Looking to Purchase a New Car Mid 2015 | Calais V Vs. Mazda 6 Atenza Vs. Merc C200

CI on 05/11/2014 - 18:44
Last edited 08/11/2014 - 16:19 by 1 other user

Hey Guys, I am bored of my Camry and ready for a car to take me through another 5-8 years. I will be making the purchase mid 2015.
Lets get to it, I am trying to decide between 3 very different cars which you can say are all in a league of their own. Other cars I have in mind if someone could convince me Accord euro or Grand Cherokee.. However, lets stick to these 3:

Holden Calais V 2014
Mazda 6 Atenza 2014
Mercedes Benz C200 2013

I am definitely going to buy slightly used (brand new never again).

Heres what I am after which all three cars cover: Fuel Economoy must be below 9l/100km, lots of tech features(nav,sensors,lane assist,reverse camera, collison alert, keyless entry is a must along with starter switch) , luxury(leather interior, heated seats)

This is what "i think" all three don't share: servicing has to be reasonable, I should be able to get decent resale value in 5-8 years time

My driving habits: Mostly urban, ~10k-15k km per year

And just your general opinion

Help me decide fellas? Budget is resonable at $45k-$55k

Poll Options

  • 15
    Calais V 2014
  • 64
    Mazda 6 Atenza 2014
  • 11
    Mercedes C200 2013
Automotive

Comments

  • raymond y on 05/11/2014 - 19:15
    +1

    How many cars have decent resale value when they're 6-9 years old? An average drive will have clocked up nearly 100,000km. They will all be a similar fraction of what they were new and probably end up being more dependant on how it's been driven and maintain.

    Fuel Economoy must be below 9l/100km, lots of tech features, luxury

    What kind of "tech features" do you want, what do YOU consider to be "luxury"?

    Personally I've decided that my next car needs a sunroof, but you might think that's useless and think that heats seats is something more useful.There are also so many new technological features coming out such as adaptive cruise control and self parking vehicles, it comes down to what you want and need.

    Fuel economy stickers are just a guide as well, it comes down to the environments that you drive in, peak V not peak, as well as how you drive your car and how well maintained it is.

    Give us a bit more information and I'm sure there are heaps of people who are kind enough to help. Also a budget for purchase price would be helpful along with how much you want to spend each year in terms of insurance + service.

    Sometimes there's a reason why things are cheap and if you want quality luxury, you can't be all that stingy.

    • ESEMCE on 05/11/2014 - 20:55
      +8

      Get the Mazda.. It's the only one from that list that will have anything close to good resale..
      They look really nice, good size and features.

    • maybeamacy on 05/11/2014 - 23:44
      +2

      My car has a sunroof, heated, cooled seats, adaptive radar cruise etc. all unnecessary now. For my next car I want a panoramic sunroof though hope having 2x sunroofs is better than 1 lol.

    • CI on 05/11/2014 - 20:37
      +1

      No thanks bro
      I know no matter what, a car will depreciate, that's not what op is about

    • cypher67 on 05/11/2014 - 21:15
      +1

      Top gear tested the classic car theory, result was they are more expensive to run, more expensive to maintain, parts are difficult to source and expensive, the ride is terrible and insurance is a nightmare. Worked out to be a terrible investment.

      • [Deactivated] on 06/11/2014 - 20:56
        +6

        lol - Top Gear is a comedy. And a great comedy at that! But taking advice from that show is is ridiculous!

        Probably the wrong community to discuss, but I think you guys are mistaking "classic" with "any random car that is old"

        • cypher67 on 07/11/2014 - 19:49
          +3

          Agreed its a great comedy, and you need to take their advice with a grain of salt, however I still believe their points reign true.

    • ESEMCE on 05/11/2014 - 20:57
      +22

      Yeah, but he wants something reliable, with good fuel economy and with decent resale..
      The Jeep will have none of the above.

        • maybeamacy on 05/11/2014 - 23:46
          +1

          http://www.destroymyjeep.com/

        • [Deactivated] on 05/11/2014 - 23:58
          -4

          @maybeamacy:

          Oh wow a 10 year old piece of crap. Relevant to the recommended Grand Cherokee how?

