So, today I was approved for a loan of $10,000, quite a lot of money for myself, and am now in the market for a car. I'm looking to shop around for a few weeks before deciding on a car, and I was after some car advice from all you rev heads and car hooligans.
Basically, limit is the loan amount, however by the time I go for a buy, I'll probably have $1,000-$2,000 extra to spend. I'm looking at a sedan or hatchback, however I'm also looking at ute's as well, more for convenience of moving items etc. I'm not to sure how to conduct myself at a dealership, and how to avoid being hooked in or played like a fool, so advice on that would be awesome. I checked carsguide and saw that in the $10,000 bracket I'm looking at between 2005+ models.
Just check on that site mainly for shit you like and do not be afraid to look interstate. If you take your cash with you and organise a day in say, Melbourne, you'll save yourself thousands on any car really for the cost of a hundred dollars in the flight down in the hope you're driving home.
Also look at anything Japanese, cheap + easily maintanable with common parts etc. Don't get a ute unless you want to look like a bogan.
Make doesn't really bother me, I'm not the kind of car person to care about make/model, however the only thing I would be majorly concerned about is if a particular make/model has a constant breakdown likelihood etc. Though I have been warned about Ford's.
anyone who has 'warned you about fords' is a holden loving douche who has been brought up that way. it is something they are indoctrinated into when they are kids
ie. no logic
there is nothing wrong with fords or holden as a whole for your purposes. they both have good and shit cars.
wouldnt go near any pre-BA model falcon or pre-VY model commodore, so about 2002 or earlier really
My driving style is pretty simple, with the most km's travelling in a week being Gold Coast and back to see family/friends. A ute to me would be a large convenience in having to not rely on trailers/friend with ute in order to say move a couch or fridge, or to even move boxes. So what I need to do is find a car that suits my lifestyle (obviously), be it a ute, sedan or hatchback.
I know dealers will try to screw me anyway possible just to get my money, but is there any harm in going down and just having a look, seeing what range there is and what kind of km/age I could afford?
Ensure you've got money for insurance in case you have to do something dumb like buy a full year in advance, cover any know repairs when buying used, and stamp duty/registration.
Get a RACQ check done if you don't know much about engines. Check if it includes stamp duty, if not make sure you have enough to pay that, also leave some cash for any rego, insurance etc. needed. If private buying do a revs check first http://www.revscheck.com.au/
EDIT: Scuzzy nice edit saying exactly what I was slowly typing at the same time
eorl, i got a megane for 10K, drive away, it was from a dealer, and i've just 70,000 on the clock,
carsales is great, but keep in post 2005 models if you can (cheaper servicing)
also, check when the timing belts service is due, (and if it has been done) one thing i noticed was alot of car that had a belts over due, or soon to be changed (80,000km - 120,000km depending on model) and it is an expensive service, (a trap for young players)
I forget since it's been so long, But I got an RACQ mechanic to inspect the car I wanted to buy, he rattled off a bunch of shit that was wrong with it and basically told me not to buy the car. I still bought the car knowing what I had to fix ahead of time which was great, and it's been all good so far!
Edit: 4 cylinders are cheaper to register but people might be trying to flog off larger cars with better prices, might be worth keeping in mind.
Thanks guys for the help, I'll look around and definitely try out that theory DK, sounds like something though that I would try when I'm certain of my make/model.
Also, are there any models/makes that are kind of what I'm after? I guess it would be an average joe bloe car, economical, affordable and manageable. My current car is a Hyundai Lantra 1994 so that gives you some perspective as to what I've been driving for the past 5 years.
I may just be Timmeh. Nah I don't plan to move from here for some time, and I don't think I'll really be buying a heap of furniture any time soon. As I said, it's merely a convenience option as it would still suit my driving needs.
As far as a new car goes, tbh I don't really have massive distances to commute these days, but if I was going to buy a car today, I'd get something small.
If it's lots of highway/freeway K's that you're racking up I thoroughly recommend something larger. It'll typically be better on fuel over bigger distances, and massively more comfortable.
Casa's advice about taking a trip to Melbourne is pretty sound too.
(Living in the ACT prices here are extortionate as for the most part the bulk of the used car market here are cars brought in from Syd/Melbs; I'm not sure what car prices are like in Brissie.)
If 10K is your 'upper limit' I'd suggest only spending 8K on the car and save the other 2K for Rego/Insurance (don't forget about stamp duty when registering the car, and any inspections you may need before registering)
(and this is of course 'assuming' you don't need *anything* mended on the car when going to get it registered)
Even though you have loan approval now. My 2 cents is the same as the last thread. Don't finance a car unless you absolutely can't do without it. Keep saving and buy it outright. You'll thank yourself later when you're not still needlessly pissing away interest money to the bank on a depreciating asset in five years time.
keep your extra 1-2k for expenses after you buy it
Yeah, and keep in mind once you have it, you'll possibly have to pay rego and insurance too, so keep some aside for expenses like that.
And unless you're going to be moving stuff a lot, I wouldn't bother with a ute. If most of your car use is going to be driving between the coast and here and just driving around, I'd focus on getting something thats fun and comfortable that you enjoy driving. If somewhere down the line you're moving house and need a ute, you can always hire one for a day or a weekend or whatever.
Plus, if you're the guy who owns a ute, you get roped into helping everybody else move their shit around.
On second thought, Dan's advice is pretty good too.
