Head? Block?
Head? Block?
Yeah, sounds right.
I don't car good.
Got a 2004 golf (mk4) just regular servicing and no issues, only issue I had was my fault, (trying an aftermarket headunit, that i turned into a brick, should probably replace it soon).
I had an issue with my SAAB that none of the mechanics could fix. A mate told me to go the Swedish mob in Huntingdale and they chucked a diagnostic jobby in and fix it in 5 minutes.
As I understand it, the Magna‘s bad reputation lingers from the 4-cylinder Astron engine used in the models up until ~1996. Head gasket problems, gutless for 2.6 litres.
Being a mechanic I hate them all equally.
Commodores are ok, parts are everywhere and reasonably priced but you don't want a Holden, Corollas are ok but Toyota too is out of the question, not sure why, they are actually really well built cars. So I would probably go with the Subaru, they are well built but parts can be a little on the pricey side.
It probably depends on how long you plan to keep it. If you're going to hang onto it for 3 or 4 years buy the Subaru but if you're going to drive it into the ground buy a Holden.
Honda Accord
Honda's are oil guzzling machines.
Going with the best deal, sadly.
7.5 for a 53k 2008 Lancer.
I almost had a cool car.
Honda's are oil guzzling machines.
LOL! Honda make arguably the best engines in the World.
Wim, a large local car best suits your requirements IMO. Falcon, Commodore or Magna/380 in V6.
As a generalisation Euro cars in your price range will cost a motza if anything goes wrong. And it will. Try $2k for one ABS sensor. You can source parts cheaper OS over the interwebs, but that can be a pain in the bum for someone who isn't an enthusiast.
Japanese will be the most reliable and durable - try a v6 Accord or early v6 Camry/Aurion. But a service history showing regular oil changes is a must - the most important factor.
Subarus can be very durable but 6-monthly oil changes are critical to their longevity - I learnt that the hard way (had 3 Libertys). Also they can be sluggish due to the friction losses and extra weight of the AWD system - unless you go for one of their turbo models.
And FFS don't skip maintenance - oil changes are a MUST. Because your car once had one and went wrong is no reason to avoid them. Oil is the engine's lubricant and the sole reason they last anything past 2 minutes. Oil degrades in time and mileage and loses its lubricating properties, so factor in a yearly change at bare minimum. Your local servo/workshop can do this at minimal cost.
Dunno if that helps, but good luck with the search.
I bought a Honda Accord Euro in Dec 2010, despite people telling me the upkeep is expensive and the servicing exorbitant.
So far everything's been half as expensive as the Ford I previously had, and not a single thing has gone amiss.
Drives well...love the proximity sensors and the heated seats...the GPS is Sensis and therefore absolute crap and expensive to update. I rarely use it.
We also own a Honda Accord Euro - bought new in 2007. Nothing has gone wrong with it. Nil. Ziltch. Utterly reliable and great to drive. And it uses no measurable amount of oil between services. (6-monthly at our mileage). Ditto re. the GPS - wouldn't bother again - the maps are a rip-off from Honda. Otherwise it is cheap to run and a delight to drive.
What are you nuts?
Get a Corolla.
What are you nuts?
Get a Corolla.
Hell to the no.
Don't like well made, fuel efficient, reliable Japanese cars?
Don't like ■■■■ ones with the pick-up of a tricycle.
How big a car do you want, Wim?
Mazda 6 is a good midsized vehicle.
The problem with European cars is that they almost all use premium unleaded (95) unless they are diesels. Also, the parts are incredibly expensive, and for a car that age you will need to buy parts from time to time. If you want to go euro, get a diesel. I've got one, the first I've owned, and it's incredibly cheap on fuel. It costs me $100 to fill the tank and I get 600 km of purely city driving. On the open road you can get well over 1000 km on a tank.
For Japanese, my wife had a Subaru Impreza hatch for years and now my son has it. I think it's 2001 and it's done about 160,000 km. It's showing its age both in the body and the engine, but it's still going OK and it's a delight to drive and it's never had a major problem. World's worst radio/cd though: incomprehensible controls.
Thanks, S10, as I suspected.
There was a beaut looking SAAB convertible in that price-range, fitted with all the trimmings, but that's the sort of thing that makes me wary.
i don't want to spend time at the mechanic's.
Yep, definitely don't get a SAAB. They're great cars, but think of all the usual considerations with European cars and double it. Mechanically pretty quirky and won't be cheap to repair, nor easy to find a mechanic who actually knows what they're doing with them.
I have some experience with Honda Accords - a '99 base-model and an '07 Euro. Both pretty solid cars, and the Euro in particular is fairly nice to drive.
I have a 2008 SAAB 9-3 Linear Convertible. Had it since new and it is a great car. Never had any mechanical problems, easy to find good SAAB mechanics, and if I needed pArts there is a shop in Ballarat, Euro Parts that gets anything quickly and cheaply. Our local mechanic reckons they are great to work, only need oil change every 15000 km and are easy on tyres. Have two friends with SAAB sedans and they have the same experience as me.
And because they went out of business, prices seem cheaper than others euro makes.
Avoid Daewoo