How do I choose which vehicle would suit me best.

i'm not a mechanic, but i do talk to a few

subaru - expensive to maintain and they do break down

honda - transmission issues

mazda - people here say if the make starts with m, avoid it

at the end of the day, ALL cars have issues even rolls royce, but some have more than others

Thanks iceman, yep I've pretty much been put off both Subaru and Mazda, have a Honda at present and never had a worry, only thing wasa a flat battery, easy peasy!

I get you kazbanz, thanks heaps!

oh and i forgot to mention

nissan - a lot of the later models have timing chain stretch issues

I read this and then became confused as potential buys ranged from boring Corolla's to Mediocre Nissan's and the most utilitarian of Honda's.

A car you really want is something like a 2.0L DOHC VTEC Honda Torneo (also available as a wagon if you must) or a 2001+ Ford Mondeo (my favourite is the liftback) which has more style than a carpark full of Primera's. At that price your starting to get into the realm of Subaru Legacy B4's too. I'd even take a look at whatever Euro offerings Jazz throws up as Euro cars are great for the ego.

Non-turbo Impreza's and Legacy's are actually pretty average. They have all the disadvantages of a Boxer 4WD car without the legendary rally winning power and handling.

If you want something to stirr the soul a little then I'd forget most of the run-of-the-mill yawn material suggested previously.

Carkitter, Justme is on her own with three kids. Boring and pretty therefore = good. The car will very likely need to be suitable for the kids to learn to drive in too, so exciting = bad, lol.

Rubbish! Exciting is what she's looking for, without going the whole hog and signing up to the dreaded convertible (which says" I watch too much Sex & the City"). A solo mum with kids growing up and beginning to appreciate some 'ME' time. something with a little more pizazz is definitely called for.

If you don't know already, compare a Torneo to a 2003+ NZ new Accord Euro. Essentially the same car for a lesser price. Shhh!

An 1800cc Corolla wouldn't see which way a 200hp Torneo went. On holidays, stick the Torneo in 3rd on the passing lanes and those overweight SUV's are no longer an issue. A 206 or Golf would be good too, but might not have the necessary size needed.

I actually suggested a Torneo as a cheaper alternative to a massively popular 200hp family car, the Honda Accord Euro which is not in her price range. Whether she uses the performance or not doesn't matter, she'll still have the top notch chassis, steering and gearshift to savour at round town speeds.

Years ago my sister traded up from a '85 Laser 1.5 to a CRX Del Sol 1.6l DOHC VTEC without realising what effect 160hp might have. She wasn't a hoon but did appreciate the power AND remarkable economy of the VTEC motors.

Torneo was only one of the suggestions I made too. I just don't see how a Corolla Fielder, Vista Ardeo or Mazda Premacy could be a step up from an award-winning Odyssey or be described as "something I REALLY want".

Ok, I'm back, few more questions:)What about the Volkswagon Passat or Touran!They look good.but I'm just a driver, are they good vehicles!

The in terms of technology, economy and value the Touran blitzes pretty much everything else similar in the price range. The Touran is basically a MK5 Golf (thats the shape starting about 2004/5) but with a higher roof and stretched rear end.

Its main advantage is its very very clever gearbox. There are generally three problems with regular automatics. Firstly they use a torque converter instead of a clutch, the torque converter wastes some fuel/power in order to operate.

Second problem is they usually have less gears.

Third problem isthey require more regular and expensive maintenance.

The Golf/Touran does away with those problems. In short it gives you quite a big power/economy advantage with less maintenance. 6 Gears vs 4-5 means quieter smoother running on big hills etc as well. Just think of the difference between riding an old 3 speed bicycle and a more modern multi speed road bike.

The economy advantage of the Touran is significant enough that there is no other similar petrol vehicle in the price range I know of that even comes close. When that same engine/gearbox was used in the lighter and more aerodynamic VW Golf it was so economical that even my little 1200cc Fiat would use more gas. I have actually recorded 4.7l/100km in the Golf on a couple of trips between katikati-Hamilton. BUT, do be aware that the Touran won't be quite that economical as it has the bigger less aerodynamic body. still very economical though.

The Touran also has the really good Golf FSI engine and plenty of airbags etc.

The Touran is also one of the best value for money vehicles in NZ. Its using pretty much the same engine/gearbox technology as the new VW's which is still well ahead of what the other manufacturers are offering even on their newest cars. So bang for buck the MK5 Golf or Touran is pretty impossible to beat.

The Passat is also a very nice car, but to get the Passat with theDSG gearbox and FSI engines you need to be paying a LOT more. The older/cheaper Passat is a more equal contender with the other options. It would likely still be my pick though.

If you are thinking about the Passat seriously then let me know and I am happy to guide you through the different engine configurations, there are several to choose from and they all have their pros/cons.

BTW, VW parts are very well priced in NZ and are easily available. We have several third party importers like Qualitat which means good competition and keeps prices down.

Also. if you get the chance to try a Touran for a day, given your location take it for a run over the Kaimai's if you can. Its a great place to see how much better the 6 speed gearbox is. The gearbox is of course an advantage on the flat too, but you won't really be able to appreciate the economy it brings until you own it.