tell me about your car
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Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28677
Printed Date: 04 October 2025 at 2:56am
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Topic: tell me about your car
Posted By: lizzle
Subject: tell me about your car
Date Posted: 10 September 2009 at 6:50pm
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so our car is in to get a warrant....and for the second time in two years, we have a $1000 bill to get it. We bought it for $2000 (from the in -laws, they had bought it 6 months prior for $6k), and have spent $3000 getting it repaired, and those repairs \have been caused by wear and tear, not from bumps and thumps.
So, i hate it, and want a new car. have no money so am trying to win one. but in case that doesn't pan out, may have to get a car loan for a new one...so tell me about your car. what do you love, what do you htae, and what do you recommend. am currently driving a mitsi rvr, but have a honda odyssey courtesy car...which i am loving, but seems it may be a bit pricey petrol wise. |
Replies:
Posted By: AandCsmum
Date Posted: 10 September 2009 at 7:05pm
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OMG how are you trying to win a car???
I need to go do my warrant & I think I might be the same as you! We looked at upgrading last weekend & what I want is out of our price range. ------------- Kel http://lilypie.com"> 
A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12 |
Posted By: RBsMama
Date Posted: 10 September 2009 at 7:07pm
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We have a 1996 Honda CRV and it's great, especially with a baby to lift in and out. We use one tank of petrol a fortnight, so it's about $75-$85, depending on the cost of petrol. We've paid for services, warrants & rego etc. The only thing "extra" in the 2.5 years we've had it, is the brakes, which was about $250ish. I think it's been a great buy. Easy to get the pram in & out as well.
Good luck with your decision. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">  http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 10 September 2009 at 7:22pm
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We have a Mondeo (DH's work car) and I have a honda accord. The only thing I've had to do to the honda is buy new tyres and its pretty good fuel wise.. but it is old lol. The mondeo is a nice car.. wish I could use it all the time lol, his work pays for everything for that car but since hes had it apart from me denting it it hasnt needed anything bar tyres either. Its good on fuel around town but not as good on the open road for long trips, loads of boot space too.
I have something against mitsi's I've had 2 and both have cost money to get things replaced on them on a regular basis so never going back to another mitsi |
Posted By: Hopes
Date Posted: 10 September 2009 at 7:52pm
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We had a 1995 Honda Domani till a couple of years ago, and it was great while we had it, it didn't need much work (although the CV boot did have some problems, which I hear they're prone to). It's ABS braking system went kaput, and it was going to be more than the car was worth to fix it, so I sold it (got a better deal on TradeMe than I expected).
We bought a 97 Nissan Bluebird, and I'm a big fan. We've only had it a couple of years, but nothing has gone wrong yet. It's also chain driven, so no cam belt to worry about. -------------   
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Posted By: Snappy
Date Posted: 10 September 2009 at 8:07pm
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Honda's and Toyota's are supposed to be the way to go. I worked with 20 ex panelbeaters and mechanics in my last job and thats what they all said.
We have a mitsubishi lancer and a Honda Accord. Our Mitsi is great but too small to fit 3 car seats in the back! |
Posted By: Chickaboo
Date Posted: 10 September 2009 at 8:21pm
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depends what sort of car you want - do you want a people mover (6 plus seats) or a normal sudan/station wagon?
We are looking to getting a Honda oOdyssey or Mazda MPV.... so thread hogger here but anyone got one and would you recommend it? ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
876 |
Posted By: Bombshell
Date Posted: 10 September 2009 at 8:28pm
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the toyota that is similar to an odyssey is a nice drive - we had a work one once...
