that are >$10k >$5-6years and >90k kilometres
Nissan Latio = Nissan Tiida
Generally considered unmanly.
Performance wise at that budget you can't beat a bike, also $20 to fill up with 98 premium isn't bad. Safety is a personal thing and can be managed with good gear and responsible riding.
Bikes are pretty simple mechanically and I do most maintenance myself plus there's many videos on youtube, regular service shouldn't take longer than 3-4 hours even for a newbie.
As for masculinity, it's a motorbike enough said.
At age 25, I got hit up the arse at a red light by someone who failed to stop in time. I was considering getting a bike up until then, but after that I thought bugger that for a game of soldiers.
As for masculinity, it's a motorbike enough said.
What this guy said.
Don't worry, he'll PM you his details so he can bathe and feed you after you take his poor advice and cop a spinal injury.
Seriously, if you want the fun of riding, do it in the dirt. You will fall off, but at least you're less likely to hit a car. I was almost cleaned up by a 4x4 who was using a fast trail badly. The vegetation was preferable to his bull bar.
Only after you've tried off roading, if you still consider falling off on tarmac appealing, go for it. But remember, it's not just trees and the odd rally-ace you have to be mindful of.
Ignore everything and go for the best looking car you can get.
Spend $5000 on the car. Invest $5000 in shares. You'll thank yourself when you're older.
Shares are a gamble for the uninformed I would've said. To just take advice about entering the share market without consideration of your own circumstances raises alarm bells for me :P
Given you're 100% certain of losing the money in a car, you'd be picking a bad share to end up worse off!
I hope your super isn't invested in shares then, since it's such a big gamble.
read the whole post Warren Buffett. I was only saying IF you had no idea and followed say your advice to jump on a certain share that your uncle made their fortunes on
Toyota camry.
In 2011, I bought a 2005 Toyota Camery Altise, 4 cylinder, for $8000 at a local car yard. It had it's service book in the glove box- and had been serviced on time through it's liftime. That's one thing that's a deal-breaker for me on buying a used car—> MUST have service records.
Turned out to be the nicest car I've ever had (& I've had a few, including a beaut of a Cadillac Sedan Deville Brougham). Nice smooth ride (surprisingly powerful for 4cyl), good fuel efficiency, handles great, roomy interior. When I bought mine, the insurer at the time was putting the value at $11000, so I got a good deal. Have only done the basic service & splurged on new tyres, so far.
Toyotas are also pretty good in the "comes out on top" dept. in accidents, should it ever happen. When my son needs his 1st, this is what I'll be recommending for him.
HTH
smh at these comments about silvias and skylines. He wanted something cheap to run
at that budget and considering the age of the car you could buy, unless you're handy under the hood expect things to be needing replacement (workshop fees)
Sure there's the fact you've got something sporty (ricer to all those haters ;)) insurance for anything fun, unwanted attention from cops plus cost of upkeep/ fuel etc…
I'm in the process of looking for a cheapie sub $5 k car as a daily. The sw20 is a bit unreliable at times and quite impractical :(
hows a skyline or silvia not cheap to run?
they are reliable and so much spares out there. huge aftermarket support. even if it blows the engine, another sr is only 1k. Run stock boost and not heavy on the throttle he will get some mileage per tank.
Alot mechanic knows how to work on them, alot of forum for DIY. He keeps it stock the poo poo will leave him alone.
Finally they have been so deprecated after the release of 86. he will get most of his money back when he sells it later.
Only downside is insurance. but my assumption he will be on third party which doesn't change price much due to this type of car.
Toyota corolla sportivo if you can find an good example that hasn't been thrashed. I am still driving mine bought from new 10 years ago. Its been very reliable and has given me trouble free motoring in that time.
Aurion if you can find one in your price range. Brilliant car. Never owned one, but that doesn't stop it being one of the best cars of its segment ever.
the OP is a young male adult, no doubt with a good personality, so why be a dork in a Camry or Corolla? get a subaru or mazda
Mazda? What 'cool' mazda can you get for <$10k? Actually, what 'cool' mazda can you get that aren't the recent ones? Miata?
You heard of car sales dot com dot au? Try Mazda sp23, Subaru impreza
All with the feedback sensation of a wooden block. I agree that they look really nice, but the Toyota dynamics…
Definitely NONE - loses value straight after purchase, sucks in money (insurance, maintenance, registration, fixing, parking, gas…), you walk less - get more unhealthy. Much better get yourself a bicycle or electric scooter or simply walk and combine with public transport.
