I'm looking at getting a new car and I'm really liking the wingroads, I'm looking at getting a 2001 model + at this stage. Has anyone got one of these! would like to hear thoughts on how reliable they are and fuel economic. They look like they'd be just what I'm after.
thejazzpianoma,
Sep 30, 7:54pm
The 1.8 Auto is horrendous on fuel. They are about the most over-rated car money can buy in NZ. You will find there are lots of people around who absolutely rave about how good they are. but those people are generally too scared to try anything else in the price range.
Their sole yardstick is usually whether it breaks to not, what they don't realize is that most modern cars are just as reliable.
My worker bought one after being pressured into it by some in the motor trade etc. When it arrived from Japan it was really rusty underneath and he had to spend $1500 fixing that for a start (and it was only about 6 years old at the time). He sold it immediately because it was a joke compared to his work car.
Be wary of slick talking dealers on these cars too. The dealers adore them because they have no timing belt to change which increases their profit margin. They try and sell that as a feature that is the be all and end all of motoring which it is not. In fact at that age because it has a timing chain engine other components like waterpumps get neglected at service time (usually changed with the cambelt) and they never mention that timing chains stretch in time and are much more expensive to replace than a cambelt. The timing chain also makes the car use more fuel.
Incidentally, because its a Japanese domestic model the fuel economy figures you see for them are incorrect. The Japanese use a fuel economy test procedure that is intentionally rigged to make their cars look more economical. To give you an idea during the test the car is never bought up to open road speed and they accelerate at half the rate used by other countries.
sorayaking,
Sep 30, 8:04pm
really that doesn't sound good.I'd be looking at the 1.5 autos. I love toyotas as the coupe I've got now a 1994 I've had near 7 yrs and been as reliable as heck. Only trouble with toyotas I find is they tend to be expensive for their years. However with what you say may be worth spending the extra $$ for a brand I trust
thejazzpianoma,
Sep 30, 8:08pm
Please don't get sucked into this reliability hoo ha. Its just resulted from us living in a country where car dealers exlusively sell secondhand Japanese imports. The only thing they have to offer is supposed reliability which is usually no better than the next brand. You wind up paying a fortune for a car that is no where near as good as what else you could have got for your money.
Incidentally. there will likely be a bunch of dealer types and people who have been suckered into buying a Wingroad along shortly to tell you how wrong I am and how "one eyed" I am and everything else under the sun.
jason18,
Sep 30, 8:10pm
Meh they are an average run of the model car. The QG engine is a terrible engine in the early primeras and I believe these wingroads run the same QG engine known to stretch timing chains in the primeras.
thejazzpianoma,
Sep 30, 8:13pm
I suggest you take a 2001 or newer VW Passat with the 1.8T or 2.0 engine for a drive. The VW is good because they are the worlds largest manufacturer so parts are always cheap and easily available. On a worldwide scale the wingroad is an orphan by comparison as its only made for use in Japan (so really only Japan and us get them).
The VW will deliver both economy, power and reliability, you also get excellent safety and better ride/features.
Drive them both and you will start to see what I am on about, if you could own them both for a couple of tanks of gas you would be even more amazed.
If you want a bit smaller than the Passat a 2.0 Golf may suit as well. The 2.0 engine in the Golf is the pinicle of simplicity, cheap maintenance and reliability. The other good Golf wagon is the GT, it has the same 1.8T engine as the Passat and will give you significantly more power for the same economy.
vtecintegra,
Sep 30, 8:15pm
Take anything that poster says with a healthy grain of salt - especially when it comes to fuel economy.
Anyway jason18 is onto it about the engines from that period, both the QG and QR were very short lived
thejazzpianoma,
Sep 30, 8:19pm
Errr no, I actually tested the fuel economy first hand. If you don't believe what I am saying look up how the Japanese do their fuel economy testing for yourself and compare it to the rest of the world. The difference is massive.
Also, its not me who complained about the fuel economy first on these, my worker who was very excited to get his new car was blown away by how thirsty it was. There was even another poster on here the other day who was getting the same fuel economy out of his Wingroad as he was out of his Falcon which also lines up with my experience.
In the interests of fairness though, I am referring to the 1.8 Auto and the poster has since said they will be looking at the 1.5 which I have less experience with .
thejazzpianoma,
Sep 30, 8:21pm
Anyhow, enough from me. I will let everyone else come and sling mud at what I have said now.
bellky,
Sep 30, 8:25pm
i normally can't be bothered except to say this
sorayaking,
Sep 30, 8:35pm
I'm looking at a stationwagon generally because in the summer I like to bodyboard, mtb and possibly get into kayaking so think that would be the best plan. i'm thinking I'll set my budget at 8-8.5k.I don't really need anything gruntier than say a 1.8. I've actually been told not to buy european because they're expensive to fix! I actually like the subi stationwagons but again I've heard parts are expensive so haven't really looked at them
sorayaking,
Sep 30, 8:36pm
I'm also not planning on buying through a dealer as I don't see the point in paying a few k, I will be taking whichever car I look at for a pre-purchase inspection as those have seen me right before and small price to pay not to buy a lemon
bellky,
Sep 30, 8:38pm
wise person
msigg,
Sep 30, 8:40pm
Best place for advice is your local mechanic or talk to your local AA mechanic about what cars and problems they encounter on there jobs. Yes toyota you do pay more for, they generaly have a good name hence the price.
