[basilmabraham]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Congrats on the Mazda 6. I love the way it looks and rides.
Your ownership experience reminds me of how i kept my first car here for only 1.5 years, before i moved on to something i actually liked, rather than being just a commodity.

Thanks Ben, it has been an expensive affair. But in the end you got to do what you got to do.

[Cesc]

Originally Posted by basilmabraham

No you are not missing anything.
I had paid a premium price as it was bought from a dealer. It came with registration and CTP insurance for 7 months, this adds to the price. Current trade in value for the car as per redbook.com.au is 3.5K to 4.9K. The rego and the CTP are due on the car, and hasn't been serviced in the last one year. All add up to approximately $1K for the dealer to put in before it can be sold. This gets reduced from the price they pay. Unfortunately, this is how trade-ins work in Australia. You pay a premium for the hassles you avoid by not buying/selling in private.

Either way thats an atrocious value loss for a nearly 10 year old car. Do you feel you overpaid for the car an year ago?

On the other hand - you made a good choice going with the Mazda6. I love the Mazda3 and 6. I have rented them on a few ocassions and I feel they stand out from the run of the mill Camrys and Sonatas. Space constraint aside I would anyday choose the Mazda3 - let alone Mazda6 - over the Camry and Sonata. IMO the recent generations of Camrys and Sonatas use significantly cheap materials and provide nothing in terms of the driving experience. I see no reason why the Mazda 3/6 shouldnt sell more than the Corolla/Camry/Sonata/Fusion - but I guess there is something that I am missing that the market in general appreciates more in those cars.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by Cesc

Either way thats an atrocious value loss for a nearly 10 year old car. Do you feel you overpaid for the car an year ago?

I suppose it would be more of paying extra for the peace of mind of ownership, as well as other documents being in order, when buying from an established dealership chain. Also, considering Basil was new to the country that extra is ok, IMHO. Once you learn the ropes, then you start negotiating.

Originally Posted by Cesc

On the other hand - you made a good choice going with the Mazda6. I love the Mazda3 and 6. I have rented them on a few ocassions and I feel they stand out from the run of the mill Camrys and Sonatas. Space constraint aside I would anyday choose the Mazda3 - let alone Mazda6 - over the Camry and Sonata. IMO the recent generations of Camrys and Sonatas use significantly cheap materials and provide nothing in terms of the driving experience. I see no reason why the Mazda 3/6 shouldnt sell more than the Corolla/Camry/Sonata/Fusion - but I guess there is something that I am missing that the market in general appreciates more in those cars.

In Australia, i've found that love towards Toyotas are based on blind faith. Clearly Toyota has done the right things to have built this reputation, but i dont suppose the others are that far behind. I used this same trust for Toyotas to my advantage when i bought a pre-owned Corolla as my first car here, knowing pretty well that this was just a stop gap arrangement, and so i need something that i can sell off easily.

Anyway, this is what i enjoy doing these days.

[basilmabraham]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Anyway, this is what i enjoy doing these days.

That's awesome Benny. Where was this clicked?

I am getting my car on Thursday, can't wait, but there is nothing else to do.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by basilmabraham

That's awesome Benny. Where was this clicked?

Thanks Basil. This was clicked at Double Island point, or near Rainbow Beach in Queensland. Its on the Sunshine Coast, about 120 odd kms from Brisbane. Taken during the series of long weekends we had recently. I've ventured onto a few other off-roading expeditions too.

Originally Posted by basilmabraham

I am getting my car on Thursday, can't wait, but there is nothing else to do.

Did you hand in the other car? How are you managing at the moment?

[basilmabraham]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Thanks Basil. This was clicked at Double Island point, or near Rainbow Beach in Queensland. Its on the Sunshine Coast, about 120 odd kms from Brisbane. Taken during the series of long weekends we had recently. I've ventured onto a few other off-roading expeditions too.

Good going. Did you buy this one new? How much and how is the vehicle?

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Did you hand in the other car? How are you managing at the moment?

