Stemming from supervigilante discussion i thought it would be a good idea to see what do Ozbargainer's drive and why?
Please state:
- Make & Model
- Kms done
- Price Paid
- Financed/Leased/Paid Off
What Car Do You Drive? Why?
patinadiary on 28/05/2015 - 10:33
Last edited 28/05/2015 - 10:53
Last edited 28/05/2015 - 10:53
Comments
Did you buy it from a backpacker leaving australia ? :)
Kind of. The bloke I bought the 1996 magna from seemed to be a worker on a 457 visa who was reluctantly leaving.
I've just bought a demo white 2014 BMW 420d coupe with 10k. Optioned with sunroof, 19 inch wheels and heated seats. All on my bucket list.
Financed approx half of the 63k purchase price. Priced an identical one new and it was 87k before negotiation and with five year service. I factored that in at about 7-10k. No brainer on the demo with 13 months rego thrown in.
Really like the look and getting around 800 plus km from a tank which is great as I'm on the road a lot which is also far more enjoyable in a nice car.
Looked at plenty of other options from s3 to wrx and A45s but for the money and drive I couldn't resist. Also considered a Lexus RC coupe but didn't feel they were up to par on engine technology and fuel efficiency despite being a magnificent looking car.
Got a good deal. Sold my Toyota 86 privately and really enjoying it.
Basic spec compared to even the Toyota without comfort access and folding mirrors, lane departure etc but these are the limitations of buying second hand. Still got the balance of warranty and free service.
My first diesel so a bit of a culture shock but if you can deal with the tractor sounding engine you get efficiency and torque in return.
Insurance is approx $1000 pa inclusive of all drivers with windscreen and rating one protection. And I'm a 39yo male in the finance industry.
By far the nicest looking and most respectable car I've ever owned and has space for four adults. Comfortably.
Overall. Very happy.
No ozbarginer drives farrari or Maseratis haha, no rich person would be here.
one who drives supercars wont even have time to use internet on daily basis. They would be busy with meetings and high class social life.
OZB is not about being cheap or poor, it's about seeing, seeking and identifying good value, we strive for nothing less.
As a result we are NOT poor.
Speak for yourself.
Poor bottom-feeder here, and proud of it.
2013 Prius
-Done 30k+
Bought outright brand new for 31k through a reverse car auction site it was RRP39K, so I guess I done myself a great deal! Awesome fuel economy at 4.0L/100km - BP 98, 40L tank and I only revisit the station only every 2 weeks. low running cost - Good for my wallet and great for the environment. Comes with capped price servicing at about $130 per 10k logbook service. Very roomy interior with plenty of legroom for 5 adults and large boot. The brakes pad only need to be replace every 100,000 km. As it don't have an alternator that's one less part to fail. Wish I had bought the i-tech version though…
2013 Ford Focus ST
30,000kms last week
$38000
Love the car, absolute hoot to drive. Manual can sometimes be a pita in stop start city driving, but get it out on the Reefton Spur and :D
Purchased with 3 years free servicing.
Reasonable fuel consumption - varies greatly depending on driving type though - 9-10L/100km in stop start city, 7-8L/100km on the highway.2014 Proton Preve
4000Km
Paid $13,990 brand newWhy:
Because for the price I paid it was 10x larger than anything out there. It drove better than the Mirage and Barina sedans and too me looked better. I'm happy with it.Given those options, I'd have done the same.
Just saw the Preve on Google, not a bad looking thing actually, esp for the price!
DEvok- I'll have you know, i drive a red Ferrari Mr. I may be asleep at the time, in a lovely dream but that's not important. Did you say something wrong, you got 2 negative votes? Btw Hi I'm ……. and i am a proud 'cheap skate' oz bargainer. :)
Someone's feelings hurt?
2013 Holden Colorado Dual cab
40,000km
$42,000 financed.
