Suggestions for a New Car (Budget $40k to $70K)

darkmattersunB6c0MV on 23/06/2020 - 09:00
Last edited 23/06/2020 - 12:24 by 1 other user

Greetings Ozbargainers.

Request your opinion as I am planning to buy a new car this financial year. (not sure it helps in tax, as company income has stopped and I recently moved into a permanent job, but the deals would be good at this time.). Apologies for the late call for help, and I know not much time left.

Currently, drive an old C-180 Mercedes Benz, but frankly, it has outlived its utility. Love the car, even though the performance is not great.

My budget for the car is between $40k to $60k (can increase to $70k if the car is great) and requirements are below:

Family car, prefer sedan with a decent performance, but open to SUV
Auto is preferred, but not a requirement
Good milage- and open to hybrid cars
Something that my sons can drive too in the not so distant future (17, 15 yrs old)
Good safety features
Min is 5 seater, with ample leg space, as kids are approaching 6'
Prefer petrol, but open to suggestions
Driving mostly over weekends, and an occasional long drive

Can extend my budget, but only for Tesla Model 3.

Following brands are preferred, but open to suggestions-
Mercedes Benz, BMW, Toyota, Mazda, Honda.
I will appreciate your prompt response and any suggestion.

Cheers.

Automotive Car

closed Comments

      • striker5950 on 24/06/2020 - 12:04
        -1

        well shit, i think he was boasting about his budget but apparently he was trying to get an economy jap box which there is nothing wrong with. its just no stinger GT

        • boostpak on 24/06/2020 - 12:04

          true, it's no .. anything

      • darkmattersunB6c0MV on 24/06/2020 - 23:02
        +1

        Yes, that is correct. Having driven a few cars, and at an age when you want to have safety as a concern for your kids who are learning to drive, I was sold on the features of Toyota Camry Ascent Sport Hybrid.
        It is 4.2L per 100k, has most of the safety features, Lane departure, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Collision Warning - Full Auto Brake for cyclist and pedestrian, etc. The connected navigation system is not too good though, so would use Android Auto™.

        There will be other times for different cars.
        Thanks again everyone for your suggestions and advice. Stay safe and happy.

        • CocaKoala on 25/06/2020 - 00:15

          Great move on buying what you need, rather than buying something because a bunch of "enthusiasts" on the internet told you to do so.

          Sure, the Stinger is a good car, but the most important thing to know is what suits you, the buyer, best. And you seem to have come out on top of answering that question, so kudos for that. Not everyone needs to get from 0 to 100 in 5 seconds at the expense of more fuel and foregoing on some safety features (comparatively).

          I hope you enjoy the new car.

  • golfer dad on 24/06/2020 - 09:55

    You can narrow down your initial list by reviewing interior space. We are a family of 5 with 16yo twins who are adult size so cars with tight rear legroom (Mazda 3/6) or with a big transmission tunnel (Passat) were out for us. You'll need a medium size cars or SUV otherwise you will be forever hearing the 'kids" whingeing about lack of legroom or being squashed up against each other. I have an European SUV and a Kia Ultima GT (now replaced by Stinger). I know you said you weren't considering Kia but can I say the Ultima has a very spacious interior, drives well, has features that my European SUV that cost double the price doesn't have or are expensive optional extras. The 7 year manufacturer warranty is just icing on the cake. Spoke with a guy that works for a company that provides roadside assist for various car manufacturers and he said they changeover their fleet from Toyota to Kia and he's really happy as they're getting better fuel economy and the cars are lasting longer and still in warranty.

  • kokita on 24/06/2020 - 11:06
    +1

    I recommend BMW X3 2020.

  • clem0ximus on 24/06/2020 - 11:51

    Tesla model 3 if your budget can stretch. It will pay for itself over the course of ownership as you no longer need to service or put Petrol in it.

    The car has 4yrs warranty and they've looked after me very well as I had some wind noise. (They replaced the windshield)

    Don't listen to the haters who never owned or been in one

    • Bid Sniper on 24/06/2020 - 12:42
      +4

      See people say that but it doesn't, factor in deprecation and insurance its a poor yield investment car.

      I test drove a P85+ when it came out, was $190K, 3 years later was worth $90K.

      I love Teslas but no way you're saving money buying one.

    • Momotsuki on 24/06/2020 - 13:17

      Would also recommend looking into a Model 3 standard range plus. Definitely would recommend booking in a test drive. I was sold the minute they got me behind the wheel. Can't go back to conventional cars anymore.

      Family car, prefer sedan with a decent performance, but open to SUV

      It's a sedan, great performance (0-100 in 5.4sec). The instant feedback is really handy for quick lane changes

      Auto is preferred, but not a requirement

      Only 1 gear (ie fast)

      Good milage- and open to hybrid cars

      Rated for 400km but realistically I'm getting 320km on a full charge (mostly freeway driving). Tends to be more fuel efficient and closer to 400km mileage with city driving due to lower wind resistance and regenerative braking. I just plug it into the wall to charge (~10km/hr), but it does comes with high capacity charger which needs electrician to be installed (~$700) and this gives 50km/hr. Tesla superchargers will charge to full in an hr (costs more than plugging it into your own wall).

      Something that my sons can drive too in the not so distant future (17, 15 yrs old)

      … probably? Depends on how attached you get to the car haha. Have been a lot of incidences of curb/rim rash due to the rims sticking out slightly beyond the wheels and thus prone to getting scraped.

