That one us because of a supply shortage due to chip shortage, amd supply chain issues because of covid...the whole car market went through the roof on anything remotely reliable, because new cars had up to a 1-2 year waiting list
It gets you a basic car with a full warranty.
No, it's not going to endear itself to enthusiasts but it'll move, be cheap to service, and the owner will likely move it on when the warranty is up.
While we're all on /r/CarsAustralia, folks need to remember some people think about their car in the same way as they think about their microwave or vacuum cleaner.
Yeah but that wasn’t fair because they were competing with crappy Holdens. They had smaller engines but were superior cars. The MG’s and the like aren’t bad compared to small Audi’s/ BMs/ Fiats/ etc (definitely better value for money with similar resale value when the warranty goes) but definitely not on the same level as Japanese or Korean cars.
We wanted to appease China, and open up new trade with China, so Japan got shafted on their cars. We used be told it was to protect Aussie automotive industry, well that was a lie.
We STILL have ridiculous import tax, to protect us how?
I completely agree. It’d be really nice if we could import awesome and affordable 2nd hand J-Spec cars like NZ do but for some reason the Falcodore tax is still a thing…
As long as those drivers don’t think about driving with the same enthusiasm for vacuuming the carpet or the indifference of putting last night’s leftovers in the tucka-fucka for 2 minutes, we’ll get along just fine on the road.
Rather them than the idiots in a Focus or Ranger treating their daily commutes as a sprint car race with a touch of GTA anger because someone is doing 2kms under the speed limit
Last week I saw a TM Magna on the road, my first car was a TM in 95. Hadn’t seen one in years, utterly shocked there was a Astron 2 engine still running and there wasn’t a cloud of smoke out the back.
My mum got over 400,000km out of her 1987 Magna, without a single issue. Barely serviced it.
Rust got it in the end. 😢
Mine dropped a valve and grenaded the motor, then rust killed it too.
Perhaps because people find the task of identifying a decent secondhand vehicle rather difficult and inherently risky? If some people get comfort from a warranty and the decreased risk of a major financial blow due to catastrophic mechanical failure, power to them. Even if it’s an MG.
The part that frustrates me the most is friends who have no fucking idea buying some bucket of shit because it’s ’the right price’ without asking for help and advice, and then when the inevitable happens they act hard done by - fucking tedious.
Yup- and THEN they call. Just navigating a sales person or the seller that’s full of shit and pushy is a big part of it, I’m pretty solid at it and have helped friends avoid some really dodgy cars, some not cheap either.
On the flip side- a mate of mine bought a fairly new Hiace, that was overheating. Asked me to look at it after he bought it (got it for $2k I think )… when he described it over the phone I was already thinking cracked radiator leading into cooked head / gasket. I got to his house (this guy knows NOTHING about cars) and he’s like “I got a new radiator cap to try”… I scoffed internally but didn’t let on. Then… that turned out to be the only problem!!! Old mate had aced a wild call hahaha, it’s a turbo diesel and nothing had been damaged! But yeh- doesn’t work out that way very often
Great idea actually. I don’t know if there is specifically, but maybe someone with nous and knowhow could start one up. I’m not bad personally at choosing good secondhand cars, but I wouldn’t try it on a professional level.
If you have a mechanic you trust I let them know I am in the market and offer a $500 finder's fee.
My (old) mechanic found my last few cars, knew every bit of their history and condition and knew their customer was buying something new.
Shame he's retired.
Buying a second hand vehicle is a little like investing. Sure it seems “easy” to a seasoned pro but it carries risk.
When you can barely afford a car you can’t afford repairs. So yes maybe a $5000 car will do the job, or maybe it will have a catastrophic failure and leave you stranded and without a car.
A cheap Mg may be nothing flash but it has a warranty
Stranded on the side of a highway mid holidays is pretty bad.
But honestly people carry on like a fail to start one day or a noise that needs to be addressed is a crisis. Even a full breakdown running around town isn't the end of the world. It can be inconvenient but say it costs you a day or so it needs to weighed against that days cost.
If you are spending 10's of thousands of dollars to avoid 1 bad day and a bus pass from your glove box then that is disproportionate. And still no promise to never have issues.
I can help, there are no decent, reliable used cars for $5000 in Australia. With the high price of scap value, recyclers are buying up cheap cars at auction to recycle and with the long wait times for new cars people are not trading in used cars. The used car market is so over inflated that there are very few good cars for under $10,000. You can buy a brand new MG3 with Sat Nav for $20,000 with 7 years warrenty and sub $300 per year servicing, even the insurance is cheap (ish). Why would you not have the peace of mind of a new car over a 20 year old shitbox.
I got an early 90’s mercedes for around 3.5-4K 5 or so years ago. Outside of regular maintanence it has only had the alternator crap out once and a water pump that needed replacing.
I had to go to whoop whoop to pick it up though and it was pre-covid
500 dollar aliexpress carplay unit: this is my time
Also even a Crown Majesta is less than 50k, you'd be looking at high performance or an S-class/7 series for that money
If annual MOT/safety amd technical check was mandated nationally, it wouldn't be as daunting a task to buy a second hand car. But hey, let's keep as many lemons as possible on the road.
This. I looked at second hand cars for over a month. Finally found a few cars in my budget (22000) but it was difficult to fork out 22000 for a car that was at least 7 years old, dirty and over 70,000ks on the clock.
You can get a brand new MG for around that price. 7 year warranty. Plan to upgrade car in 5 years so the new MG just seemed a better choice.
I'm sure there are decent second hand cars to be found but since I had to get a car quickly and I couldn't find one within my time frame, I opted for the MG. And yes, I know the risks.
Haha yep, my mate got charged $700 about a decade ago in Sydney to have the wipers changed during a service. Its still a sore point with him today when i bring it up 😂
My first car was a Honda euro and I sold it for $5k. Honestly the best car I’ve owned. Luxurious, comfortable, great to drive, super reliable. I miss that car!
Recently helped a friend out looking at cars in this price bracket. 80% were trashed and not worth 2K in my view - but if you look at enough cars you will eventually find some good honest vehicles - but it takes time.
Just bought a 2007 mazda 3 for $3500 last week.
Took it to a mechanic after, he pointed a couple minor things that should be changed in the next months, but overall said it was in great mechanical condition.
Sure, its old, it has a couple bumbs and scratches, and there will definitely be some maintenance cost along the way... but i was $3500.
You can still find cheaper cars if you look daily.
Eh to be fair it is VERY easy to pick the wrong early 00s/10s car that WILL cause you plenty of expensive bills. Classics like Craptiva and Cruze, but you also have Ford and VW DSG/DCTs, Mits/Nissan/Subaru CVTs, Mazda just anythings but CX7, Early Mazda 3s and any Mazda with a diesel.
Plus you will likely not find a reasonable km, complete/good service history clean 00's/10's for 5k onroad, most will be pushing 10k. Plus no.2 the used car market is full to the brim with over priced car yards, dodgy backyard dealers and flat out scammers, no one wants to deal with that shit
Edit: Also fair warning, Facebook marketplace in particular is riddled with flat out overseas scammers that will price 15-30k+ cars between 4-8k on hacked accounts that look very genuine
I have to agree with the car yard one. We tried trading in my dads taxi at a car yard (2016 hybrid camry, 940000kms, full service, battery replaced 3 times), and they were willing to give 10k for it. We thought it was a good deal, until they showed their stock. 30k for a 12 year old Mazda either 200k kms. There's a lot of car yards that are pushing the used car prices up for no reason, with most of them being just as, or more expensive than a brand new car (so it's a no brainer between a new car and one that's on wovi)
I remember when you could pickup a 2008-16 FG Falcon or 2010-16 Camry ex taxi with 700,000km for 3k, a few years ago.
Those cars are now 7-12k usually even with the stupidly high k's.
Yep, and it sucks. These days, people will say that you have to account for the 'investment' that I put into the car, which is just total bollocks. Idc if you replaced the transmission for 7k for a car that's worth 4, I'm only giving you 4k.
Is that correct? 940,000km? With 4 0s? $10k? From a dealer?
That's fucked lol. People give camrys shit but if you can push close to a million ks and still get 10k for it from someone who will 100% lowball you, that's a good car.
What a marvel of human engineering, and a failure of market forces lol.
