Good Cars to buy

Peter 31648010

I asked my Great Grandfather the same exact question nearly 35 years ago. He was a mechenic when most households in Queensland still used horses. This is what he said to me, "go to 3 wrecking yards and buy what you DON'T see". For me at the time, that was a Toyota Hilux.
Now I think back I realised he gave me more then advice on a car, it was life advice too.

Benjamin3258

Lexus are a decent brand. They seem to buy chassis from other makers. Apparently the KIA Stinger is at the end of it's life but the Lexus is350 is a good replacement for it. Mercedes make similar cars but you would pay the price right across the board.

Charlton3255

It all depends on your budget, where you live and what you intend to use the vehicle for.
When I look for a car I look at if this car has available parts which are cheap and can be sourced in Australia. Most high end European vehicles whether it's Audi/BMW/Mercedes are quite expensive to service, DIY on these European luxuries are not for the average Joe to attempt but if confident and up to the challenge, well look no further than YouTube for tutorials and more...good luck!

Japanese vehicles in my opinion are probably the most serviceable, reliable and cost effective vehicles you can buy hands down! Honda,Toyota,Mazda,Nissan..in every shape,size,colour. Europeans vehicles too!! But have to say our mates from "the land of the rising sun" (JAPAN) have perfected fuel economy, serviceability and gave us Aussies a sea of aftermarket parts with low costs.

As for electric vehicles great solution for the environment! No emissions and silent ,boring as hell to drive if your a car guy, electric cars are very quick but not so excited to see a world full of nothing but electric vehicles speeding and silently cruising around just gives me the creeps silently 😅 but hey it's slowly becoming the way of the world! Whichever car you choose just make sure you love it cause you are the one forking out the dollars😉

Sil sil

Don't buy the Hyundai Tucson unless you want an out dated navigation system! I've had my new car for a year and they are still waiting for the 3rd party to update their satellite....so nothing can be done...old addresses and businesses are impossible to find using the car navigation. Back to plugging in my phone! Omg

Jeena32130897

My Subaru imperaza has never let me down.

PandaKill

I can provide you with information on the most popular car types to help you make an informed decision. Some popular car types include:

Sedans: practical for families and daily commuters
SUVs: good for off-roading and hauling cargo
Hatchbacks: compact and good for city driving
Electric vehicles: environmentally friendly and increasingly popular
It's best to determine what your specific needs and wants are in a car, and then research various models within the type that interest you, in order to make the best choice.

mustang6000

As others have said,the first thing you need to do is work out a budget, will it be new or used, do not forget running/maintenance/registration and insurance costs You then need to narrow down a list of what type of vehicle (what it must have/what would be nice to have, how many people will be carrying, what type of drivetrain/engine (petrol/diesel/hybrid/electric), how far you average trips are, how much cargo space you need, are you towing anything. then go to some car sales websites and have a general look at what is available. When you pick something, ensure you have a pre-purchase inspection done by a motoring organisation or qualified mechanic.

Good luck, you have just gone down a massive rabbit hole,

relsforum

What size car? How many people? If you have kids allow for them to grow in the back seat so don't get a really small car you won't fit in later on.
Small economical sedan car - manual - cheap on petrol to run and servicing.

Hawkey10

Depends on what you're looking for... small runabout, 4WD, something sporty??

Hawkey10

Depends on what you're looking for... small runabout, 4WD, something sporty??

harry31626210

First decide what's your purpose/requirements for buying a new car then make a list of cars you like in a particular range. Then buy a car.

suzzles

It’s definitely dependent on your budget. We are currently in the process of buying a Kia Niro hybrid. Electric vehicles are still too expensive, so this vehicle provides a happy medium to reduce emissions, but also provides the comfort and styling of electric cars coming into the market.

TheFourRings

A good car is one you like the look and feel from behind the wheel. If you are after a drivers car, something that is all wheel drive is a start. If it is a car for point a to b the options are endless. Todays brands are all very close in quality, I have hovered around the German brands for the past 8 years, good experience and customer service. Have the cars had issues YES, nothing too serious.

madi.sons

Toyota camry. Never had issues with. Bought my first one third hand, went strong and never missed a beat, was 22 years old I think when sold.
Next one I have now, 11 years old, second hand, going great.
I've had Toyota silica also Great.
But camry just wins on all fronts. Cheap to service, feel safe and when I turn it on it starts everytime! Don't care for fancy, I care for reliable.

Olugbenga30903842

Toyota is a best car

funnysag

Depends on your budget;
Mazda is a good choice for medium range budgets.

