Small Car Suggestion for Wife - Budget under $20K

usbc activist on 08/02/2021 - 13:30
Last edited 08/02/2021 - 14:57 by 1 other user

We are looking at buying a small car for Wifey wife to drive around the city.

She currently holds provisional Green P license and is not a confident driver.

She prefers to drive a small car.

The preference is to buy the most economical small car (budget under $20K) that has security safety features like reverse camera and lane assist.

I shortlisted Kia Picanto and Mitsubishi Mirage.

They appear to be most economical with these features.

Are there any other small cars that we can consider?

We are planning to buy the car without loan, if that helps in negotiating a better price or deal.

Thank you.

Poll Options

  • 2
    Mitsubishi Mirage
  • 29
    Kia Picanto
  • 17
    Honda Jazz
  • 3
    MG MG3
  • 16
    Other
Automotive Car

Comments

  • Archi on 08/02/2021 - 13:36
    +1

    we've had a Hyundai accent sport for a few years now.. not bad for a basic car.

  • raytriplej on 08/02/2021 - 13:38
    +5

    I think the Kia also has wireless apple car play (and 7 yr warranty).
    *and wireless android auto

  • tsunamisurfer on 08/02/2021 - 13:39

    Would you mind telling us your budget?

  • Drakesy on 08/02/2021 - 13:41
    +3

    INB4 TOYOTA
    Yaris, corolla or Prius.

    Otherwise can vouch for Kias

    Get a secondhand one if you can find one reasonably priced. At the moment they're pretty few and far between.

    • netjock on 08/02/2021 - 14:09

      Only Yaris and Corolla hatch would fit the bill.

      Current Yaris is too expensive.

  • boomramada on 08/02/2021 - 13:43
    +2

    From my past experience, buying a small car second hand is extremely difficult/over price. So you can't be picky on brand or model. Just test drive one, if you like it, get it. Honda Jazz is the most popular/$$$ out of all.

    • This Guy on 08/02/2021 - 14:08
      +1

      ???

      Honda isn't even a top 10 brand anymore.

      • boomramada on 08/02/2021 - 14:13
        +1

        Tell that to people who try to sell their second hand Jazz, and there are demand to it as well :)
        Edit: Op can go for 20k brand new car, my comment is for second hand market.

        • [Deactivated] on 13/02/2021 - 16:57

          Sold out oz wide. So only option is the second hand market.

    • brendanq on 09/02/2021 - 07:57

      I bought a secondhand Audi hatchback for $3k two years ago with 171,000 km on it and it does the job just fine - very happy I paid outright and didn't spend $$$ on something new. I don't commute to work, mainly for getting out of the city on weekends to visit friends, do touristy stuff.

      • Euphemistic on 09/02/2021 - 10:54

        I bought a secondhand Audi hatchback for $3k two years ago with 171,000 km on it

        You did what? Haven’t you read any of these threads before? It’s japanese or doom. Hand in your ozbargain membership now.

  • GG57 on 08/02/2021 - 13:49
    +2

    Reverse camera and lane assist are not 'security features'. If you mean 'safety features', reverse camera is still not in that list.

    For a driver low in confidence, I would not focus on features such as wireless Apply/android etc. These are distractions for the driver, who should be concentrating on their driving.

    Based on this comparison, I would choose the Kia:
    https://www.caradvice.com.au/compare-specs/07ne21-kia-picant…

    • usbc activist on 08/02/2021 - 13:50

      Thank you. Did I mistakenly write security instead of safety?

      • Muzeeb on 08/02/2021 - 13:53
        +1

        that has security features like reverse camera and lane assist.

        No.

    • kerfuffle on 08/02/2021 - 14:02
      +2

      For a driver low in confidence, I would not focus on features such as wireless Apply/android etc.

      Not to mention that P platers aren't allowed to use their phones when driving. This includes navigation, playing music, and taking phone calls.

  • This Guy on 08/02/2021 - 13:59
    +4

    Test drive either the Picanto or Jazz first in case you meet an excellent salesperson at MG or Mitsubitshi. If she loves either the Picanto or the Jazz, and you are both happy with the price, just buy it. They are both excellent in their own ways.

    Mirages are not $14,990 as they are not on driveaway. They start at $18,577 inc. onroads for a manual.. They might offer you old stock to reduce the price, but a one year old Mirage is worth about 12k, not 15k.

    MG's can be quirky. The main downside is that warranty. My experience with other low volume brands is while the product can appear excellent, parts can fail, and when they do they can take months to arrive, if the tech is knowledgeable to find the problem first time (the tech is highly unlikely to have specialised training like major brands techs). If warranty is not a consideration, and she likes the MG over the Picanto or Jazz, and the price is right, I doubt she will be unhappy unless she uses android or has a quality issue.

    MG is basically where KIA was ~5 years after entering Australia, a few weird models, but on the right track offering great value if a model works for you.

  • 87percent on 08/02/2021 - 14:01
    +2

    if you want the Jazz, you better get in quick. The current model is the last model sold in Australia (i'm sure in a few years Honda will realize that they shouldn't have removed the car from the market). There's only a handful of them at dealers (in Melbourne at least)

  • netjock on 08/02/2021 - 14:11
    +8

    Suzuki Swift might fit the price.

  • ECE on 08/02/2021 - 14:18
    +4

    Had a jazz for 5 years and it never miss a bit.It looks small but when you fold the magic seats, it has a lot of space compare to a regular sedan/car Also pero cheap to run and maintain 👌🏾

    • [Deactivated] on 13/02/2021 - 16:59

      I was hoping they will bring in the new one so that we can replace our daily driver.

      $30k seems acceptable given car prices nowadays are crazy.

  • pharkurnell on 08/02/2021 - 14:23
    +3

    She currently holds provisional Green P license and is not a confident driver.

    How about some driving courses first before releasing her on the world…?

    • usbc activist on 08/02/2021 - 14:36

      Haha. She is taking few. Thanks for the suggestion.

  • AngusD on 08/02/2021 - 14:30
    +2

    Are we talking new or 2nd hand? If you're going for a used one, then you could probably get a not-too-old (2018-ish) Mazda 3. Those are very good cars - we've had 3 of them in our household over the past 15 years, including the current model that we got about 12 months ago. Never had any trouble with any of them. Cheaper Mazda option would be the Mazda 2, but I've got no personal experience with those so I can't comment on how well they compare to the 3. Other than being smaller, obviously.

    • usbc activist on 08/02/2021 - 14:46

      Are we talking new or 2nd hand

      Anything that suits the requirements is fine

  • pharkurnell on 08/02/2021 - 14:42
    +3

    yea Mazda 3 is a good car.. we had one before the ex-mistake got an ASX…

    Although trade-in price was deplorable due to the popularity of them, we should have kept it for a dog kennel.

  • Willco88 on 08/02/2021 - 14:43
    +2

    Hyundai i20 i30

    • usbc activist on 08/02/2021 - 14:48

      Never thought of i20. Will check it out. Thank you.

    • usbc activist on 08/02/2021 - 14:51

      Looks like i20 is sold out in Australia.

      • UosdwisRDewoh on 08/02/2021 - 17:03
        +1

        i20 has not be sold in Australia for like 5 years

  • jv on 08/02/2021 - 14:47
    -5

    for Wifey

    https://www.lexico.com/definition/wifey

    wifey: /ˈwʌɪfi/ A condescending way of referring to a person's wife.

    • usbc activist on 08/02/2021 - 14:48

      Thanks for pointing it out. Fixed.

    • mahdoo on 10/02/2021 - 16:44

      well that's a really terrible definition. Wifey is not condescending, more endearing. Same with husbando.

      I've never heard either of those used in a condescending way..

