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Hi, I looked at these models/makes of second hand car all around the $10 000 mark, all at second hand dealers : Mazda Axela ; Toyota Caldino ; Subaru Legacy ; Mazda 6 ; Honda Airwave. The car will be used on mainly short trips taking children to and fro. I wanted a hatchback with 3 diagonal seat belts in the back, something easy to drive and economical. Do you have any recommendations on which of these would be the best choice. Curious about the Honda Airwave - 2005, 102 000km 1.5L - is this a good car? My old car was a Honda Civic. Thanks.

Of the models you mention, unfortunately the Honda Airwave would be the bottom of our list of recommendations. It is a Japanese domestic market model based on the Honda Jazz/Fit. These cars had a CVT transmission which had a poor reputation for reliability and are very expensive to repair.
Of the others, the Mazda3/Axela would be a great choice. The Toyota Caldina and Mazda6/Atenza are good cars but are bigger, therefore likely to be a little less economical. The Subaru Legacy also has a reputation for being thirsty - particularly as it's All wheel drive, something you probably don't need.

Thank you so much for saving me from that potential mistake, will look closer at the Mazda 3/Axela.
Thanks.

Unfortunately the Mazda 3/Axela hatchback has a lap belt until 2007. The models with 3 diagonal seat belts in the back are $15 000, too expensive. I think the sedans have the diagonal belts, apart from obvious aesthetics is there any difference between a hatchback and sedan? For our price $10 000 and requirement of three diagonal belts in the back seat OR a front passenger seat WITHOUT an airbag....I see Nissan Pulsar LS Euro 2004 and Nissan Pulsar Note 2005 - what is your thoughts on these? Thanks.

Hi there,

My wife has a Nissan Euro Pulsar which has served us well for the last couple of years. The only issue I would look at is that the headlights have a tendency to melt due to a wiring loom fault and this cost us $1000 per light to fix- so be sure to check that the lights have been replaced under recall as Nissan will not give anything toward the cost of the repair at this stage. Have you looked at a NZ New Corolla? It has a bit more room than the Pulsar but is likely to be more toward 10k

Unfortunately, there are always compromises to be made. In your case, it's either going to be price, model of car or the 3rd three point seatbelt.
As pat.bateman has confirmed (apart from his headlight problem), the Pulsar is a good, reliable model, so would be something to consider. We'd agree with his suggestion of a Corolla as a great, reliable model, but it the 3rd seatbelt is something you won't compromise on, that's going to be an issue for you too.
In answer to your question regarding Mazda3 sedan vs hatch, they are basically the same car. Also, regarding the passenger's airbag, some models (particularly European ones) have the ability to switch the airbag off, however, as I'm presuming your concern is around seating children and placement of chilt seats, I'd rather see children seated in the back. Have you considered models with ISOFIX seat anchorages? Although, again, they will be mainly European cars.

Hi, we were distracted by a VW Golf with 3 diagonal seatbelts and very nice to drive - it is $5000 and I have done an AA pre purchase inspection which identified several issues, mostly wear and tear, but included an unknown oil leak - a phone estimate of the most urgent repairs is looking at around $1200, with the others coming up in the future. We are still deciding if we should go ahead or not.

Ahh.. I guess this is what I meant when I was talking about compromise! Clearly, the 3 point belts are something that is a "must have" for you, but to be honest, I think a $5k Golf could be a high risk, making the assumption that it's a high mileage Mk4 model. Automatic transmissions are known to be a weakness with this model but perhaps it's a risk you're prepared to take in order to get the belts you want?