New Car Advice - New to Australia

LcarThrowaway on 04/06/2019 - 16:25
Last edited 04/06/2019 - 16:49

I have moved to Australia - Melbourne a few months back and am looking to buy a new car.

I dont have a full Australian driving license yet and am planning to convert my overseas license in the next couple of months.

I am looking to make use of the EOFY deals I've been seeing around and would like your opinions/advice.

Budget - $25K tops
Type - Sedan, prefer new.
Cars I've looked at(online) - Hyundai Accent, Elantra, Honda City, Civic and Kia Creato.

Accent seems to be the cheapest but it doesnt come with the features like Lane Assist, FCWS, etc.

Never bought a car myself before and am looking for a car which wouldnt burn a hole in maintenance costs and has parts/spares easily available.

Any advice/suggestion is appreciated.

Poll Options

  • 0
    Worth buying a car in EOFY sale now before getting a driving license?
  • 9
    No loss in waiting for the license and then buying a car. (EOFY deals not that good?)
Automotive

Comments

  • gaz3342 on 04/06/2019 - 16:29

    When thinking about additional features such as lane assist, ask yourself if you really need them?

    Have you ever drifted out of your lane whilst driving? If so, go for it! If not (like most people) you can probably live without it (like most people).

  • GG57 on 04/06/2019 - 16:35

    Do you really need a car? Or, do you really need a car just now?
    It would depend where (in Melbourne) you are living and where you are working, and what other uses for a car you have. There are a few other options out there that might be more suitable.

    • carThrowaway on 04/06/2019 - 16:46

      Family (Wife and toddler) joining in a couple of months and I rent in an inner suburb. I dont need a car to go to work but for other chores (grocery shopping, mall trips, gp trips, etc) and taking them around Melbourne.

      • GG57 on 04/06/2019 - 16:51
        +2

        If it were me, I would explore Go Car and other similar providers in the short term.
        Anything can happen when your family arrives; you may move to another location, or find that you only need a car for 1 - 2 days / week.

        • Quantumcat on 04/06/2019 - 19:25

          Also you can try out a few different ones to see which is the most comfortable and meets your needs the best - you can only try so much at a test drive.

      • [Deactivated] on 11/06/2019 - 00:55

        Do you plan on having lots of friends/relatives visiting? In which case i would seriously consider a 7 seater suv such as mitsubishi outlander or honda crv

  • 87percent on 04/06/2019 - 16:36

    wasn't there an almost identical thread last week about this?

  • Duram on 04/06/2019 - 16:48
    +1

    Spend less.

    • ego22 on 04/06/2019 - 17:01
      +2

      hes not looking for shoes. hes trying to buy a car.

      • Duram on 04/06/2019 - 17:11
        +1

        Max 2k.

  • altomic on 04/06/2019 - 17:31
    +6

    get a ~4 year old 2nd hand car with low Kms - mazda 3, i30, etc.

  • Brucet on 04/06/2019 - 17:31

    Go for toyota

  • oscargamer on 04/06/2019 - 17:33

    What status visa do you have?

    Permanent or temp?

  • RM on 04/06/2019 - 18:52
    -3

    With a toddler, I would suggest get an SUV rather than a Sedan. You definitely need more space and will be handy for day trips as you settle in this wonderful country.

    • carThrowaway on 04/06/2019 - 21:53

      Definitely looking forward :) but budget kinda rules out any decent SUV.

  • Quantumcat on 04/06/2019 - 19:22

    Kia cerato

    When I was looking I was only tossing up between a Corolla (Ozbargains favourite) and a Cerato and the Cerato won by a mile (way more features and longer warranty for cheaper price). Not sure if one of the ones you mentioned might be better

  • datafellows on 04/06/2019 - 20:12

    Visit Roads and Maritime sooner than later to get your local driver license.

    You need to be RMS "customer" to be able to register the car to your name.

    Also your different visas have different rules about driving, e.g. if PR you must have local driver license within 30 days or similar.

    • carThrowaway on 04/06/2019 - 22:06

      Yeah I cant drive on the overseas license and have local exam booked at the end of the month.

      A co-worker has agreed to drive the car home if I purcahse one in the meantime.

      I am eager to do so as the EOFY deals expire soon

  • Halo375 on 04/06/2019 - 21:10

    Dont buy a new car. Buy a car that is two years old and you’ll save heaps. A new car does not mean there is nothing wrong with it - nobody has really driven it in yet to find all the things the factory got wrong. Buy a used car with warranty - toyota, mazda, hyundai, etc. AVOID HONDA as their service intervals are normally more frequent and more expensive.

    • carThrowaway on 04/06/2019 - 22:03

      I dont think I am knowlegable enough to be sure that the used car I am buying is worth the price and doesnt come with any big problems. Back home I have a few trusted mechanics who I can take along to inspect the car. I know none here.

      Warranty would help but I dont want frequent mechanics right after I buy a car.

      Hows Hyundai in terms of service intervals and cost? and Kia?

      • pegaxs on 04/06/2019 - 22:42

        You don’t have to buy new and you don’t have to buy old. Try looking at old plated, run out stock or very low km demo vehicles. You said you might not be able to stretch to an SUV, but a ‘18 plated demo SUV may be a much better buy than a ‘19 brand new sedan.

      • MarsTitan on 04/06/2019 - 22:45

        Used cars with good maintenance record (e.g. log service books filled by dealerships — as most people do anyway) are still covered under manufacturer warranty.

  • Rizflip on 06/06/2019 - 17:07

    Kia Cerato S sedan in Automatic with a Safety Pack would be my pick. I paid $22,600 for mine a couple of months ago for a 2019 build car.

    A good family car and there is a lot of stock so easier to get a good deal.

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