It tows the boat, goes on the beach when camping, fits the misses' luggage, hunting, has a decent safety rating, fits the kids, has a good payload for wood chopping, comfortable enough to drive the 6hours to see family and it was within our price range. It has been a great car.2010 Made, 2011 first registered Honda Accord VTi, 29,000kms when I picked last june for $18k.
20,000 kms later no issues. Runs as good as when I bought.
2013 Toyota 86 GTS
43,000km
$39K leased
Doing a fair bit of daily driving in my previous car (2006 Corolla) gave me the shits. Bought this for a bit of fun and the creature comforts.First
2009 Mini John Cooper Works Clubman R55
100 000ks
$20 500
Paid cash money - zero financeSecond
2003 Mini Cooper (Non S)
108 000ks
$7700
Paid cash
1989 Subaru Brumby. Paid 1k Cash
Leaks oil but survives till the next 10k service.
heater and aircon work and has minimul rust.
Should get another year or two out of it fingers crossed. 270,000ks.Missus has a brand new Mitsubishi ASX paid 23k
2000 Subaru RX Impreza
160 000ks
$10000 when i got it second hand 5 years ago.I bought it as I couldnt afford to ensure a WRX at the time. Got the exhaust done so I feel like im going fast.
Its been a great car, with regular servicing. Only had to replace the clutch and rear wheelbearing since owning it.
Currently trying to sell it, but there dosent seem to be much of a market for a well looked after non-wrx impreza at this age.1992 Mazda MX5
189 000ks
$4000 second hand.Just recently bought it as I was looking for a fun older car that was 'reasonably' reliable. Its such a fun and simple car. No air con, no power steering, soft top and awesome handling.
My day to day commuter is a 2009 Kia Cerato, I paid either nothing or $20 for it depending on your point of view.
We were at a club having dinner and was actually there for the members draw (for the car) never usually there so stayed a little longer and put $20 in the pokies to waste time. Turns out I was lucky and they called my number, won the car. Was a month after I changed jobs and lost the company car so it was good timing.
Would never buy one but its been a great commuter car for me and helps that I won it and care very little for it.
2010 Mitsubishi I-Miev bought a year ago for $17k. Had 24500kms on the dial…
10000kms done all for free..
Brilliant little car…
2010 Lenco BearCat. Bought for $45,000 from auction. 150000kms done on it. Brilliant tank and does the job well. My clients are well satisfied.
6.7L Turbo Diesel version
features .50 caliber rated ballistic glass and blast-resistant floors
A Giggle Mobile: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZPvSZtLh98
Not the povvo base model either, the fully sik (sic) tricked out Ghia with full corrugated cardboard body kit, stitches & buttons, rear mounted fan prop & bubble canopy for underwater running…
…total owl magnet!!! :P
2008 Dodge Nitro SXT (Luxury Pack) with all the factory and chrome bling add ons, love the drug dealer look
Currently 14000kms (Since new, only travelled on the weekends to the "shops")
Paid outright, rocked up to the dealership with a briefcase full of cash, only to be told that they don't accept cash. Basically walked into the dealership pointed to the car (didn't even test drive it) and they had to drive me to the bank for a bank cheque - later came back and they found a dent on the B pillar and had to fix it.Few weeks after hand over of the keys, the dealership went bust. (York Motors, Rushcutter's Bay)
Why would buy a car without driving it?
1997 subaru impreza wagon 2.0 AT 295,000km on the clock. power steering wheel, aircon, electrical windows, cruise drive option…
Bought it 1.5yrs ago for $1,200 with 6 months rego and 275,000km.
I use it to go to work and back home (1hr each way) mainly and to drive around on weekends.
9L/100km, I do usually around 400km per week.
Still going strong, I have not been disapointed and cannot believe this car is still doing great for its age.
Does not look good for a 26 years old driver but hey, saved heeps of money so far !
Will have to service it soon.
2014 Hyundai i30 SE
15,000kms
$18,990
Paid Off OutrightWhy? Because I wanted a brand new car, and the i30 SE was one of the better value cars on the market. I absolutely love it!
