ashleymhale Posted October 28, 2013 Report Share Posted October 28, 2013 Hi everyone, We arrive in Perth at the end of November and I only have a week to source a car before I start my new job. I have been trying to research what sort of car we want and I am getting conflicting opinions from people I ask. We are after a large family car. I will be using it for work and we will also be using it as a family car. So we are looking at Ford Falcon, Holden Commodore, Mitsubishi Magna type size. Looking at 2003-2005 sort of age. I had read that Fords and Holdens were frequently seen on the highway broken down and overheated. So I was steering more towards a Mitsubishi Magna as these seem very popular. Now I have been told by a friend in NZ that they have had 4 mitsubishi's and every engine ended up blowing up!! I was wondering what peoples experiences of these types of cars are? Who has a Falcon, Commodore and Magna and what is your experience with them? Obviously it will depend on whats available when we arrive to what we get but I want some sort of idea and not going in blind. Thanks in advance for your help. Cheers guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tayloal Posted October 28, 2013 Report Share Posted October 28, 2013 Ashley, it might bear thinking about the fact that cars in WA do not require an annual MOT so the cars seen broken down or overheated could well be older non maintained cars or cars that had had no maintenance. I owned an older (86) model ford falcon when I was backpacking and the thing got me round most of Australia before I sold it, I honestly think it would have gone one forever with the right TLC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted October 28, 2013 Report Share Posted October 28, 2013 Sorry - we drive a Kia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou8670 Posted October 28, 2013 Report Share Posted October 28, 2013 I'm not hot on cars but I've noticed are lots of Hyundai's, Toyota's and Kia's on the road here and they are much cheaper to buy new or fairly new than your Fords, Holden's or mitsubishis. We've been driving a Hyundai i45 hire car and I am surprised at how comfortable it is. Not sure of your budget but for instance in the paper Toyota Nortbridge are advertising a 2010 Aurion for $16k and a 2009 Camry Ateva for $11k. It might be worth stretching a few extra dollars to buy something newer and more reliable. I wouldn't think you'll have a problem getting something within a week. Most car sale garages are located in the same street so once you find one you'll find them all and will be able to walk from one to another to strike a deal (which I'm told they are more willing to make than they were previously). I hope this is of some help. Lou Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfie Posted October 28, 2013 Report Share Posted October 28, 2013 Depends on your needs really Personally id avoid a Holden and a Hyundai Elantra - very uncomfortable car.... as for the rest of the Hyundai cannot comment. As above lots of Toyotas on the road and Kia - give a good warentee We drive a Mitsubishi lancer and thats fine for our needs. ps one with 4 wheels is a good bit of advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bibbs Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 (edited) Long post, and a bit rambly .. main thing is what you want it for and how much are you willing to spend? The big four that size used to be the Commodore, Falcon, Camry and Magna. The first two are RWD, the last two FWD. That's the main choice. The RWD can come with bigger engines, but is usually heavier on fuel (due to the layout). So it really depends on what you want. 10 year old Ford/Holden are a bit more 'old school' with regards to toys, technology and styling (especially the interior). But a lot are used as Taxis (where LPG conversions are common) and the 6 cylinder engines are fairly bullet proof (V6 in the Holden, I6 in the Ford). The Magna and Camry are fairly bland in comparison, few more toys. Being a lot more 'white goods'. Nissan now have the Altima, but it's fairly new (so still expensive). The Falcon - at least go for a BA (the AU was rubbish). The newer FG was a real step up in quality though. The G6E Turbo is an awesome car. Commodore - (I've got an HSV GTS, 6 liter V8, and it's bags of fun.) The earlier supercharged V6s were not reliable. It's basically a generation or three from the old Vauxhall Omega. Push for at least a VE SS if you can, the new VFs will probably be out of your price range (as they are only a year old). SUVs seem to be the fashion now. With the Prado being the best in my view. But then all 4x4 Toyotas really are great (I've got a Hilux, it's awesome). They also do the smaller Rav4 - wich can be good, depending on the model, but the smallest isn't really family size. Nissan have the X-Trail. Mostly seen on the side of the road with police speeding equipment in the back. Mitsubishi do the Pajero. Which seems to be quite good as well. Kia and Hyundai are also popular. But not really in the bigger cars. Only the US really get the nice big cars in their range. I'd personally not own one as a lot of the range is uninspiring (there are a few highlights, but they are generally FWD econo-boxes). The top three sellers in Australia at the moment are the Mazda 3 (zoom zoom), the Toyota Corolla (no birds car rental) and the Hilux. The first two are a little small compared. Edited October 29, 2013 by Bibbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
