did anyone import these or am i chaseing ghosts , searched most of nz web sites .
phillip.weston,
Jun 30, 9:55am
you wont find one in NZ or Japan! US market only I believe.
safteystv,
Jun 30, 10:01am
dam thought i'd found my perfect car for now , liftback 220hp , wonder if aussie got them , sigh,
phillip.weston,
Jun 30, 10:05am
220hp, that all! :P How about a Mondeo ST24 liftback!
safteystv,
Jun 30, 10:11am
not big ford fan and fords i have looked at interiors really let them down. maybe as300 altezza gita rated at 212 hp 300 torques , do they have problems any more or less than every other car. just off to check out the ford.
phillip.weston,
Jun 30, 10:20am
altezza are pretty much trouble free and are a decent car to look at and drive in, however they are getting a bit long in the tooth now, you may be paying the equivalent price for a 2003-2005 car but you're really getting something with 1998-1999 technology - only two air bags, no stability control, no EBD, no brake assist etc etc.
Mondeo ST24 has a nice engine, auto trans lets it down though. If you could find a manual I would go for that. V6 engine doesn't like to be over-heated, but thankfully the Mk3 Mondeo has a better water pump design than the Mk2 Mondeo V6 which had such a poor track record for the plastic impeller falling off and over heating the engine.
safteystv,
Jun 30, 10:43am
all cars are over priced on the sale yard even private sellers. and yeah altezza's are old tech , wanting wagon or hatch with good power and handling thats got factory tints . and must look sharp replaceing my 92 2l auto primera sedan so must handle well.
richardmayes,
Jun 30, 7:51pm
It sounds like the car you want is an Accord SiR wagon.!
audi_s_ate,
Jun 30, 9:22pm
Dad's AS300 has stability control FYI - Have seen some with side impact bags too.
phillip.weston,
Jun 30, 10:35pm
I think you're referring to the 2L 6cyl engine. The 3L 6cyl engine in the Gita is much much more powerful and has bucket loads of torque compared to the 2L 6cyl.
phillip.weston,
Jun 30, 10:37pm
I stand corrected then, but I would gather they are options and not standard across the range like on many newer 2003+ cars. My point is, you can buy a 2005-6 Mondeo or something else, or a 1999-2001 Altezza for the same money.
r15,
Jul 1, 2:03am
ive never seen an altezza without side air bags
my understanding is also stability assistance is common in the gita
if we're going to compare mondeos to altezzas, we might as well start comparing mx5's to camrys.
the point here being the altezza is somewhat of a drivers car. they are stiff in the suspension, rear wheel drive, sports seating (in the black trim versions) and can be push VERY hard if driven correctly without losing hold of the road.
the modeo on the other hand is a FWD load carrying practical family wagon.
not having a dig, but they are totally different vehicles for totally different target markets.
audi_s_ate,
Jul 1, 8:09am
To be fair an 06 mondeo is based on 2001 tech so really isn't anything a compelling argument. However I do agree that the altezza's have held their value extraordinarily well. And seeing some 98's at 10k really is too much money for what you get.
In the case of the as300 - I see it as a more reliable 330i e46 for roughly the same money. Driver appeal may slightly lean towards the 330i however.
phillip.weston,
Jul 1, 9:48am
But the 04-06 is facelifted and has many changes like the introduction of 8 air bags standard. The 2001 Mondeo was quite a good chassis to begin with any how, and still 4 years ahead of the Altezza.
I think it's quite a stretch between an Altezza Gita and a 330i Touring! The BMW makes the Altezza incredibly cheap in comparison in this case! I would still take the 330i though!
r15,
Jul 1, 11:20am
they dont produce huge kw figures, they do have a respectable 300nm of torque though.most importantly though like all the altezza range they are a very very well handling car (when they dont have flogged out suspension)driving a FWD is never going to be as nice to drive as a RWD
audi_s_ate,
Aug 19, 7:00am
Not a stretch at all - in my opinion of course. The is300 was developed as a competitor to the e46 primarily in America and was sold at a similar price new. Both rwd 'sport' sedans, similar size and engine configurations (sizes).
Interestingly enough the mondeo paired with its 4spd (yes it was 5spd later on) auto is no real comparison to the 5spd in the Altezza, taking into account the smoother 6 cylinder engines, most would rate the altezza as the much nicer driving car (and so it should, it cost around 30k more than the mondeo new!)
The interior of either is nothing special, however there are nicer finishes/touches in the altezza.
But hey we can agree to disagree:)
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