Ha, love these threads.
Everyday car is an old Falcon EF Series 2 Wagon with 280k on it with a FSH from new - paid $400 4 years ago. Can't see any point at all having an expensive car for everyday stuff. Been there, got heartbroken with supermarket car park dings etc. I don't care of the Falcon gets scratched etc, parts are dirt cheap and as an Mech/Electronic Engineer I can fix anything within reason and enjoy doing so.
Otherwise here a 2001 LR Disco 2 V8 - bought from new as a company lease car so only owned/driven by us. ALL spares sourced from the UK via parent-post or occasional air freight. Discos have a few commonly known faults but given global spares backup they really are cheap to fix if you avoid labour charges like I do.
Plus a 2006 MX5 NC for fun. Not too much power but good handling as it's the corners that matter to me. Oh, and a Rotax Kart for track fun.
We call the Falcon the "dog car" even though in Aus we don't have any yet. In the Uk I had a Citroen BX Turbo Diesel Wagon with 400k on it for the same reason and it shared garage space with a Porsche 944 Turbo S, and a Lancia Montecarlo. Ok, they were in the garage, not the BX…
Must admit I find most new cars have too many techy gadgets which detract from the driving experience. I'm all for ABS, Bluetooth etc but like to maintain control of the basics. I always tend to go for the basic models e.g. smaller wheels, no leather etc as they just seem more pure and arguably handle better as there's less weight to control.
Ouch a negative vote. That must a hurt lol.
1* Toyota Landcruiser 80s series - Turbo. 1995/6 - Bought after trading in a brand new 100 series that hubby didn't like. Apx. mileage 190.000. This car is a never ending work horse that never complains for anything - tows a trailer full of building materials up steep hills & will still gallop up the steepest part.
2* Subaru Outback station wagon - 2002 -H6 - wonderful car that never lets us down. Stylish with twin sunroofs & can certainly give a run for its' money when booted. 183.600 kms.
3 * Mercedes 280slc - 1979 - now we're into a real classic beauty of a car - only 10.500 thousand ever made. Mileage is apx.260.000. Owned now for 14 years. An elegant silver blue with navy leather interior & an engine heart that takes no shit from any other car who wants to take it on.
4* Jaguar XJR 308-V8- 1999- Pride of the pack - Black with beige leather interior. Low mileage & growls along any road.This is a car that commands respect& then surprises when let into " give me a run for the money " mode - most other cars would be thinking " where did it go ? " Answer - already back at home whilst you're still on your way.
2010 Toyota Corolla Sedan.
Just a simple family car that's safe and reliable.
EDIT: Paid off, about 90km. now.
09 ford fg xr6…145.000km
Large, reliable, powerful, good equipment level, amazing steering and handling… not bad on fuel…I am 194cm tall so I can fit comfortably.
Paid 18k for 18 month old vehicle…back in 2010..outright2008 Honda accord 2.4L ..100.000km good equipment level but slow and boring to drive…$29.500 new ..reliability is not bad
Mrs 2015 Nissan x-trail… excellent equipment level and comfort… flexible 7 Seater.. 2.5l engine is ok and quite….
$32k on 1% finance
Miles better on fuel than accord even though the engine is slightly bigger.Living in Southern California (since Jan 2014)
Make & Model - 2014 Tesla Model S P85D - Fully Loaded
Kms done - 12,000Miles (19200kms)
Price Paid - USD$142k driveaway
Paid Off - Paid with gains from TSLA stock.Why - I have owned many luxury cars, nothing compares to the amount of power, technology and the overall X-Factor that the Tesla has :)
Well you win. Pack errrr upp boyyyyssss!
I reckon reckon this company has made a game changing car. Just not a fan of sedan's but will wait for them to bring out more models maybe a hatchback.
One parent at my kids' school drives a white Model S (Sydney South-Eastern suburb), and we see it every now and then dropping off/picking up kids. Very nice car and definitely agree on the X-factor. We just need more Supercharger stations here.
