Best family wagon for $10,000

aboylikedave, Nov 28, 2:27am
That's my question. I feel like if I had $5k or $13 the choice would be easier. Is the Corolla/Fielder really the best I can do! Would get a Stream but the front seats are like a park bench says my good lady and I agree with her. A small level of comfort above the basics would be nice. Economy nice but TBH we don't do huge mileage. 1.8-2.2engine preferably. Some of the smaller wagons (Golf , V40)) are too small for our kids rear facing seat). We do want a Wagon and not an MPV really.
Thoughts welcome.

JazzPiano - I'd like a VW but to be honest I'm no enthusiast and want to get it serviced at the garage up the road as opposed to a specialist garage. Dog and Lemon gives the Passat a stinker of a review! I wouldn't even dare suggest a Multipla to her!

foxdonut, Nov 28, 2:36am
Honda Accord Wagon maybe!

Define "best"

willz29, Nov 28, 2:46am
+1 I'd go with the Accord Euro

aboylikedave, Nov 28, 2:52am
Aahh - best is the one which ticks the most boxes below *edit* and I can get a decent mileage example for my 10k. I was thinking under 120,000km:
- Reliable
- Low running costs nice but not a dealbreaker but nothing above 2.5l)
- Low maintenance costs
- Level of comfort above basic (i.e. Wingroad)
- Not too huuuuuge
- Not too small (enough legroom for our child seat, enough space in rear wagon for buggy, travel cot, family luggage)
- Nice drive would be good but not a dealbreaker

That doesn't really help much. Let's put it like this - as close to a Mazda 6/Avensis or a reliable an cheap to maintain Passat/BMWas I can get!

zirconium, Nov 28, 2:52am
Ford Mondeo, Toyota Avensis, Honda Accord, Subaru Outback. Do you want a manual or outo though! - The mondeo manual is very nice, but parts are a bit pricey.

skyline_guy_r34, Nov 28, 2:54am
Im sure Audi have a wagon currently in that price range of yours that ticks most of those boxes. might pay to have a search in audi.

aboylikedave, Nov 28, 2:55am
Aah I missed out the important bit.Obviously I could get any car for a high enough mileage so my question should probably be:
what's the best wagon and the best milage combo I can get for $10,000, which will give me nothing too major to do over the next few years or low/average milage! I was thinking 120,000ks.Is this reasonable!

chris_051, Nov 28, 3:01am
VY Berlina or BA Falcon are easily the best value wagons around. If you save 2l/100km driving a corolla that is $26 per 1000 km, hardly worth it. BTW you will only go up to a 2.5, you'll find a 2.5 legacy or primera will struggle to better a falcon or commodore in fuel economy.

msigg, Nov 28, 3:02am
Toyota avensis, for reliability , can't go past it.

a.woodrow, Nov 28, 3:06am
chris_051 wrote:
VY Berlina or BA Falcon are easily the best value wagons around. If you save 2l/100km driving a corolla that is $26 per 1000 km, hardly worth it.

Uhm where do you buy your petrol!
approx $2.00 per litre
$2 x 2L = $4 per 100km
$4 x 10 (1000km) = $40

aboylikedave, Nov 28, 3:07am
What kms do you think I should I get for 10k, and will that mean that I will have to pay a k our for maintenance anytime soon!

aboylikedave, Nov 28, 3:08am
Thanks Accord fans.Pooooossibly a bit big but still might be the best. Depending on answer to my mileage question which I can now see is the key to it.

foxdonut, Nov 28, 4:09am
The answer is Accord. Its always Accord.

The Falcon is fkn ugly and you'll feel like you're in a taxi everywhere you go and the other stuff isn't going ot offer much over an Accord which ticks all your boxes.

I don't want to rain on the parade or anything, but until you're buying a 2010 RS6 Avant (the one with the twin turbo lambo engine in it) any wagon is just going to be a set of wheels full of kids crap and your wifes tissues and "emergency" purse, lipstick, empty coffee cups and dog hair etc.

Might as well get one thats powered by the world most popular sedan car.

minta-steph, Nov 28, 4:11am
We got a 2004 toyotaZt Caldina with 94000k for 11000 at the beginning of the year.
Big enough for car seat and to go away in with the gear we need.
Comfortable and reliable it has been a great car.

aboylikedave, Nov 28, 5:22am
Thanks - very interesting. I thought they were pricier. Any better or worse with reliability than BMW or VW for example!

wasser61, Nov 28, 5:35am
Biggest piece of shite ever manufactured by Toyota and ugly to boot

wasser61, Nov 28, 5:39am
Same reliability and you need a mortgage to even replace the radiator cap, avoid like the plague

kazbanz, Nov 28, 7:23am
aboylikedave --Heres the rub -I sold 6 cars this weekend and pretty much every person had exactly the same specification as you. Yet I sold 6 totally different cars. Everyones definition of nice/comfortable is different.
I must say IMO the best bang for buck at the moment is the Toyota Opa
Darned comfortable to drive. Its slipped below the "toyota badge" radar a bit so isn't too badly priced. There are two versionsone with a 2.0l d4 engine (avoid) and one has the same 1800cc VVTi engine as the 1800 corollas. they are suprisingly roomy inside.
There is the Avenir which in the 1800cc automatic version has a tonne of room.
Yes theres the accord wagon
The other one thats not badly priced is the Toyota Gaia -yes a 7 seater but its only a bit bigger than a stream but has adult sized seats

aboylikedave, Nov 28, 8:34am
Cheers for the advice
What sort of mileage were people getting for their 10k!

blackcat17, Nov 28, 9:14am
You'd think so aye, but friends had one they bought new thinking you couldn't go past a new Toyota for reliability,.gearbox failed less than 18 months in ($6K which Toyota tried to make them pay), then a headlight assembly got melted somehow.$2K!
Made in UK I believe.

mellisa2000, Nov 28, 11:07am
Apart from the maths, I agree. Comfort, cruiser, power torque you will never hate. And economy equal or better than a lot of older Jap 2.0L ringers.