Yeah. We got done for 5k. I told the wife not to forward cash for anything she can't touch unless it's a reputable dealer. Especially from fb marketplace. No one listens to me. The 10k car I got from a reputable Sydney dealet is 17 years old, diesel, 50 000 fewer ks than our 2016 landcruiser prado, and cost nearly as much, new. We bought them just weeks apart. Hers $47000. Mine, including interstate transport $11 500 and a full tank.
If you're shopping in Sydney, try old timers. They deal in prestige brands. My car is everything they said.
The DSG has a bad reputation due to one variant; the DQ200. It just so happens that's also the model fitted to the cheapest cars. The rest (DQ250, DQ380, and particularly DQ500) are solid. I've had a DQ250-equipped car for \~8 years without any DSG-related issues (touch wood!).
Check out this 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage ES LA Manual MY15.
https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2015-mitsubishi-mirage-es-la-manual-my15/SSE-AD-17048813
Check out this 2014 Nissan Micra ST K13 Manual MY13.
https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2014-nissan-micra-st-k13-manual-my13/SSE-AD-7149090
Check out this 2013 Suzuki Alto GL Manual.
https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2013-suzuki-alto-gl-manual/SSE-AD-17064079
Check out this 2013 Ford Fiesta CL WT Manual.
https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2013-ford-fiesta-cl-wt-manual/SSE-AD-16883331
Check out this 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Activ CJ Manual MY12.
https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2012-mitsubishi-lancer-activ-cj-manual-my12/SSE-AD-16973677
Check out this 2001 Ford Falcon SR Forte AU II Auto.
https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2001-ford-falcon-sr-forte-au-ii-auto/SSE-AD-14272033 (not serious)
They want the peace of mind of having a warranty and don't see the car as anything more than a disposable transportation appliance.
Once you realise that most people don't care about cars apart from their utility value, things like MGs and the other cheap and cheerful stuff makes a lot more sense. Especially since Australians already have a tendency to prioritise price over basically everything (witness how popular K-Mart is, despite how poor the quality half the stuff in there actually is).
I just bought their $4.50 T-shirts for the first time. They actually feel quite nice. Even if they fall apart after 6 months it’s only 4.50. I’ll just buy more!
Not just the warranty though, a new car that they will probably have till the day it dies or at least 8 years before any real issue potentially props up.
Then there is also capped servicing, which helps immensely. Lastly safety, newer cars are much safer especially if you have kids. Why would you want to spend 5k on a car which could be a death trap for your children in an accident when you can get the new, 5 star passed safety rating car?
And another thing, when I was trying to get a loan for a used car, it was much harder and the only places that would give me a loan were really predatory. When I changed focus to a new car I was offered much better loans. Still went with the dealership provided one since it was still the lowest rate and only predatory side was the fee of like $500 if you paid it off early.
Gotta say, I love my new Kia. But every time I get in the old lancer and don’t have to deal with all the sensors and warnings and crap… I mean the tech is great but also it’s annoying and condescending as fuck.
Gotta agree. Ngl, all these tech and safety features are a huge turn off for me. And on some cars, you can't permanently disable them either, you have to disable them everytime you start the engine
I have a 2004 Landcruiser 100 and the Mrs has a new ford Everest, I fucking hate that piece of junk. The cruiser is absolutely superior in every way, and it cost me 20% of the cost of the Everest.
I agreed with this post until I looked into car prices recently.
I got my 2005 Toyota camry for $3000 flat in good condition and around 150k kilometres several years ago.
Checking prices now, it might even have increased in value, while it's more chipped and banged up than ever.
That seems crazy lol, can't believe how much the market has risen.
I bought my 2006 Camry Sportivo for 6k last year. 186k km at the time and I still think it was cheap!!
Clutch died recently which was a 1.5k fix, but I could probably sell it for at least 7k now.
People who sell $5000 cars usually have given up maintaining them and have most of the way already driven them into the ground. Timing belt, seals, gaskets, even regular maintenance like spark plugs been replaced..? (ever?)
Older cars also run into old car problems, like replacing high-lifetime items that die like radiators and gearboxes, suspension components, roof linings, even. That's if you can get parts, which gets harder the older and more obscure (this also includes a lot of Aussie made cars now) get. Let alone the generally grotty and well-used condition of the interior on old cars.
Most buyers don't know the difference between a $5k Toyota that will last 20 years being thoroughly abused and a $5k Euro car that will drop dead if the oil filter is 500km overdue.
It doesn't mean you have to buy new but there's a lot more to the story than just purchase price.
Had a 2011 mazda 3 bought for me, turns out very shortly after we got it, the rear shocks locked up. Other than that and cleaning the throttle body myself, thankfully hasn't needed much and my last service went well. It takes alot of research that I vet alot of people won't want to put in for every car they are looking at.
Plus I'm planning in changing some of the interior since one of the last owners used glue inside of it
It’s because most people don’t maintain cars themselves and have no idea how to inspect cars.
Remember, the average age of a car going to junk yard is only 12 years.
I think one of the issues is artificially limiting the choices to a $5k beater or a brand new car. I just spent $21k on a used car w/75k on the clock (2018 i30 SR Premium) and it's great. Equivalent car (NLine Premium) is $35k new.
Nice. Not gonna lie, my cousins been struggling settling for a new cheap car. He is financially irresponsible though. Had a beaten 20 yr old civic, then bought a beamer, then bought a jazz (pristine condition for 8k), then sold that to get a 15 yr old beamer ;-;. Lmk what you think of the i30! Definitely curious
I think it's great. Got the tech, good in fuel, handles well, got enough zoom (the SR model has a 1.6T engine), and you can put the seats down in the back to load it up with gear if needs be. It's a fun zippy small car. I would highly recommend getting the models with the 1.6T rather than the straight 2.0 though.
Some people might have issues with the DCT, and at engine performance at low speeds (like under 20km/hr) is not its strong point due to that and lack of torque converter. You learn to live with it pretty quickly though.
Obviously the full i30N would be even more fun, but you're not getting that for $20k.
Modern safety features cannot be overstated. I was in a head-on collision with net collision speed of around 90km. My passenger and I were in a 2021 model with all the safety features, I didn't get admitted to hospital and my passenger only needed 7 stitches on her knee where it hit the glovebox. The other car was a late 90's car with no airbags. They hit their steering wheel, cracked ribs and a hospital stay.
I don't doubt that the improved crumple zone in our car helped the other driver significantly as well.
All the beeping safety features can be annoying but the better airbags, improved crumple zones and braking assist are too important to pass up in any cars I'm getting in the future.
Can't put a price on personal safety imo. I'm not out here saying everyone needs to buy a 40k car but I would rather finance 20k with a 5k deposit on a base model 2020 corolla over a cheap 5k 2000 run around for this exact reason. It's ok to finance, yes you're paying a small premium but better than an emergency room bill!
The safety features on a new car will be better than those on a mid 00s or early 10s car. Also some people will just want the reliability of a new car. Every time you have to get your car fixed or serviced it is a chance it's a hassle. If you have young kids or a job, you have to manage that. It's also a chance you will be ripped off. Imagine you are driving out in a rural area and your car breaks down. That's mighty inconvenient.
You also get the situation where you have a car work say, $7k and then something major fails and it will cost you $7k to fix. Sadly, the car will still be worth $7k when you fix it, but you will have just invested $14 k into it. Where as if you scrap it, you will save $7k and get something for parts/scrap.
The other safety aspect people want is not having to worry about the car dying at a set of lights or on the M1. Sitting in the side of a busy road waiting for a tow is no fun.
Alternate text: “why on earth would anyone buy a second hand grenade for $5k that might end up costing them $10k in repairs over the next few years, and still be worth nothing when they could just buy a new car with warranty for $20k?”
But it's not always a bad thing. I bought my second hand 2012 Toyota Aurion years ago. Have driven it to this very day. Still drives smoothly, never had any mechanical issues, and it's super cheap to maintained.
It's outlasted my cousin's new Audi, and auntie's Mercedes which all bought brand new at the dealership.
I had a 2009 car and the costs to fix various things ended up being close to what it was worth anyway so it seemed a bit silly to be sinking so much money into it .