i love my big 4x4 truck tho and have thus far avoided a people mover...my worst nightmare personally!!! |
Posted By: WRXnKids
Date Posted: 10 September 2009 at 8:36pm
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Mitsi's tend to have a lot of issues mine had computer faults and trans issues are very common in the autos (my galant i keep for sentimental value now poor thing just sits in the garage)
As much as i love subarus they tend to have a lot of issues as well. Fuel pumps, gearboxes, airflow meters are common issues but some people are lucky and skip those faults Toyota is the best as far as cheap parts go and reliability pretty cheap to run as well. We have a previa van petrol auto (which i hate because i am not a soccer mum with 12 kids and thats how i feel in it) but i have to admit that thing is fast, pretty cheap to run, goes well with minimal maintainence (dp is a mechanic so our cars barely get touched) and man you can get alot of groceries in it. Tows a trailer real well too and we drag a heap of cars around the south island. DP is fixing up a Toyota Caldina for me and i cant wait pretty much the same as a corolla (which are really popular and we have one for sale pretty cheap) but more sporty looking. Toyotas are pretty good at holding their value and are easier to sell in our experience. Had a BMW for a while which was really nice but parts are expensive so wouldnt recommend one if your wanting to keep costs down. Um Nissans we have only had skylines which wont help as they dont tend to have alot of room in them for carseats in my opinion and DP hates hondas so dont know much about them except from the mumbled string of obscenities from DP. Hope that helps anyway -------------   
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Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 10 September 2009 at 9:08pm
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We had a Honda once and hated it. *Everything* went wrong with it. I swear it was cursed.
We've had a few Toyotas and they've been good. Cheap to run and to repair except sooner or later the cooling system seems to go on them and that's not so cheap. Our last Toyota was a 1996 Corolla and was a dream but my mum has a later model and it handles like a drunk dog. Our current car is a Holden Astra and we  it so much! It's economical, nice to drive, reliable and so far (touch wood) hasn't cost us much in repairs. I think it's about a 2004.-------------  
 
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Posted By: FreeSpirit
Date Posted: 10 September 2009 at 9:11pm
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Lol, I have a '92 Suzuki swift, it costs me about $30-40 a fortnight in petrol, it's white and had one little old lady owner before me. I love it to pieces!!! No computer or fancy parts to fail, cheap as chips to run and service, it does everything I need it to and nothing else. No flash stereo, no mags or rims or tints, just 4 wheels and a tiny motor. My dad used to work in the Suzuki factory so IF anything goes wrong, I can always ask him (touch wood, nothing has gone wrong yet). I do my own services, and I will keep this little car until it dies! ------------- http://www.babysfirstsite.com"> 
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Posted By: emz
Date Posted: 10 September 2009 at 9:25pm
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My dad has spent his life fixing cars so my opinions mainly come from watching him work on dud cars, and also from us owning some Mitsi's.
DON'T get a mitsi  The trans (esp tiptronic) slip easily. We've had both a Diamante (lovely car but cost us 8k to buy, added about 6k worth of stuff on it (pre house and kids), then it blew up and cost us 3500 to fix, then only a year later started playing up again), and a legnum (once again, bad bad bad trans).
DON'T get a Honda (like I said my opinion). You know they're bad when a man who works on ANY car refuses to work on any honda. Every single Honda I know of has had serious problems. I have a Mazda Familia (oldie (92)) but I've had it for 6 years and I've spent about $600 on it (incl tyres). It's great. DH has a Holden Vectra which is incredibly economical, looks great and drives well. Dad says Toyotas, Mazdas, a lot of Nissans etc are good. Look at how many old Toyota Corollas from the 80s you still see around going well - that tells you something about the quality of the engines. |
Posted By: Snappy
Date Posted: 10 September 2009 at 9:33pm
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Oh yes, our Mitsi was in a garage for 3 months while all sorts of experts tried to figure out what was wrong with it - $6000 later!!! The solonoid (sp) went on it. (thank god for mechanical insurance!)
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Posted By: BuzzyBee
Date Posted: 10 September 2009 at 9:41pm
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I agree with Emz on the Holden Vectra - my Nana drives a 2004 Vectra and its still going well, myself I own & drive 2002 Holden Astra which is basically the same car but hatch version.