cocabowla,
Sep 30, 10:00pm
all opinions are taken at your own risk, jazz is VERY euro biased. best bet is to ask around a few mechanics, owners, maybe find any online reviews.
trdbzr,
Sep 30, 10:37pm
The 1.5L ones are quite good and reliable and easy on fuel, the 1.8L ones are 4wd only from memory so would be heavy on fuel. Overall its a good car. But do shop around, some private sellers want as much as, or even more than dealers. Jazz is very biased and believes only euro cars are good and everything out of japan is rubbish, but hes never been a mechanic so take everything he says with a grain of salt.
thejazzpianoma,
Sep 30, 10:41pm
Never been a paid mechanic. There is a difference, I probably source and fit more parts for the cars I recommend than most people on here.
Its not that everything out of Japan is rubbish, its just most of it is over priced and under deliver's.
The Wingroad and the Corolla are the two classics that attract the crowd of chestbeaters who hype them up into something they are not. If we lived in any other country where the market is not affected by masses of used Japanese imports I would probably recommend a lot more Japanese cars as the pricing is more sensible.
The Wingroad is functional as transport and fairly reliable however beyond that its lacking. Thats the trouble with cars like that they are good enough to function so people who don't know any better fall for the propaganda in the motor industry and think they are great.
The VW's I am recommending are about as mainstream as its possible to get on a global production scale. Thats what actually matters when it comes to how well sorted the car is and what parts cost.
icemans1,
Sep 30, 10:47pm
x1
i've got a V6 commodore and my wife's 1.8 wingroad would use about the same amount of fuel
thejazzpianoma,
Sep 30, 10:52pm
Its generally a safe bet to avoid any advice from someone who makes a sweeping and completely untrue statement like that. Europe constitutes the vast majority of car manufacturing nations which should tell you something for a start.
You just have to be so very very careful with your research because New Zealand is in the clutches of a motor industry that has barely seen anything other than used imports from Japan for decades. Everyone from your neighbour to the mechanic down the road has heard the silly wives tales for so long they believe them.
Almost none of these people who say such things have owned anything other than a Japanese car, they just blindly repeat the mantra's and anecdotal stories about "my cousin who had a european car and it broke" without actually having a clue first hand themselves.
If you actually want to know what parts cost etc ring "Qualitat" in Auckland who are one of NZ's biggest importers of VW parts. They service VW's too and can supply parts overnight to you. They can tell you first hand what particular parts and servicing will cost.
To say a VW Golf with the 2.0 engine is expensive to service is an absolute joke given its one of the cheapest cars on the road for parts and easy servicing.
Any mechanic can service one with ease and little instruction. That engine is about as simple as modern cars get. Likewise being one of the most popular engines in the world parts are cheap and easy to source.
Basically you have a choice. You can rush out and pay a premium for a Japanese car like the Wingroad and recieve less safety/power/comfort/performan- ce/features/handling for your money.
Or you can do some careful research and like me use the warped market to your advantage and pick up a much better car for less money.
Thats it from me. I will leave you to it. If you want some further advice on good options from someone who has owned and worked on them himself and taken careful note of the actual costs, then let me know and I will help you further.
sorayaking,
Sep 30, 11:07pm
I appreciate your knowledge, so thanks. I have heard the golfs are quite good. Might have a yarn to some mechanic tutors at the local polytech. I've got a relative that works with them that can pick their brains
trdbzr,
Sep 30, 11:41pm
A friend of mine got quoted $4k just to change the headgasket alone on a 2002 BMW 318I at a BMW workshop, not some 'incompetent garage'. You wouldn't pay anywhere near that amount for a similar Japanese car at its dealership.
kazbanz,
Oct 1, 12:12am
Hmm interesting feedback here OP -very much from biased people who have not actually owned or driven a wingroad. The 1500cc NEW SHAPE wingroad has a government fuel consumption rating of 4 out of 6 and it will cost $2000 a year to run based on 14000km a year so 14cents a km to run. This is the official government figures.
Incudently this weekI have had 4 customers in desperate to get out of theireuro cars--and ALL with mechanical issues. 1x Audi A42x VWpolo circa 1998-99 and 1x a160 with "a160 box syndrome"
bevharris1938,
Oct 1, 12:18am
x1
I had a 2008 wingroad 1.8 auto , nice reliable car. It went ALOT better with 98 fuel in it. You notice the difference big time.
sorayaking,
Oct 1, 3:46pm
I'm really at a bit of a loss, my first choice would have been a caldina which there used to be plenty of them around but looking on here now there's hardly any that aren't turbos. Don't want a turbo.
v8_mopar,
Oct 1, 4:08pm
Ive had a wingroad for 9 years and yes they are a bit gassy but you make up for it in reliability. Only ever had to do oil changers on it and after being driven hard, used like a work hack and 245k its the most reliable car I have ever owned
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