        • maybeamacy on 06/11/2014 - 00:14
          +1

          @thorton82:

          http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/.a/6a00e551f37027883301…

          Jeep and Fiat fair very well in new car reliability surveys lol.

          That Cherokee was only 4 years old :( Do they turn into crap after 4 years? lol

        • ESEMCE on 06/11/2014 - 08:13
          +8

          I'm more than happy to give them a reprieve if they can back up their reliability history for more than a year or two.. As I've done with Kia and Hyundai in recent years.
          OP is looking to keep the car for 6+ years.. The fact your <5 year old car hasn't broken down yet, isn't a sign of good quality, it's just meeting standard expectations!

          At the moment though, "You bought a Jeep?" is exactly what I'd be saying to anyone who got one, followed up by "good luck with that".
          I don't deny that they're cheap, but there's usually a reason why something is cheap.

        • [Deactivated] on 06/11/2014 - 15:48

          @scubacoles:

          Kia and Hyandai have to offer massive warranties because their cars are rubbish and no one would buy them otherwise. Also, ignoring everything else I wrote shows just how objective your opinions are.

        • ESEMCE on 06/11/2014 - 18:49
          +1

          @thorton82:
          Nice troll…
          Say hi to the Kettle for me.
          :-)

        • maybeamacy on 06/11/2014 - 19:32

          @scubacoles:

          Thorton you are clearly a troll. Who buys a jeep? lol jks

        • zeomega on 07/11/2014 - 00:12
          +2

          @maybeamacy:

          I've got 2 colleagues with Jeep Grand Cherokees with electronic issues. Circa 2013 and 2014.

          Both dealers kept giving them the run around for a few months and they are pretty fed up with the crap. Other than that, they say its a decent car… when the electronics don't give them the piss. 1 of them still have yet to get his issue resolved after 8 months. His surrounding sensor keeps going off randomly (i've experienced it) when there are no vehicles or barriers in sight. Been told the sensors and controller has been "changed" multiple times.

          More hassle than it's worth.

          I also notice thorton82 keeps pushing the jeep to everyone and bashing jap/korean/reliable cars, is he affiliated with Jeep or some sort?

        • [Deactivated] on 07/11/2014 - 18:57
          -1

          @zeomega:

          No Im not, and Im not pushing jeeps, Im pushing the Grand Cherokee. I have no affiliation, I am just trying to enlighten you about what a great car the Grand Cherokee is, especially the MY14 + models. I can't say its Jeep's fault they made a good car, you'd have to give the credit to Mercedes and Fiat, but at least Jeep did the 4*4 system. The Wrangler is also a decent car. Every other jeep on the market is an utter piece of crap. Korean cars however, are all pieces of crap. They are generally underpowered, and built to look good on paper. Have you sat inside a modern Korean car? It is like a plastic factory, with hangover equipment from the 1980s. Most high quality cars outsource components such as gearboxes to specialists, but most Korean cars use inhouse engines and boxes, which pale in comparison the the competition. Although it is subjective the styling makes most people want to vomit, most Korean cars are like looking at a 20 year old Mercedes that has been left out in the sun and melted, while you are wearing a pair of heavy beer googles. They are reliable, no doubt, but that is it. They are uninspiring, ugly, boring. A car needs a soul, a Korean car is purely transport. I'd also not like to be in a crash in a Korean car (waiting for someone to post the Jeep Moose test video, then use this inaccurate video of a last generation CG as unequivocal proof that Jeeps are death traps, while all the other ignoramus ozbargaining Hyundai drivers click the shit out of the plus button, while negging the shit out of this post).

        • maybeamacy on 07/11/2014 - 19:13
          +2

          @thorton82:

          Which car broke the record for safest car tested by ANCAP in the past 21 years? http://www.caradvice.com.au/315223/hyundai-genesis-breaks-an…

          Mercedes uses in-house engines and gearboxes - guess they're shit too huh? lmao

          Are you really justifying a Mercedes chassis to make Jeep appear better? The Ssangyong Rexton was built on the Mercedes M platform (was the current platform back when it was released in 2001) and they're a pile of poo too. They even sourced actual Mercedes engines.

          The new C200 CDI uses a Renault engine - does that make it a crapbox french car?

