We are looking at buying a new car (not brand new but new).
So
* What car do you drive?
*How many kids do you have?
* Pro's and cons of your car?
Let me know your thoughts :)
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We are looking at buying a new car (not brand new but new).
So
* What car do you drive?
*How many kids do you have?
* Pro's and cons of your car?
Let me know your thoughts :)
I recently bought the new Holden Cruze, mid sized sedan.
Pros:
I got the upgraded model so it has leather seats, heated seats (never thought this would be useful but it make a huge difference on cold nights or mornings.
Massive Boot, definitely worth a look at the size of it, it blew me away!!
Quite roomy
Not too big, it was only a little bigger in size then my previous hatch.
Very fuel efficient
Cons:
It doesn't come with an inbuilt or optional Blue Tooth Kit I had to buy one separately, I work on the road quite a bit going to project sites so needed the handsfree functions.
Children:
One toddler in a S and S Meridian car seat, in the middle, and plenty of room for two more seats. We are thinking of now hiring a S and S capsule for the first few months depending on size of bub, the switching bub to the Meridian and DD to a Maxi Rider.
It has been out for a while now so you would be able to find a demo model or two these days, or even someone selling with low km's.
HTH's
I drive a CRV sports but i only have one kid
Pros:
*High boot
* Big enough to see the whole road but small enough for parking (im not a very confident driver LOL)
Cons:
* Boot is high but not BIG
* can only fit 1 person comfortably the other size is a bit squashed (Car seat in th middle)
* Somehow ours drinks a heap load of petrol but i dont think that is usually the case
DH drives a holden clubsport:
Pros:
* Big inside
* Fits a SnS car seat and still have big room on both sides
Cons:
* Drinks lots of petrol
* Very loud
* big car = hard to park (if was i was drive it anyway)
I have a Mitsubishi Outlander that we bought secondhand with only 5000km on (it was a govt health car).
Pros
Fits three carseats across the back
biggish boot
nice and high position for lifting kids in and out of their seats
small enough that it doesn't feel like a truck
feels as roomy inside as our commodore was
the front seatbelts are height adjustable (great when DH is 6'2" and I'm so not)
Cons
only 4 cylinder
I have a 7 seated Hyundai santa fe, I love it, we wanted the toyota kluger but we couldn't afford it, it has the same kind of features but was half the price.
We have two safe and sound seats and have a capsule for when the baby arrives. We will get a slimline booster when we need a third seat so they all fit in the third row.
It's very easy to drive my previous cars were little so I was nervous about going to a big car but I have been fine. We go away a lot so there is plenty of room to pack all the girls stuff.
Havent really had any cons tbh I have had it for 18 months and I still love it. We may not have got the 7 seater so we had more space in the back but we have used it more recently.
Oh we have leather seats too they are easy to clean up if there are crumbs or spills.
I drive a Ford Territory
Pros - It's got grunt
- Easy to drive with good turning circle, usually one swing into a car spot
- Massive! So much room and can fit the pram and the highchair into the boot and still have room and can have the bulky car seat and still fit in two adults in the back beside it.
- Visibility is awesome. Lots of windows, high up so you can see
-Aircon vents in the back for the kids.
- Price - I got a five year old car for 17,000. Brand new they start at 40,000
Cons - Lots of windows meant that the car got really hot inside and quickly, but we got the windows tinted and its now great
- Likes highway driving - easier on the fuel. Running down to the shops seems to eat the fuel
- The only faults Ford has found with them is the ball joints need replacing (expensive!) and the windows have a habit of going down and not coming back up. Both of these things were fixed on mine at the time of purchase.
We used to have a Rav 4 which I absolutely loved, but the boot was poky, the front seat just about had to kiss the dashboard to fit the baby seat in and the biggest prob - the transmission was dying in a six year old car. Apparantly it will happen in every Rav 4 (auto) in the 2000-2004 models and it costs over 5K to fix.
If you want to look thoroughly at a car, I used a site called Complaints Corner. I googled it and thousands of owners are listed, talking about the good and the bad of their car. It's where we found out about the Rav (unfortunately after we got it), and the Territory. The other thing we did was before we purchased the Territory, we took it to a Ford dealership and got their mechanics to look it over. It was more thorough than a RACV check and cheaper too.
Good luck - I HATE car shopping!!!
Corelly x
how!!?? :o :lol: we have one too and i couldnt get butt between the seats let alone another seat!! what seats do you have?? what year is yours?:
Holden Astra. All i have to say is i would never buy one again.
2008 Rav 4 V6
We have 2 kids, another on the way.