Well done!
Did you buy that business you were after?
Yaris 2006 best car i have owned.
110,000
pay cash brand new.I get to drive the missus Mazda 3 Neo which is visibly newish with 30Ks on it and think she paid 23K brand new cash 4 years ago. Use my push bike as my personal transport :-) In the past used to drive a Golf GTI and realized the car is the biggest liability, so trying to live without for now. Happy to say I have been car free for 5 years now.
Push bike is the best form of transport. Makes the daily commute more exciting and saves you money in the long term.
Plus it's good for our health too.
Daily Honda Civic EK4
182,000 KMs
Paid $3800Weekender Nissan Skyline R33 Series 3 GTR
110,000 KMS
Paid $30,0002007 Landcruiser sahara diesel. Bought it off a relative who had it as a company lease. Had 100000km bought it at an irresistible residual price.
260000km on the clock now
Wanted a 7 seater and something to tow the boat.
Has some issues, blows a lot of smoke and chews oil. Toyota reliability is no more.
1990 MX5
280,000km
Paid $10k cash 14 years ago
No air con or power steering, and about the most fun you can have out of bed when punting around the Adelaide Hills :-)2002 Hyundai Sonata
140,000km
Paid $16k 10 years ago
Quad-cam V6 really gets up and motors, super reliable, and even a nice car to look at.
Can't think of a single reason to replace it.2002 Hyundai Sonata - Used to be called poor man's merc ( C class ) for the copycat looks at the time of release. Geez Hyundai have really stepped up !!
2013 Toyota Corolla, 30,000 km, paid I think $25k(?) in 2013. Manual.
I thought it was a bit of a disappointment to be honest. I was driving a celica before in uni and thought it was time to be more practical so I got the corolla. Regretted not going for the 86 :(
Sold the 34 GTR after owning it for about 5 years for what I paid for it because I barely drove it and thought I should get a daily as I likely cannot keep riding motorcycles due to health.
So I wanted a simple, practical cheap runabout.
Ended up getting a 97 wrx sti version 3. 140k, $10k.
Does the job, 4 doors is more practical (I did fit 2 baby seats in the back of the GTR) And a little lighter on fuel. Just as quick, keeping it stock for reliable daily.
Buying a newer car is sometimes better, main issue is sourcing parts for cars more than 10 years old as well as aging effects on all components, better features and safety by default (my car has no airbags), and cheaper to maintain.
My wife and I bought a 2012 Toyota RAV4 for $28k, it was run out so we got a good deal, we are paying off over 4 years, $600 a month. We claim money back on this at tax time for wife's work. Done 28,000km since we got it. Could sell privately for $20k, great car
Why the RAV4? It's a wagon, good brand, good deal, reliable, cheap to run, capped price service, does what we wantI have a child on the way so I changed company cars last week, traded a ute & bought a brand new car
2015 Kia Optima platinum, It has 7 year, unlimited KM warranty, 5 star safety rating, $40k, it's paid for by work $800 a week. I've done 600km so far but extremely happy.
Why the Kia? Safety and warranty. Needed a family car for when the wife's busy. Optima rates well in all reviews and the Platinum has a rediculous list of features. Other choice was a Camry, or a dual cab ute, as I do 1000km a week, decided for a more comfortable ride.
2010 Hyundai i30 Auto Diesel
SLX Wagon (premium model)
180,000kms
Bought late last year for $8,000Can get over 1000km/highway or 700km/city driving and is only $65 to fill up (10c cheaper than e10 in my area recently)
2001 VT Commodore, 230k on the clock, paid $10 about 10 years ago.
Still have it because I haven't worked out what to replace it with.VT Berlina 1998, 310k on clock. Paid 7300 in 2008. Still runs perfectly fine. Haven't figured out what to replace it with either.
2013 Mitsubishi Aspire DID Outlander.
bought as an ex-charity vehicle with 13,000 kms for $28,000 in Nov 2013.
7 seater- need it for the kids.