Bazz

I like to buy the cheapest new car that's popular & well-supported. EOFY sales are awesome. Many come with capped-price or free servicing for years. Popular cars are easier & cheaper to get parts for, also "anybody" can service & fix them properly. You don't want to be forced to book a day off work to go to the other side of town just for a regular dealership / specialist service. If you're travelling, Toyota has the largest, most established network in the country. Spend as little as possible on your car ... it's one of the most expensive rapidly depreciating "assets" you'll own. Sell it before the warranty lapses. Work your way up to get a company car or use yours for work & claim expenses. Never get "finance". Spend your money on that which makes money & then pour it into investment property.

Anne31656544

If you find a car that interests you go have a chat to your local repco store and see what parts they can get and or what parts that have been ordered for it. Vw golfs you can get in petrol and desiel and have had friends walk away from accidents with minimal injuries that other similar sized cars you may have come off worse

mustang6000

In my experience I have found Toyota to be a very reliable brands that retains its value.

harry31626210

Get a Hyundai, which is as of right now the safest in its class. It's not expensive, and the sporty looks are there on the crossovers and SUV's. Diesel variants are recommended, unless you are American. If you are, avoid the Diesels.

Depreciation value is also good, considering the rising amount of Hyundai owners.

For comfort, the money is well worth it. I've ridden in an old Santa Fe as a passenger and wow does it ride well. I personally dislike Hyundai as a biased person, but disregarding my subjectivity, Hyundai is a very reliable brand..

emmakate

I think the best car to buy is a vw polo hatch

ranbaato

Suzuki.The Ignis is a great retiree's car.

So31553007

Toyota

victory

I had a Kio Rio 2006 for 10 yrs and no problems, traded for 2016 KiaRio keeps on going, good value in price and petrol. 😊

harry31626210

Genesis

gramonaghan

Pre electric cars are all the go now, and have increased in price

dvdlcs

In the UK I drove Volvos. In Australia I've had Asian cars (Nissan, Hyundai).

My principal requirement is reliability: it has to be there, it has to start, and it has to go. It also shouldn't cost the earth to run the car (fuel, maintenance, licensing, etc.).

I'm not worried about how it looks on the outside as I'm usually inside it.

Con D. Oriano

It depends what you want from your car:

If you want reliability - Japanese made
If you want status and you're rich - European
If you want status and you're poor - American (Ford doesn't count)
If you want to show off to get girls - Sports Car/Luxury Car/convertible
If you're a true car enthusiast - you'd probably get a cheaper car and mod it or restore a project car.
If you care about the environment - hybrid cars
If you care about the environment and are rich with no brains - electric
If you need a vehicle asap - korean, Chinese, Indian brands etc.

stormbringer69

It depends what you want from your car:

If you want reliability - Japanese made
If you want status and you're rich - European
If you want status and you're poor - American (Ford...

yep, pretty much spot on.

Caitlin32211737

Depends on the size of car for a small car Suzuki and Hyundai are fantastic and reliable

BradH

Skoda

MissLizzie

I've been pretty pleased with Mazda

lkuhl

I bought a Hyundai Kona in 2021, best decision I’ve ever made, spacious, easy to drive and not a single problem so far!

Prad

Toyota always

Margaret31820667

Kia makes good car and awide range

Zsuzsanna32296625

Volvo

Yanz98

Honda! They are trustworthy and innovative! I’ve personally got a 2000 Honda Civic and it doesn’t miss a best! Great value for money and I am looking to upgrade to a newer Honda soon!

ASHLYNN31980201

Depends on your needs.. If you're looking for a car for personal use or just to drive a small family around, my personal choice is a Hyundai i30. I like that it's an easy-to-drive hatchback, great fuel efficiency (perfect for the current fuel crisis), and it has been rated as the world's safest car before.
If you're looking for an adventure car, I think a Nissan X-Trail is a good choice. I currently own one that is a 4WD, it can go off road and onto beaches. It's fuel efficiency is not too shabby, and it's got lots of boot space to put any equipment you might need for your adventures.

iain_lmta

Depends on your needs.. If you're looking for a car for personal use or just to drive a small family around, my personal choice is a Hyundai i30. I like that it's an easy-to-drive hatchback, great...

True, Ashlyn ... and the newly rebooted Elantra is now called "i30 Sedan" and is a great buy compared to most opposition vehicles.

Kia and Hyundai, the Inchon twins from South Korea are leaders these days in finish/paint, reliability and long warranty ... gone are the days of Alan Bond importing badly painted, mechanically below average poverty-pack Hyundais in the 1980s and early 1990s.

And they are made in S Korea by S Koreans whereas over 80% of Japanese branded cars are now sourced from Thailand, China and, surprisingly, the UK.

