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I have just moved to Auckland and am trying to decide what vehicle will be best for me to purchase.

I have just left the middle east after 15 years and used to driving 4x4s with no concern as to fuel or maintenance costs but know all that will change!

I want something practical and something that will be fairly reliable and won't be in the garage the whole time. I have been trying to consider something lower to the ground than I am used to and have looked at Nissan and Saburu station wagons, although would really prefer an Audi A4! However overall I would prefer a small SUV such as a RAV4, CRV or X-Trail. I am flexible on price and have between 7-12, 000 dollars but want to make sure I am making a sensible decision that will be reliable and a pleasure to drive if paying the upper range.

There seems to be such a range in price/year/model etc that the more I look the more confused I become!

I am unsure how long my commute will be as don't yet have a job but estimate it will be around 30-50km daily. I want something that I won't feel is underpowered around the Northshore hills, has 4WD or AWD, has a comfortable upright seating position and can take dogs, skis, Kayaks on the roof etc.

It seems from fuel economy perspective an early 2000s, RAV4, 5 door, 1800cc is my best option but would value any thoughts you have. Is it going to give me more for my money to be worth the extra cost over a mid 2000s Nissan Wingroad?

I think the Nissan X-Trail is a very underrated vehicle and provides excellent value for money second-hand.

The other vehicles you mention (RAV4, CRV and Subaru) all have merit however in comparison to the Nissan I believe, when comparing like-for-like, you could end up paying more simply for the badge in some cases.

I can’t see the Wingroad fitting into your lifestyle to be honest.

Hi Jack,

Thanks for the response.

I am a teacher so economy is also important! I have looked online at various websites and have just ended up confusing myself. How do you think the fuel economy and maintenance costs stand up in comparison between the RAV4 and the X-Trail?

I can see now that the second hand x-trails seems to be better priced and more widely available.

The difference between fuel economy and overall maintenance costs would be minimal between the Toyota and the Nissan.

A lot can depend on the vehicles odometer reading as far as service costs go.

There does come a time when filters and specific fluids are an additional cost to any service, so on a given day your service costs can be a lot higher than others regardless of what you end up buying.

Hi Jack,
Sorry to barge in but just need some advice on buying a used vehicle. At the moment we're in the middle of trying to rectify an oxygen sensor issue with our 2001 Mitsubishi Cedia wagon, yes it's a GDI engine and we were advised by numerous mechanics to consider trading it in sometime soon. Can't really afford to finance another vehicle at the moment as we're on one income, I'm in the middle of looking for work so we though we would slowly start doing some research. I have been told by some mechanics that they recommend Toyotas first for reliability.
We will only have the one vehicle to use between my husband and I so it's really important I get that reliability factor placed at the top of my list, as well as being economical, decent looking would be a bonus. We only have us and our daughter to get around so only looking at a sedan or wagon if reasonably priced. Could you give me a few vehicles to consider looking at please? Preferable budget is 7-9k or less than the minimum if possible. Any tips for buying you can throw my way would be awesome too.

Regards,
Anna.

In general terms I can’t disagree with your mechanics advice about Toyota’s. However, in recent times many Toyota’s have arrived in NZ as used imports fitted with what is essentially their version of a GDi engine.

Many owners of these vehicles have suffered from the same frustrations that other GDi engines develop in NZ, that is rough idle and low speed surge problems. They are a lean burn engine designed to produce low tail pipe emissions and reduced fuel economy. From our experience, even the Toyota Dealer network has had limited success in overcoming these issues. The best advice they offer at times is to run the vehicle on the highest octane fuel possible.

These engines are identified as D4 which can be seen either on the rear panel as part of the badge or very clearly stamped into the engine cover..

Early Toyota’s (Caldina’s for example) were not fitted with these engines and have provided awesome overall reliability over the years. They will fit into your price range and be a good choice. Their only down side is they are starting to get quite old and odometer readings may be starting to get high.

Another very good car is the Mazda Atenza or Mazda6.

For your price range I would advise against European vehicles and anything fitted with a turbo. It really is hard to go past main stream Japanese but the Koreans (Hyundai and Kia) are also starting to become good value for money and reliable on the used market.

Best you keep looking and stay in contact when you see something that fits your price range and lifestyle.

Thanks for the info, really helps, are the 2003-04 Caldinas the ones you were saying are ok? Yeah we were looking at the Mazda Atenzas. Would you say the Honda Accord Euros are good too? Or any Hondas for that matter? Thanks.

No, prior to 2000 seems to be the clear point.

The Accord Euro (sedan) is an awesome car to consider second hand, but I would have thought out of your price range unless you are looking at high mileage examples.

From what we have seen you need to be prepared to pay around the $13 to $15K mark (and upwards)for anything with reasonable km’s.

Hondas are in general pretty good, but like a lot of used cars they can have issues with the automatic transmissions the higher the distance travelled.

The Atenza does represent great value for money currently.