No issues as yet but I am due for a service, have owned it for 3 years now - its fantastic on fuel ...$10 a week gets me a lot of places. My father owns 2 x Mitsi Lancers, one is the old '92 model and the other is 2004 Lancer VRX - both have had no issues and the 2004 VRX is such a nice car, very sporty and nice looking (probably helps he has it in yellow lol!). My grandparents owned two mitsi's for years and years without issues, a lancer and a galant. Auto's and manuals. Sometimes I reckon it comes down to luck, but IF I was to get another car I'd always go for Holden again, or failing that Toyota - they're always reliable. |
Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 10 September 2009 at 9:48pm
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Ive had a couple of Hondas and i love them.
Currently I drive a 2002 CRV and we are looking at the 2007 to trade up to. A tank lasts about 2.5 weeks, lots of room in the back (thus avoiding the dreaded people movers...) 3 carseats easy, lots of leg room and the back seat is slightly higher up, so nice to travel in if you get spewey. Lots of boot room for big buggy and a dog. I've only bought 2 tires for my vehicle, and my 96 civic that I had till 2004 only had tires as well. I think its important to keep them serviced if you can afford it. I also wouldn't buy a mitzi. Not only sh*tters but fugly as well! ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: tishy
Date Posted: 10 September 2009 at 10:13pm
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We have a People Mover. aka. Toyota Previa.
I love that I can get both girls out the same side of the car. We bought it for the 'storage' space. We can now do a weekend trip with 2 sets of dive gear, 2 portacots, a double stroller and everything else we need without needing a roof rack. Before that we had a Ford Focus Station Wagon which was a brilliant car. We could fit the double MB (but not much else) in the boot and was easy to slide in and out. If I could pick any car tomorrow it would be a Focus hatchback. I had a toyota starlet years ago. They're like the energiser bunny 
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Posted By: fattykat
Date Posted: 10 September 2009 at 10:39pm
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We have a crappy OLD Nissan Terrano 4x4. My god can it suck the petrol!! And is a pig is drive but just won't die, it keeps going and going.
The other car is a Ford Falcon (I think its a 1995) I like driving it because it feels safe, it is a little thirsty but not too bad I don't think. Plus there is HEAPS of room in the car and also the boot is huge. I had a Nissan Primera before which was good but a little gutless if you needed to pass someone but was really cheap to run. I've also had a Honda Accord that was the best car I've had but someone hit me and it got written off. I had had no probs at all with it. |
Posted By: RoSee
Date Posted: 10 September 2009 at 10:44pm
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Definately if you can afford a Toyota... get one! They're by far the most reliable economical cars out there. You can see the ones on trademe even with 200,000kms on the clock still go for good money because they're really good runners.
DON'T get a mitsi... they're shocking 
Suby's are nice but expensive to repair Honda's are generally pretty good as are nissans. It's such a dodgy market for 2nd hand cars... just so hard to trust people! So if you can find a 'friend of a friend' or something similar that's selling their reliable car try and go that way! 
------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
 September '11
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Posted By: Chickaboo
Date Posted: 10 September 2009 at 10:50pm
tishy I had a toyota Starlet too - body was rusting to bits but the engine just kept going and going  ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: BeLoved
Date Posted: 11 September 2009 at 7:11am
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My Dad is a mechanic and he would never buy a Honda or a Mitsi or any european made car. He would say Toyota, Nissan or Mazda all the way, and these are what I have always had and my Dad has rarely had to anything to them except warrants, a couple of light bulb replacements and oil changes. ------------- http://alterna-tickers.com"> 
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Posted By: CuriousG
Date Posted: 11 September 2009 at 7:51am
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We drive a 2003 Nissan Maxima. Its a great car, really roomy, has all the extras and a huge boot. While its a V6, we probably go through between $50-60 of petrol a week (half a tank).
I had a Nissan Sentra before this and loved that too. In the 5 years I owned that I only had to replace the battery and also, the steering joint or something (can't exactly remember). My one recommendation for buying a car is getting it through a dealer and paying the extra for a warranty. We purchased our Maxima a year and a half ago and paid an extra $1200 for a 3 year warranty. Since that time, we have used it to repair the petrol gague which had packed up plus the coil went in it so again we got it fixed under warranty. You do have to have your car serviced every X many KM's, ours is every 15000, but we get it done every 10000 anyway. Worth it in my opinion. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: WRXnKids
Date Posted: 11 September 2009 at 9:10am
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Haha DP loves starlets so much he made a drag car out of one - pretty quick too. Not really family cars tho.