          Infiniti's sources its turbo engines from Mercedes - does that make them equivalent to a mercedes?

        • [Deactivated] on 07/11/2014 - 20:00
          +2

          @maybeamacy:

          There is a difference between a safe car and a car built for NCAP. Renault is a prime example of this. The safest cars in the world, based off fatalities per 1000 accident are an E class Mercedes, A Range Rover and A Jaguar XJ. The safest car ever tested in crash tests is the Tesla Model S, which has broken all records in the USA.

          Mercedes does use in house gearboxes, and they aren't as good as the competitions. They aren't bad, but the 7 speed geartronic is not as good as the 8 speed ZF. Mercedes engines are great, from the bottom to the top.

          The Jeep Grand Cherokee doesn't just borrow the ML chassis, they were developed together when Mercedes owned Jeep. And yes it does make the car better. Drive it.

          Yes the engine in the new C200 is not good, but the car is good.

          http://www.carscoops.com/2014/09/review-finds-mercedes-c-cla…

          They should have stuck with their own 2.1 diesel, that is a great engine. I guess its built to a price.

        • zeomega on 07/11/2014 - 22:59

          @thorton82:

          Whilst you say Merc gearboxes are not great. I've never had any issues nor my friends have any issues with the merc gearboxes, even after bringing the merc to the track. Only the weak ass transmission mount went. :X

          Yes. ZF makes great boxes… no doubt, but just one part of the car.

          Have you sat in a Kia with a CRDI engine? Bloody hell.. the thing pulls so much harder than the Jeep, and is more fuel efficient with a 6 speed gearbox. Whilst i agree the interior is left wanting… overall performance and fuel efficiency much better than the jeep, which you've been trying to knock.

          External styling is subjective… so let's not go there.

          Bottom line, Korean diesels are awesome and most importantly reliable, with more warranty (if you do need to claim there's the peace of mind). Not that Jeep's warranty is of any use from what my colleagues are experiencing.

        • [Deactivated] on 07/11/2014 - 23:29
          -4

          @zeomega:

          You think a 130kw Kia engine with 390nm torque pulls hard?

          The jeep petrol 6 has almost double the power and similar torque and the diesel has 1.5 times the torque and considerable more power. No way it pulls harder than either. Even if it did (which it doesn't), the jeep can actually go offroad, the Kia can't even go up a steep driveway.

        • zeomega on 08/11/2014 - 00:06

          @thorton82:

          I give up trying to talk sense into someone who thinks he knows it all.

        • [Deactivated] on 08/11/2014 - 01:45
          -3

          @zeomega:

          Knowing more than you isn't knowing it all. That Kia engine is rubbish.

  • Teenee on 05/11/2014 - 21:31

    Further on this - how do you get the best deal on a new/demonstrator car ?

    Obviously go website to website then go press the flesh and ask for a deal but is there any resource that anyone can mention that helps and get a better starting point to negotiate ?

    • CI on 05/11/2014 - 21:35
      +22

      My dad. He good. My cousin just bought a 2nd hand yaris, advertised at $13k, dad walks in, I give you $7k, which was embarrassing, they like NO. he's like ok bye. We walk out car salesman comes after us and is like how about $10k. Dad, no. This happens for a while back n forth. Till we walk out of there with the car for $9.5k. Which is what cousin had budget for. Dad really did only want to pay $7k though.

      • FiDad on 07/11/2014 - 09:46
        +6

        He sounds like a Legend

      • Taita on 07/11/2014 - 13:50
        +1

        May be he can offer car bargaining services on OzBargain? I sure the deal would make it to the front page :)

        • BeefBiryani on 07/11/2014 - 14:56
          +2

          Actually this is the standard way to deal with used car salesmen. I learned this (almost) the hard way.

  • maybeamacy on 05/11/2014 - 23:47

    Is the Mercedes W205? I'd go with that.

  • rigby75 on 06/11/2014 - 07:27
    +9

    Mazda is what I would go with.
    Repair cost on the MB will be high.
    The holden will fall apart once warranty is over.
    Jeep don't go there, keep your old car if that's your best option.
    Go auto published an article on the reliability of tech gear in cars this week which might be worth a reading.

