Hey guys! Been a long time since I've posted here.
As the title suggests, what do you think is the best value used car you can get with 'relatively' low mileage for under $5,000? Just looking for ideas haha.
tamarillo,
May 15, 7:52pm
Mid to large sized 4 door saloons. They're out of fashion so present great buying. Things like an accord saloon is able to be picked up for far less than the popular wagon. Mid sized up because people are often stuck on size being most important thing for economy, which it isn't. Then it's just down to what comes up near you be it an accord, Mazda 6, etc. there's also some great buying in Aussie six saloons. People pay far more for Utes which are cheaper new.
sooby,
May 15, 7:54pm
what are you going to use it for - grocery getter, towing, off roading, rally sprints?
Need to set some parameters otherwise you are going to get all sorts of answers!
jordan.benn,
May 15, 8:03pm
Just to work and back. Open road/Motorway/Occasionally getting stuck in our lovely auckland traffic on SH1. Driving around Pukekohe. That sort of thing.
monaro17,
May 15, 8:08pm
You can get a really tidy low milage A32 Nissan Cefiro/maxima for around half that. Plenty of space, power and reliability. Great cars. Go for the 3.0L Cefiro if you find a good one.
They are honestly one of the most underrated cars out there IMO.
franc123,
May 15, 8:09pm
Its no problem picking up a Good Value used car for 5k but it has to be fit for purpose, there isn't much point in buying a large car if you simply don't need it, likewise a small car isn't a good choice if you need to do much highway driving or towing, or need to carry several people or a large dog or whatever. Assessment of needs for the next few years has to happen first, I know it sounds terribly logical and boring, but buying something that's simply not suitable can be an expensive mistake that just ends up being a pain. Come back with a size and type and then suggestions can come forth.
jordan.benn,
May 15, 8:27pm
That's a fair assessment. Forgive me for leaving out the details of what I was after, but that's kind of why the title was 'best all rounder'. I've owned everything from Subaru Grand Wagons to CD5 Honda Accords to Holden Barinas/Suzuki Swifts to SW20 MR2's and everything in between. Had a 1.8L V6 Mazda Eunos too. Fun little car.
I'm very interested in Subaru Lancasters with the H6 3.0L engine but hesitant after the terrible gas mileage I got with my Grand Wagon (with the EJ25).
Shrugs. Sorry I'm being vague, been a long day.
trogedon,
May 15, 8:43pm
tamarillo wrote: Mid to large sized 4 door saloons. They're out of fashion so present great buying. Things like an accord saloon is able to be picked up for far less than the popular wagon. Mid sized up because people are often stuck on size being most important thing for economy, which it isn't.
Which is almost is.
ryanm2,
May 16, 5:59am
The Lancaster 6 are great cars, we averaged around 450km to a 50 litre full. Mix of town and country running. The more modern 2.5 is pretty good too (we had an 07 outback) and got 550km to 50 litres, drove nice too.
morrisman1,
May 16, 6:05am
Dunno if its the best one around, but a P11 Primera wagon would fit the category of a good all rounder in your budget.
kazbanz,
May 16, 6:35am
My opinion is that for your purposes the Nissan Sylphy 1800 from 2002-2005 would be best bang for buck and most usefull for your commute.
mals69,
May 16, 6:47am
Nothing missing on Nissan - just stay away from euro trash in the main.
ema1,
May 16, 11:46am
You'll pick up a good late 1990's or early 2000's Toyota Corolla or other Toyota model if you want "bigger" for the $ range that you are inquiring about. You can pretty much get reliability too, but it depends on previous maintenance/service history and how it was treated over it's lifetime as with any car really. That's what I'd go for and I'm talking from personal experience.
mojo49,
May 16, 2:58pm
Paid $3500 via TM for a 2001 NZ new Nissan Maxima done 125000km about 18 months ago. Great open road car. Uses under 10l/100km. Got all the bells and whistles I need. Smooth, quiet, comfortable, reliable, cheap to service. Also excellent towing vehicle. You should get around a 2004-05 for your $5k done not much over 100000km nowadays, especially if you watch and wait on TM. I always buy after a car has been advertised and/or auctioned for a while as the owner usually starts to get a bit more realistic about what it is worth by then.
tamarillo,
May 16, 3:11pm
As usual don't agree with this. Older folk will recall the blind prejudice against 'rice bucket' jap cars years ago. Well euro cars can be just as reliable as jappers these days and you can get a great run for your money from euros. I'd keep my mind open for a good deal on a good car.
ema1,
May 16, 3:58pm
I can vouch for that, I got mine about 4 years ago and it's been brilliant. It's never put a foot wrong since I've had it, brilliant long distance car and bags of room . I service it when it's required and apart from the routine servicing and a set of tyres since I bought it absolutely nothing has gone wrong at all. Totally satisfied owner I am. there will be nay sayers"/Google Warriors" but no doubt they won't have personal experience with the Toyota Avalon like I and other owners have. period I'm tall 6'2" + and if you are a tall bloke these fit the bill brilliantly. The 1MZ FE 3litre V6 is I've found to be quite economical for a big car and one of the most reliable engines out there.
tamarillo,
May 16, 4:03pm
Certainly is, as it should be for something that ugly IMO. Yeechh.
ema1,
May 16, 4:05pm
Lots of folks are practical and aren't "Show Ponies" like you sound like T-rillo? Doesn't stop it being a damn good reliable car and in particular one that suits me down to the ground.
timbo69,
May 16, 4:11pm
Could agree more. wouldn't be caught dead in one of those.
seadubya,
May 16, 4:15pm
Good spotting old wind! That is a sharp price for a great car, it misses the excitement mark but how many daily drivers are exciting? It ticks a lot of other boxes and looks to be pretty close to the bottom of it's depreciation curve, should easily last past 2020 and still sell for half the purchase price then.
ema1,
May 16, 4:19pm
Each to their own, they may have been a sales flop of sorts but at times a damn good car can be had that came into that category. Sounds like you are "image conscious" plus you can be found dead in other makes as well timbo69". probably a greater chance of that actually?
ema1,
May 16, 4:31pm
You can bet your boots it will keep going way past 2020 whereas I'll bet lots of other makes the same age will be languishing in the scrap yards by then. Lots of Mercedes & BMW plus other so called "Naff Image Seeker Euro's" and funny enough Subaru's with the tripe run out of them of that vintage are already at the "scrap yards" being scavenged to keep other "limping" examples going for a while longer?
msigg,
May 16, 4:44pm
Yes the Nissan Maxima or primera is an excellent choice, very reliable and economical, also as said above if you don,t mind the gas bill an aussie car will be good.
gammelvind,
May 16, 4:47pm
Sure not a huge fashion statement but bloody good value for money which was what the OP was basically asking.
ema1,
May 16, 5:27pm
That's exactly what I thought the OP was asking too, fashion statement . who gives a rats arse . I didn't but I have a car that does everything I need it too and then some, I recommend it to the OP from an owner/drivers perspective. I predicted the nay sayers would spout their half truths etc . accurate 100% as I thought they would . I cant be bothered with their crap and nor should anyone asking OP included and receiving an answer from folks with actual physical/ownership experience with the type. means a lot to me Credence outweighs conjecture every time. !
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