4x4 tend to be expensive fixes as well - tyres are not cheap for those. Diesel cars also seem cheaper but once you add road kms and bits they can be more trouble than they are worth. We repair a few cars and sell them (unless they take my fancy) mostly write off and if you understand why they write a car off and how strict it is getting it recompiled to be road registered you could get a nice car relatively cheap. We have 2 cars at the moment that were written off from a tow bar going through a radiator. Insurance companies decided that it would cost more than the car was worth to put a new bumper on it and a radiator so it gets written off. We keep photos of the cars before and after to show anyone interested in buying them if they want. So if something cheap does come up with previous damage i would give it a shot. Also http://www.carjam.co.nz/ - carjam best website ever when buying a car!!!!!!!!!!!!! Has a cars service history on it and in some cases will show if a clock has been wound back. Also i think suzukis (at least some of them) once the clock reached 99999 they start back at 00000 so always check the number plate on car jam for them as it might not have as lower kms as it appears edit to fix link -------------
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Posted By: clover
Date Posted: 11 September 2009 at 9:12am
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We've got a mitsi diamonte and have had no problems with it whatsoever, had a subaru before that and it cost us packets. I really think it comes down to luck with most cars, my dad had several subarus and thought that we couldn't go wrong and it turned out to be a complete money pit. I do think that manuals tend to be more problem free than autos though.
Between DH and I we've had a holden, two fords, a mazda, a toyota, two BMW's, a subaru and a mitsi, the only one of those that we had tons of trouble with was the Subaru. The BMW's are reliable but are very costly if you do have to have anything done. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: ohanlon82
Date Posted: 11 September 2009 at 9:31am
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same with you summerlamb
I have had my mitsi for 10 years now - yes 10.. NEVER failed a WOF - and only had to put a new set of tyres on it Little gem but we are looking at replacing it now DH has had a subbie - dont even get me started on that - oil leaks everything went wrong He had a BMW too that was good but costly if anything goes wrong To be honest i think there is good and bad in every Make of car... Just the luck you get really Also green cars are the unluckiest according to surveys ------------- http://lb2f.lilypie.com/TikiPic.php/RPaODBg.jpg |
Posted By: heaf3
Date Posted: 11 September 2009 at 9:37am
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well we have 3 cars between us (no kids yet tho so cant comment on the pram or carseats etc)
DF has a work car - nissan wingroad station wagon. he has not had very many problems with it and tends to be a pretty good car, its good on gas too. DF also has a boyracer skyline (non turbo) and that guzzles the gas if you drive it long distances (whole tank from whangarei to aucks sometimes depending on how he drives it ) but i have been using it for the past month to get to work and have only used about $30 for two weeks...i must drive like a nana hehehe
I have a boyracer/girl racer hehe vtec honda accord and its a good car....however it is sitting in the garage at the moment with no rego and the warrant about to expire cos i havent had enough money to fix it (the whole brake system needs overhauling) apart from that it has been ok only had it for a year though. my granny had a toyota corolla for YEARS she bought it new back in 1980?? and now my aunty has it...done a LOT of km but still a VERY good car...not many probs over the years. i think its basically the luck of the draw with cars...i have had people say that they never had any trouble with their mazda, however i had a familia hatch and it never stopped having problems. put me right off mazdas. DF used to work in a panelbeaters/car wreckers years ago and he said that maximas are the worst cos if something has to be done on the engine basically the whole engine has to come out and its really fiddly. my uncle has always had BMWs he loves them although has said the parts are very costly. i think next car i get might be a toyota cos i heard so much good stuff about them. right sorry for the novel hehe hope you can find a really good car! ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: emz
Date Posted: 11 September 2009 at 12:37pm
| Oh yeah we had a subaru too - BIL blew the turbos in it so we flicked it off to the wreckers because they cost so much to fix. |
Posted By: xLUCKYx
Date Posted: 11 September 2009 at 12:46pm
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I agree its gotta be toyota nissan or mazda
Our car is a nissan 1994 cefiro and it goes like noones business and hasn't missed a beat. We have had very minimal repairs and always passes warrents no probs. The only thing I hate about it is it is so shabby and bunged up now... we are planning on buying again soon too :) The goo dthing about toyota's and nissans is they are so very common and it is easy to get parts should they be needed :) |
Posted By: sally belly
Date Posted: 11 September 2009 at 2:06pm
Lol, I'm sure we've all confused poor lizzle by now!! 