portlaunay Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 I have an old hail damaged Kia Sportage. It has four wheels and we can all fit in and put stuff in the back including a wet, sandy dog, surf boards and wetsuits. It cost $2k, it judders occasionally and one of the belts is slipping but in two years I've changed the oil regularly and it seems to be happy with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfie Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 We started with a suzuki ignis its ancient and done 280k now but it all in working order it is now my work car. Here is Kev the gerbil sitting safely in his seat. He has been to lot of countries now. Sorry we have a warped sense of humour and take pics of him were ever we go ................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic964 Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 Take a bit of time to also think about what you want a car for. We have a 1997 Ford Falcon, very good condition, brought for the princely sum of $2400. This is a great car for long distances (did 800K in 1 day very comfortably), or taking out visitors, but running a 4 litre car all the time is pretty expensive in fuel. My wife burns $40-50 on her general motoring. For just around town motoring, then go for something smaller, Perth really isnt that big, so no hardship for a modern small ecobox. I use Gumtree when I'm looking for cars, and its worked well. With the migrant workforce here, people are moving counties / states, so are keen at the end of their stay to move on. 2003-2005 cars are way less than $10K. There's plenty of cars here, so picking one up is not a problem. Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 I have an old hail damaged Kia Sportage. It has four wheels and we can all fit in and put stuff in the back including a wet, sandy dog, surf boards and wetsuits. It cost $2k, it judders occasionally and one of the belts is slipping but in two years I've changed the oil regularly and it seems to be happy with us. I too have a Kia sportage, not had any problems with it at all and meets all our needs - including the vistors suitcases in a big boot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashleymhale Posted October 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 Brilliant. Some great advice here guys thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redsquare Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 We recently bought a Hyundai Getz.. From previous family ownership I know they're a good car. I had wanted a falcon or commodore but the wife couldn't reach the pedals! As I've never owned one of the cars you have short listed, I can only go on reputation and past experience of owning cheap cars. If you're short on cash and need a car.. Buy on condition rather than age, and buy Japanese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 Magna, Japanese build quality as ever is hard to beat. Notice how there are more old Japanese cars around that any other?? Maybe they are a bit bland, who cares, it will do everything that its supposed to brilliantly and will outlast the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMAC Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 Hi all, What are suv Great Walls like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moirclan Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 i bought a new car yesterday and i asked my mechanic about the great wall , he told me that every client he has that has one ends up unhappy about lack of power under the bonnet. i helped my dad buy a hyundai getz a few months back , they are really easy to drive , nippy little cars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bibbs Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 Hi all, What are suv Great Walls like? Horrid. Really shocking. They use European designs from 20ish years ago, and put modern bumpers on them. Someone I know works for the government visiting aboriginal sites in Great Walls. Within 30k everything was either broken, breaking, or falling off. Usually awful safety too. Another Chinese car, have a look where the front wheel goes. There is a reason they are so cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redsquare Posted October 29, 2013 Report Share Posted October 29, 2013 I don't think I'd buy a Chinese car yet. Some of them (as already said) have shocking crash test results. Not sure if it's still the case, but certain models couldn't be sold in Victoria because they didn't meet the States safety standards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pommiemike Posted October 30, 2013 Report Share Posted October 30, 2013 Most of the Mitsu dealers are offering 4x4 diesel Tritons for $31990 inclusive, which may be the bargain of the century. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bibbs Posted October 30, 2013 Report Share Posted October 30, 2013 Most of the Mitsu dealers are offering 4x4 diesel Tritons for $31990 inclusive, which may be the bargain of the century. Not a fan of diesel. But yeah, that's an awesome price. I've seen Navaras for not a lot more as well. I bet there is a new model round the corner. There is a new Hilux due soon too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lozzachino Posted November 1, 2013 Report Share Posted November 1, 2013 i think you see cars broken down on the freeway more due to the drivers and the poor maintenance of some cars here. i actually saw one that had the whole front section on the right side duct-taped together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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