Hi, I'm looking for recommendations for a vehicle, budget is maximum $30k.
Requirements:
Newer than 2020
Less than 80,000km
Reliable and cheaper/easy to maintain
Not really car people, last car we bought did 200,000km. So, looking at buying and using it for a while
Test drove 2021 CX-5 and 2020 CR-V. Liked the CR-V because of all the features. Preferably looking at something similar
Please recommend.
TIA
Not really fussed about the declining in price, because I don't plan on selling the car.
Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V both excellent Japanese SUVs that will go the distance with minimal fuss
Look no further
last car we bought did 200,000km.
Which car?
What will you driving around? City/suburb? Interstate? Preference for petrol vs electric?
Toyota aurion
City/suburbs with a maximum one interstate trip per year.
Prefer ICE
Whatever you choose you're going to see a huge difference in fuel consumption. An Aurion on suburban cycle is crazy.
Since we're on ozb, Toyota Camry…
Bring back OG champagne and burgundy colours
ARB: get the boys in r & d and marketing on this shit asap!
Bring back the two door Camry (yes it exists)
@Jimothy Wongingtons: It’s the Ozbargain bang bus,
…. and by that I mean a group of guys sitting in their cars jerking off to eneloop prices in a KFC carpark
Get a brand new CX3.
Slightly too small
Help Me Buy a Vehicle for $30k
Help Me Choose a Vehicle for $30k
FTFY
I think OP is choosing a vehicle to buy
And he needs our help
^ This guy gets it
And their budget is 30k
GoFundMe?
Maybe OP wants ozb to negotiate too
.
This comment wasn't useless in that at least we all know you're a useless pedant now
Thanks sackface
All over your face mate
Would you consider a wagon? I feel like they do everything a modern SUV does.. Just with more style. For $30k, you might be able to grab a high spec used Mazda 6 Wagon with fairly low KM's. They're very well equipped, and if it weren't for the Mazda badge, you could mistake it for a Euro that costs twice as much new.
Second this. They're great quality vehicles, and the wagons have much more usable boot space than a CX5 size SUV.
But yes - advice is to avoid Mazda diesels at all costs.
Third this, great advice.
Is the new 3.3L straight 6 Diesel in the new CX-x0 range reliable?
I haven't heard issues yet - but from what I understand, Mazda's DPF setup is terrible and gets clogged up like crazy… but that takes a few kms to appear.
@barge-in hunter: Is it any worse than any other modern Diesel when driven only in the city?
My fortunate my Diesel seems to fairly robust. It's done nearly 90k and we haven't noticed the regen of the DPF occur yet. I'd be excited when it finally happens lol
Maybe it has happened and was too seemless for my wife to notice.
@JimB: From my understanding, definitely. They clog up even when "driven like a modern diesel should be driven".
My uncle's had severe DPF issues - and he lives regionally, regularly driving lots of highway kms.
The Redriven guys talk a bit about it. Feel free to DYOR https://youtu.be/_BNOjDIp-yo?t=730
@barge-in hunter: "My uncle's had severe DPF issues - and he lives regionally, regularly driving lots of highway kms."
If you can't get a diesel to be reliable when living regionally, regularly driving lots of highway kms. Then avoid at all costs.
Mazda diesels had a terrible reputation.
Their petrol are great though
Fourth this, a mate of mine has one and it's very nice to drive/be in
Thanks guys, will test is out
Help Me Buy a Vehicle for $30k
No…
Get a loan from a bank, or ask your parents.
Nonsensical rhetoric again , JV ⁉️
Jolion
Have you considered the Chinese manufacturers ? there are a couple of brand new SUVs that you can get for under $30k ?
+100 social credit points
Good, Citizen #4206900000
Haha. I have one myself.
I have one
Only 1 social credit point?
You have been a bad boy, Citizen #4206900000.
How's the ownership experience been?
@LanceVance: I have had the Chery Omoda 5 for 2 years now. Can't complain, I had a warranty claim due to a defect with the infotainment system and I got it replaced relatively quickly. No other issues. They are still new in the market so there is still the risk of what happens after the 7 year warranty expires.
But But
ChINa BaD.
Dw i have and LDV and honestly am pleasantly happy with it.
Real Australian's buy Australian built cars
Herp derp
And yet we can't buy Tesla anymore, what are we going to do?
Good choices.
