I have had the same car, a Mazda AZ3, for 15 years and what a tremendous car it has been.It had 66Kms on the clock when I bought it and 113Kms now, so I dont do a great deal of long distance travelling.I have been looking at buying another car for a while now and the more I look the more confused I get.I want to spend between $10K - $12K.Cars I have been looking at are Honda Fit, Mazda Demio and Toyota Vitz. I want something thats going to be reliable, peppy and nice to look at.I have no idea what to look out for in these cars, ie faults etc.If I purchase from a Dealer which is probably what I will do, do I haggle a price with them and what kind of $ value can I expect them to drop. Should I get the AA to check out a vehicle before I commit myself.I dont care if its a manual or auto,Is one more reliable than the other!I am also not too keen on a small 1300 engine, I'm wanting something thats going to get me up steep hills if I have passengers.Yes, I am female, just retired and have dont know anyone knowledgeable enough to answer these questions for me.Any advice will be greatly appreciated.Thank you.
kazbanz,
Mar 9, 11:24pm
edee-You are asking a lot of questions. First of all every car you are concidering has its pro's and cons but all are mechanically good exceptI do NOT recommend the honda fit/jazz if it is an auto -The manual is a lovely little car the auto has transmission issues. Second-I'd drive an auto1300cc Demio and vitz before passing judgment. Things have changed since your AZ3 and you may be happy with a 1300cc power wise -Only YOU can answer that. Third -OTHER than the above mentioned gearbox issue none have generic mechanical issues.-Ie all three choices are mechanically sound. Re pricing.-theres a bunch of threads on this subject. IN 2013 you have so many resources at your fingertips to establish a fair price for each model you are concidering. Use those resourses before going into any dealership. If the average price is 10k and the dealer is asking 15 then likely theres a fair bit of room to discount. if the average is 10 and the dealers price is 9 then likely theres little room to move (BUT STILL ASK) Re AA inspection. Double edged sword that one.Not committing till an inspection is done means the dealer can still sell the car to someone else -even after inspection.But it also means you can negotiate based on that report. MMM --If it was me and I liked a car Id commit to purchasing itSUBJECT to a satisfactory (to you) AA pre purchase inspection. -Incidently I personally reccomend having YOUR mechainic to the PP inspection .
kazbanz,
Mar 9, 11:46pm
Incidently given the models you are discussing-The Vitz is the smallest for luggage space -in your price bracket likely the kiwi new name is Yarris. The demio is in the middle. with easy real loading for luggage The fit is the longest. The Nz name is Jazz Sorry to do this but I would recommend looking at a Mazda Verissa almost the same as a demio but nicer finish level and always 1500cc
jfstyle,
Mar 10, 1:08am
read this post but cant recommend any of this cars.too old too dear and nothing flash about any of the deigns except jazz, . 10k should buy you a 2009-2010 1400cc hydundai getz nz new with esp and abs bluetooth stereo and totaly reliable motoring.have sold tens of them and own one myself.you cant go wrong. there is a reason they won every small car award in every country in the world.they are great cars. so right on the auto jazz-the only modern cvt transmission that goes bang.
thunderbolt,
Mar 10, 2:16am
Getz is hard riding and feels cheap. I was 90% sure we would buy one to upgrade the wife's car but ended up with a Swift which she loves.
kazbanz,
Mar 10, 6:06am
jfstyle -The getz feels "cheap" and is harsh to drive.AND its resale value has plummetedand will continue to plummet. Ride comfort wise I'd rate a Verissa over a Getz any day
grangies,
Mar 10, 7:02am
Every country in the world eh!
Yeah fn right. Got to be the Tui of the year.
therafter1,
Mar 10, 9:54am
OP, my advice is be a devil and stretch your budget, it'll last 20 or more years easily and will work out cheaper in the long run.
not trying to knock peoples choices if you want to spend more on cars but the getz fits the budget/has 4 star ancap crash award sideairbags and esp cheap to run and relible. 2003 and 2005(facelift)small car winner australia to name a close by country. built quailty is very good on facelift model and new motors are better than the old 1.3 1.5 motor. hard package to beat.
intrade,
Mar 10, 9:12pm
there is no sutch thing as a reliable car now. all the electronic crap make em all unreliable its only a matter of time some brake more often then others, so dont expect it to be as reliable as your old car, We cant get cars in this country with no mutch electronic crap and the government wants to make more elctronic crap compulsory like stability program .
kazbanz,
Mar 10, 9:16pm
So I guess all the 400000km plus cars I see every day for sale at auction are a figment of my imagination.
tgray,
Mar 10, 9:18pm
Cars today are more reliable than ever before.
tgray,
Mar 10, 11:30pm
From www.carsguide.com.au Quote: "The 147 suffers from the same reputation for unreliability that all Italian cars tend to suffer from and that affects it's resale value. It's great for lovers of Alfa's who don't buy the argument, but not so great for anyone trying to sell". unquote. This lady admittedly knows nothing about cars, and you are suggesting she looks at Italian Turbo Diesels!
jgoater,
Mar 11, 12:14am
The alfa you refer to is clearly on a dealers lot and they say they offer a warranty on the car, but then go on to say in the Q and A that it is a private sale! Now why do you think they would say that! They didn't even update the WOF prior to sale. mmn.
edangus,
Mar 11, 12:27am
Last 3 cars I have sourced for retirees are: Mazda 2 - Female (Shopping Trolley) Mazda 3 - Female (Shopping Trolley and a bit of a Social Lass) Mitsi Colt Plus - Male (Bowls etc) All good cars, very happy retirees.