Pros:
* large boot (can easily fit my P&T and a load of groceries in there without any problems)
* high door opening (good for tall people)
* easy to park
* good on fuel, especially on the highway
* can fit 3 seats across the back :)
* large interior. My dh is just under 6 foot and has no problems with space or height
* has sunroof & bluetooth
Cons:
I've only had it for 2 years, so haven't come across any yet.
i drive an 03 commodore s/wagon 2 kids
pros-
plenty of leg room
Big boot that i can chuck anything and everything in without worrying if it'll fit
its reliable
if something does go wrong its relatively cheap to fix
Cons-
its HUGE!! feels like im driving a bus!
bit exxy to fill
DF drives a 2010 toyota hilux
pro's-
its auto so i can drive it
it looks good
Cons-
cant put kids in it
costs us a shizz load to repay every month!:rolleyes:
Ummm yeah not sure but it does. Certainly can't fit another adult in with the two seats (DD is fine though), but recently a friend and I went away for the weekend and we had her S&S Meridien, my FP convertible and DD's Maxi Rider in there no probs at all.:
Our is a 2006 model.
1999 Commodore.
Pros
Cheap to buy (bought mine for $10K and it was in perfect nick, 3 years ago)
Cheap to maintain/fix (Kmart Tyre & Auto, never stuffed it up) and most mechanics know how to fix it if something goes wrong
Cheap to repair in a bingle as parts are always available, including on long journeys if I'm away from home...
Can fit three car seats across the back (a bit squizzy but you can)
Easy on the fuel on long trips
Cons
Can be expensive to insure depending on where you live
3.8L V6 so chews the petrol on round-town trips
Not "special" so not necessarily 'noticed" (this could be a pro too)
For me the issues were: price, maintenance/repairs, fuel, insurance.
My IL's brought one of these secondhand a few weeks ago and I couldn't get over how much space it had in it. I'm sure that it is wider than our Captiva. The boot has a heap of space and I was really surprised at the overall size and roominess of it.:
Subaru Forester
Pro's
- all wheel drive, awesome in the wet or on dirt
- compact, doesn't feel like you are driving a truck
- based on the Imprezza so handles well
- enough room in the back for carseats and the dog in the boot
- extremely reliable
- doesn't cost a fortune to fill
- has guts
Cons
- is compact so sometimes don't have enough space
- servicing at the dealership is expensive
I have to say I love it and we have had it for 4 years now. They also hold their value quite well.
DP says if you want something reliable that isnt going to cost you the earth to service or get parts for you want to stick with the Japanese cars - they know how to make cars - toyotas, mitsubishis and hondas. Do not buy a european car as second hand as parts will be very expensive and a hard to get.
Also think about fuel costs as well. A holden or ford eat petrol like no tomorrow.
HTH :)
My issue exactly. :wall::
Amaki- Dp is a mechanic and hates havign to order parts for European cars. They are so hard to get and cost a fortune and then the customers get upset at the expense. Its all those hidden costs that you forget about whenbuying a car. :(
we have a honda civic '04 model sedan.
PROS:
cheap to run (good on petrol and not too exxy to service)
really easy to drive (good visibility and manouverability)
cheap to insure (bit of a nanna car me thinks lol!)
for a small car it is really spacious. heaps of leg room both at the front and back (no annoying 'hump' thing on the back floor, smooth the whole way).
quality fittings and fixtures, we treat our car pretty bad in that no undercover parking, driven 1000s of km etc and still looks new!.
CONS:
wish it were a station wagon lol! (we have a dog and like to do loads of daytrips with friends, can get a bit crowded when all piled in).
Are you on the Gold Coast by any chance? LOL. Trying to find a decent mechanic is driving me insane!! I didnt know Astra's were European when i bought it. Ive pretty much replaced the entire motor in my car in the past 2 years. :wall::
Sorry to hijack :hide:
We are just about to trade in our Mitsubishi wagon... not an outlander... a Magna... and it would have fitted 3 child seats across the back... just!:
We've traded it in for a 7 seater Kluger Grande... I haven't driven it yet though... we pick it up tomorrow!!!! :dance:
I"d LOVE a kluger but we can't afford one of them. I don't mind the Rav 4 either. I like the ford territory too.
We got $10K off because of hail damage!!! Some great bargains out there ATM. The damage is mainly on the bonnet... a new bonnet will cost $800... well worth the discount!!! Oh and I guess i should add that DH is a master bargainer...
The new Commodore wagon here - I LOVE it but I was driving a 97 Mazda Bubble before this so a BIG difference. Can get 3 seats in the rear (squeezy sideways) but heaps of leg room and storage etc. I wanted a Territory but got this for a better price - with heaps of options, leather seats, rear camera/sensors.
I recently upgraded from a '99 Laser to a Ford Futura. It has heaps of room front and back. Boot space is pretty good too. Have only been driving 2 weeks so don't have any cons at the moment
Oh and the reason we got a Toyota is because my BIL is a mechanic and he always buys Toyotas and highly recommended them. Plus I wanted:
Lots of interior space... I have to fit two car seats and a teenager in the back... plus a friend or two.
