Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 22

Thread: Used car advice

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Posts
    8

    Default Used car advice

    We just moved to Auckland and are in need of a new car. Could you give advice as to what are reliable cheaply repairable/insurable cars. We are looking for a station wagon type and had a Subaru Outback in the US but have heard that Subies are expensive to repair and also often stolen... true?? Thanks.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    37,824

    Default

    Hello and welcome.

    I'm sure the NZ residents will have plenty to say when they're online later. In the meantime, have you looked on TradeMe? - you might be able to get a sort of overview of what is popular from the listings on there. Good luck!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Posts
    8

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by JandM View Post
    Hello and welcome.

    I'm sure the NZ residents will have plenty to say when they're online later. In the meantime, have you looked on TradeMe? - you might be able to get a sort of overview of what is popular from the listings on there. Good luck!
    Yes definitely have been looking on Trademe for the overview just wondering real life examples or advices.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    NZ - Hibiscus Coast
    Posts
    635

    Default Some info that may be of use...

    Hi jmesax and welcome to the forum !

    I believe you are correct about Subaru's being one of the favourite targets for car thieves, in fact if I remember correctly, owning a Subie could even negatively influence your car insurance premium because of this, but I'm not 100% sure on this.

    Consumer.org in NZ state that Honda, Toyota and Mazda have been the most reliable brands of car between 1998 and 2007 and Ford, Holden, Peugot and Volkswagen have been shown to have 'more problems than average' in the same time period.

    (I would link directly to the report, but you either need to be a member, or need to purchase the report to be able to view it. There is also more information available about specific models.)

    Cars recommended by Consumer.org:

    Small car (1300cc new or near new)

    Honda Jazz
    Toyota Echo
    Toyota Yaris

    Small mid-size car (1600 to 1800cc new or used)
    Toyota Corolla
    Honda Civic

    Mid-size car (2000 to 2400cc new or used)
    Nissan Primera (although it achieved only an 'Average' reliability rating for 1998 to 2000 models)
    Honda Accord

    Soft-roader/mid-size wagon (2000 to 2400cc new or used)
    Honda CRV
    Toyota Rav4 (although some models prior to 2002 don't have airbags and this compromises their safety rating)

    Heavy 4WD (2400 to 4000cc, new or used)
    Toyota Hilux Ute
    Toyota Prado wagon
    (although 1995 to 1997 Hiluxes and Prados rate as "average" for reliability and
    "Hilux utes don't often have airbags or anti-lock brakes (optional from 1999), although most Hilux Surf (import) station wagons do from 1996. Airbags were optional on early Prado models as sold new in New Zealand, but are common on used imports.")
    As there are many Honda's and Toyota's available in NZ, parts and maintenance are less of a problem than in the case of some European cars.

    This is (some of the) information available from Consumer.org, I hope it helps.

    Personally I settled for a Honda Jazz in 2007, and traded it in for the new model in December 2008 and I am very happy with it !

    Don't forget to check the various sites about the history of your car:

    AA Car and Vehicle History check
    Carjam
    Lemon Check

    Do check out the Consumer and AA websites as they have quite a bit of useful information when it comes to purchasing a (used) car.

    Best of luck in your search !

    Cheers,
    Silver

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Sandwich Islands
    Posts
    758

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by jmesax View Post
    We just moved to Auckland and are in need of a new car. Could you give advice as to what are reliable cheaply repairable/insurable cars. We are looking for a station wagon type and had a Subaru Outback in the US but have heard that Subies are expensive to repair and also often stolen... true?? Thanks.
    Hi Jmesax,

    I can't offer any help, but I'm going to be in your situation in a couple of weeks. We're planning on buying a car in Auckland, then driving to Hawke's Bay. I'm really hoping 2 days is enough to get this done.

    If you or anyone else have recs on where to quickly buy a car, please let me know.

    PS: My wife wants an Outback.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Iraqi in Auckland
    Posts
    179

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by jmesax View Post
    We just moved to Auckland and are in need of a new car. Could you give advice as to what are reliable cheaply repairable/insurable cars. We are looking for a station wagon type and had a Subaru Outback in the US but have heard that Subies are expensive to repair and also often stolen... true?? Thanks.
    Hi Jmesax,

    I recommend Toyota for your requirements, you can find a lot of models in the station wagon-ed Toyota/Corolla range (RunX, Avensis ...).

    Trademe and auction Turners are good website to look. There is a carfair held on Sundays at Ellersile (near Ascot hospital at Greenlane). You can have a look, drive and test the vehicles. The people their become more negotiable specially at the end of the day (around midday)

    Hope I provide you useful information.