As someone's already mentioned: Renault Megane RS225 - plenty of grunt and unbelievably fun handling for a FWD car (or any wheel drive for that matter). That's if you can stand the looks. Cheap as chips, and contrary to the French reputation (hence the low 2nd hand price), mechanicals are bulletproof, and very safe. Can be had for less than $10k and reasonable parts and service costs. Any WRX or Evo in the same price range would've been thrashed to within an inch of its life and a few years older.
Won't take away form your masculinity - people might just think you're weird, but what do they know.
If only you're not scared of your masculinity - an MX5 is also a cracker of a car if you value handling and driving fun over everything else (like practicality, traffic light grand prix's, interior space)
Great suggestion…
Love the cars that everyone forgets (or don't like the appearance).
volvo?
volvo make car?
hilux
do you have your full licence?
what is your preference? manual/auto/awd/fwd/rwd/forced induction.. you need to give more info
do you care if its 2 door or 4 door?
there is so many cars to recommend, do you want a sports car OR a normal everyday car?
My bad for pretty vague description, I'm about 3 months from my green Ps (so currently reds), preferably auto and impartial for fwd/rwd, and not that savvy so i'm not sure what forced induction means.
4 doors would be prefered as well but 2 doors will be considered too.
I'll also consider both sporty/everyday car suggestions, whichever i find suits my criteria best.
Thanks :)
ok forget forced induction, it means turbo/supercharged. yeh in that case just go for a normal car preferably Japanese corolla, civic, lancer, mazda etc, I my self like the looks of the mazda 3 compared to the rest of the japs, so you dont have to worry about your masculinity like you said lol.
and I recommend jap because its cheap, reliable, uses less fuel, good quality, and lasts a life time with the right servicing, you don't have much options in the sports car range while on red Ps, just wait till you get fulls than buy a proper sports car, if you are not into sports cars, just keep the car you are gonna buy now, and keep saving up!
used HOLDEN CRUIZE 1.4turbo or VW series 6 GOLF 1.4Turbo & look for one thats an AUTO.
service cost the cruize is a little cheaper to service if going to the car maker for servicing but abaout the same if using a third party…
look for shoppadoc's on servicing or see if jax tyers has a service card you can buy, it will save you BIG$
carsales.com.au & buy from a dealer if you can as it comes with warranty and protection! if a private sale get RACQ to check it out and neg a lowwer price than from a dealer
redbook.com.au to get an idea of values too
Those cars you suggested should come with a $2000 mechanic voucher and a lifetime NRMA membership
THATS TRUE OF EVERY MECHANICAL CAR, EVEN A NEW ONE
http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/Holden-Cruze-2011/…
$12k for a auto, turbo, low K's ride. you can do worse
you can do worse
But a wheelbarrow is cheaper, better made and more reliable.
JZX100 Chaser or Mark II. Four door convenience, not cop bait, excellent performance, and unique.
I was in your situation very recently. 24 red ps first car. I was initially looking at a second hand car around 10k but I really felt the value bracket is either new car around 15k or older car around 6k. I found that second hand cars at 10k were already about 7 years old and had about 100k km on the odometer which is nearing major service requirements. In SA the market is smaller than in NSW or VIC which didn't help. I decided that I didn't know enough about cars and wanted to go hassle free and thus bought new. I test drove a Kia rio, Toyota corolla, vw golf and polo, all the small fords and Suzuki swift. VW and ford fiestas had a nice ride but the ford had a crap gear shift. Kia Toyota and Suzuki were very dull, probably in that order to drive (best to worst). I ended up with the mid range vw polo. 17k with vw finance (100 pw over 5 years). 50 per fortnight to fill up on 98 octane. Easy to park. Enough guts for city driving (not so great for country). Good resale value.
That's my 2 cents. Good luck
Why isn't anybody saying Mazda 6?!
My first car was a 94 model 626. If the later models have the same build quality you can't go wrong.
Hold their value a bit too well vs some others, 10k would be an older/more K's in comparison.
Go well though.