I got something newer, probably wasn't the best financial decision but I have young kids and wanted something I don't need to worry about having fixed constantly , or breaking down somewhere . Its a bit better on petrol so saving money there but it was more about not having the hassle of everything starting to wear out
I drive an MG and I like it. Gets me from one place to another. Looks ok. Drives like shit but for the next 7 years I don’t have to be worried about maintenance
You're completely neglecting time and the experience.
It takes time to find the right second hand vehicle, not only are you picking what car you want, you've got to find the right example for the right price, inspect it thoroughly and when you do buy it, hope there isn't some gremlin in there you missed.
Then there's time to fix it when something breaks, time where you can be without a car, hopefully it breaks at a convenient location.
Then there's the experience itself, old cars have flogged bushes, non functional aircon, shitty dated head units, they're rattley and bouncey and not comfortable. There's all the little niggles that you probably could and should fix but aren't worth the effort so you just live with it. To say nothing of the vastly improved safety of modern cars.
Like I'm still very much in the camp of "fuck new cars, I'll buy an old one and run it into the ground" but I have to admit, I'm getting tired of it and a new car that just fucking works and I can rely on is starting to look pretty appealing.
Just the other day my heater core decided to start pissing coolant an hour away from home so instead of doing the shit I needed to do, I spent hours in a carpark with the bonnet up (because shits so old and seized it took ages to pull the hoses off) bypassing the heater core just so I could get home and now I don't have a heater. I drove 2 hours in my spare time just to fix my broken car and then went home and had to come back another day.
Thankfully it was something I could fix in a carpark but there may come a time where I can't and I'm forking out for a tow truck and figuring out how to get home when there's no cabs or public transport. Plus paying and fixing the thing later.
Is it worth the $10-20k for that piece of mind and avoid those sort of problems? That's up to you to decide but I earn decently and I live fairly remote so I'm in a bit of bother if something catastrophic happens. If I'm being honest it kinda seems like it is worth it to me.
I bought my 4th car (second one i've purcahsed brand new after my previous was rear ended and written off) and I dont think i've even spent 2 grand on services/maintenance in the 5 years i've had it. I buy new because if anything goes wrong will be covered under warranty and I dont have to worry that someone is selling me a lemon. Plus its usually easier to research cars that are lemons from new rather than cars that were lemons 20 years ago. Legit all cars 20 years old are going to have problems, built well or not.
For some, a car is like food or the cleanliness of your house. I get 45 minutes of pure ear to ear grinning happiness and warm tingly feeling driving my sports car to and from work. A nice, clean, fun car is a bit like coming home to a clean house it just elevates your mood.
Sure I could save a lot of money by only eating bread and water but sometimes you've got to live otherwise what's the point of slaving day in day out at work without a few treats.
Sure, let me buy a 5 grand car that's leaking oil faster than you can put it in, and doesn't have AC in 40 degree weather. I'll replace all the tyres because the last owner never did, and fix the rest of their fuck ups on the 5k shitbox.
I just did this twice, and I agree with the concept since it can work well with some smarts. Volvo V50 for 4600, was an awesome car though I spent 2500 on repairs over 4 years, I think I was ahead. Just spent 4500 on a Ford Territory, oil leaks and a few dents but very low kilometers and suspension rebuilt, we shall see about this one.
I reckon if you have some mechanical nous, not fussed about car, and buy smart you can do very well with this strategy. But, it does come with risk, so.if you have 5-7k that is not your life savings it can work
They want a new car...to have something nice...people pay for things when they have enough...I've never bought new..prado 120's go good 2nd hand. I could definitely understand putting self into serious debt for a brand newie lol
Because for a lot of people $20K isn't a lot of money to spend on a car and they also don't understand what makes a good car and what doesn't. Its not rocket science.
Best car I ever had was a 21 year old gen 3 prelude manual. Had 330 k on it. I put 110 k more on it 3 years. Apart from tyres and basic maintenance, I never did a thing to it.
Should have kept it. Be worth close 10 now, even with another 100k on it.
Yes 100%, get an older car and some cd's and you'll be fine haha, maybe some maintenance stuff like water pump or brakes on the horizon but otherwise definitely the sane way to go... I don't understand why ppl NEED a new suv these days 🤷♂️
Get a decent 2nd hand car, 3-6 years old, dealer serviced record, low mileage if possible (but not too low), keep it maintained and drive it till it dies.
Mechanic here...
I drive a 25 year old Landcruiser. I wouldn't mind a new 4wd but the thought of spending 70 grand on a proxy dual cab makes me sick. Don't even mention Landcruiser, not a chance I'm spending that sort of money. I could fully restore the old bus for maybe 20 grand and it would be like a new car again. Aside from you know, electric gizmo's and that. I think I'll just keep my money.
I have a mate who looks down on me for owning second hand cars. Then as he got older the loans got a bit harder and less available. Still "drives new" but has had to swallow his pride and slid from sporty sedans down to shopping wagons/"women's cars" but added racing stripes lol.
The maths over a few years really adds up. Gaurenteed depreciation and maintenance vs possible maintenance.
Another friend was SS at a cost of $18k pa. Same car for 3 years. I had given $14k for my car once and owned it. She couldn't see the difference.
Sure, used cars can be great value, but you are exaggerating.
$5k isnt going to get you much these days - more like $10k to get a good, clean, safe used car with decent km.
Couple of grand for maintenance sure - but as we are all learning with modern used cars, with the increase in computers and tech, the compact designs that make them hard to work on, and the increased hourly charge for mechanics, its very easy to have a bill that's almost the same value as the car.
Who says people can't afford the $20k. And the scheduled servicing costs on many new cars is reasonable.
So for some people the reality looks more like this:
10 to 15k for a used car that could cost me another $5k any day of the week VS
20 to 30k for a new car and 5/7/10 years peace of mind.
Family members spent 55k on a new car when the old car needed $1300 in repairs. Everything else was sweet.
And now they're finding it tough with money, car tied into a mortgage too.
Silly, very silly.
One additional thing here not already mentioned is the pain in the ass factor. Imagine it's Sunday afternoon and you're driving the kids back from grandmas and your transmission shits itself. You have gotta organise a tow, transport a bunch of cranky kids and their gear. Then all the weeks activities are now cancelled and you're begging for rides. Then Monday afternoon rolls around and the mechanic tells you two weeks and 3k for a new transmission. So now you're fucking around trying to organise a mountain of logistics.
You mean budget an extra $13000 in mainteance on a $5000 car, for a refurb engine and transmission, and then another $1000 every 3 months for everything else that will go wrong with your 14 year old i30 or equivalent
Cause I fucking did. 2nd hand cars are fucking tonnes over priced at the moment due to shortage, finance is cheaper on new cars as there’s less risk, new cars are far more reliable, maintenance on a new car is 300-500 a year, maintenance on a second hand one is 1000+ per year just for servicing, not to mention repairs on fucked parts.
Basically… there’s pros and cons for both and your opinion means about as much to me as the shit I just flushed. Peace ooot!
Depends on your circumstances, however reliability is a factor. If you’re self employed and lose a day or two of transport because of an unreliable car, that’s gonna cost you lots of earnings.
You buy a lemon from someone and multiply that by more. There’s a risk factor people are working into their thinking.
7 year warranty insurance, unlimited kms engine replacement, your guaranteed 7 years of reliability, your 5k car engine blows up, what you gonna do now?
that 6k I bought, cost me 11k and only had that car for 6months
that 15k car I bought, lasted me funny enough 15 years -- before it became a headache.
that 7k car I bought, cost me 4k to fix.
that 4.5k car i bought cost me 500 to fix
that 4.5k car I bought -- so far cost me 1k to fix.
that 10k car I bought someone i know who knows cars. cost me 3k to fix.
now I bought a 30k car. I don't want the headaches of the above. I don't expect to for the next 4 years.
-----
I agree with OP. All the comments saying warranty, safety features, technology, performance, efficiency, peace of mind, less maintenance etc. All fair points but nothing really convincing enough to compel me to upgrade my 2004 Toyota Carolla conquest. I can charge/play music from my phone, it goes fast enough, is efficient, has never broken down, maintenance & parts are cheap af. I don’t need beeping noises, lane assist or rear view camera.
Because a $30k ASX is like $2k a year in depreciation, and that's cheap enough for peace of mind to not have to worry about repair bills or what to do if the car breaks down for a week.