We have a 2004 Subaru Legacy & have never had any probs with it. DH does believe in getting it serviced every year though... The insurance is quite high (I think) because they're apparently a commonly stolen car
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Posted By: RinTinTin
Date Posted: 11 September 2009 at 2:26pm
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Lizzle, being a qualified mechanic, here are my recommendations. You pretty much can't go wrong with a well serviced Nissan or Toyota. If you want a people mover, avoid the Toyota Lucida's and Previas (same car different name), they have rubber bushes in their drive trains that flog out all the time. Something like a Toyota Prado or an Ipsum would be better for a larger family. Oh and don't buy a toyota V6 that is pre 2000 (the year), they were prone to overheating. If you like the Honda Odyssesy, thats cool, just don't get the V6 ones, they suck gas. Go for the 4 cylinder ones, just be aware that most of them are what they call VTEC, so when you rev them over 4000rpm, they go into a "race mode" makes them go faster (good for over taking, it's why all the "boy racers" scream around in them) but will suck the gas. But if it's an automatic you'd really have to slam your foot down and hold it there to achieve that anyway. Avoid Subaru's and Mitsi's and pretty much anything European or American. Euro stuff is good but really expensive to fix. I love Subarus (got one myself) but again, expensive to fix. Don't touch Fords or Holdens. I'm a self proclaimed V8 fan but V6 or V8, they suck gas and cost a lot to fix.
At the end of the day, every car, every make, every model has their faults. Toyotas are cheap to run, cheap to fix and an all round reliable vehicle really. Same with Nissans. So those are the Make of vehicle I recommend. Which model of those you choose really depends on what your needs are.
If you got any questions about a specific model you might be looking at just PM me and I'll tell you what I know about them. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: noisybaby
Date Posted: 11 September 2009 at 2:29pm
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Best advice is get a mechanic or AA check done before you buy anything especially if you arent car minded at all. Buy what you are happy with too. Every single car that has ever been made will have people for and against it and its just a matter of you being happy with it. Try your prams etc in there to make sure there is enough room etc for you too.
We have had nearly 30 odd cars between my husband and I and have had issues with most makes. (were only 28 and 26yrs old).But in saying that we drive cars hard we dont nana them. But do steer clear of subaru legacy autos.( Late 80's to early to mid 90's) I know some people have got them and had no issues but they are almost guaranteed to blow transmissions or turbos. But hey I love Subarus we have a Forester turbo now and had a WRX before it and love them to bits its just the legacy autos to avoid. And if you can try avoid a loan to buy one. You'll end up paying far too much for the car by the time you pay the last payment. |
Posted By: MamaT
Date Posted: 11 September 2009 at 4:33pm
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We got a Mazda Atenza (Japaneese version of the Mazda 6) about 18 months ago and LOVE it - really economical and have had no problems with it (we bought second-hand). FIL has a Mazda 6 and he has had no problems with it either.
As others have said - avoid Subarus like the plague, they always have stuff going wrong with them, also European cars are really expensive to have serviced let alone any repairs.
Toyotas & Nissans are always a safe bet.
I have brothers who are car mad (one is a self-trained mechanic who was working on some race-car drivers team in the UK) so have had this ingrained into me over the years. -------------  
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Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 11 September 2009 at 5:07pm
| yes,i am completely confsed.....but not, if you get what i mean....thanks EVERYONE for the advice...including fattarts who mocked my current car - (sound of poking tongue out). we have a while before we buy as we are going to SAVE the cash for it (gulp!)....so keep the advice coming! |
Posted By: Hunnybunny
Date Posted: 11 September 2009 at 5:15pm
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I've got a Subaru legacy, 1989. It's AWESOME!!!!!!