The Mazda 6 GG series (2002-2007) was one of the best handling cars in its class, and still looks really good for its age. Build quality is excellent, insurance is cheap, and the 2.3L I4 engine is nice and powerful. The steering isn't as light as other cars and the suspension is a little firm, but that helps make it feel sporty. I recently bought a 2007 Luxury Sports (top of the range) for $12k from a Mazda dealer, so you won't have too much trouble finding a privately sold Mazda 6 within your budget.
Get a Toyota Echo - cheap to run, frugal and doesn't depreciate anymore. Learn how to be handy under the hood and maintain the car yourself. It will not only save you money in the long run, but you will also learn a new set of skill. You said you're pretty good at driving? A good driver knows not only how to drive, but also how to maintain his car. A good driver should know, not only how to floor the accelerator, but also how to change engine oil, brake pads, and can tell when to top up his car fluids!
An Echo can probably be had for $ 6000, one trip to the servo will cost you around $ 60 to top up the fuel tank (and they can last for so many Kms), comprehensive insurance with Progressive Direct Insurance will cost around $ 350/yr. As for the maintenance, the spare parts and consumables are pretty cheap. Oil engine filter - $ 8, Pennzoil fully synthetic is around $ 40/5 litre when on sale, brake pads $ 60 (Bendix), brake rotors $ 60/pair etc.
he will get punched in the ovaries in that car.
Whatever you do, don't be tempted for something semi flashy like an old BMW, Volkswagen, etc. I say semi flashy as 3 series and Golfs are bog standard cars in Europe while people appear to worship them here. The maintenance costs and insurance will eat you alive.
Buy something Japanese or Korean. Ignore the Internet forum haters that Toyotas are fridges on wheels and Hyundai are crap. You can get some very good second hand Corollas and i30s for $10k. Maybe look at a Mitsubishi Lancer but beware that the old 2.4L MIVEC automatic models use more petrol per 100km than a new model Commodore.
Can I suggest VW bora? You're getting a cheap car to run, small, big boot, 4 doors for cheap insurance, side airbags and a great safety rating, low price due to being a not well known model, but easy to find and reasonably priced parts as is basically a golf under the hood. I got one after being in the same position and looking around. Other suggestions would be Mazda 3 or 6, or Honda accord euro.
Regarding service costs, the cars are both old and well known enough by now that there is not really much advantage to taking the car to a dealer for servicing, so your local reputable mechanic will be able to service these cars. VW have less frequent servicing schedules than mazdas so the cost comes out pretty even. Far better decision than buying a flashy 6 cyl and spending $$ on petrol, imho.
If you want something sporty :
- nissan Skyline r32/r33
- nissan Silvia
- toyota MR2
- mazda mx5
- toyota supra
- wrx impreza
- lancer evo
All asian cars, with pretty basic build. So will have cheap parts and maintenance costs.
Not sure about insurance on them though. Can anyone comment on that?
He said he was on his ps..
The above post is stupid. Those cars are expensive to buy and hella expensive to insure. Also prone to theft.
Toyota have been around for a long time and they know how to build reliable cars.
Toyota Corolla( pref is the hatch). 1.8L, Double overhead cam, steering weight is right on, fuel is great. Might be a little stingy with their features but ur gettin a "goer".
Test drove:
Honda civic - drive is nice (interior and dash very nice), but bit of a nugget(SOHC).
Hyundai i30 - heaps of features, steering felt a little loose, plastic toy feel, goes ok.
Toyota Corolla hatch ascent sport - less features, smoked em in drive & nuts are a little bigger. :)
And holds their value BIG TIME!
I gotta friend who works in NRMA road side assistance call centre.
The cars she very very very rarely gets calls on are HONDA, and Toyota. So they are reliable.
I bought my 2006 Corolla in 2009 as a statuary right off because it was in a flood. Only thing got changed was the computer chip & and after that NEVER MISSED A BEAT!!
Damn thing was a Submarine and still kept going. :)
Toyota Corolla for $10,000.
Did you name it Red October? Das Unterseebooten doesn't roll off the tongue as well.
Awesome thanks for lols.
@BargainHaggler: It is illegal to re-register a statutory write-off in every state and territory. You may have replaced the ecu and been able to restart the car, but who's to say that the airbags will deploy when you need them most, or that the car isn't now rusting from the inside out?