No, I drive in with the old car on Thursday and drive out in the new one. Need to get insurance sorted once I get the rego tomorrow. Wanted to get a customised plate, but it is a rip off with annual fees and all. So settling for what ever rego is given to the car. Have got slim plates as a compliment anyway.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by basilmabraham

Good going. Did you buy this one new? How much and how is the vehicle?

This is a pre-owned vehicle, which i bought off a dealer. With the plethora of options in the pre-owned market, and having had success with them, I don't see myself buying new in the near future.

It is a 2010 make, and had about 90k on it when I bought it. Seems to have been more of a soccer dad/mom kinda vehicle in its previous years of ownership, so that was a clean slate to begin with. It's in very good nick, both interiors and exterior, so much so that i've gotten quite a few people admiring its upkeep. Kudos to the previous owner, and i do my part too.

If all goes well, i plan to have this as a long-termer, so fingers crossed.
Just in case you missed this trip we had made to the Australian outback.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...n-outback.html

[sumeethaldankar]

My sis in Australia is looking at used cars. Is there anyway one can verify the history etc for used cars? Any govt backed body is there which can validate used vehicles?
Also will a Mazda be inexpensive to maintain.

[LTAutoMad]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

My sis in Australia is looking at used cars. Is there anyway one can verify the history etc for used cars? Any govt backed body is there which can validate used vehicles?
Also will a Mazda be inexpensive to maintain.

There used to be a Register of Encumbered Vehicles (REVS), where for something like $5 one could check if there was finance owing on the vehicle.

Now it seems to have been privatised & services expanded, but the fee has gone up to $36.95! See www.revscheck.com.au

I have never used this - they have a sample report on the site that shows km history.

If you sister is new to the country or has no one skilled in cars to guide her, then its better to buy from a dealer - you pay more, but it comes with a 3 month warranty & clear title.

If you are buying a newish / more expensive car, then do go to one of the big brand dealers as the price difference as a % compared to a private sale is not that much. Avoid the tiny small private car dealers, who could be as shonky as Indian used car dealers. There are some who are extremely good & cheap, but you need to know.

But, if she is going for a cheaper car, say, less than $10,000, then it is better to buy private since the dealer prices could be substantially higher.

Go for a car ideally single owner from new, who can provide you a comprehensive stamped service book.

[LTAutoMad]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

If all goes well, i plan to have this as a long-termer, so fingers crossed.

Good idea! I have done exactly the same thing - bought my black Pajero VRX Diesel new in 2007 and its still my trusted workhorse, almost 10 years & 190,000 kms later - on my third set of tyres (second set of BF Goodrich All Terrains). Very happy with it.

I wanted a proper 4WD low range wagon and not pretenders like CRV, RAV4 etc. My choice at that time was between the Pajero & Toyota Prado - hated the cumbersome, rolling, bus-like handling of Prado as I am an enthusiastic driver! Even now, the choices haven't really changed if you want a low range 4WD that can really go offroad.

Its a tragedy Mitsubishi is letting the Pajero die a slow death. Pajero came out well before Prado (in the 1980s) and for a couple of decades, they were the main midsize 4WD competitors in Australia, with Prado outselling Pajero due to the Toyota fanbase!

Jeep Grand Cherokee was never in the picture - it had a shoddy, could break down any time image. But, it has been the biggest beneficiary of Pajero's slow death - it has taken over the #2 slot and is now very common on the roads.

[basilmabraham]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

My sis in Australia is looking at used cars. Is there anyway one can verify the history etc for used cars? Any govt backed body is there which can validate used vehicles?
Also will a Mazda be inexpensive to maintain.

Where is your sister located?

In NSW there is a government run rego check as part of the serviceNSW website. https://my.service.nsw.gov.au/MyServ...oCheck/details

There is also the below website which gives you basic information starting from $29.
https://www.carfacts.com.au/

As LTAutoMad suggested, if she is new to the country with limited access to someone who can check a car out, the best option is to go with a dealer. Some of the dealers chuck in a 2 to 3 year mechanical protection plan for free, some peace of mind there. Suggest to avoid small dealers, go for bigger ones with multiple showrooms/manufacturers dealerships. The used car market is awesome here. First thing to do is to fix a budget and stick to it. Else, the choices would spoil you and you might end up spending more/buying something you might regret.

