Ask an expert

Hi there, we are a family of four looking to buy a family wagon for city run arounds during the week and school holiday road trips.

We have financial support from a return to work programme which has the following requirements:

Must be newer than 2012, automatic, less than 80,000kms and pass an AA check. We have a budget of around $17,000.

We have been looking at Toyota Corolla Wagons as they seem reliable and economical on fuel.

There are many Japanese import 2013 Toyota Corolla Fielder Hybrids with low mileage (e.g. 44,000kms) on the market that we have been considering.

Would the AA check be able to give us much information on how well these cars had been looked after?

Would the AA check give us information about the health of the hybrid battery?

Do we need to consider CRV on these?

There are less NZ new 2014/15 Toyota Corolla GX 1.5 wagons around that are the other option. Are these worth hunting for and spending a little extra on?

The other option we haven't test driven yet is the Avensis. Would this give us substantial extra room in the boot and car seats in the back on the quarterly road trips to outweigh the fuel economy lost on the weekly city run arounds?

Thanks in advance.

Hi there,
Our AA inspections will give a detailed report of the vehicle condition on the day presented and will also provide an insight as to the likelihood of repairs in the near future. It will identify items that are noteworthy or in need of further assessment to satisfy you before purchase. Currently we would recommend a hybrid system assessment from the manufacturer. Toyota Corolla's in general are seen as a good choice with personal preference being the choice of NZ new or import. The older Avensis pre-2009 had a few issues with the d4 engine, but I see the later ones have a different engine and we have not received any negative feedback as yet.