First car in Adelaide

GaryC

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Joined
Sep 21, 2006
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Location
Adelaide
Car(s)
'90 Miata, '12 Octavia RS
So, I'm going to get a first car soon. Any advice on makes and models and years for cars going for about $5000? I'm rather good at judging new cars, but for older ones, I'm totally ignorant.
 
Howabout a 1996 VS Commodore, white, 230000km, well maintained - always garaged, mechanically sound, new tyres, registered until May 09, $3000 ONO?
 
I'm assuming if you're spending $5000 on the car, you'd want hassle free motoring. I would go with the newest car you can get for $5000, Hyundai's are a good place to start looking. If you could put your budget at about $7000, the Hyundai Getz would be your best bet, I've driven that thing quite a few times, Mechanic uses them as a loaner car when I bring my car in and they are pretty nice inside and provide a good basic car.

If it has to be at about 5000, I'd go with a Hyundai Accent, maybe an 2001ish one.
 
Well, if you want something pretty much bulletproof, you can't really go wrong with a Toyota Corolla, as dull and soulless as they are.
 
Well, if you want something pretty much bulletproof, you can't really go wrong with a Toyota Corolla, as dull and soulless as they are.
He's right you know <_<

But get something semi-interesting if your a car nut. Something with button backed seats and whitewalls :lol:
 
Red_Bull's Commodore sounds decent for $3k, and as the others mentioned a Corolla is always a good choice (even if it's a bit dull). Civics are a bit more "fun", although they don't stand the test of time quite as well.
Are you after any type of car in particluar? sedan, hatch, ute, etc

Whatever you do, please please DON'T BUY A HYUNDAI. EVER.
Apart from being horrible cars in general, it will only let you down.
 
Whatever you do, please please DON'T BUY A HYUNDAI. EVER.
Apart from being horrible cars in general, it will only let you down.

Have you driven a late model Hyundai? If I wanted a Daily Car that was just a car for a cheap price, Hyundai's are your best bet. For that price range, you can only get 96-98 Civics and the most basic one with 150,000km on the clock, A Hyundai Getz would have much lower km's and be more modern.

But if you wanna play around with cars and have abit of fun, then get the Civic. But driving older cars will always have its problems
 
My first thoughts on this were either a Hyundai - any of the excel/accent variants are dirt cheap now and there's plenty of them around for spare parts etc. A VS commodore is a good buy if you want a bigger car - hell you can get an AU series II falcon for 5k these days.

It depends on what you want - big, small, sporty....

Here's a good starting point: http://carsguide.news.com.au/search/vehicle-search/?N=4294962119+475+418&Nf=pPrice|LTEQ 5000

I would steer clear of anything european or turbo in the price range though - owning a euro car I know that parts are generally more expensive.. But look for the usual things like service history, lowest k's you can find and importantly if you know nothing about cars then get it checked by someone independent - the RAA (www.raa.net) do car inspections or a mechanic if you know one.

Having just said steer clear of euro cars in that price range personally I'd get this:

http://carsguide.news.com.au/site/s...2119+475+418&No=60&searchType=3&vehicleType=3

mmmmm 405 mi16! If you do get that I know a good Peugeot mechanic :)

Don't forget to allow a few hundred $$ for the change in ownership paperwork and stamp duty etc... bloody government!
 
I would prefer <200k on the meter, as my friends recommend.

I've come to accept that for $5000, I'm probably going to have to settle for something Japanese (ewww... Toyota), or korean, though I would have wished for a 911 GT3.

I'd rather not go for something european, because, like that supercar for 10000pounds test Top gear did, they're just rubbish. I'd rather not buy something that was expensive but really good in it's day but has decayed to a rolling rust factory now. I think the smarter choice is getting something cheap to begin with, so it'll have nothing much to devalue for.

So, in that idea, turbos are out, as they might prove unreliable. And I want something that sips the petrol, just tiny sips, and preferably a hatch (Honda Civic Type-R please) because it's very practical and easier to park. I was thinking of a used Suzuki Swift (preferably Sport) since that thin sells quite cheap, anyway.

Opinions, please.
 
You can get a mid nineties Suzuki Swift for around $5000, I guess. Most of the cars in your price range will be from the mid nineties. I tried searching for a good small car for my cousin a couple of months ago and was stunned at what prices they're fetching. Uncertainty over petrol prices have seen Corollas, Civics, Swifts, etc surge in popularity. You wont have much change left from $5000 for a Hyundai Accident, though you might have better luck with the Excel. Getz's are a little optimistic if Carsales is anything to go by.

I think gti138 is on the money by suggesting the AU Falcon. It's a big car, but, like all Falcons and Commodores, it depreciates like a stone. The good news is, it cant get much cheaper than $5000 so you'll be able to get most of your money back when you sell it. It's reliable, and treat it nicely it'll return half decent fuel economy figures (bonus if its on LPG). Powerful when you want it to be, and a comfortable cruiser. Aim for a Series II.

Finally from me, kilometres arent the be all and end of of evaluating a car. Sure it plays a part, but try to find out what sort of driving the car has been doing, whether it's mostly city driving (plenty of stress) or country cruising.
 
Have you driven a late model Hyundai?
I drive a lot of different cars, since I work as a mechanic. I'm not at a dealership but we do see at least one Hyundai a day on average.
There is no other way to put it: they're all crap.
Sure, a new one will keep you going reliably for a while, but it'll still be a horrible car.

You will most certainly be better off with a small Japanese car, even if it has twice the kilometers on the clock (or more). The big Aussies are also decent because they're easy to maintain, although not quite as efficient.

Whatever you decide to do, just don't worry about your first car too much . . . you'll probably end up wrecking it anyway :lol:
 
Hehe.. That's true. What's the difference in prices if I buy from a dealer compared to a private owner? And would it make a large difference if I buy the car from a female or senior citizen private dealer?
 
I know you're not in the States, but here private party transaction prices are probably about 10-20% less than retail from the dealer. I'd expect something similar, because a dealer has to cover costs somehow whether they're here or where you are.

Ask about vehicle maintenance history - I'd be much more comfortable taking an older, higher-mileage car that I knew was well maintained than a newer car without maintenance history.
 
That's true, I'll be sure of it. And I'll need one that sips petrol. Just tiny tiny sips.
 
??? How does Subaru get a nickname of "Scooby"?

Anyway... Probably not an Impreza, since I only have $5000
 
So what makes the Scooby so recommended? Reliability?
 
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