Since you have been comparing Mazda CX5 and CRV assumption is looking for SUV type upgrade over the old Aurion sedan.
for 30ish, there's the 2023 Honda ZRV, which should perform similarly to the CRV but a bit nimbler/smaller and would still be under manufacturers warranty (most seem to be around 10-20k km) or you can buy brand new CRV for 40ish k
Sticking with Toyota, you can look at the Rav 4 2020 models (double check they have roof rails if you require it, prior models is the older model)
As another user mentioned the Mazda 6 Wagon is sooooooooooo good!! Really if it wasn't the Mazda badge most people mistaken it for a Euro - don't get the diesel version as it had problems. (this is the car I've been eyeing on the market)
Appreciate the advice.
Yes looking at midsize SUV,
Hadn't considered the Mazda 6, will try it out.
ZRV is a 4 seater so unsure about it,
I've seen the RAV4s are slightly more expensive is what I have seen. When did Toyota become so expensive
zrv is 5 seat, hrv is 4
RAV4 is really popular car building on the Toyota brand. COVID sent prices crazy (long delays on new car builds so people turned to the second hand market which is only just recently starting to slow down)
ZRV is 5 seater - similar size to CX-5
CRV/RAV4 would be next size up
If you're ok with wagon shape there is also Skoda Octavia to look into but would recommend knowing a good Euro mechanic hence most recommendations being Japanese as they tend to be more reliable/parts availability
the best overall driving car will be a Rav4. Most power (outside of turbo CX5's, and the best fuel economy).
out of the competition, it will also be the most reliable (although they're all quite good)
Are the priced too high? Arguably yes, but a good amount of the premium is justifiable.
If it were me and the budget was strict, I'd stick to a latest gen rav4 that gets me within $30k. If its got >80k km, I wouldn't care (I'd prefer it tbh if the car is from the country), as long as its good service histroy and the owner seemed to love their car then its a good buy.
Does everyone on here watch redriven suddenly?
Welcome to camryowners dot com
Rav4, hyundai tuscon, kia sportage?
Really doesnt matter. Just pick a common japanese or korean model that YOU like to drive and that fits your needs. Hard to go wrong.
hyundai tuscon, kia sportage?
Get a diesel if you are getting these; some petrol engines have issues.
Yep, mate bought the 2018 (I think) petrol and has eaten it hard. 7k for a new motor and that was the cheapest going around. Don't buy any Hyundai 2.4l petrol from the era
If getting a diesel one make sure its not a dual clutch auto. No way I'd be buying one of them if planning on keeping to 200k+ of city driving.
Mighty AU Falcon
He said he wants to buy a vehicle, not an automotive legend
VT commodore it is then.
Haval is the best
Out of the Chinese cars GWM/Havals are proving the be the Toyota equivalent in terms of reliability.
Chery Tiggo 7 Pro. $29990 drive away brand new. Uses less petrol than an Aurion.
7 year warranty and 7 years capped price servicing which is cheap for dealer servicing.
Service Interval Price
1,000kms / 1-Month FREE
'A' Service 15,000kms / 12 Months $289.00
'B' Service 30,000kms / 24 Months $289.00
'C' Service 45,000kms / 36 Months $289.00
'D' Service 60,000kms / 48 Months $289.00
'E' Service 75,000kms / 60 Months $289.00
'F' Service 90,000kms / 72 Months $386.09
'G' Service 105,000kms / 84 Months $320.84
While mechanically good, do not get the CX-5 it's a fuel guzzler and very small on the inside for second row leg room and even smaller boot vs RAV 4 and CR-V
Do yourself a favour and scrap the CX-5 from your list
Here you go. 2020 MG MG3 for $11,500.
https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2020-mg-mg3-core-au…
Do I get to keep the left over $18,500?
Thats not how it works. OP is buying for $30k. Youd need to convince them the $10k car you are selling is worth $30k.
We got a 2024 Mazda CX30 for about $35k new, so one a couple of years old would be under $30k. Great little car. Maybe not if you need a lot of internal space though.
Sounds like OP is a Facebook market place buyer. What can go right…….
CX5 petrol turbo if you care about driving.
Likewise Mazda 6 petrol turbo.
X-Trail / Outlander / CRV if you don’t.