  7. #7

    Default

    Cars and Motorbikes are a bit of a hobby of mine, I've owned about 30 in the past 3+ years I've been in NZ.

    I agree with what was said about the Honda Jazz, I recently leased a new one for my wife to do her shopping and take the kids places, it's a small car with big features, the inside is set up to give maximum room for both people and storage. A full maintenance 45 month 60,000 km lease is $482 per month. The Lease also includes free Roadside assistance, Towing etc..The only thing I have to do is put in the fuel and pay insurance, which is $40 per month through Honda.

    I've owned a few Subaru Wagons, both the Legacy and the Outback. I've found them to be good cars, reliable nice ride etc..However, with full time 4WD and 2000cc or 2500cc engines they are a bit thirsty on fuel by NZ standards. Fuel in NZ is much more expensive than in the U.S. I've never been so concerned about fuel economy since I moved here. Also, you'll find that the same year and model may differ in options, most cars in NZ are imported from Japan and airbags are optional. Many roads in NZ can be treacherous so in my opinion airbags are a must for any family car.

    Avoid Holden (which sadly is a GM subsidiary) I've owned one Holden and had many problems, so I have no plans to own another.

    The Suzuki Baleno Wagon a/k/a Cultus is a 1500cc Wagon, not a bad car but a bit underpowered. The Nissan Lucino Wagon is similar.

    If I was looking for a used Wagon priced under $5000 and my concern was reliability and fuel economy over style, then I would be on the lookout for any 2.0 Diesel Toyota Wagon. If you have some mechanical knowledge then you could search Trademe, look the car over, take a drive and make sure it's been well maintained, i.e. cambelt replaced, regular oil changes etc.. When buying from a private owner getting a Carjam Report is a must, this will ensure there is no lien, the cars not stolen, the mileage isn't altered etc..Without this you could end up getting shafted badly, there are crooked people everywhere including NZ.

    If your not mechanically minded then Turners Auction may be a better option, any car with a reserve over $2000 has a mechanical inspection done by Turners, it's not the most thorough inspection but usually catches any obvious faults.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Christchurch
    Posts
    76

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by jmesax View Post
    We just moved to Auckland and are in need of a new car. Could you give advice as to what are reliable cheaply repairable/insurable cars. We are looking for a station wagon type and had a Subaru Outback in the US but have heard that Subies are expensive to repair and also often stolen... true?? Thanks.
    Hello,

    We bought a fantastic used (2006) Subaru Outback in Auckland. We got an awesome price and the gentleman whom helped us was terrific. We were worried we would not be able to purchase a vehicle because we did not have an address at the time of purchase. No problem. Any correspondences were sent to the dealership. And our insurance was sorted at the dealership as well. It was very easy. Plus, the cars already have the liscense plates and already registered. And the warrent of fitness is up to date. Not like the US where they make you wait forever and day for everything.

    As far the Subaru's being stolen a lot in NZ...we heard different stories. They guy at the bank said it was only the Imprezza's but the guy whom sold us the car said it was ALL models. But it did not stop us from buying one because we wanted the all-wheel drive option. Not sure how much maintence is or any of that because we have not had to bring it to a mechanic for anything as of yet.

    Good luck!
    Last edited by candlelight; 8th February 2010 at 09:09 AM.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Taupo
    Posts
    183

    Default SUbie

    It is generally the Imprezzas that are the fave of the car thieves, I have had my subie SVX since we moved here and would hate to be parted from her. They are awesome cars for trundling up and down the highways in but they are pricey for any repairs and I cringe when she needs a new tyre. Being perm 4wd they just love to eat the petrol and really are better for long trips not the short runs into town. My son has a toyota which is proving to be very reliable as the town runabout and is very cheap to keep on the road.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    ChCh as of 06/11/2004
    Posts
    288

    Default

    We just changed my wife's car from a wild turbo charged Toyota Caldina to a more sedate, non-turbo charged 3.0R Subaru Outback and the premium went up by $150 per year.

    The premiums here don't seem to make sense. The performance of the car doesn't seem to have as much weighting as to how many are stolen or crashed.

    I have also just changed my Jag and nearly bought another XJR (400bhp Supercharged model) but instead have settled for a non-supercharged model of the same shape (still 4.2L but 'only' 300bhp). I got an insurance quote for both and the premium was $80 less for the XJR! I can only assume that because they are very rare, few have been stolen or crashed so aren't seen as such a high risk.

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •