Is there such a thing!I've always had subarus and carve up the rural roads well, always feel safe, stick the roads etc. I'm not liking the thought of driving a "shopping basket" on dodgy rural roads, but need a more cost effective car, as the travel dosh is killing me. Any ideas on something that drives like a real car, but is economical too!
3tomany,
Jul 25, 7:05pm
youre budget!
magicmat,
Jul 25, 7:09pm
No need for insults.
smac,
Jul 25, 7:12pm
Why not a Subaru is it's what you know/like!
richardmayes,
Jul 25, 7:39pm
Define "drives like a real car!"
If you want something that sticks to the roads, and doesn't use too much gas, and is a bit longer and lower than a bare minimum "shopping basket" then you want a Type R Integra.
They do pre-date the JNCAP crash testing regime though, so I have no idea how safe they are in a crash.
splinter67,
Jul 25, 7:45pm
But are they any good on gravel
richardmayes,
Jul 25, 7:52pm
Probably not if you try to go at 165km/h on the gravel.
But most small FWD cars I've driven on gravel have been "good enough" for sensible driving.
missmuppett,
Jul 25, 8:32pm
Well for instance I've driven Mum's car on the roads, she's got a Mitsi Colt.I have a Subie STi wagon.Whole different kettle of fish, I just don't feel safe driving an auto/little car.I definately need something more economical though as we are moving a little further out into the country. I don't drive like a maniac, I'm not looking to beat speed and sound records on gravel. just somehting tidy and economical, but decent to drive.PS - NO HONDAs.Budget up to $20K tops.I really like the Mazda Alexa I think it was, hatch. but then I found out they came in 2.3L turbo style and I was keen on one of them. LOL - not very economical though and another $10K in budget!
thejazzpianoma,
Jul 25, 8:38pm
Your budget unfortunately dosn't stretch to the new ultra economical and safe 4WD's like the Skoda Yeti and VW Tiguan.
So, I would suggest you pocket some of the money for fuel instead of depreciation and achieve a similar low cost of ownership by buying a good Volvo XC70, Audi Quattro or VW 4Motion for $6000 - $12'000. Depending on which of these you get and which engine it has you could still make some fuel savings as well.
If you decide on one of those its all about getting a good one and maintaining it properly, so if one tickles your fancy then come back for more information on what to look for.
splinter67,
Jul 25, 8:38pm
missmuppett wrote: Well for instance I've driven Mum's car on the roads, she's got a Mitsi Colt.I have a Subie STi wagon.Whole different kettle of fish, I just don't feel safe driving an auto/little car.I definately need something more economical though as we are moving a little further out into the country. I don't drive like a maniac, I'm not looking to beat speed and sound records on gravel. just somehting tidy and economical, but decent to drive.PS - NO HONDAs.Budget up to $20K tops.I really like the Mazda Alexa I think it was, hatch. but then I found out they came in 2.3L turbo style and I was keen on one of them. LOL - not very economical though and another $10K in budget![/quote
How about putting it on LPG
splinter67,
Jul 25, 8:42pm
I like the audi quatro idea not that reliable well the early ones werent but a hell of lot of fun to drive at speed
smac,
Jul 25, 8:50pm
OK you either missed the question or didn't get it.
Try another tack: how much fuel is your current car using!
thejazzpianoma,
Jul 25, 8:56pm
The right one can be very reliable, especially with regard to the 4WD system. We would be talking fairly late stuff with a good reputation.
That's why I said come back for a followup, armed with the right information its easy enough to pick a good reliable model that's been well looked after and keep it that way.
Likewise the Volvo can be incredibly reliable, however there is some info you need to know about how transmissions can be unreliable if they have not been serviced properly.
Any 4WD in the price range regardless of brand is going to require some research and effort to ensure the best chances of a good reliable vehicle.
Thanks for supporting the idea.
splinter67,
Jul 25, 9:03pm
Took a couple of days for the grin to disappear it went like stink and cornered like it was on rails
thejazzpianoma,
Jul 25, 9:07pm
They are a lot of fun!
The good thing is if you get away from the super high performance versions and the likes of the Allroad with its extra complication of air suspension and twin turbo's you can have that same handling and safety coupled with what is effectively VW Golf running gear.
Then you have most of the reliability, economy and ease of service that comes from one of the worlds most popular small/medium cars.
Both the 1.8T and small 6 Cylinder engines are renowned for reliability and long lifespan.
richardmayes,
Jul 25, 9:18pm
You met that guy down the pub who says only homosexuals drive Hondas too, eh!
What about a Peugeot 407 HDi!
missmuppett,
Jul 25, 9:25pm
LOL. no, I have never liked the styling of Hondas and at 30yrs I'm not going to change my opinions now :)But thanks.Hmmm. a little Peugeot.My man would complain I'm sure "as I have to fix it". LOL
missmuppett,
Jul 25, 9:25pm
Really loved my old Audi I had, but ideally I'm wanting something sporty/smallish and comfy to drive.Not so "family car" like.
missmuppett,
Jul 25, 9:27pm
I'm getting 500KM bang on weekly if I drive to empty, I do 500KM Mon-Friday for work and we retire my car at the weekend for the farm hack.A tank is costing me $125 to fill.Do you think I can better that somehow!
smac,
Jul 25, 9:28pm
How much are you paying for petrol (per litre)! Or if you know it, how many litres per 100km are you using!
splinter67,
Jul 25, 9:28pm
The one I drove could not be called a family car by any means fire breathing monster was more like it
splinter67,
Jul 25, 9:31pm
Thats pretty good for a all 4x4 auto on back roads
missmuppett,
Jul 25, 9:35pm
Mines a 4x4 subaru STi wagon which I drive on highways currently, with a little gravel.I will be moving further out with more gravel.I dunno how many litres to 100KM Hmmmmm. how do I work that out!
missmuppett,
Jul 25, 9:36pm
trdbzr thats the bugger, I love those cars. but mine is currently only a 2L, wouldn't a 2.3L kill me fuel even more!
smac,
Jul 25, 9:47pm
By telling us what you pay per litre.
You've said $125 to fill and that gets you 500km. If you're paying $1.95 (is that right these days! I don't look) then that's 64 litres, which is 12.8 litres per 100km.
That's pretty damn high for a 2.0 (even a Subi) with highway use.
Either the car has issues, or your numbers are off.
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