    • sagrules on 09/11/2014 - 12:36

      please post the link

  • Soundwave on 06/11/2014 - 08:27
    -6

    I don't know why the OP is wasting peoples time when it may not even happen 7 months down the track.

    Any suggestion made now will be pointless as they may change what they want or might not even bother.

    Why wait mid year to purchase? Or ask for opinions so early on?

    • Cheeper on 06/11/2014 - 11:18
      -5

      It does sound like a bit of a tyre kicking exercise with no purpose.
      In 7 months time he may be looking at motorcycles instead??

    • CI on 06/11/2014 - 11:23
      +8

      Relax bro. If you don't want to give an opinion just give post a miss. And also I am after general opinion on the cars so your point is invalid. Anyhow, I am sorry I wasted your time man.

    • Wyzard on 07/11/2014 - 04:58
      +5

      So when you decide you need a $50k car, you go out and purchase it the next day? You don't do some homework or ask around for opinions?

  • elektron on 06/11/2014 - 09:59

    I am a bit surprised that you have the Calais V on your list but have not considered the Aurion ZR6. Take it for a test drive and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

    It has the reliability and dependability of your Camry with the best ride and handling in it's class along with the smoothest engine.

    There is a model update next year, so you'll be able to get the current model (new or new-ish used) at good price.

  • elektron on 06/11/2014 - 11:04
    +5

    Why would anyone even consider a Jeep at 55k when you can buy the new Lexus NX300h Hybrid at this price?

    Speaking of reliability, Lexus has been number one on reliability surveys for over a decade.

    • Cheeper on 06/11/2014 - 11:20
      +3

      Without their mind bending massive advertising campaign I doubt jeep sales would have been a small part of what it has been. They bought a jeep… cos the tv told them to.. :-)

    • [Deactivated] on 07/11/2014 - 18:59
      -1

      Why would anyone buy a Lexus Nx300h when you can get an actual car for the same price? The Jeep can actually go off road, can actually tow, is more luxurious, has more power, is better looking, is fun to drive. It's literally better in every way. The Lexus might be more reliable, but its not like CG's break down on mass.

      • centrelink on 08/11/2014 - 02:43
        -2

        Why would you get a hot girl friend when you can get an ugly one for much cheaper and with added benefits of being overweight a better personality?

  • theo96 on 06/11/2014 - 17:59
    +1

    C200 — you only live once :-)

    • CI on 06/11/2014 - 18:13

      I am only 22 I am sure I'll get another chance to buy a car, God Willing.

  • flashydavid on 06/11/2014 - 18:23

    For that price you're far better off getting the mazda.i drove a c200 the other day. - rental and hated it. Stop start is really awful (compared to stop start in a golf). The Nav is piss poor as well - will probably cost you a lot. The interior feels cheap too. On the plus side the cruise control was great and you have the prestige badge.

  • Cluster on 06/11/2014 - 19:41
    +3

    The C200 suffers from the 'cheap Mercedes' syndrome. It won't impress anyone as everyone sees you're driving the cheap edition of better models. My vote is for the Mazda 6. It's a very solid car with great reputation and the repair/parts/service costs won't send you broke (Hello Mercedes). Calais? Well, Holden is pulling out of Australia anyway so it doesn't make any difference if you buy Australian or not anymore.

    • CI on 06/11/2014 - 20:37

      But don't you think it will better retain its value especially 14/15 model since its one of the very last ever to be australian made?

      • Ryk on 06/11/2014 - 21:11

        How long will parts be available once the local industry completely collapses. six months, seven?

        • CI on 06/11/2014 - 21:16
          +1

          Parts will always be available.

        • ESEMCE on 07/11/2014 - 07:48

          Parts must be available from the manufacturer for 10 year by law.
          And cause there are so many of them, parts will be available for long after that too.

      • huit on 07/11/2014 - 08:46

        Not if they're gonna sell 200,000 of them and then call the last 10,000 "Final Edition" or something

        • CI on 07/11/2014 - 11:23

          So wait till 2016… But then I'll have to buy brand new anyway.

      • susu abis on 09/11/2014 - 15:28

        european cars don't retain value. Almost the first things to go in a mercedes is the electronic and thats where it is expensive. I had a B200 and the transmission gave way…7k to fix!!!