This is a good time to be in the market looking for a car as there is End Of Financial Year (EOFY) deals everywhere. https://www.carsales.com.au/ is a good place to start looking for vehicles.

[sumeethaldankar]

Thanks LtAutomad and Basilmabraham. My sister is located in Sydney. Her budget is 16 to 18k. Currently she is looking at below cars.

Honda Jazz auto (new)
Honda City manual (new)
Toyota Camry (used)

What other options she can consider? Her priorities are safety, reliability and ease of maintenance.

[basilmabraham]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

Thanks LtAutomad and Basilmabraham. My sister is located in Sydney. Her budget is 16 to 18k. Currently she is looking at below cars.

Honda Jazz auto (new)
Honda City manual (new)
Toyota Camry (used)

What other options she can consider? Her priorities are safety, reliability and ease of maintenance.

Is this the only car in the family? If so, I suggest she looks at a bigger car in the medium segment. Jazz and City are a bit too small compared to the other cars on the road. This is the advice I had got when I was in the market.

Camry is a fail safe option, no nonsense car, but you would have to like it to buy it. For me it was too plain for my liking, a very practical car though.

Other options I would consider are used cars manufactured after 2014-15 with around 40K to 50K on the odo. You may be lucky to find cars still under factory warranty. Look for used Japanese cars in this age and odo (Mazda 3, Corolla hatch/sedan etc.)

The Kia Cerato is another option, if she wants to buy new. A bit over the budget, but if she is planning a loan, the difference per week would be minimal. It comes with 7 years factory warranty and road side assistance, maximum bang for the buck. Brand new base model is 19,990 drive away, but it would be easy to get it for around 18K.

[LTAutoMad]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

Thanks LtAutomad and Basilmabraham. My sister is located in Sydney. Her budget is 16 to 18k. Currently she is looking at below cars.

Honda Jazz auto (new)
Honda City manual (new)
Toyota Camry (used)

What other options she can consider? Her priorities are safety, reliability and ease of maintenance.

If her budget is $16-18k, she should be able to get very good used cars from a dealer. Yes, Camry is the default option for Indians , but you would get good 2-3 year old ones in that range, with lots of warranty. Yes, the safe, boring but solid alternative.

Please don't go for small cars as they are not really suited to a country like Australia (unless she is a very timid driver / lives in inner city) - she would quickly outgrow a small car& waste money upsizing. Also, manuals are a real PITA in the disciplined, but extremely crowded roads here - otherwise, she will again end up changing to an automatic in the near future.

Nissans have very low resale values and you can pick up the Camry-sized Altimas much cheaper than Camrys.

You will find that there is hardly any difference between used Camrys & Corollas. Used Mazda 3 will command a premium.

As Basil said, end of June is the best time to buy from dealers as it is the end of the Financial Year.

See www.carsales.com.au for typical advertised prices and www.redbook.com.au for typical sales prices of used cars.

Also, check the registration papers to ensure that the cheap 2 year old car you are getting is not ex-rental! Ideally it should be a single owner one traded in by someone on a new car. The large official dealers keep only good used cars - they just pass on the older trade-ins to the smaller used car dealers.

[h@r$h@l]

It all comes down to what she is expecting out the car. If it's just a point A to point B and wants decent kmpl with ease of driving and parking; I would recon considering Suzuki Baleno. It's brand new $16990 drive away. Always remember used cars are used cars. And dealers in Aus are no different than anywhere else.

Camry is a fantastic car, but tad too big and boring. If she needs all that space; definitely the car to go for. In small to medium space I would recon considering

Kia Cereto : 7 years warranty; 7 years capped price service and 7 years road side assistance.

Mitsubishi Lancer : absolutely no non sense car. Decent engine and acceptable kmpl. I drive one. Bought it brand.m new for $19990 in 2015 and done 34k kms.

Honda Jazz : small on size and easy on pocket. A breeze to drive in and around cbd.

In the end it all comes down to her personal preference. Size; space; power etc.

Regards,