+1 for the 1.8 or 1.4T cruize, avoid diesels (I have one so i speak from expereince but its under warranty but will sell when the warranty is nealy up as they are very expensive to do anything to)
Polo/Golf in the 1.2/1.4T are great, if you go manual you should have no problems and both the VW & holdens are a fun drive… But for heavens sakes avoid all the old hero cars, not worth it - times have moved on and they are all past it for everyone but the classic car colector who is having a mid life crisis of too much money and time!
Holly crap! Your suggestions are insane. Those cars are all money pits.
Why don't you just ask him for his banking password and take all his money?
I personally just sold a Honda Accord Euro for $9000 and it was one of the saddest days I've ever experienced with cars because I loved the car so much.
Not one problem in over 10 years. Solid (doors still have that great sound when you shut them). Still looks modern. Handles like it's on rails (best handling car I've driven and I've driven a few). Very punchy. Yet being a 4 cylinder good on gas. Great mod cons (best sounding factory stereo I've ever heard for that price range). No bluetooth but no-one did that long ago.
I really wish I didn't have to sell it and I'm still feeling that way.
Consider the Honda Accord Euro if you can find a good one.
"Consider the Honda Accord Euro if you can find a good one."
Not many good ones eh?
Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R - only criteria it doesn't quite meet is the safety bit, but the masculinity bit goes through the roof :D
if the OP doesn't even have his motorbike Ls, and he's on his car Ps, it'd be three years minimum before he would be able to ride a ZX6R anyway :)
I had the zx6r and was part of the Kawasaki ZX owners club. Had great rides on the weekends with other members.
Falcon (or even commodor) on gas
fuel efficiency
Check : Not technically/environmentally efficient because they use more liters per unit distance, but since LPG is less than half the cost of regular petrol, your fuel costs will be similar to a much smaller car.
good safety standards of car
Check: As stated by someone earlier, Falcons after 2008/09 have 5 star rating. On top of that they are a lot bigger hence more crumple zones and more survivable cabin space than your econobox. Bottom line : you’ll be safer in a 2009 falcon than you would in something like a 2012 Corolla in most cases.
low maintenance/ basic repair costs
Check: Plenty of parts, cheap to maintain, and lot of mechanics know how to fix them.
good performance wise
Check : Plenty of power in those V6 engines
doesn't take away from my masculinity e.g. nissan micra
Check: Big and bold, what more do you want?
So for someone's first car, you'd recommend a RWD. So long as it's LPG.
I wouldn't give a novice driver that advice. FWD/AWD are inherently safer in avoiding the accident in the first place. Years of research has confirmed this. When someone panics, they back off, brake and/or over-correct the steering.
RWD is less forgiving in these situations, unless it's a very recent model (2008+) with the their excellent stability programs.
I've addressed running costs in a previous post. I hate repeating myself.
unless it's a very recent model (2008+) with the their excellent stability programs.
Guess how much a 2008+ Falcon/Commo on Gas sells for?
Great.
Now tell us cost of ownership. Is it rollin' 18s by chance? Smaller, narrower tyres as fitted to smaller cars are always cheaper.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
You don't need to be Einstein to see that.
unless it's a very recent model (2008+) with the their excellent stability programs
Exactly my point, with modern stability control system there are no discernible handling disadvantages in rear wheel driven cars. And yes, you can buy a 2008/2009 Falcon FG XT on Gas (ANCAP 5 star with DSC) for 10k, which is why I recommended one in the first place. Falcons have very good engines, and plenty of cheap parts. So maintenance costs are low. Have you owned one ? I did a fair bit of research on Falcons FG variants on Gas recently (including consulting those who own them) because that was one of the cars in my short lists. From what I found, a Falcon FG on Gas is probably the best large most economical car you can buy in the 10~15k range.
Have you owned one ?
Wise men learn by other men's mistakes, fools by their own. (Churchill)
One of my uncles has owned five Falcons over the years. Aside from sentimental value, they were rubbish.
A good friend of mine once bought a brand new Fairmont Ghia, if you don't mind. Left him stranded one rainy morning with a failed fuel pump. Teamed with electrical problems, sub-par interior fit/finsh, poor metallic paint job and front-end geometry that ate tyres with uneven wear, he paid big coin for that privilege.
Needless to say, he traded that after 18 months for a…Saab.
I know, he's a sucker.
As for the much newer FGs, I'd certainly hope they're better. But it's hard to shake a reputation, and I'd always be apprehensive. An LPG tank is pretty bulky. A good portion of your boot is therefore sacrificed. There goes your large-car advantage of a big boot.