        Stick with something like mazda. Have you considered the Accord Euro?

    • [Deactivated] on 06/11/2014 - 21:59
      +1

      The new C class including the C200 is a great car. The interior certainly doesn't feel cheap. I drove an old model C200, and even that was a pretty decent car.

      • ESEMCE on 07/11/2014 - 07:49

        But it'll still depreciate the fastest of the lot.

        • [Deactivated] on 07/11/2014 - 19:00

          Why would it do that? Merc depreciation is good. I really doubt you can get a second hand C200 right now for anywhere near RRP, they would all be above.

  • donedeed on 06/11/2014 - 22:49

    I don't how you have 45k-55k to spare at such young age.
    If it was me personally, I'd probably settle for something around 30k at most.
    But anyway, all the best mate.

    donedeed on 06/11/2014 - 22:49 (Collapsed - Offtopic. Show)
    • CI on 06/11/2014 - 22:53
      +2

      Thanks. Studied at uni like there was no tomorrow, and now working very hard. Just want the reward, I guess.

      • [Deactivated] on 06/11/2014 - 23:37
        -8

        You can't have been out of uni for more than a year, and most graduate jobs don't pay anywhere near enough to allow you to afford a $50k car.

        • CI on 06/11/2014 - 23:54
          +5

          2 years ago actually, I am not sure how you can say that when you don't even know me. You are off topic mate.

        • [Deactivated] on 07/11/2014 - 00:23
          -1

          @usama91:

          I know that almost all grad positions pay under $70k a year. How do you finish uni at 20 years old anyway?

        • CI on 07/11/2014 - 00:48
          +3

          @thorton82: started school a year early, skipped year 10. Hence 2 years in front for my age group.

        • toomuchdogfur on 07/11/2014 - 13:56
          +3

          @thorton82: Not all grads take grad roles - you know that people can start having careers whilst at uni right?

          Source: I did.

  • yoyo on 07/11/2014 - 08:40

    While I put the flame suit on, have you considered a Hyundai i40 Premium ? (hiding behind a firewall)

    It has 5 years warranty, fixed price servicing, 12 months / 15,000K interval, free road side assist, and free GPS map update for 3 years (2 updates)

    Cons: Hyundai, and unknown resale value

    • CI on 07/11/2014 - 11:16
      +1

      But then isn't Genesis the smarter option?

      • yoyo on 07/11/2014 - 12:24

        Well, I am not really sure about this. Gensis is a luxury car, from your list I can see that you are aiming at regular cars (specially the Holden and the Mazda) with luxury features. That's my thinking.

        • CI on 07/11/2014 - 17:09

          Yes but it's a hyundai..

  • [Deactivated] on 07/11/2014 - 10:00
    +2

    I would stick with the ever reliable Camry until you can afford a Tesla :-) 8 year warranty too.

    • CI on 07/11/2014 - 11:17
      +1

      Man you have no idea how badly I want the tesla, but if I'm going to get a car I only want the fully specd out model, in case of tesla model s, the top model will start touching $140k… Straya

      • Cheshire Cat on 07/11/2014 - 20:41

        Agree with that, would love a tesla, but not until they enter the real car affordability range :(

  • Cheshire Cat on 07/11/2014 - 10:21
    +2

    We bought a brand new Calais last Christmas and love it. We too considered the Mazda 6 but found it too small in reality for our needs and all the features were actually add ons and upped the price another $10K+
    I can't speak for the merc but we get good fuel economy (about 6.5L/100km on highway and probably around 11 in town). We also looked at our driving habits and a better fuel economy and dearer car and this worked our far better for us. The services are fixed price for the first few years too so that needed to be considered when working on the price.

    We also specifically wanted a station wagon and really wanted keyless entry so that limited our choices to a key then it was just a car of doing the sums and working out what size we wanted. I have found it great to drive though and a breeze to park (it has an auto park but I never rally use it) but the cameras and sensors make it much easier to park than my old civic that's much smaller.

    As many others have said though you need to consider what is important to you. If you travel 35,000 km a year fuel efficiency will be a big deal etc.
    But I can say the new Calais are a great car and it was hard for me to get over the commodore meathead thing to make the decision to get one but we have not a single complaint.

