Need help with choosing a car :) - Page 2

AdzT3-146 · 24-02-2005, 04:39 PM

Yep, if the Focus is out go the Mazda

Paris Hilton · 24-02-2005, 05:08 PM

I'm going to get bashed for this...but...what about a Civic sedan? they are hella fun to drive...

4lex · 24-02-2005, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bindi

Also the Focus is out - hubby is a 110kg, 6 foot tall, Greek love machine - god he wouldn't fit in the thing!

I'm 6'1" and 105kg and fit easily into a focus. The RS focus is arguably the most capable front drive car built in terms of handling and dynamics, and pretty brisk to boot, sadly a good bit over budget I suspect - plus no auto on that model.

I'm not familiar with the focus line-up here, but the 2.0 four TDCi as sold in Europe has plenty of grunt, 0-100 in 9, 134bhp 220km/h and being a diesel sips fuel - 5.5l per 100km. The 2.0 petrol is marginally quicker with a bit more power (but less torque) and also pretty good on fuel.

Definitely worth at least trying to get in it!

bindi · 24-02-2005, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psycho Chicken

Hrmmmmm.......no I'll behave.

Good, cos isn't your gf lurking around these parts now???

FRDXR6 · 24-02-2005, 11:46 PM

Not sure if its been mentioned (can't be bothered ready all the pages

but what about a Subura Impreza GX or RX models. My mum recently got one in SIlver and optioned it with a spoiler and alloys and they look really nice. Very good looking and comfortable interior as well plus if you drive on dirt roads you get the benefits of awd.

calais · 25-02-2005, 09:18 PM

No one suggested the honda accord euro! 2.4litre four, five speed auto, 6.0l/100, 140kw, 17inch alloys...... bloody good to drive,horn to look at....... with some haggling you could easily get a brand new one for $32,ooo seriously, best four banger sedan i have ever driven. seriously go and have a look.

Zedjay · 26-02-2005, 11:09 AM

buy a new camry you cant beat a toyota for quality.

Sylox · 26-02-2005, 11:21 AM

Mazda 6 after all Mazda is owned by Ford.
We've has a few of these come though work and I'd lay the cash down for one very nice cars.

XRated · 27-02-2005, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calais

No one suggested the honda accord euro! 2.4litre four, five speed auto, 6.0l/100, 140kw, 17inch alloys...... bloody good to drive,horn to look at....... with some haggling you could easily get a brand new one for $32,ooo seriously, best four banger sedan i have ever driven. seriously go and have a look.

Ahhh I knew something slipped my mind. What a package! Definitely take one of these for a test drive

4:

bindi · 27-02-2005, 09:37 AM

UPDATE! LONG STORY, be warned

We went looking yesterday just to get a basic idea at cars suggested so far. We didn't test drive anything at this stage (dealers seem to think the car will be sold if you do).

Jumped in a Mazda 3 sp23 to find it PLASTICKED TO DEATH. Knobs were plastic, everything plastic, it was totally gruesome! So we got in a Mazda 6, that was a roomier version and we were very impressed with the boot size too (enough to fit a dead body without having to break limbs hehehehe). Nice, clean, pleasure to drive - BUT PLASTIC. God, I'd break something in 2 seconds flat.

Started talking to one of the dealers (their dealership was a mix of Mazda, Rover, and used newish cars). The poor kid had only been on the job 3 days

We told him what we were after and he showed us a different car - it's an MG ZR160. I didn't realise that MG (well Rover actually) is making cars again. It was love at first sight, smaller than what we wanted and only came in a manual but goddamn what a sweet machine! Lotus engine, 1.8L, 7.9L/100K, 205/45/17s...

Right next to it was an XR8 ute, and I tried to convince the hubby to let me at least test drive it, but alas, it was not my time

:

Anyway so we're looking in this car and I can tell my hubby is rather impressed with it at this stage (remember, he didn't drive it). Then we decide to look at others.

See a beamer. I comment that it looks like a drug dealer's car, and the dealer says "Oh this one used to be mine", very sheepishly. I absolutely crack up, to find of course that he was just kidding lol. We look at a Lancer (not bad), a Pulsar (not bad), Corolla (just like the mum-in-law's, so we know what they are like), another Mazda 3...