I have only had two loans in my life (one for a car, and the other for a bike).
it Obviously depends on your income and budget, but $10k isn't tonnes of money to save toward.
My loans were both through a credit union which priovided me a low interest rate, and high flexibility (no early exit fees, and I could redraw any cash I was 'in advance' on the loan with... provided me with massive flexibility when it came to rego/insurance and servicing etc etc)
not sure how long your loan is for i got my 9k loan for 2 years i think? maybe 3 cant remember. this was a few years ago now
but the interest over the loan was like $400 or something, ie. 2 tenths of fuck all and completely worth it to have my car now (and my interest rate was a shitload more than what rates are now)
its not like interest on the scale of buying a house or even a $50k car or something
As I said in the previous thread, my current car is falling to bits. Front driver door doesn't lock anymore so it's quite un-insurable there, back windows are stuffed and won't wind up so I got a mechanic friend to stick them up, engine is doing a constant groan noise I guess is the best way to put it. Basically it's doing what a 18 year old car should do, falling to bits.
So in that retrospect I figured my best bet is to get a loan, which I was initially going to only get $5000, but figured the more money I put into the car the better and younger I will get. This is my second car and also I guess being my first that I'm buying, so I really want to make sure it's the best I can get. In saying that, I know once I buy a new car the feeling of dread that I may have made a mistake will set in, but I'm sure I'll have made a good decision based on feedback and advice.
I think the car that I need is something that is reliable, comfortable, affordable on petrol, manual and a history of not breaking down.
$9k loan over 2 years on the absolute bestest interest rate is $800 in interest. That's not counting any establishment fees etc. Also paying interest on a depreciating asset? Thats bad debt.
^ $800 interest is not much in the scheme of things and hardly worth worrying about imo. If you keep the car for even 5 years that's only an additional $160 per annum you've paid to have a newer car.
Just buy something sensible and you'll be on a winner... Corolla, Lancer, 3 et al. Cheap to register, insure and run and they are good cars these days....
By a cheap shitter and you'd be guaranteed to be paying out $800 pretty quickly in repairs/upkeep.
Mazda 6 from 2003 onwards would be my choice, top mid sized car if you want nice driving in a nicely appointed car. That's if revheading is not a necessity.
sure mish $800 is no big deal to an established person like you or i, but to someone who 'needs' a loan for a car, $800 would be far more significant i would expect.
Oh and SFB, after having driven a Mazda 6, I do agree. However, I found that Mazda 6's are for people who are in denial about the fact that a Camry is perfect for them.
cheap to run, cheap to rego, easy to repair, and a cool car that most people will talk about, and as a bonus, the tray back has a cover, making it computer friendly
I have a feeling if I buy your car Enigma I'll be targeted by police :P Building up a folder full of cars and will hopefully go through checking them out either through reviews online or setting up a test drive. Thanks for the advice all though, very much appreciated.
Here is the list so far in lovely small link, advice is much appreciated.
Personally I'd avoid all those that copius posted. The first two will cost bucks being Euro based, the last probably would be good but Lexus and 240,000 spells $'s.
Seriously, if you must take a loan, cop it on the chin and get a small Jap car, may not be cool, but will be the best value and cheapest to run, which is important given that you'll also be paying off a loan - the last thing you need is big $ repairs/servicing.
Oh and anti-lock brakes and duel air-bags should be mandatory in what ever you buy!
Personally I'd avoid all those that copius posted. The first two will cost bucks being Euro based, the last probably would be good but Lexus and 240,000 spells $'s.
Seriously, if you must take a loan, cop it on the chin and get a small Jap car, may not be cool, but will be the best value and cheapest to run, which is important given that you'll also be paying off a loan - the last thing you need is big $ repairs/servicing.
Oh and anti-lock brakes and duel air-bags should be mandatory in what ever you buy!last edited by mission at 07:22:01 04/Apr/12
the first one might be a euro, but it is a nissan engine,
and a focus is pretty cheap service wise (euro style)
the lexus inline 6 will be good for 700,000+ (might look fancy, but it is a 2 litre iron block, old school tech, lasts for years)
most mazda's, honda's, toyota's are all going to be about the same to service/repair (toyota part are cheaper tho), so I wouldn't just disregard my link mission
maybe you should pay a broker or something to buy your car
As I said, not a car enthusiast so I don't particularly know what brands are good and what are a waste of time. I'm building a profile of cars at the moment, and hopefully I can go through each one checking out reviews, history and having a test drive.
Tradition dictates that one should post an artistic photograph of ones new chariot, this is one Vash took for you while hiding in the bush with his pants around his ankles watching your room mate in a state of undress.
Looks like it will handle like a go cart!
Doesn't look fun to work on though, unless your hands are lego man sized and you soak them in a water based lubricant overnight before popping the bonnet.
Yeah but on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere and the auxiliary belt breaks and jams against the crank pulley, do you wait five or six hours for road side assistance or do you cut away the belt?
I cut the belt, but to do that on that car might require degloving your arm terminator style.
Man a terminator arm would be awesome and handy. Also that's why I'm making sure they chuck in roadside. Looking at 2011 and 2012 models though as well, going to try and bargain.
One thing I hate about having to have a car serviced is the cost of a simple oil change. Hundreds of dorrah vs the price of oil if you do it yourself.
It's not just that. They up the price of everything they put in your car - few bucks on a filter here, few bucks on a filter there - next thing you know, $300 for a friggin' minor service.
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