    • CI on 07/11/2014 - 11:21

      Thanks. My mind has been always towards the Calais V, but this post is making me think otherwise. My driving habits are very very urban, and only 10000 km a year. I work in the city so that's pretty much my only back n forth travel.

      • [Deactivated] on 07/11/2014 - 20:34

        Looking closely at your criteria, I would say the Calais V fits best except resale. And they use more fuel than they say they do. Second pick would be Accord Euro Luxury … very nice and hold value well, but not as much tech. Also you have the size difference to consider. But those two would be my picks for sure.

      • Cheshire Cat on 07/11/2014 - 20:37
        +1

        We worked on the same sums and found the fuel efficiency was more than enough to offset against the extra cost of a more efficient car (such as a Mazda 6 with similar features that costs $10,000 more)
        At 10,000km per year you are consuming an extra 250 litres (10,000/100 x 2.5 litre quoted difference) which only equals $375 a year. If we keep the car for 10 years it's only cost us $4k extra in fuel spread over 10 years instead of a $10k up front extra car cost for the Mazda 6.
        Also the fixed service costs probably reduce that a little as well.

        Just curious what exactly in my post put you off? Was it the different to snickered fuel efficiency? Most seem to be a bit off and it's highway one was actually more fuel efficient than they quoted…so maybe it's my city driving style hehe

        Black was very hard to find when we bought ours but we did eventually get one from North Queensland hehe. It just holds so much in the boot too compared to other cars. (And a digital speedo which I don't think I can live without anymore)

  • maybeamacy on 07/11/2014 - 11:35

    OP - what about getting a coupe while you're young?

    • CI on 07/11/2014 - 11:50
      -1

      Nah bud, not my thing. Had soarer 92 twin turbo when I got my license, bad decision.

      • jzx100 on 07/11/2014 - 14:22

        Soarer's are quite good cars, I assume you bought one with high km's? Turbo's may have gone or seals etc…? Or wasn't well maintained, asides from these nothing much goes wrong with those cars.

        • CI on 07/11/2014 - 15:40

          Actually it was low kms for its time, 99k when I sold it, 90k when I bought it. Two things, the turbos were giving me too much trouble and because it had a 'fully suck' looking body kit and tints, cops gave me too much grief. And I'm not the hoon type, hence moved to 09'Camry, it's such a good car.

        • CI on 09/11/2014 - 13:03

          @usama91: sick*

  • SupeNintendoChalmers on 07/11/2014 - 12:17

    Hyundai Genesis.

  • striker5950 on 07/11/2014 - 13:10
    +5

    forget holden, its dead, mazda 6 all the way if you want value for money and it looks so modern and gorgeous, if ur a badge snob get the benz, value for money doesnt come close to the mazda..
    edit: if we are talking about the new redesigned c class than we have a problem :P 2015 C class ALL THE WAY! its being reffered to as a smaller version of the lattest s class!

    • CI on 07/11/2014 - 13:22

      Yes the Mazda 6 pretty damn good looking. The new c class looks absolutely beautiful, but I can't afford that. Nah, I don't care about badge, like you said I am after value for money.

      • striker5950 on 07/11/2014 - 14:38

        well in that case mazda 6 it is, what colour do you like more? black is really nice but hard to keep clean, red and grey are really nice too

        • CI on 07/11/2014 - 15:41

          Definitely want to go black or pearl white. White is the new black apparently. But I still love the Calais though, true Aussie icon.

        • striker5950 on 07/11/2014 - 17:48

          @usama91: yeh specially pearl white seems to be in trend, black looks super sleek when its washed and hand polished though. blacked out mazda 6 would look sick!

        • zeomega on 07/11/2014 - 18:06
          +6

          @usama91:

          If you've never had a black car… do it… everyone has to learn the hard way once in their life! hahahaha

          Black cars are a PAIN to upkeep.
          You will notice EVERY. SINGLE. GRAIN. OF. DIRT. on your car you washed and polished a few days ago. Which you will be washing pretty regularly.

    • ESEMCE on 07/11/2014 - 13:29
      +2

      forget holden, its dead,

      Rubs hands with glee at this attitude… will mean used prices will plummet and I'll be able to pick up a bargain in the future about the same time as our current bargain (final model Magna) dies.