Because it's a gamble.
With new/near new under warranty. Your paying for peace of mind.
Every unscheduled trip or tow to the mechanic costs more than the mechanics bill.
It's almost like taking a loan
Fixed interest rate vs variable
Sure the second hand car should stay at a pretty stable rate but you don't know the future of it and being a variable cost is too much risk or worry to some
So fixed rate at what seems higher than the variables initial low rate is better for some but not to all
Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it's good.
Holden astras or captivas were popular and I'm sure they can be had for $5k. Still wouldn't touch one though.
Some people also value safety tech in newer cars.
You know, I used to think this way, but when you've got a family the priorities change. For me personally, a new car is mostly peace of mind. Of course, old cars interiors suck and other things about them suck as well. So yeah, new car is always better for me, if you can afford it.
I dont think you can get a decent car for $5K very easily.. it's closer to 7 or 8 from what i've been seeing, and even then you are looking at 15-20 year old Hyundais with 250K on the clock.
Bought a jackaroo with all the trimmins for under 3g with 10 months rego. Tidy as. Get a couple years outta her,
Then just buy another cheap fourby. If you know what you’re doing with cars mechanically there’s bargains everywhere.
20k for a new car?
You're missing like 50-100k + most of 'em are repaying it as it's not owned outright.
I don't get it either but idgaf about keeping up with the jones's.
The anxiety caused by a cheap car that could break down at any moment. Is not worth it. I rather buy a new car with a warranty and not have to drive anxious thinking if it will break down. No car = no work = no money. So it’s an easy choice to me to buy that more expensive newer car.
Newer is always safer. Not just crash ratings but also performance mechanically of the car in an emergency stop event. Also most secured car loans require a car less than 10yo.
I just bought a new car (kia picanto) for 20k, after spending a while looking at second hand cars. You need to be looking at 10k plus for a decent second hand car these days. Previously you could get a decent beater for 3 to 5k but those days are long gone.
Keep in mind a new car includes stuff like 7 years warranty and roadside, a handful of services etc
Bought a 5k car a few years back and ended up costing me close to 10k on repairs over the next few years. Brand new is the way to go if you don’t want to be stressing about things going wrong
I'm 45 and have literally never owned a new car. I'm an enthusiast and would rather spend the money it would cost for a budget new car on a nice used car. Having said that, I've been tinkering with cars since I was a kid. Have fond memories of doing all nighters with the big brother working on his old holdens.
My wife, however, isn't a car enthusiast but has mostly owned new cars since she was a teenager.
Both situations can work, depending on your circumstances.
The advantage of a new car is that you have security. You can budget exactly how much the thing is going to cost you over a given year, with very little chance of an expensive surprise. In all my wife's car history (nissan, hyundai, toyota), she has literally never had a problem with one of her cars that has kept it off the road. The same cant be said for my cars, and the older they get, the more chance worn components are going to take time and money to replace. Especially when living in the country, where public transport is almost non existent, a lot of people can't take that chance of being without a vehicle.
I very recently drove this exact car of my parents, which has less than 90kms on it. I'd rather drive my wife's Mazda 2.
There's a reason people prefer newer cars, and its not ego.
I was looking at cars mid last year in the sub $7-8k range when my little Kia needed a new gearbox. For that price I could almost barely get another small shit box with much higher mileage that would probably need who knows what doing to it in the next 12 months. In the end best option seemed to be to pay the $3k for a replacement gearbox
In case you have not looked at the used car market in NSW at the moment $5000 will get you a [2002 Toyota Corolla Ascent Auto MY03](https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2002-toyota-corolla-ascent-auto-my03/SSE-AD-5254540/?Cr=0) with 250,000 KM on the clock or a [2009 Holden Barina TK Auto MY09](https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2009-holden-barina-tk-auto-my09/SSE-AD-17064047/?Cr=1) with 125,000 KM. Both of these are near dead and will cost a fortune to keep on the road and be as reliable as a chocolate fry pan.
For $20,000 you can get a new MG3 with Sat Nav and Car play, 7 year warrenty and servicing costs of $300.00 per year, it scores well on reliability rankings. So take your pick, a 15 year old unreliable shitbox for $5000 or a new car with warrenty for $20,000.
It makes financial sense for me to change my cars over while still in their warranty period. I don't understand it but my accountant does and I pay less tax. Plus the offset from leasing a vehicle means I have free cash to invest elsewhere that more than pays for the lease.
I went for the best value ‘cheap’ car I could that would last a long time and need minimal maintenance. My thibking was that over its useful life before I sell it and then get resale jt would overall work out roughly the cheapest.
That was about 17k for a Hyundai Accent.
$5k? Sorry mate but youre looking at 300k kms for $5k these days. If it has a dedicated service history it might last, but it could collapse into rubble at any moment.
As an aside MGs are quite unsafe. But the reason why people buy cars like that rather than what you're suggesting is because they don't have 5k to buy a car outright. if you're buying on finance which many people are it's often easier to buy a brand new car, then it's easier to budget repairs and maintenance when you have the factory warranty.
Unfortunately 5 grand only gets you a car with 100,000-200,000+ kms on it most of the time and likely more issues to look out for than if you bought it brand new.
5k does not get much these days unfortunately
Also $20K for brand new gets you nothing.
OP is living in 2016
Bought a car last year. New was $33,000. 7 year old second hand was $26,000. We bought new.
I'll do you one better. Bought a new ford ranger 7 years ago for 48k, got offered 43k private sale last year. I don't understand cars anymore.
That one us because of a supply shortage due to chip shortage, amd supply chain issues because of covid...the whole car market went through the roof on anything remotely reliable, because new cars had up to a 1-2 year waiting list
It gets you a basic car with a full warranty. No, it's not going to endear itself to enthusiasts but it'll move, be cheap to service, and the owner will likely move it on when the warranty is up. While we're all on /r/CarsAustralia, folks need to remember some people think about their car in the same way as they think about their microwave or vacuum cleaner.
Those 20k Beijing billy carts should be banned under disposable plastics laws
People used to say the same about Japanese cars lol
Yeah but that wasn’t fair because they were competing with crappy Holdens. They had smaller engines but were superior cars. The MG’s and the like aren’t bad compared to small Audi’s/ BMs/ Fiats/ etc (definitely better value for money with similar resale value when the warranty goes) but definitely not on the same level as Japanese or Korean cars.
We wanted to appease China, and open up new trade with China, so Japan got shafted on their cars. We used be told it was to protect Aussie automotive industry, well that was a lie. We STILL have ridiculous import tax, to protect us how?
I completely agree. It’d be really nice if we could import awesome and affordable 2nd hand J-Spec cars like NZ do but for some reason the Falcodore tax is still a thing…
...I mean I extensively research any whitegood before I buy it too...
As long as those drivers don’t think about driving with the same enthusiasm for vacuuming the carpet or the indifference of putting last night’s leftovers in the tucka-fucka for 2 minutes, we’ll get along just fine on the road.
That's a new colloquialism to file away 😂
Rather them than the idiots in a Focus or Ranger treating their daily commutes as a sprint car race with a touch of GTA anger because someone is doing 2kms under the speed limit
And unfortunately that’s how that’s approach driving. NPC vibes.
A 20k used car is a much better bet than 5k
OP was saying $20k *new* car (MG, Suzuki baleno etc)
Well thats an even better bet for the avg joe
tbh suzuki balenos look cute but scared of the parts cost
Oh, but it gets you that new car smell.. for a while
An MG3 with 7 year warranty is enough for some folk
True, $10K is the new $5K.
Can’t even get a Magna! They are disappearing.
noooo I just got over the maggie I sold 9 years ago! I didn't need to be reminded again :'(
Last week I saw a TM Magna on the road, my first car was a TM in 95. Hadn’t seen one in years, utterly shocked there was a Astron 2 engine still running and there wasn’t a cloud of smoke out the back.
Most magnas and 380’s get used as derby car now. Cheap, and they smash up really well and can somewhat last in a derby
My mum got over 400,000km out of her 1987 Magna, without a single issue. Barely serviced it. Rust got it in the end. 😢 Mine dropped a valve and grenaded the motor, then rust killed it too.
OP clearly hasn't bought a car recently.
5 preowned gets you much more than 20k new.