2012 Giant Bike
done probably 1200kms
$1200 paid off.BMW E46 328ci
Just under 250k, $18k 2009
I've replaced the cooling and suspension, that's about it.
It's a manual! Very fun to drive, handles awesome!
In 2007, I was deciding between the 2003 E46 BMW 328i or a new 2007 Honda Accord Euro Luxury (same price range). It was so hard to decide!
I also was a choice between those! I think I would have been happy either way. The euro looks good!
2007 Honda Accord Euro Luxury
140,000kms
Paid $42,000 - New
Paid Off
Only major failure was the air condenser/compressor about 3 months ago - cost me $1200 in parts and labour to replace.2001 Mercedes CLK320 Elegance
107,000kms (I've only done about 1,000kms myself)
Paid $5,000 - Bought it off the mother in-law 2 months ago (she has a CLS400 on order)
Paid OffThe Merc drives so much smoother than the Honda.
I am a late 30's very straight guy who drives a Hyundai mint green 09 2dr Getz.. well, my wife and I share it but in my name.. I don't give a rats a$$ about cars, all I care about is economy for the 10 -15k kms per year I drive it in city.. I am not image conscious. We have spent the last 4 yrs traveling back and forth from overseas almost constantly and thats how we choose to spend our cash.. on experiences, rather than than having a nice fancy car as a status symbol.. even if i didn't travel, i'd sooner pay down my home loan than spend money on a car.
2009 Honda Jazz VTi Manual
Paid $18k Cash - Demo Car
KMs was 5k at that time, now is on 68k+This car has been driven to Sydney, Adelaide Twice, Great Ocean Road 3-4 times, all over victoria basically. A few official Recall from Honda. Upgraded the head unit to GPS+Bluetooth+iPod (I think i got a bargain when JB Hifi put a wrong price of a pioneer head unit - someone in QLD bought 12 of them and i bought it off him) + upgraded 4 Speakers, added 2 tweeters and 1 Sub +amp for around $3k in total. I Love music so sound upgrade is a must.
Reason choosing this? fuel efficiency probably, running highways is on 5.8/100km, city run is probably 6.2-6.5/100km. oh also the space is awesome :)
I'm thinking of upgrading to a Diesel SUV, was looking at Mitsubishi ASX but haven't done any further research since there's no budget allocated yet - maybe other suggestions from ozbargainers?
Some friends suggested Klugger since I'm a huge guy, but the engine is way too big :p Been considering Patriot/Compass but keep hearing neg review on american cars.Fiat Freemont (aka Dodge Journey) looks pretty good value. My mate has one (diesel version), he got for around $27k drive away brand new.
I don't know anything about durability of this car though.I have a my11 dodge journey, 3.6L v6 version with 7 seats. Pretty good and decent power with 206kw but FWD hurts it. I guess you don't need amazing driving dynamics in a 7 seater.
Fuel economy is about 12-13L per 100km which is Ok for the size and power.
Do not get the older 2.7L versions, the interior is terrible and the engine is gutless yet chews the same petrol.
Diesel fiat versions might be good. I paid 28k for it a few years back with 18000km.
Thanks JLai & Joxer, saw a used fiat freemont at carsales a few weeks ago when randomly browsing for budget planning. Was a bit worried about the service fees for European cars though…
Is actually still American but service costs are high, get it serviced at third party places you'll save a packet.
i walk or take public transport everywhere. used to own a car but realised i hardly drove it, also rego and servicing are a drain on money let alone fuel.
Well i dont have an expensive car but i love it , its a 1998 Hyundai Fx Coupe cost $1400 on ebay ….. Very smooth to drive on the road it has a lot of bells and whistles for a car that old , cruise control , air con ,power windows , alarm , adjustable lumbar support " drivers seat " , Moonroof " and my favourite sunglasses storage in the roof ……..
Mazda 121 1991 Bubble
148,000kms
Paid $1,200 cashI bought it for a cheap a-b car until I can save for something newer, fuel economy is my main concern with cars and this one uses
bugger all so all in all I am happy with it.