  • toomuchdogfur on 07/11/2014 - 13:50
    +1

    If you're doing mostly urban and 10k a year, I'd get the Mazda 6 - I have the 07' version and have never found myself wanting for more power except when going up massive highway hills on road trips (and even then I can just kick it down a gear and rev a bit harder).

    I know of plenty with 2007 to 2012 plate V6 cars (Commodore/Falcon/Aurion) and all speak of 15L+/100km for full urban use. Not sure how much the 2014 V6 improves over that but even the manufacturers state 9.0L vs 6.6L (both petrol, mixed cycle) so I highly doubt it'd be less than the I4.

  • jzx100 on 07/11/2014 - 14:32
    +1

    Would you consider an imported car? They are great value and come with way more extras than those three cars you have chosen.

    Toyota Mark Xthis is the bigger, better and badder brother of the Aurion, it poops all over it hands down. There are a few around in Australia atm.
    Below $45,000 for the top of the line 2013 model with very low km's.

    Toyota Crown Hybrid Athlete- It's a luxury sedan that's a hybrid. Below $50,000.

    • CI on 07/11/2014 - 15:42
      +1

      But then parts and warranty is a headache, along with insurance.

      • jzx100 on 07/11/2014 - 16:16
        +2

        I understand where you are coming from bro, I've only ever owned imported cars and I've never had any issues with parts. Toyota NZ have all the parts for any imported vehicle from Japan so they are very easy t find and don't cost that much. Once you drive one of these Toyota's you soon realise how crap the Australian made Camry's & Aurion's really are . But you're right, insurance, will be the biggest $$$$ killer for you as you are 22.

        Don't waste your time on a Holden if you are looking for re sale value.

    • theo96 on 12/11/2014 - 23:45

      Actually the Mark X is smaller than the Aurion (Camry-based) and is RWD, so it's a very different car to the Aurion. Closest is probably the Lexus IS 250 — I believe they're based on the same platform.

      Mark X is a great car, wonder why Toyota Australia does not bring it in officially (like Nissan Australia not bringing in the Skyline and ceding sales to parallel importers).

  • Bill48 on 07/11/2014 - 15:23
    +2

    Agree with the only pro Calais comment. Saw one in the street only the other day and spent the next few days voluntarily telling people how impressed I was. Also agree with the more limited run station wagon. This deserves to be a collector's vehicle. What a tragedy that GMH have finally got it together just as about to be wound up. The best non-specialist vehicle ever "made in Australia".

  • ShortyX on 07/11/2014 - 16:30
    +3

    4th option?

    If the Camry still goes ok, invest the money in an appreciating asset? :)

    • peterw1 on 08/11/2014 - 19:37
      +2

      I agree with Stix, keep the camry, wait till 2017 and buy new when the govt removes the LCT, prices of all cars will fall. ……..I am bored of my Camry….As for boring, your fridge is boring thats why you like it and it works for you. Be happy stay bored.

  • adn on 07/11/2014 - 16:45

    Holden Calais V 2014

  • Davros on 07/11/2014 - 18:00
    +3

    "My driving habits: Mostly urban, ~10k km per year"

    Jesus, I do more klms than that a year , not much more and am hard pressed justifying spending any more money than a $5000 Commodore.

    I used to have and can well afford a 6 figure European sportscar, I bought mine 2 years old after it had dropped a heap of value driving off of the showroom floor, but in the end was more trouble than it was worth in insurance, servicing and general maintenance on a $/klm driven value

    I worked out then that it would have been cheaper to call a limo service or instead a well looked after 8 year old Commodore for $5k which I'll change out at the first sign of trouble.

    With all the extra dollars saved I bought another house instead.

    • zeomega on 07/11/2014 - 18:09
      +2

      In the same boat as you. Whilst i still have the yearning to buy a nice euro car (who doesn't)… the cost of upkeep and maintenance is just ridiculous. Better putting the money into investment properties and driving a few year old reliable jap/korean car.

  • zeomega on 07/11/2014 - 18:11
    +1

    @usam91

    Have you considered the Mazda 3 as well? The new Mazda 3 is really nice for slightly less, which allows you to save some $$ and put it towards a property or the likes.

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