All I can say is, take your time and really shop around. Try lots of cars and test your ease of getting in and out (Hips and Back), ride comfort and height (Hips and Back), visibility, controls positioning, etc. Its worth taking the time - buyers remorse is not fun at 65+
thejazzpianoma,
Mar 11, 2:50am
That would be because the Fiat 1.9 Common rail is about the most well proven and reliable common rail Diesel on the market. In fact, its about as reliable as any modern engine comes, be it petrol or diesel.
If you actually knew anything about that car (instead of scrounging the internet for things to try and discredit it) you would realise that its basically mechanically (and mostly electronically) the same as a Suzuki Swift. but of course if it had a Suzuki badge on the front no one would be chucking a hissy fit.
That engine is used not only by Suzuki but is sought after by several other manufacturers and is even used in commercial applications, hence its low maintenance and reliability. The Italian's make some of the best (if not THE very best) diesel engines, that's why they are so popular in Ambulances, Courier vehicles etc. (even here in NZ). Even Toyota are using a Fiat Diesel engine in their new Hiace (actually the whole van is a rebadged Fiat), and have admitted they can't compete with Fiat for Commercial Diesels.
Just because its in a nice looking Italian bodyshell does not make it suddenly unreliable.
The last of the 147's are very well sorted vehicles. With that engine and manual transmission combination it makes for exactly what the OP wants being "reliable, peppy, nice to look at"
Anyhow, its just one idea, an example of what else is around for the money and a good yardstick for value.
austingtir,
Mar 11, 3:52am
The seats in that alfa look like they came out of my 1991 gtir.Thats getting a bit desperate isnt it!!Im not being sarcastic either they have the similar material and are damn near identical.
And jazz everybody knows the only decent alfas are 70-80 GTV's with RWD.Your advice gets worse and worse.
thejazzpianoma,
Mar 11, 4:05am
LOL, is this like "Everyone knows a Grande Punto is much smaller than a MK4 Golf"
Always with the wives tales. never with the experience.
countrypete,
Mar 11, 4:19am
Tell me, just out of interest, which Suzuki Swift uses a fiat 1.9 litre diesel engine!Also, please, a link to Toyota admitting they can't compete with Fiat for commercial diesels!I doubt they ever said, or would say that.
austingtir,
Mar 11, 4:33am
Explain to me then how a punto is the same or larger than a golf!The punto might be longer and possibly taller (than some models of mk4) but in every other measurement its a smaller car.Its significantly narrower, lighter, cheaper equiped and in general a smaller car.Even if you google grand punto vs golf mk4 you dont get anything.This is because nobody else in their right mind would compare these two cars as they are a different class.
Just because they stretched a punto doesnt make it a bigger car than a golf.You are always taking things out of context to try to bend the truth in your favour.Im sure when i made that statement i was explaining that a golf is a different class of car not so much necessarily in size but all round.But either way the golf is a bigger vehicle in general.
thejazzpianoma,
Mar 11, 4:38am
The Suzuki Swift that uses the 1.9 Litre Diesel is the Suzuki Swift that uses the 1.9 Litre Diesel. It's also used in the SX4 if I remember rightly, but not to be confused with the 1.9 in the likes of the Grande Vitara which is a Renault unit.
We only get the 1.3 litre version in NZ which is the 1.9's little brother, its much the same technology but as the 1.3 came along a bit later its chain driven. My wife has that motor in her Grande Punto. The 1.9 was one of the very first Common Rail Diesels ever made, its just been updated a bit with more valves etc as time has gone on. Its an absolutely brilliant engine, Fiat got it spot on right out of the blocks and even now heading towards 20 years down the track its still a brilliant motor.
I can't be bothered finding the link regarding Toyota, if you have a search you should be able to see it. Basically Toyota said something along the lines of no longer being able to compete in the commercial van segment against the European offerings (some articles at the time mentioned specific's like the Scudo). Then it went on to say they were going to just rebadge PSA vans and call them Hiace's. Because of the Fiat/PSA partnership it was expected the Hiace will be a rebadged Fiat Scudo and later an in house designed Peugeot/Citroen. I havn't heard much of late about it, that's not word for word but the general gist of what was said.
Toyota can be surprisingly truthful and direct with what they say sometimes, like the other comment they made a while ago along the lines ofthe quality of their product going down hill from about 2002.
kazbanz,
Mar 11, 4:42am
When we have nothing of any use to offer the op's origonal question-ie they are choosing between 3 cars -we muddy the waters by offering a vehicle with an international reputation for lack or reliability
thejazzpianoma,
Mar 11, 4:44am
Go and look up the dimensions on carfolio, I can't be bothered just to feed your nonsense.
From memory the Grand Punto is slightly higher, width and lenght wise there are a few mm in it here nor there. In terms of practical space they are much the same, and I should know given we own one and also have a selection of Golfs in the family.
The Panda (and in a way the 500) are Fiats smallest cars, then you move up to the Punto Classic (which was retained as a cheaper/smaller option) then you move up to the Grande Punto.
The New Golf is admittedly bigger, but the MK4 vs the Grande Punto as discussed in that thread are for all intensive purposes much the same size. In some ways the Grande Punto is actually roomier due to the higher roof/seating position and I suspect shorter bonnet. But I can't say I have bothered to measure.
austingtir,
Mar 11, 4:47am
I already have you crazy idiot!ITS A SMALLER CAR JAZZ.You are constantly wrecking other people's theads with your drivel I would post all the dimensions in here as i was JUST looking at them but im sure everybody else that reads this knows that im not talking rubbish like you so im going to leave it atthat for this thread to get back to TOPIC.
thejazzpianoma,
Mar 11, 4:50am
Yeah, nothing other than a nicer looking, better value car with more features that's nicer to drive and has more power and better resale.
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