A reversal camera. My niece was run over by my SIL who reversed over her in a 4WD :(
Leather interior... want to be able to wipe the seats clean... no more smelly fabric.
Fixed DVD player for my kids who aren't used to long car trips (we are about to move to the country and to date my kids only go in the car a few times a week).
Lots of safety features and side impact air bags.
The Kluger has all of the above plus more.
Be careful of newer Toyotas though at the moment. There seems to be a lot of recalling going on in the states on Camrys, Rav's and Corollas and the Aus market says there is no problem. :o But even saying that, I had a 96 Camry and loved it. Only got rid of it because a sedan didn't suit our lifestyle pre-baby with two dogs!:
Corelly x
We have 2 car's. So it depends on what car df needs for the day.
We have a new holden commodore wagon.
Pros everything
Con's the price
I just love it.
Also we have a 4wd we brought 2 years back..
I havent got any cons for both cars part from the price.
Holden Astra Wagon (which I love, sorry to hear you're having issues Ammaki)
pro's:
economical on fuel
big boot (although won't fit a side by side double like a mountain buggy or the like)
it was in our price bracket! (always a plus)
comfy for long distances
con's
absolutely no space to sit in the middle of the back row with 2 car seats in, so def have to trade up when we go for #3
I drive a Holden berlina s/wagon, we only have one kiddy
Pros:
handles really well for such a beast, I went from a zippy little Mazda 3 to this and the transition hasn't been as hard as I thought...very easy to drive
massive boot, just chuck in all the junk
lots of leg room
electric seats which is handy as DH is 6'6 and I'm 5'2 so I can make the seat nice and high to see out
cheap to repair (you can get generic parts rather than genuine)
very safe...Berlina has all the little extras like stability control, traction control etc
the quintessential aussie family car :D
Cons:
chews through the petrol...cost $100 to fill sometimes
can't get into those tight carspaces
we've also got a Mazda 3 which DH drives now.....I highly recommend them if you're after a 4 cyl
pros:
VERY efficient.....DH works in the city so 80km round trip, 5 days a week and a full tank lasts the week
big boot (the sedan one anyway)
hold their value well
not much to complain about with them really.
Hi Sunshine! We have a Nissan X-Trail - we have 2 labradors and a baby on the way.
PROS
Economical to purchase for the size/benefits of the vehicle
Can switch from 2WD to 4WD (makes running costs cheaper)
Awesome fuel economy (we used to have a Mazda Tribute and this is so much better)
Drives like a car
Massive cargo/boot area with drawers for wet stuff/storage
Quite good servicing costs through Nissan
CONS
It drives like a car - not ideal if you want a 4WD feeling car
I don't LOVE my car but I do think it is an excellent car for the criteria we needed which was basically: BIG. We needed big boot/cargo space for our 2 labradors as we often travel with them. This was the biggest cargo/boot area we found and the price was the best too - in the $30k's brand new depending on the model that you get. They hold their value really well too, this is actually our second X-trail. I would like a nicer looking car but in all reality it's about A - B and this is a great vehicle all round.
i just saw this thead!
i Drive an AU II wagon ('00 model) , DH drives and AU II as well (but his is an '01) have one toddler and another on the way
Pro's:
- Common.
- they're used as taxi's so they're fairly hard wearing
- parts are easy enough to find, plus very easy to maintain (as oil changes can be done at home)
- cheap. mine was $8k on road + 12 months rego (2nd hand car dealer)
- they're simple mechanical wise - not all the bells and whistles. but practical.
- most mechanics know them really well
- proven i guess "stammerer" when it comes to wear and tare
- go really well if on duel fuel.
- good leg room in the back
- the boot has heaps of space
- the back seats can be folded down 60/40 if needed they also fold almost flat
- has a FULL SIZED spear wheel
Cons-
- Can be Exxy to fill up on petrol, but gas is about the same amount of $$ (give or take a little) as a smaller car
- tyers can be exxy - dispite how common they are
- they dont have a transmission fluid checker thing (the oil dose though!)
- being a little older they may need to have a closer eye/ear kept on them.
- some have been used and abused as company cars - so the transmission may need a flush (mine did, but runs like a gem now!)
- the stero's in them can be evil - and if you like CD's will need to be replaced- which is easy enough done. just need a dubble din stero or the little "ciggie holder" pocket part from a ford dealer to cover up the hole in the bottom.
- some of the hub caps can jiggle around and make the most annoying noise. but that's fixed with dubble sided tape!
the only other thing i can think of is that it takes a little getting used to driving one. i went from a little Ignus to this - but i can reverse park it better then i could my little car. i do love my car, it works really well for us and its also good for camping (as its a little higher off the ground) as well as bigger loads in the back. i've also fond for me that the engine is really easyly laid out - so checking the oil levels is really easy and the air filter as well. i also find that it drives really well and its a 'softer' ride over the bumps, so helps with putting little ones to sleep in the back ;) and car seat covers are easy to put on too!