      • kerfuffle on 10/02/2021 - 17:07
        +1

        husbando

        Did you mean hubby?

  • jv on 08/02/2021 - 14:53
    +1

    She currently holds provisional Green P license and is not a confident driver.

    this…

  • dasher86 on 08/02/2021 - 14:59
    +2

    Missed the days of "Suzuki Swift"

  • SF3 on 08/02/2021 - 15:53

    How much budget did you spend on your own car?

  • UosdwisRDewoh on 08/02/2021 - 17:16
    +1

    The Skoda Fabia is a great little car.
    In manual its a good choice but I wouldn't get it in automatic
    If automatic I'd get a Kia Picanto

    • ay-papii on 09/02/2021 - 10:27
      +2

      I agree for the Fabia.
      Recently purchased the MY20 model with the 7spd DSG auto version from my mate for cheap as chips price and I'm very impressed with the car (Yes you need to adjust to the transmission but it's good).
      Fuel economy is absolutely great. Features like android auto, adaptive cruise control, reverse camera are excellent.

  • friedmaki on 08/02/2021 - 17:39

    IMO, the Mitsubishi Mirage is a good car.. I have been driving it for 5 years now and it never gave me a headache. Sure, it has to work a little harder when going uphill but it does the job perfectly for a city car. It's really spacious too.. I was able to fit an unassembled queen-size bed frame in the car.

  • Jimb000 on 09/02/2021 - 08:22
    +1

    Just don’t buy a second hand Golf….

    and buy a new car if you can. Hard these days to get a massive amount off due to apparent limited stocks, but still very much possible. Just walk out the door, don’t feel pressured.

    Mazda, Toyota and Honda great, Kia and Hyundai great. All good cars. My friend is major panel shop owner and recommends them. Hyundai i30 great value if you can get one. Kia great warranty.

    • UosdwisRDewoh on 09/02/2021 - 20:34

      Not all second hand Golfs are bad, thats an overgeneralization.
      You just need to pick the right model. For example a manual diesel Golf will last a long, long time.
      Can't say the same about Mazda's diesels..

      • Jimb000 on 10/02/2021 - 07:51

        In my friends experience, you are far more likely to get a bad second hand Golf than anything else. Bad transmissions, bad door locks. The engines are good that’s it.

        • AngusD on 10/02/2021 - 15:20

          My father in law bought a VW (I think it was a Passat or a Jetta, can't remember which). In the 10 years he owned it from new he had to have the transmission replaced twice and the engine replaced once. He actually really liked the car, but got rid of it because he just couldn't trust it. Bought himself a Subaru Impreza which he doesn't enjoy driving as much, but can at least rely on.

          • UosdwisRDewoh on 10/02/2021 - 16:02

            @AngusD: He probably had a Jetta with the supercharged and turbocharged 1.4T, which is a very unreliable engine, matched with the also unreliable 7-speed DSG. Shame about the issues that engine and transmission has because they are quite comfortable and zippy cars.

        • UosdwisRDewoh on 10/02/2021 - 15:58

          Thats why you get one with a manual transmission. I'm probably gonna buy a used Golf MK7.5 in manual with the 1.4TSI in 1-2 years, fantastic car and should be very reliable. Probably wouldn't be in the long run if it had the DSG.

  • OpayuOnam on 09/02/2021 - 22:30

    Have a look at:
    - Prius C i-tech
    - CT200h (Luxury with EP1/2 or Sports Luxury for max tech)

    They are both small and you should be able to find them well within in your budget as second hand, they are very reliable and plenty of tech. The best thing is they have low low fuel usage (less than 4L/100km if driven in city and light footed).

    • nikey2k27 on 10/02/2021 - 23:04

      I have prius c i love it just it dose all tech you want on list but i love low tech car.

  • SuperMick on 09/02/2021 - 23:24

    We have a Suzuki Baleno, and its a great runaround car.

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