But running costs include much more than fuel. You reckon parts are cheap? Which parts? Why the need for parts for a recently manufactured car? Shouldn't the thing be engineered with parts that actually last and not need replacement unless he prangs it?
Do you mean normal wear and tear? Let's look at the two most common of these.
16 or 17" tyres are dearer than 14 or 15" (if we're being fair and comparing the same tyre brand and model). A heavier car typically wears its tyres faster. This is why many taxi operators favour tyres rated for 70-80,000km. They can't afford to be fitting tyres every six months.
As other motorists who've tried these hard compounds will testify, they're diabolical — especially in the wet.
As others are so fond of physics, AN FG Falcon XT is 1704kg dry. Add a reasonable 50kg for LPG tank and fittings. So it's 400-600kg heavier than the cars I pointed to in my first post.
A bigger, heavier car will wear its brakes at a faster rate. AFAIK, all new brake pads start out at much the same thickness, right? How are Falcon pads or discs cheaper than those for a Mazda3, Civic or i30? Let's dispense with reality and say they somehow are cheaper.
Is it not a false economy if you're having to replace them more often?
It's all well and good to advocate a heavier car for battering-ram fun, but greater mass is also a liability with cars.
Just ask Lotus, Honda, Mazda, Ferrari…I'll stop there.
Lastly on parts…
Most folks in the know don't get OEM parts anyway, as they're never cheap. They use eBay or elsewhere online and can save a fortune. Why would you pay $30 for a name brand air filter when the $10 one fits, functions and lasts just as well? (Comedians: note that I'm not suggesting $20 is a fortune. There's many a story online where people have saved hundreds on something like a distributor, alternator, pump etc).
If the kid is willing to service his own car, it might be okay. If he was my son and was seeking my advice, I'd steer him elsewhere.
But I suspect that's already been established ;)
Nissan Pulsar. The model barely changed over many years so spare parts are cheap and mechanics familiar with the vehicle are plentiful. Not too powerful so you won't kill yourself through inexperience in an over powered vehicle. Good resale value when you want to move up to a "cooler" car when you work out what you actually want from a vehicle performance and feature wise.
Nice find. Low k's but a bit thirsty. 9.9l combined isn't great.
An interesting left-field option is the VW Passat 2006+ models, particularly the 4Motion V6 model, has about as much power as a Golf R but isn't turbocharged so won't be on the do-not-drive list for P platers. they also have a DSG and, as the name implies, AWD. ive seen a few around for $10,000 to $11,000.
And if the DSG breaks it'll cost 10-11k to replace too lolol
Okay, I didn't bother reading any of the above comments but here is my 2c:
I just turned 21 and recently purchased my 7th car.
My first car was a BA Fairmont on gas and it is still my current everyday driver.
All the other cars I have had were to replace the ford but none held up as well as it has.
It is cheap to run on gas 30 bucks gets me 380-420km's, comfortable, pretty powerful for what it is, tow's like a champ, fit all your mates and their stuff in with ease.
Although if you don't need a big car for towing/ friend storage then I would recommend r34 GT, cheap on fuel, insanely reliable, parts are cheap (common misconception that they are expensive), really nice car to drive with all the safety features of later model cars. plus they are pretty masculine.
I just bought a r34 GTT for when I get off my P's and i LOVE it
Just my opinion :)
Who the hell has bought 7 cars at 21?
camoqs did that. But first 6 cars were bought from target/bigw sale and 7th one was from car yard..
hahaha I wish, woulda been a lot cheaper.
@camoqs my mate bought a r34 gtt the other day, how much did you pay for yours?
Honda Accord Euro 2009-2011.
Does it come under $10k?
A friend recently bought 2010 model for $11200. Not sure about the badge but it is in excellent condition and has around 65K kms on the clock.
Nissan Tiida. Never had a problem with it. Not the prettiest, but one of the roomiest in it's class. I got mine second hand back in 2009. 16,000KM 1.5YO for $11.5K the ST-L model. Best to look around for a private sale, and take it to a mechanic that you trust to inspect it.
Great cars.
As Top Gear magazine said:
Replaced the Pulsar. Would probably sell better if it were named "Pulsar".
Does well in the RAA chart from page 1.
toyota corolla for hassle free driving