No matter what we do, it just won't die!!!!! Its such a great car - it is a bit expsensive on the gas, but not too bad really. Its built like a brick sh!t house, and is pretty impossible to dent, and seems to hold up really well in crashes (sigh, males! brother hit another car, and i've been hit in it and minimal damage) |
Posted By: Candkids
Date Posted: 11 September 2009 at 5:20pm
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firstly id say find out how much the insurance is going to be . . .
i have a 1995 nissan granturismo due to lots of insurance companys changing their policys i can no longer insure my car  one company even hung up on me when i was enquiring about it!! (AA)
so now looks like im going to be payine close to $2000 a year for my car and thats just 3rd party fire & theft!! why , . . because it is a limited edition and has mags oooohhhhhhhh wow how dam stupid! i still wont sell it tho because it was a present LOL & i love it always passes warrants previously i had a mitsi galant i loved it but it always needed stuff for warrants & never passed before that i had a primera which was awsome ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">  DD 10.5yrs DS 6yrs DS 11mths 5 little angles watching from above |
Posted By: AandCsmum
Date Posted: 11 September 2009 at 5:56pm
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Liz there is a honda odyssey? down by Memorial park. Go down there in the weekends to have a squizz.
------------- Kel http://lilypie.com">
A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12 |
Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 11 September 2009 at 9:27pm
You are welcome, Liz.... ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
lizzle wrote:Posted By: heaf3
Date Posted: 14 September 2009 at 8:28am
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Catzkids, have you tried NAC insurance? they pretty much insure anything....hot rods, turbo cars etc...im sure they would do a deal for you.
------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: freckle
Date Posted: 14 September 2009 at 9:54am
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We've got a subaru legacy and impreza - we love with them both dearly but as of yesterday neither are functional lol ... BUT to be fair we are hopeless with maintenance and the impreza hasn't had a cent spent on it for 4 years! (apart from wof etc) ------------- mum to 3 lovely girls :D |
Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 14 September 2009 at 12:54pm
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I did think of something (I hope is) helpful. We've got our last 2 cars ex-lease from ORIX. It's a good way to go if you want a car with a full service history. Both our cars have had very low milage and been serviced exactly when they should have been and also we have all the records to see what has been done. -------------
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Posted By: GuestGuest
Date Posted: 14 September 2009 at 2:33pm
| I have a Subaru Impreza and it's FANTASTIC, never had anything wrong with it and it always passes a WOF. Compare that with my Honda Civic I had beforehand and it failed it's WOF every single time! |
Posted By: kellie
Date Posted: 14 September 2009 at 2:35pm
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Ford Taurus 98
Has a huge boot which can also convert to 2 more seats. There is a cubbyhole in the boot too! Very comfortable, heaps of room but a tiny bit thirsty on petrol. ------------- 
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Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 14 September 2009 at 3:19pm
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Oh another thing - pays to find out the cost of insuring the car you're interested in before you go buying it.
DH was looking at a sporty Subaru vs. our Toyota and when he rang up to check insurance costs he found out the Subaru was the most expensive to insure apart from luxury classed cars due to how often they were stolen. -------------
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Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 14 September 2009 at 10:25pm
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I have a 97 Mitsi Mirage 4dr sedan which I have owned for almost 6 years, which I bought when it was imported to NZ. I haven't had any problems with it whatsoever - the only repair I have needed was the sump welded, but that was because I hit a huge rock on our road, which was a rural gravel road. It's cheap to run (approx $40 a fortnight for DH to drive to work and back - 26km return), easy to park and has a decent sized boot.
