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G'day Jack,

I'm about to lose my company car and have been casting my eye out for a replacement, My budget is under $8k.

Basically I want a car with a 2.0L engine as I frequently drive from Hamilton to Auckland and the trip is painful in my 1.5 Pulsar. Other than that my only driving is to and from work in Auckland-about 11km round trip.

I've been casting my eye over a few 2WD CRVs and Ravs (98-99 models). How would these do fuel economy wise when compared with a 2.0L wagon like a Caldina or a Primera? How does the Honda compare with the Toyota product?

Lastly can you recommend any wagons/hatchbacks that are 2.0L and likely to be around this price? I've looked at Opas but they have a D4 engine, the older Caldinas have high kms, the Primeras have a CVT transmission and Golfs aren't known for their reliability. Any wagons/hatches that have slipped below the radar?

Cheers
Richard

You have covered the field pretty well and picked out the cars which we would also be more than a little cautious of.

Have you thought about a Mazda Atenza, for us they have become the wagon of choice on a budget similar to yours. The other vehicle which may appeal is the Nissan X-TRAIL. You may have to pay a little more but they do represent good value for money.

It’s hard to beat the Toyota brand with older vehicles however you could do a lot worse than a manual CRV. The older high mileage Hondas can have their issues with the automatics which often lead to expensive repairs.

Fuel consumption wise the vehicles you mention will be all very similar.