Start feeling a little disappointed, cos not much is screaming "PICK ME!" except for the MG.

But I reminded hubby that he specifically wanted an auto for the traffic and the MG only came in a manual at this stage. They are brand new (the dealer had only gotten it that morning and wheels magazine is coming out this week to test it and write it up!) and so auto may not be an option till later on, depending on market trend I guess.

Also I pointed out that it was smallish, and that the kids would be a wee bit squished. But this is easier to rationalise away, cos our oldest (son of nearly 13) does not want to come with us much anymore, he has friends to hang with and places to be on the weekends (as you do when you are morphing into a teen). So it would really be us and our two daughters.

So size may not be that much of an issue. It is something we will take into consideration but we've decided we're not going to pass up a nice car just for children who barely get in the car with us anyhow.

We looked at the next model up in the MG. Just as gorgeous, but this baby was $45K. 6cyl 2.5L auto but fuel efficiency was mysteriously absent from the front window (not a good sign).

So we left him after getting a brochure and went to the Subaru dealer. Got in a Forrester, a bit squishy, even for me. Got in an RX with a Momo pack (steering wheel, leather seats etc) and found that if you are larger than a waif model then the seats dig into your legs. Got in a Liberty, slightly better. Decided to get in the back seat to see if our son would fit in it (he's nearly as tall as me and I'm 5'8") and couldn't get my legs in without serious damage to knees.

I didn't realise how small the Subarus actually are. Boots are huge, but at the expense of people in the back seat. I would rather less boot and more leg room... Then hubby decided to get in the Forrester - big mistake! He needed to be greased up with Vaseline to get in it (and the seat was back as far as it would go) and then he couldn't move the steering wheel as the wheel was jammed into his thighs. I had to grab his arm and pull him out!

So Subarus are now officially out, BIG TIME.

As hubby pointed out, it'd be nice to drive something through Sydney that you don't see every day.

Envious · 27-02-2005, 11:24 AM

thats a very nice tidy looking car bindi, whats the damage ?

bindi · 27-02-2005, 04:30 PM

Around $31,000.

And yes we are going to look at the Honda Accord Euro next time... hubby read the post further down and was excited by the larger engine, fuel economy and 5 speed auto bit :1syellow1

eb2flyz · 27-02-2005, 04:59 PM

what about a hyundai elantra or sonata, cant beat their warranty

Envious · 27-02-2005, 05:21 PM

i cant stress how much hyundai suck...... my mate had one and he was in a tiny bingle and it cost him a fortune to repair....

eb2flyz · 27-02-2005, 05:38 PM

i've got an 02 accent and it has only ever had to go back for 1 warrany issue, the fuel pump died, apart from that it has been a very good car, great on fuel, cheap to insure, and got plenty of grunt for around town, need a bit of a run up on the hwy ( only a little 1.8l ) to over take road trains. i am more than happy with how the little hoondy has treated us.

DivHunter · 27-02-2005, 06:24 PM

I found the accent I drove for a couple of weeks to use more fuel than the i6 I had at the time. I think this was due to living and working in the mountains though. I seriously did not trust the car at speed either, just felt very unsure compared to the Fairmont.

Mum's Sonata has had a few things go wrong, very expensive repair as well.

loxxr6 · 27-02-2005, 11:03 PM

Quote:

I cant stress how much hyundai suck...... my mate had one and he was in a tiny bingle and it cost him a fortune to repair....

My mate and I bought excel's at fairly similar times and we both thrashed the tits off them and they kept going. I never ever had a prob with the car and my mate I think only once had to go back for a change in syncro or something for their gearbox.

Those cars were the best in class for a stack of things including performance and interior size etc. Fuel economy even when thrashed I think was around 7L/100.

The accent would be dulled a bit over the excel due to the heavier weight.

My pick from before for a choice of car would be the Mazda 6 as well. They sound really sweet with the exhaust done as well...

The Lancer's I'd steer clear off. Pricey insurance, jurassic park poxy 4cyl engine. No thanks.