Now I drive DH's Toyota Landcruiser, which the two capsules JUST fit in, provided we have the front seats all the way forward (luckily I'm short). It is larghe enough to hold all the groceries plus the double pram, and also for a person to sit comfortably in the middle between the capsules. It's really nice to drive, takes about $40 diesel a week and can get up and go when you need it (it's a 4.2L turbo diesel). In saying that, just this last week alone we have spent a considerable amount of money getting it's WOF (new brake pads were the biggest expense) and also some repairs as the electrics were playing up. The tyres ARE expensive, but DH hasn't needed any since he bought the car about 2 and a half years ago, and there's still over 8mm of tread left (which is what it has been for as long as I can remember!!!). |
Posted By: escadachic
Date Posted: 15 September 2009 at 10:32am
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I have a BMW, 96', 1.8L, auto, 4 dr sedan. Good car, but expensive to repair.
What I would recommend is anything Nissan or Toyota. Those 2 have the best reputation out of all cars. I have had both a Nissan and Toyota. Toyota's advantage is they just go and go and go. Nissan advantage is the have a chain instead of a cambelt, which by the way(the cambelt) can break several times in the cars lifetime and can cause extra damage when it breaks and as for the chain, that never breaks. They are both very economical to run petrol wise too. And I would fully recommend a manual. As I have always had nothing but trouble with autos. Plus, being auto, they use more fuel. And if you can afford to, get it checked at the A.A or at a garage and listen to their recommendations! I did this and decided to buy a certain car anyway and now I wish I had listened to them, inside of buy the car just cause I wanted it. -------------   
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Posted By: WestiesGirl
Date Posted: 15 September 2009 at 1:39pm
I have a 94 Subaru RS Legacy which has given me a bit of grief but I LOVE it to bits. Sadly I need to think about selling it cos its not getting used while we're in Aus 
DH has a Subaru Legacy GTB Wagon and again we LOVE it to bits. Its his pride and joy and only had a few minor issues. Having said that, he has modified it to his liking and looks after it like its gold (hehe yep were avid Subaru lovers here )
Here in Aus we have a 06 Huyndai Getz which apart from regular services has cost us sweet FA . It cost about $45 to fill and we get about 500 - 600kms out of a full tank. The only problem is its not a family car, its far too small.
If we were to buy a new car today it would be the new Subaru or a Toyota. ------------- Our Angel July 08 Gone but not forgotten
And to complete our family, our princess has arrived 
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Posted By: weegee
Date Posted: 15 September 2009 at 2:10pm
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me three on the old starlet energiser bunny... sometimes I miss that car! (usually when I'm passing a car park our toyota caldina station wagon won't fit into!)
Lots of people have said this by now but my mechanic uncle told me once that you can't go wrong with a toyota or nissan. I do know a few people who've had the transmission go on their mitsi so wouldn't touch one with a barge pole. Thanks for starting this thread, it's starting to look like we'll have to get a new car sometime soon too (there's nothing wrong with the caldina, but DH's car is a company car). Oh and that carjam site is awesome, thanks whoever it was on the previous page that posted it! (although I looked up my old Starlet and looks like it finally died )------------- 
Mum to JJ, 4 July 2008 & Addie, 28 July 2010 |
Posted By: queenb
Date Posted: 17 September 2009 at 6:55am
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hmmm yeah mitsi's and their transmissions. our legnum has been in the shop for over 2 weeks while we find one. GRRRRR ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Princess_mummy
Date Posted: 17 September 2009 at 5:11pm
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Agree with everyone else, stay away from the Mitsi's! My mum had one, she paid 11k for it (from a dealer), 2 weeks later she had already spent another 5 getting it fixed. She traded it in the next week for a Nissan which she never had a problem with for the 5 years she had it. She then passed it on to me and I never had to do anything to it in the 2 years I had it either.
I now drive a 2000 Toyota caldina wagon and I love it to pieces. I bought it the day it went on to the lot, it had only done 51,000ks. Its really economical, drives beautifully and goes like stink if I need it to, and best of all, IF anything ever goes wrong with it it won't be hard to get parts etc. Only problem is that it has a cam belt (my nissan was chain-driven) which has to be changed every 100,000ks, but I'm only up to 67,000 lol. A friend has had her caldina for 12 years, its done 200,000+ k's and she's never paid a cent apart from tires and WOF. In my opinion, you can't go past a Nissan or a Toyota. |