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Hi there,
I am looking at buying a new station wagon price range ideally up to $10k. I was initially looking at a Subaru Legacy as this is what I had previously and the 4wd maybe useful going away etc but have heard mixed reviews about them e.g. they are one of the most stolen cars in NZ etc.

I am now debating between a 2005 Toyota Caldina ZT 4x4 2l wagon 79000km $10800, a 2006 Caldina 1.8l ZS wagon 65000km at $10900 and a Subaru Legacy B-sport wagon 2.0l 69000km at $8900 all of which are Japanese Imports. Is there any particular car you would recommend - running costs, reliability etc, I have heard to avoid the 2l cardinas as they maybe prone to engine trouble? Ideally I would prefer a NZ new car and manual but this seems almost impossible to find!

Thank you for any advice you can offer.

Hi there,
Both are good choices, the Caldina 2.0ltr engine is not the dreaded D4 problematic FSE engine, so not aware of any specific engine troubles. The general feedback on the Caldina has always been great. I'm not aware of the newer shape Legacy's being popularly stolen, but there is that stigma which may affect insurance.