Ask an expert

Hey there. Im purchasing a vehicle my budget is 8k. I have narrowed the search to three. Mazda mvp 2002 $7500 at 137000kms private sale good service records warrent and rego until marh 2014.
Honda Odyssey Mugal 2002 $7500 1310000kms warrent and rego til April 14 private sale good records. The two cars aove have 2300cc
Toyota Wish 2004 $7990 130000 km dealer sale. Not sure of cc rating
We are a family of 6 with 3 teenagers and do lots of travelling. We have come out of a toyota estima and im wanting a change with better fuel efficiency keeping the comfort. Hoping to sort this asap. Thank you

The Toyota Wish fitted with a 2.0L motor has a CVT (Continually Variable Transmission) that is better to avoid on these older vehicles as they don't have a great reputation for reliability - the 1.8L motor won't provide the performance you will need for six people plus luggage.

The Honda Odyssey and Mazda MPV are both good choices however the Mazda has the advantage that the rear doors slide open compared to the hinged doors on the Odyssey. The sliding rear doors makes it a whole lot easier for entry and exit for rear passengers, especially for the third row, and you won't have to worry that the kids might open their doors onto other vehicles in the car park.

Avoid 4WD models as they will use more fuel and cost you more to maintain -more things that can go wrong.

You should consider having an AA Pre-Purchase Inspectioncarried out before commiting to a purchase - to avoid buying a lemon.

Fuel consumption on these large vehicle won't be great either - especially with a full load.