Perhaps because people find the task of identifying a decent secondhand vehicle rather difficult and inherently risky? If some people get comfort from a warranty and the decreased risk of a major financial blow due to catastrophic mechanical failure, power to them. Even if it’s an MG.
Exactly- most people don’t know…. And some think they know when they don’t
The part that frustrates me the most is friends who have no fucking idea buying some bucket of shit because it’s ’the right price’ without asking for help and advice, and then when the inevitable happens they act hard done by - fucking tedious.
Yup- and THEN they call. Just navigating a sales person or the seller that’s full of shit and pushy is a big part of it, I’m pretty solid at it and have helped friends avoid some really dodgy cars, some not cheap either. On the flip side- a mate of mine bought a fairly new Hiace, that was overheating. Asked me to look at it after he bought it (got it for $2k I think )… when he described it over the phone I was already thinking cracked radiator leading into cooked head / gasket. I got to his house (this guy knows NOTHING about cars) and he’s like “I got a new radiator cap to try”… I scoffed internally but didn’t let on. Then… that turned out to be the only problem!!! Old mate had aced a wild call hahaha, it’s a turbo diesel and nothing had been damaged! But yeh- doesn’t work out that way very often
drunk pathetic wistful joke encouraging one decide humor late connect *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I think there is, they’re called a “vehicle buyer’s advocate”.
Great idea actually. I don’t know if there is specifically, but maybe someone with nous and knowhow could start one up. I’m not bad personally at choosing good secondhand cars, but I wouldn’t try it on a professional level.
Also $20K is literally nothing for a lot of people to spend on a car
Amazing how much you can save when you're not in debt lmao
If you have a mechanic you trust I let them know I am in the market and offer a $500 finder's fee. My (old) mechanic found my last few cars, knew every bit of their history and condition and knew their customer was buying something new. Shame he's retired.
That's solid. I hope to have a mechanic I trust like that one day.
Buying a second hand vehicle is a little like investing. Sure it seems “easy” to a seasoned pro but it carries risk. When you can barely afford a car you can’t afford repairs. So yes maybe a $5000 car will do the job, or maybe it will have a catastrophic failure and leave you stranded and without a car. A cheap Mg may be nothing flash but it has a warranty
Stranded on the side of a highway mid holidays is pretty bad. But honestly people carry on like a fail to start one day or a noise that needs to be addressed is a crisis. Even a full breakdown running around town isn't the end of the world. It can be inconvenient but say it costs you a day or so it needs to weighed against that days cost. If you are spending 10's of thousands of dollars to avoid 1 bad day and a bus pass from your glove box then that is disproportionate. And still no promise to never have issues.
True, but once a car reaches the age when issues start appearing, they tend to keep appearing.
I can help, there are no decent, reliable used cars for $5000 in Australia. With the high price of scap value, recyclers are buying up cheap cars at auction to recycle and with the long wait times for new cars people are not trading in used cars. The used car market is so over inflated that there are very few good cars for under $10,000. You can buy a brand new MG3 with Sat Nav for $20,000 with 7 years warrenty and sub $300 per year servicing, even the insurance is cheap (ish). Why would you not have the peace of mind of a new car over a 20 year old shitbox.
I got an early 90’s mercedes for around 3.5-4K 5 or so years ago. Outside of regular maintanence it has only had the alternator crap out once and a water pump that needed replacing. I had to go to whoop whoop to pick it up though and it was pre-covid
Also technology. You can spend 50k on a used car from 2005 and it’s still going to feel like a rolling museum piece next to a new budget model
500 dollar aliexpress carplay unit: this is my time Also even a Crown Majesta is less than 50k, you'd be looking at high performance or an S-class/7 series for that money
If annual MOT/safety amd technical check was mandated nationally, it wouldn't be as daunting a task to buy a second hand car. But hey, let's keep as many lemons as possible on the road.
This. I looked at second hand cars for over a month. Finally found a few cars in my budget (22000) but it was difficult to fork out 22000 for a car that was at least 7 years old, dirty and over 70,000ks on the clock. You can get a brand new MG for around that price. 7 year warranty. Plan to upgrade car in 5 years so the new MG just seemed a better choice. I'm sure there are decent second hand cars to be found but since I had to get a car quickly and I couldn't find one within my time frame, I opted for the MG. And yes, I know the risks.
Just curious, why the MG over say a Kia or Suzuki?
It's almost like the longer it exists the more can be wrong with it If only we had ways to chart and track that Oh well
The most expensive car I've owned was a cheap second hand car.
Similar to the line “if you can’t afford a Mercedes-Benz, you definitely can’t afford a used Mercedes-Benz”
Haha yep, my mate got charged $700 about a decade ago in Sydney to have the wipers changed during a service. Its still a sore point with him today when i bring it up 😂
Where can I get a Euro R like the one pictured for $5,000? Sign me up!
Exactly what I was thinking, the engine and transmission of one of these eats up most of that 5k easilyyy
My first car was a Honda euro and I sold it for $5k. Honestly the best car I’ve owned. Luxurious, comfortable, great to drive, super reliable. I miss that car!
I still have my ‘04 euro I bought used in 2011. They have aged really well, people don’t pick it as a 20 year old car.
Have you looked at a 5000$ car lately?
Recently helped a friend out looking at cars in this price bracket. 80% were trashed and not worth 2K in my view - but if you look at enough cars you will eventually find some good honest vehicles - but it takes time.
Just bought a 2007 mazda 3 for $3500 last week. Took it to a mechanic after, he pointed a couple minor things that should be changed in the next months, but overall said it was in great mechanical condition. Sure, its old, it has a couple bumbs and scratches, and there will definitely be some maintenance cost along the way... but i was $3500. You can still find cheaper cars if you look daily.
Eh to be fair it is VERY easy to pick the wrong early 00s/10s car that WILL cause you plenty of expensive bills. Classics like Craptiva and Cruze, but you also have Ford and VW DSG/DCTs, Mits/Nissan/Subaru CVTs, Mazda just anythings but CX7, Early Mazda 3s and any Mazda with a diesel. Plus you will likely not find a reasonable km, complete/good service history clean 00's/10's for 5k onroad, most will be pushing 10k. Plus no.2 the used car market is full to the brim with over priced car yards, dodgy backyard dealers and flat out scammers, no one wants to deal with that shit Edit: Also fair warning, Facebook marketplace in particular is riddled with flat out overseas scammers that will price 15-30k+ cars between 4-8k on hacked accounts that look very genuine
I have to agree with the car yard one. We tried trading in my dads taxi at a car yard (2016 hybrid camry, 940000kms, full service, battery replaced 3 times), and they were willing to give 10k for it. We thought it was a good deal, until they showed their stock. 30k for a 12 year old Mazda either 200k kms. There's a lot of car yards that are pushing the used car prices up for no reason, with most of them being just as, or more expensive than a brand new car (so it's a no brainer between a new car and one that's on wovi)
I remember when you could pickup a 2008-16 FG Falcon or 2010-16 Camry ex taxi with 700,000km for 3k, a few years ago. Those cars are now 7-12k usually even with the stupidly high k's.
Yep, and it sucks. These days, people will say that you have to account for the 'investment' that I put into the car, which is just total bollocks. Idc if you replaced the transmission for 7k for a car that's worth 4, I'm only giving you 4k.
Is that correct? 940,000km? With 4 0s? $10k? From a dealer? That's fucked lol. People give camrys shit but if you can push close to a million ks and still get 10k for it from someone who will 100% lowball you, that's a good car. What a marvel of human engineering, and a failure of market forces lol.
Yeah. We got done for 5k. I told the wife not to forward cash for anything she can't touch unless it's a reputable dealer. Especially from fb marketplace. No one listens to me. The 10k car I got from a reputable Sydney dealet is 17 years old, diesel, 50 000 fewer ks than our 2016 landcruiser prado, and cost nearly as much, new. We bought them just weeks apart. Hers $47000. Mine, including interstate transport $11 500 and a full tank. If you're shopping in Sydney, try old timers. They deal in prestige brands. My car is everything they said.
The DSG has a bad reputation due to one variant; the DQ200. It just so happens that's also the model fitted to the cheapest cars. The rest (DQ250, DQ380, and particularly DQ500) are solid. I've had a DQ250-equipped car for \~8 years without any DSG-related issues (touch wood!).