2001-2002 SOLD - Subaru WRX 1997 - Had about 50k on it - Paid $30k CASH
Then unwisely spent probably about 15k modding / dyno to get it to an impossible 200+KW ATW.2003 BMW 320ci E46 2003 - 2nd hand 4xxx km - Paid Yen2.8 million CASH
Bought in Tokyo. Workmate traders' weekend car. Got transferred back to Toronto and sold it to me cheap! Made the mistake of bringing it back to Australia..import fees, blue slip, rego, compliance(seat belt mods..), DOCK STORAGE FEES!! + $9kAUD2005 Subaru Liberty 2.5RX - New paid $36K - RIP written off 2008
2010 Subaru Forester - New paid $43K - Gave to parents 2012
2012 - Current Mazda 2 2012 - New $18k - Getting old, mid life crisis - Money went into leisure . Carbon Road bike(s) $10k+.. :)
Probably the 2nd best car I had. I can fit every thing inside and its so small it get into the smallest of parking spaces. Can fit two bikes inside with front wheels removed.
2007 BMW Z4 3.0si roadster
64,258 km
Paid $32,000 - Cash paid
Bought this year as a weekend toy and boyhood dream, spent $1,000 so far replacing various wear items.
2010 MK6 GTI DSG
40,000 km
Paid $43,500 new in 2010 - Cash Paid
Spent ~$10,000 on modifications, loved the practicality and ease of speed this offers
Unfortunately both cars don't get driven enough, my FIFO jig means I only get to enjoy them 6 days a fortnight at most.
1998 BMW 318! :D
102k kms
11k, a good 4+ years ag
2001 Camry 2.2L 4cyl turd. Currently on 114772km, it was a free hand me down from my parents. Inherited it when it was at 75000km.
Handles terribly, fuel economy is horrible and power is lol worthy. But hey, free car!
its 2001 old car.what more do you expect?
I drive a RAV4 2013 because its roomy and original made from Japan.
2014 Audi S3 in black.
Paid 62k cash.
Had a cheap runabout before this (2010 ford fiesta which was a fantastic car for what it is. Paid 10k used with 45,000km and sold after 3 years for 7800 with 68,000km)when i barely used the car because i mainly rode my motorcycle.
Now i'm a lot closer to work, replaced the motorcycle with a push bike and bought the audi.
It's a pretty good balance of performance and comfort.wasn't sure where to post this, but there seem to be a lot of experts on cars here. I don't know if it's worthy of a new thread.
I have had my license for years, but i have mostly only ridden motorcycles. I'm pretty ignorant about cars and even insurance.
I'm not too fussed on spending huge amounts of money but would like more than a shell on wheels with a gas guzzler engine.
I like smallish cars despite being tall.The models that have caught my eye from 2003/4 era are
- mercedes class A (it's higher up off the ground to mind my ol' dad's back) some series seem to have better options and maybe age better (?)
- peugeot 207/307 (i drove a 306 which i liked years ago)toyotas, suzukis are too popular and seem to have inflated prices
any thoguhts even critics are welcome but try to lay off fanboyism (i'm not even one for bikes let alone cars)
The Peugeots of the last few years are much better than the older ones you mentioned.
I remember reading about CVT issues with the older Merc A/B class. I'd test drive it in a hilly environment if possible. It could be perfectly fine, but it's ruinously expensive to repair should it come to that. Also pre-June 2006 built A/B classes used a "corrugated" rubber door seal that allowed moisture to affect the doors. Check build date, updated smooth seals and bottom of doors in particular.
Or just dodge those Euro bullets altogether. If your dad needs higher ingress, why not consider a small SUV / crossover?
Such as ix35, HRV, CRV etc.i find SUVs too big (therefore more costs too), but i will take a look at older models of those mentioned. thank you for your help and opinion
ahh "head gasket developed a problem".. as in it ate it self xD