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pat.bateman

They are both good cars- take them for a test drive.

I recall the Accords ran chains from 2003 onwards so that model runs a cambelt I'm sure.

My preference would be the Camry as the cambelt has been changed in line with manufacturer requirements so its a good sign that the owner has serviced it consistently. Whichever car you get make sure you get it checked and factor in the maintenance accordingly.

Don't get too hung up on the fuel consumption estimates. In real time driving you'll find that there is very little difference in consumption between these two models. They will most certianly be more economical than your AWD Legacy :)

Elevator_lady

Re the Camry: when I looked it up on Motorweb it turned out it's a 1998 not 1999 (I assume this is a mistake on the part of the dealer, not a lie), which I think could make a difference as it's from Australia (one owner, first rego in NZ, but made in Australia, according to Motorweb) and from what I can tell the Australian Camry Station Wagon changed model in 1999, a year later than in NZ.

This seems to put it into a slightly worse safety and reliability category than if it had been a 1999 model.

Do you guys have any knowledge about this?

pat.bateman

That is the second year of the XV20 which was produced from 1997-2001. So its basically the same car as the 99 but one year older which isn't a major issue as the safety specs will be the same. The later models had a facelift where the front and back lights were made larger. On the whole these are good cars and the wagons tend to sell particularly well due to their versatility and use by tradies. Make sure you get a pre purchase inspection done and leverage any maintenance issues on the car when you settle on a final price

Elevator_lady

Thanks Pat. When I asked the dealer specific questions about the service history of the car they refused to answer and told me to buy elsewhere ... so I suspect this particular car may have been worth avoiding. :-)