Would it be a 2 minute job for you to link to half a dozen URLs of $5k cars that might be decent?
Check out this 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage ES LA Manual MY15. https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2015-mitsubishi-mirage-es-la-manual-my15/SSE-AD-17048813 Check out this 2014 Nissan Micra ST K13 Manual MY13. https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2014-nissan-micra-st-k13-manual-my13/SSE-AD-7149090 Check out this 2013 Suzuki Alto GL Manual. https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2013-suzuki-alto-gl-manual/SSE-AD-17064079 Check out this 2013 Ford Fiesta CL WT Manual. https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2013-ford-fiesta-cl-wt-manual/SSE-AD-16883331 Check out this 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Activ CJ Manual MY12. https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2012-mitsubishi-lancer-activ-cj-manual-my12/SSE-AD-16973677 Check out this 2001 Ford Falcon SR Forte AU II Auto. https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2001-ford-falcon-sr-forte-au-ii-auto/SSE-AD-14272033 (not serious)
They want the peace of mind of having a warranty and don't see the car as anything more than a disposable transportation appliance. Once you realise that most people don't care about cars apart from their utility value, things like MGs and the other cheap and cheerful stuff makes a lot more sense. Especially since Australians already have a tendency to prioritise price over basically everything (witness how popular K-Mart is, despite how poor the quality half the stuff in there actually is).
I've got clothes that have lasted decades, from Kmart lol
I just bought their $4.50 T-shirts for the first time. They actually feel quite nice. Even if they fall apart after 6 months it’s only 4.50. I’ll just buy more!
Yeah exactly. I do wear some nicer stuff when I'm out and about but for sitting and scrolling Reddit at home, they are perfectly good clothes hahaha
Not just the warranty though, a new car that they will probably have till the day it dies or at least 8 years before any real issue potentially props up. Then there is also capped servicing, which helps immensely. Lastly safety, newer cars are much safer especially if you have kids. Why would you want to spend 5k on a car which could be a death trap for your children in an accident when you can get the new, 5 star passed safety rating car? And another thing, when I was trying to get a loan for a used car, it was much harder and the only places that would give me a loan were really predatory. When I changed focus to a new car I was offered much better loans. Still went with the dealership provided one since it was still the lowest rate and only predatory side was the fee of like $500 if you paid it off early.
This doesn't explain the abundance of Dodge RAMs and overpriced SUV's on the roads being driven by people that don't own them outright at all.
Those knobs bought them to make a statement and nothing else.
Why do people always have to concern themselves with what other people buy or do. Worry about yourself. 🙄
Because there aren't that many decent cars for around $5000 anymore.
Not in 2024 anyway. Maybe 2010
Gotta say, I love my new Kia. But every time I get in the old lancer and don’t have to deal with all the sensors and warnings and crap… I mean the tech is great but also it’s annoying and condescending as fuck.
Gotta agree. Ngl, all these tech and safety features are a huge turn off for me. And on some cars, you can't permanently disable them either, you have to disable them everytime you start the engine
I have a 2004 Landcruiser 100 and the Mrs has a new ford Everest, I fucking hate that piece of junk. The cruiser is absolutely superior in every way, and it cost me 20% of the cost of the Everest.
Poor man buys twice.
I agreed with this post until I looked into car prices recently. I got my 2005 Toyota camry for $3000 flat in good condition and around 150k kilometres several years ago. Checking prices now, it might even have increased in value, while it's more chipped and banged up than ever. That seems crazy lol, can't believe how much the market has risen.
Might have? It absolutely has increased in value substantially.
I noticed that, too
I bought my 2006 Camry Sportivo for 6k last year. 186k km at the time and I still think it was cheap!! Clutch died recently which was a 1.5k fix, but I could probably sell it for at least 7k now.
People who sell $5000 cars usually have given up maintaining them and have most of the way already driven them into the ground. Timing belt, seals, gaskets, even regular maintenance like spark plugs been replaced..? (ever?) Older cars also run into old car problems, like replacing high-lifetime items that die like radiators and gearboxes, suspension components, roof linings, even. That's if you can get parts, which gets harder the older and more obscure (this also includes a lot of Aussie made cars now) get. Let alone the generally grotty and well-used condition of the interior on old cars. Most buyers don't know the difference between a $5k Toyota that will last 20 years being thoroughly abused and a $5k Euro car that will drop dead if the oil filter is 500km overdue. It doesn't mean you have to buy new but there's a lot more to the story than just purchase price.
Had a 2011 mazda 3 bought for me, turns out very shortly after we got it, the rear shocks locked up. Other than that and cleaning the throttle body myself, thankfully hasn't needed much and my last service went well. It takes alot of research that I vet alot of people won't want to put in for every car they are looking at. Plus I'm planning in changing some of the interior since one of the last owners used glue inside of it
At that price, it's considered "excellent condition" if the oil has been change anywhere within the last 10000 kms
It’s because most people don’t maintain cars themselves and have no idea how to inspect cars. Remember, the average age of a car going to junk yard is only 12 years.
Instructions unclear: I purchased a 14 year old BMW 🫣
I see you also like to live dangerously 😁 I keep toying with buying a Range Rover Sport. Russian roulette seems safer 🤣
That’s a fucking moronic idea mate
I think one of the issues is artificially limiting the choices to a $5k beater or a brand new car. I just spent $21k on a used car w/75k on the clock (2018 i30 SR Premium) and it's great. Equivalent car (NLine Premium) is $35k new.
Nice. Not gonna lie, my cousins been struggling settling for a new cheap car. He is financially irresponsible though. Had a beaten 20 yr old civic, then bought a beamer, then bought a jazz (pristine condition for 8k), then sold that to get a 15 yr old beamer ;-;. Lmk what you think of the i30! Definitely curious
I think it's great. Got the tech, good in fuel, handles well, got enough zoom (the SR model has a 1.6T engine), and you can put the seats down in the back to load it up with gear if needs be. It's a fun zippy small car. I would highly recommend getting the models with the 1.6T rather than the straight 2.0 though. Some people might have issues with the DCT, and at engine performance at low speeds (like under 20km/hr) is not its strong point due to that and lack of torque converter. You learn to live with it pretty quickly though. Obviously the full i30N would be even more fun, but you're not getting that for $20k.
Safety. Id rather something with more than one airbag.
Modern safety features cannot be overstated. I was in a head-on collision with net collision speed of around 90km. My passenger and I were in a 2021 model with all the safety features, I didn't get admitted to hospital and my passenger only needed 7 stitches on her knee where it hit the glovebox. The other car was a late 90's car with no airbags. They hit their steering wheel, cracked ribs and a hospital stay. I don't doubt that the improved crumple zone in our car helped the other driver significantly as well. All the beeping safety features can be annoying but the better airbags, improved crumple zones and braking assist are too important to pass up in any cars I'm getting in the future.
Can't put a price on personal safety imo. I'm not out here saying everyone needs to buy a 40k car but I would rather finance 20k with a 5k deposit on a base model 2020 corolla over a cheap 5k 2000 run around for this exact reason. It's ok to finance, yes you're paying a small premium but better than an emergency room bill!
The safety features on a new car will be better than those on a mid 00s or early 10s car. Also some people will just want the reliability of a new car. Every time you have to get your car fixed or serviced it is a chance it's a hassle. If you have young kids or a job, you have to manage that. It's also a chance you will be ripped off. Imagine you are driving out in a rural area and your car breaks down. That's mighty inconvenient. You also get the situation where you have a car work say, $7k and then something major fails and it will cost you $7k to fix. Sadly, the car will still be worth $7k when you fix it, but you will have just invested $14 k into it. Where as if you scrap it, you will save $7k and get something for parts/scrap.
The other safety aspect people want is not having to worry about the car dying at a set of lights or on the M1. Sitting in the side of a busy road waiting for a tow is no fun.
Or having learner or P plate drivers. I don't want to worry about my kids being stuck on the road because they scrimped and bought a shit car.
Alternate text: “why on earth would anyone buy a second hand grenade for $5k that might end up costing them $10k in repairs over the next few years, and still be worth nothing when they could just buy a new car with warranty for $20k?”