If yo get a 2021+ X-Trail with full service history, it’s eligible for the 10 year Nissan warranty. (Just need to pay $99 and service at Nissan dealerships)
https://australia.nissannews.com/en-AU/releases/nissan-puts-…
Thanks for the advice,
Haven't found x trail/outlander /crvs at with low KMS and year yet at the yards we've been too
CX-5 petrol
https://autoexpert.com.au/best-medium-suvs
https://www.carexpert.com.au/best/medium-suvs
https://www.carsales.com.au/editorial/details/best-used-medi…
Any those above second hand with all the proper checks won’t be bad choices
Your listicles are helpful, but I wouldn't listen to a word written (or said) by John Cadagan, the self-proclaimed "Auto Expert." The man peaked 15 years ago and is now a shonky used car salesman and amateur conspiracy theorist.
We’re in the process of looking at new SUVs in the category. RAV4 Cruiser, Tiguan Elegance, CRV, CX5, XTrail and Forester S/STI were on our shortlist.
As others have said CX5 is a petrol guzzler (waaaay higher real world consumption vs the sticker), also not a lot of room in the back. Lovely design, but we took it for a test drive and it did around 13L / 100km for the trip around town! The sale guy just nodded when we mentioned that, it’s apparently well known.
We have a higher spec Tiguan currently (lovely to drive), but I would never buy a 5 year old Tiguan - expensive to service and repair. We had a bunch of issues including gearbox replaced under warranty. I’d only consider new if I had cash to burn.
We ruled out CRV - didn’t love the styling/features (a bit plastic-y though gets great reviews), and the Xtrail because the back arm rest opens up to the boot, so if the arm rest is down you have a gaping hole. Our kid uses the arm rest all the time, so that would have done my head in!
Currently deciding between Forester S/STI and RAV4 cruiser. Forester is a lot cheaper, lovely to drive, but uses more petrol and more expensive to service vs RAV4. Both hold their value well.
If I was looking at any of these as 3-5 year old used, I’d go with RAV4 Cruiser (higher spec) or Forester (again one of the higher spec models). Both very reliable. RAV4 will have cheaper servicing vs Subaru though. CRV also a contender.
I love the look of Tiguans and nice interiors, but I've not heard of anyone with one who hasn't had issues. Multiple who have just had the engine cut out while driving. And reportedly terrible customer service.
Our experience exactly.
They look lovely, solid with luxury interior (especially the higher end models) - not dissimilar to Audi/BMW/Mercedes but at a much more affordable price. They were made in Germany, but the newest model is now made in Mexico. Servicing costs are now crazy high - about $4600 for the first 75K km. Plus the stress of dealing with their rubbish service departments!
What's your budget for these
Sub $60K. Forester S is around $50K, so it’s a strong contender. It was so lovely to drive (nicer than RAV cruiser). RAV much cheaper to run, but more expensive outlay upfront ($58K). RAV becomes cheaper overall from about 75K km onwards.
If you're looking at the Mazda, do not get the diesel as it's got way too many problems. Other than that you couldn't go wrong.
Corolla Cross or Rav 4
How about a horse? Considered to be a vehicle under South Australian law. About $5000 for a 4 year old horse so you can just buy one for each person you want to be able to carry
https://www.horsedeals.com.au/classifieds/item/horses/kempse…
Re mazda cx5s there are reports of coolant intrusion issues with some 2.5 litre turbo engines.
I am surprised that no one mentioned the Toyota Corolla hybrid. It's a beautiful car, economical to run, and has low maintenance costs, achieving 3.6L/100km.
Toyota capped service for the first five services/Five years/ 75000 Kms.
Five-year unlimited kms Car Warranty / Eight-year battery warranty.
Seems like a no-brainer.
Small car, even smaller boot.
Expensive for what is it.
Very low running costs.
It's a nice car, but OP is driving an Aurion and talking about SUVs. I don't think a smaller hatchback is a good fit for his needs.
The Camry would be the obvious replacement for an Aurion, rather than the Corolla.
The OP didn't specify that he wants only an SUV, and a Corolla is available in both sedan and hatchback forms. I found it to offer reasonable interior and trunk space, but everyone has different preferences.
The sedan offers more trunk space than many of these SUVs 😂
A gutless car with small spaces.
What guts do you want from a car under 30k?
Op, buy a 2023 Hyundai Tucson or a Kia Sportage for around 30k.
It comes with 7 years warranty (you are coevered up to 2030) and capped priced servicing.
No headache, good price, good car.
Agree… also…for about the same price or slightly higher you could possibly get a 21 serento diesel if you are looking for something slightly larger , 7 seats and can tow. Great all-round vehicle…
Subaru Impreza
Fredfloresjr on 01/05/2025 - 09:50 Comment score below threshold.