      Good safety features

      Safest car on the market, ANCAP 5 stars

      Min is 5 seater, with ample leg space, as kids are approaching 6'

      Probably need to test drive. I have heaps leg space up front, and seems like ample at the back. My only concern is head clearance for the rear passengers with the glass ceiling

      Prefer petrol, but open to suggestions

      EV are cheaper to run and maintain. Cost per km is about 1/3 that of petrol. Routine maintenance is fairly minimal. New car warranty is 4 years, battery for 8 years. IIRC Tesla also offers free towing to nearest mechanic (within ?70km) if car brakes down or has puncture.

      Driving mostly over weekends, and an occasional long drive

      Really fun weekend drive!

      Contrary to above post, it won't pay for itself over the course of ownership (yet… conversion to autotaxi on the otherhand might…).

      Lemme know if you have any other questions about Tesla M3

      • darkmattersunB6c0MV on 24/06/2020 - 23:06

        Thanks for such a detailed analysis.
        Appreciate your help.
        I needed the car this FY. So, just went with the Toyota.

        Tesla owners seem to be very happy. That is nice to hear.

        Even the car I bought is very cheap to drive. Mostly over weekend.
        So happy with the purchase.
        Thanks mate.

  • drewbytes on 24/06/2020 - 12:15

    Skoda Octavia RS, or Skoda Superb.

  • funnysht on 24/06/2020 - 12:50

    good reviews for the toyota hybrid

  • squaredonut on 24/06/2020 - 13:55

    I would recommend the Toyota RAV-4 Hybrid Cruiser option. Good value car, and it's very hot right now, but that's also one of the issues, wait times are fairly long…

  • SirCH on 24/06/2020 - 14:27

    I get to drive various cars due to my job and out of everything I have driven, by far my favourite (and also my daily drive) is a Forester. Not too bad on fuel, and has everything I could want (except for some reason no reverse sensors), drives well and has had no problems.

    Until this year I wouldn't have considered a Toyota as they were boring and dated. But with the new designs I'd certainly consider a Coroll/Camry Hybrid or RAV4 Hybrid. However I don't believe these have Android Auto/Apple Car Play just yet so you might find that this aspect ages quickly.

    Otherwise, I'd definitely consider a Kia/Hyundai, particularly the new Sorento. My previous vehicle was a Cerato and gave fantastic value for money especially with the all-inclusive fixed priced servicing. There's still a bit of "but it's a Kia" stigma attached but they're really putting out some good cars nowadays and I recommend you test drive one.

    Honda's don't impress me much, particularly at the base level. The entertainment system in particular is just…odd.

    • darkmattersunB6c0MV on 24/06/2020 - 23:09

      Thanks. Bought a Camry Ascent Sport Hybrid and it does have all the safety features I was after and Android Auto/ Apple Car Play.
      Has an 8" screen, and decent speakers.
      Sat Nav is nothing to write home about.

  • cuckchump on 24/06/2020 - 14:31

    why not get a lexus rx300

  • kaikor on 24/06/2020 - 15:30

    BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe 218i if you don't care about power, something new and unique, white one with full M packs and black rims looks stunning

  • TK Deadwalker on 24/06/2020 - 15:32

    Anything is better than a cardboard box with wheels 😢

  • TheMindsetTraveller on 24/06/2020 - 15:58

    Maybe the 2021 Lexus IS series might fit the bill.

  • rocketpoweredmice on 24/06/2020 - 16:33

    I mean this with the best of intentions, but the problem with your post is you haven't really said anything about what YOU want or like.
    All you've done is started a general discussion/argument about cars where people spruik the car they themselves know or want.

    Discrete criteria in your post:
    - sedan or SUV (and sounds like you're considering wagons) = all cars that aren't a hatchback or coupe, not that specific
    - "decent" performance = not specific
    - auto or manual = not specific
    - "good" mileage = not specific
    - sons can drive = not specific
    - safety = not specific
    - at least 5 seats = yay! Specific
    - leg room for 6 footers = yay! Specific
    - petrol or other = not specific
    - weekends/long drives = not specific
    - brands = not specific (thats pretty much a list of brands with the highest name recognition)

    Not trying to have a go, but you need to at least decide which of these criteria are most important for you, and then go test drive cars.
    There is a plethora of cars that will satisfy these criteria in general, what you need to decide is which car blends them in the right peoportions for you. And without sitting in and driving them, you won't find that out from a computer screen. Read some car journalist articles for sure, but then go see as many cars as you can.

    Once you've got a short-list of cars YOU like, then perhaps the hive mind of OzB would be more useful by providing their specific knowledge or experience with those models.

    • darkmattersunB6c0MV on 24/06/2020 - 23:12
      +1

      Sorry I was not specific.
      But the decision came up so suddenly.

      Will keep your advice in mind for future.
      Thanks mate.

  • 91rs on 24/06/2020 - 19:07

    Mazda 6 Atenza, wagon or sedan. Both look nice.
    Great car to drive, can be a bit of fun to throw about but insurance safe enough for L platers to start driving.
    Don't dismiss it from the list until you've taken one out for a drive.

  • EnALup on 24/06/2020 - 20:08

    If you want value for money, power, premium styling and interiors, you wont go wrong with Mazda CX5 Akira turbo Petrol.
    If you can spend 15k more, go for Lexus NX300 F sport with EP2 enhancement.
    Both japenese reliability and pretty good SUVs.

  • darkmattersunB6c0MV on 24/06/2020 - 23:14

    How can I request to close the thread? Or will it just dwindle into obscurity soon?
    Thanks again everyone.

    • CocaKoala on 25/06/2020 - 00:18

      I'll notify one of the mods to close the thread based on this post of yours.

  • trueaye on 25/06/2020 - 00:26
    -1

    I reckon get a used 2018 Lexus. I would imagine going from an old mercs to a camry will be boring. I was in Cambodia earlier this year and everyone seemed to have one. They're beautiful cars.

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