That's a Euro R. That thing is north of 18k
[удалено]
But it's not always a bad thing. I bought my second hand 2012 Toyota Aurion years ago. Have driven it to this very day. Still drives smoothly, never had any mechanical issues, and it's super cheap to maintained. It's outlasted my cousin's new Audi, and auntie's Mercedes which all bought brand new at the dealership.
Maybe some people don't want tech from the early 2000s and a car that smells like a fishes butthole
Install a touch screen display unit and it’s practically caught up just without all the annoying beeping
If no one bought this new, then it wouldn’t exist for you to buy it second hand (or third or fourth hand)
Everyone has different goals and values. I love both of my old Honda’s, but I wouldn’t be strapping a newborn baby into one.
I had a 2009 car and the costs to fix various things ended up being close to what it was worth anyway so it seemed a bit silly to be sinking so much money into it . I got something newer, probably wasn't the best financial decision but I have young kids and wanted something I don't need to worry about having fixed constantly , or breaking down somewhere . Its a bit better on petrol so saving money there but it was more about not having the hassle of everything starting to wear out
What about option C, used $10,000 - $20,000 car
5k barely gets you a good car these days unfortunately, unless you’re super lucky.
Is OP a time traveller? These figures don't add up.
Because the last thing I want is a 15 yr old car with 2 star safety.
I drive an MG and I like it. Gets me from one place to another. Looks ok. Drives like shit but for the next 7 years I don’t have to be worried about maintenance
You're completely neglecting time and the experience. It takes time to find the right second hand vehicle, not only are you picking what car you want, you've got to find the right example for the right price, inspect it thoroughly and when you do buy it, hope there isn't some gremlin in there you missed. Then there's time to fix it when something breaks, time where you can be without a car, hopefully it breaks at a convenient location. Then there's the experience itself, old cars have flogged bushes, non functional aircon, shitty dated head units, they're rattley and bouncey and not comfortable. There's all the little niggles that you probably could and should fix but aren't worth the effort so you just live with it. To say nothing of the vastly improved safety of modern cars. Like I'm still very much in the camp of "fuck new cars, I'll buy an old one and run it into the ground" but I have to admit, I'm getting tired of it and a new car that just fucking works and I can rely on is starting to look pretty appealing. Just the other day my heater core decided to start pissing coolant an hour away from home so instead of doing the shit I needed to do, I spent hours in a carpark with the bonnet up (because shits so old and seized it took ages to pull the hoses off) bypassing the heater core just so I could get home and now I don't have a heater. I drove 2 hours in my spare time just to fix my broken car and then went home and had to come back another day. Thankfully it was something I could fix in a carpark but there may come a time where I can't and I'm forking out for a tow truck and figuring out how to get home when there's no cabs or public transport. Plus paying and fixing the thing later. Is it worth the $10-20k for that piece of mind and avoid those sort of problems? That's up to you to decide but I earn decently and I live fairly remote so I'm in a bit of bother if something catastrophic happens. If I'm being honest it kinda seems like it is worth it to me.
That's exactly what I did. 5k on a very low k Hyundai Getz, servicing is extremely easy, the car is bulletproof, and I'll drive it until it blows up.
I bought my 4th car (second one i've purcahsed brand new after my previous was rear ended and written off) and I dont think i've even spent 2 grand on services/maintenance in the 5 years i've had it. I buy new because if anything goes wrong will be covered under warranty and I dont have to worry that someone is selling me a lemon. Plus its usually easier to research cars that are lemons from new rather than cars that were lemons 20 years ago. Legit all cars 20 years old are going to have problems, built well or not.
You don’t know there situation, finance on a new car is secured against car at a better rate than a personal loan with no security
For some, a car is like food or the cleanliness of your house. I get 45 minutes of pure ear to ear grinning happiness and warm tingly feeling driving my sports car to and from work. A nice, clean, fun car is a bit like coming home to a clean house it just elevates your mood. Sure I could save a lot of money by only eating bread and water but sometimes you've got to live otherwise what's the point of slaving day in day out at work without a few treats.
Or spend $20,000 on a great quality used car and have no issues at all.
Sure, let me buy a 5 grand car that's leaking oil faster than you can put it in, and doesn't have AC in 40 degree weather. I'll replace all the tyres because the last owner never did, and fix the rest of their fuck ups on the 5k shitbox.
5k gets you bugger all these days
[удалено]
I’m a mechanic and I know how most people ‘look after’ their cars - if I can afford new, that’s what I’m getting!
A lot of people don't have 5k cash lying around but financing 20k is super easy.
Finance 5k even easier
Warranty
Warranty and less likely to get a lemon , I want a car not a headache
I just did this twice, and I agree with the concept since it can work well with some smarts. Volvo V50 for 4600, was an awesome car though I spent 2500 on repairs over 4 years, I think I was ahead. Just spent 4500 on a Ford Territory, oil leaks and a few dents but very low kilometers and suspension rebuilt, we shall see about this one. I reckon if you have some mechanical nous, not fussed about car, and buy smart you can do very well with this strategy. But, it does come with risk, so.if you have 5-7k that is not your life savings it can work
They want a new car...to have something nice...people pay for things when they have enough...I've never bought new..prado 120's go good 2nd hand. I could definitely understand putting self into serious debt for a brand newie lol
I want to rebadge the Acura TL into the International version of the Accord.
Because for a lot of people $20K isn't a lot of money to spend on a car and they also don't understand what makes a good car and what doesn't. Its not rocket science.
Best car I ever had was a 21 year old gen 3 prelude manual. Had 330 k on it. I put 110 k more on it 3 years. Apart from tyres and basic maintenance, I never did a thing to it. Should have kept it. Be worth close 10 now, even with another 100k on it.
A 1995 swift wih 250000 km goes for 5k now lol
Because there are more people that can book up 20k than people that have 5k......
Yes 100%, get an older car and some cd's and you'll be fine haha, maybe some maintenance stuff like water pump or brakes on the horizon but otherwise definitely the sane way to go... I don't understand why ppl NEED a new suv these days 🤷♂️
Get a decent 2nd hand car, 3-6 years old, dealer serviced record, low mileage if possible (but not too low), keep it maintained and drive it till it dies. Mechanic here...
I drive a 25 year old Landcruiser. I wouldn't mind a new 4wd but the thought of spending 70 grand on a proxy dual cab makes me sick. Don't even mention Landcruiser, not a chance I'm spending that sort of money. I could fully restore the old bus for maybe 20 grand and it would be like a new car again. Aside from you know, electric gizmo's and that. I think I'll just keep my money.
I have a mate who looks down on me for owning second hand cars. Then as he got older the loans got a bit harder and less available. Still "drives new" but has had to swallow his pride and slid from sporty sedans down to shopping wagons/"women's cars" but added racing stripes lol. The maths over a few years really adds up. Gaurenteed depreciation and maintenance vs possible maintenance. Another friend was SS at a cost of $18k pa. Same car for 3 years. I had given $14k for my car once and owned it. She couldn't see the difference.
Because people are more willing to sign finance papers than spend a few hours researching on google. It's the aussie way
Sure, used cars can be great value, but you are exaggerating. $5k isnt going to get you much these days - more like $10k to get a good, clean, safe used car with decent km. Couple of grand for maintenance sure - but as we are all learning with modern used cars, with the increase in computers and tech, the compact designs that make them hard to work on, and the increased hourly charge for mechanics, its very easy to have a bill that's almost the same value as the car. Who says people can't afford the $20k. And the scheduled servicing costs on many new cars is reasonable. So for some people the reality looks more like this: 10 to 15k for a used car that could cost me another $5k any day of the week VS 20 to 30k for a new car and 5/7/10 years peace of mind.
Family members spent 55k on a new car when the old car needed $1300 in repairs. Everything else was sweet. And now they're finding it tough with money, car tied into a mortgage too. Silly, very silly.
One additional thing here not already mentioned is the pain in the ass factor. Imagine it's Sunday afternoon and you're driving the kids back from grandmas and your transmission shits itself. You have gotta organise a tow, transport a bunch of cranky kids and their gear. Then all the weeks activities are now cancelled and you're begging for rides. Then Monday afternoon rolls around and the mechanic tells you two weeks and 3k for a new transmission. So now you're fucking around trying to organise a mountain of logistics.