ASHLYNN31980201

Depends on your needs.. If you're looking for a car for personal use or just to drive a small family around, my personal choice is a Hyundai i30. I like that it's an easy-to-drive hatchback, great fuel efficiency (perfect for the current fuel crisis), and it has been rated as the world's safest car before.
If you're looking for an adventure car, I think a Nissan X-Trail is a good choice. I currently own one that is a 4WD, it can go off road and onto beaches. It's fuel efficiency is not too shabby, and it's got lots of boot space to put any equipment you might need for your adventures.

pasar

I've owned many cars (old and new) from Toyota Corolla, Toyota Corona, Mitsubishi Magna, Mitsubishi Nimbus, Hyundai Sonata, Volvo 850, Mercedes C200, Lexus ES300H. The only ones that I never had any problem (zero, zilch) are the 2 Toyotas and Lexus (still driving after 8 years). All the others just gave me headaches. Ummmh... What can I learn from my mistakes when I decide to move to an electric car?

PukPuk

The best vehicle will always be the one that meets the needs and with luck it might cover the wants. A young dude may want the V8 sports car, the family may need the suv, the yuppie needs a status vehicle, the enthusiast wants iconic, the delivery driver needs reliability. Everyone has their own questions to narrow down what is best for them. Those old enough may recall the Leyland P76 - I would never be seen in one whilst others loved it. Cars are like people, no one is 100% perfect for 100% of other people.

di

For smaller cars I'm a great liver of the Hyundai or kia, well priced, economical to run, great warranty, very reliable, I've bought both brand new and have kept them for 8 years without any major problems or repairs.

dilligaf2

kia stingray if you are sporty but tesla is really impressive

iain_lmta

kia stingray if you are sporty but tesla is really impressive

Did you, perchance, mean the Kia STINGER V6 sports car?

gnoelj

I'd like to look at a hybrid or an ev

Michael32294141

Something reliable with easy access to parts, global supply chain for car parts is heavily disrupted at the moment making spares hard to come-by for the rarer and luxury cars. Making repairs/servicing slower and more expensive.

streach55

Please send more of them

valume

toyota hybrid

Mel

I purchased a brand new car in Dec 2020. I narrowed down which kind, ie; small SUV.
I chose the relevant price bracket, looked at about 5 in person, spoke to the dealership, got brochures for them. Narrowed down to 3. Test drove 2. Chose 1.
I even got the advice of the RACV. There's a number you can call to speak to them and discuss car options and their opinions.
I chose the Kia Seltos in the end. Very happy with it. I'd do the same again if I wanted another new car :)

Avocado Green

Given current petrol prices, I'd go for a smaller car with great fuel efficiency!!

Rhino2

It depends on what you want from cars. For example, if you want a car for Off roads, you have family or are you in sport. However, you should look for reliability and the cost of maintenance.

maryanne62

I bought an MG excel last year. It’s a terrific car to drive. Sporty, compact, smart.

kellahan

I think it depends on how much you're willing to spend on maintaining it. You might but a great European car for good price, but the parts can often be expensive.

jjdrer

Things to think about. Do you want to buy new or second hand. While you think you are saving money buying second hand bear in mind that you may be buying other peoples problems. New or old, What size vehicle do you need, is it safe?, Even if it is a new car check the tyres. If it's a new car you may not need or want the type of tread they are. e.g. we chose a new car and got the tyres changed. It had rally tyres on it. There was another new car there (we didn't like the colour of it. They simply swapped the wheels around. Make sure all the various controls work., including the lights and that they are adjusted to the right angle. Do it when it's dark. Good spot is where lights shine on a building (that's something we got fixed under warranty later). Decide what size and type of vehicle and how you are going to use. Are you going to use it for towing? it is big enough for the size and weight of the caravan / trailer you are going to tow. There is laws relating to that now. Is there any interior or exterior defects that you need to fix yourself or may be covered under warranty. Remember while they may be cheaper there is no warranty of private or auction purchases. If it's brand new make sure the paintwork is 100%. If it's not they have to fix it. I also know somebody who bought a brand new car. One side of the back seat is badly faded. Remember all the new cars are now imported. Many are taken off ships in Melbourne or Sydney. They could sit on the dock or nearby for over a week before they are transported to the distributor you are buying it from.

funnysag

I bought an old mazda 121 metro that is very cheap on petrol.
It’s over 25 years old and in great condition.

jtmorri

Knowing if you were buying new or second hand is the first step. Next is the purpose of the vehicle and your budget.
Mazda are good cars in sedans, hatches, SUV and utes, so cars for many purposes and sizes.
If you can afford it look into hybrids or electricals. Toyotas always perform well, Kia have improved with a model taking out Drives Car of the Year Award. Honda and Subaru are good but they don't have all the bells and whistles like Mazda. I'd stay away from Nissan and Mitsubishi personally and Volkswagen can't be trusted after their emissions fibs. Volvo have always made a reliable car along with BMW and Audi.
Many cars have wait times of more than 6 months currently.