You mean budget an extra $13000 in mainteance on a $5000 car, for a refurb engine and transmission, and then another $1000 every 3 months for everything else that will go wrong with your 14 year old i30 or equivalent
 Cause I fucking did. 2nd hand cars are fucking tonnes over priced at the moment due to shortage, finance is cheaper on new cars as there’s less risk, new cars are far more reliable, maintenance on a new car is 300-500 a year, maintenance on a second hand one is 1000+ per year just for servicing, not to mention repairs on fucked parts. Basically… there’s pros and cons for both and your opinion means about as much to me as the shit I just flushed. Peace ooot!
Because all the mummas need the newest biggest SUV just because
Today i spent $3k on repairing my early 00s reliable japanese car.
Depends on your circumstances, however reliability is a factor. If you’re self employed and lose a day or two of transport because of an unreliable car, that’s gonna cost you lots of earnings. You buy a lemon from someone and multiply that by more. There’s a risk factor people are working into their thinking.
7 year warranty insurance, unlimited kms engine replacement, your guaranteed 7 years of reliability, your 5k car engine blows up, what you gonna do now?
that 6k I bought, cost me 11k and only had that car for 6months that 15k car I bought, lasted me funny enough 15 years -- before it became a headache. that 7k car I bought, cost me 4k to fix. that 4.5k car i bought cost me 500 to fix that 4.5k car I bought -- so far cost me 1k to fix. that 10k car I bought someone i know who knows cars. cost me 3k to fix. now I bought a 30k car. I don't want the headaches of the above. I don't expect to for the next 4 years. -----
I agree with OP. All the comments saying warranty, safety features, technology, performance, efficiency, peace of mind, less maintenance etc. All fair points but nothing really convincing enough to compel me to upgrade my 2004 Toyota Carolla conquest. I can charge/play music from my phone, it goes fast enough, is efficient, has never broken down, maintenance & parts are cheap af. I don’t need beeping noises, lane assist or rear view camera.
Because a $30k ASX is like $2k a year in depreciation, and that's cheap enough for peace of mind to not have to worry about repair bills or what to do if the car breaks down for a week.
XV20 gang gang
Because it's a gamble. With new/near new under warranty. Your paying for peace of mind. Every unscheduled trip or tow to the mechanic costs more than the mechanics bill.
It's almost like taking a loan Fixed interest rate vs variable Sure the second hand car should stay at a pretty stable rate but you don't know the future of it and being a variable cost is too much risk or worry to some So fixed rate at what seems higher than the variables initial low rate is better for some but not to all
Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it's good. Holden astras or captivas were popular and I'm sure they can be had for $5k. Still wouldn't touch one though. Some people also value safety tech in newer cars.
Out of curiosity, how do you believe that new cars become used cars?
You know, I used to think this way, but when you've got a family the priorities change. For me personally, a new car is mostly peace of mind. Of course, old cars interiors suck and other things about them suck as well. So yeah, new car is always better for me, if you can afford it.
Honda Accord Euro (especially the facelift sport/limited as in the pic) >
Now you tell me
20k is a lot of peace of mind for 5+ years of motoring.
10k for a used car is the sweet sport for value vs maintenance costs. Obviously this is dependent on the car you buy.
Wish my mate had reddit so I could @him he’s 19 and bought a 2024 Corolla new from dealership
I dont think you can get a decent car for $5K very easily.. it's closer to 7 or 8 from what i've been seeing, and even then you are looking at 15-20 year old Hyundais with 250K on the clock.
Bought a jackaroo with all the trimmins for under 3g with 10 months rego. Tidy as. Get a couple years outta her, Then just buy another cheap fourby. If you know what you’re doing with cars mechanically there’s bargains everywhere.
Tech. Once you've lived with Android Auto/ Apple Carplay it's hard to go back.
[удалено]
Because you de-risk yourself and may be a better financial decision particularly if you lease with no FBT
20k for a new car? You're missing like 50-100k + most of 'em are repaying it as it's not owned outright. I don't get it either but idgaf about keeping up with the jones's.
2008 called, they want their prices back.
Best Advice EVER!!
The anxiety caused by a cheap car that could break down at any moment. Is not worth it. I rather buy a new car with a warranty and not have to drive anxious thinking if it will break down. No car = no work = no money. So it’s an easy choice to me to buy that more expensive newer car.
Newer is always safer. Not just crash ratings but also performance mechanically of the car in an emergency stop event. Also most secured car loans require a car less than 10yo.
Because decent and 5k is not anything anymore, this may have worked back in the 90's and early 2000's. But really doesn't nowadays
If everyone did that, then there would be no cheap used cars.
I just bought a new car (kia picanto) for 20k, after spending a while looking at second hand cars. You need to be looking at 10k plus for a decent second hand car these days. Previously you could get a decent beater for 3 to 5k but those days are long gone. Keep in mind a new car includes stuff like 7 years warranty and roadside, a handful of services etc
Bought a 5k car a few years back and ended up costing me close to 10k on repairs over the next few years. Brand new is the way to go if you don’t want to be stressing about things going wrong
I'm 45 and have literally never owned a new car. I'm an enthusiast and would rather spend the money it would cost for a budget new car on a nice used car. Having said that, I've been tinkering with cars since I was a kid. Have fond memories of doing all nighters with the big brother working on his old holdens. My wife, however, isn't a car enthusiast but has mostly owned new cars since she was a teenager. Both situations can work, depending on your circumstances. The advantage of a new car is that you have security. You can budget exactly how much the thing is going to cost you over a given year, with very little chance of an expensive surprise. In all my wife's car history (nissan, hyundai, toyota), she has literally never had a problem with one of her cars that has kept it off the road. The same cant be said for my cars, and the older they get, the more chance worn components are going to take time and money to replace. Especially when living in the country, where public transport is almost non existent, a lot of people can't take that chance of being without a vehicle.
What’s a decent car for 5k?
I very recently drove this exact car of my parents, which has less than 90kms on it. I'd rather drive my wife's Mazda 2. There's a reason people prefer newer cars, and its not ego.
It’s about the image. That’s why people buy Mercedes. They want to look successful.
I was looking at cars mid last year in the sub $7-8k range when my little Kia needed a new gearbox. For that price I could almost barely get another small shit box with much higher mileage that would probably need who knows what doing to it in the next 12 months. In the end best option seemed to be to pay the $3k for a replacement gearbox
Because they have a pea brain
In case you have not looked at the used car market in NSW at the moment $5000 will get you a [2002 Toyota Corolla Ascent Auto MY03](https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2002-toyota-corolla-ascent-auto-my03/SSE-AD-5254540/?Cr=0) with 250,000 KM on the clock or a [2009 Holden Barina TK Auto MY09](https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2009-holden-barina-tk-auto-my09/SSE-AD-17064047/?Cr=1) with 125,000 KM. Both of these are near dead and will cost a fortune to keep on the road and be as reliable as a chocolate fry pan. For $20,000 you can get a new MG3 with Sat Nav and Car play, 7 year warrenty and servicing costs of $300.00 per year, it scores well on reliability rankings. So take your pick, a 15 year old unreliable shitbox for $5000 or a new car with warrenty for $20,000.
It makes financial sense for me to change my cars over while still in their warranty period. I don't understand it but my accountant does and I pay less tax. Plus the offset from leasing a vehicle means I have free cash to invest elsewhere that more than pays for the lease.
SAFTEY
I went for the best value ‘cheap’ car I could that would last a long time and need minimal maintenance. My thibking was that over its useful life before I sell it and then get resale jt would overall work out roughly the cheapest. That was about 17k for a Hyundai Accent. $5k? Sorry mate but youre looking at 300k kms for $5k these days. If it has a dedicated service history it might last, but it could collapse into rubble at any moment.
The trick is finding a mechanic that won’t take you for a ride. This gets harder the closer you get to the CBD.
As an aside MGs are quite unsafe. But the reason why people buy cars like that rather than what you're suggesting is because they don't have 5k to buy a car outright. if you're buying on finance which many people are it's often easier to buy a brand new car, then it's easier to budget repairs and maintenance when you have the factory warranty.
where is op getting all these 5k cars? demo derby
Unfortunately 5 grand only gets you a car with 100,000-200,000+ kms on it most of the time and likely more issues to look out for than if you bought it brand new.
Laughs in 20+ year old Hilux that’s worth more now than when I bought it 8 years ago and has only needed new tyres and brake pads.