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i really like the focus and the fiesta

actually really keen to go try the new focus titanium out for interest

i think they all look really good too

ive driven a few lancers and corollas at work and really liked them

this probably isnt the most important thing to you .. but ive found some of the cheaper holdens/fords have annoyingly difficult carpets to vacuum

probably irrelevant - but if you really like to detail your car .. its a factor to consider LOL thumbsup.gif

the jap ones have pretty decent carpets for most of their range imo

btw have you considered volvo c30? im not too sure about the general opinion of em, but nobody ever seems to mention em .. just thought id chuck it out there

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best value and anything german dont go in the same sentence period, the best value in my opinion is your toyota, mazda, suzuki, ford ect ect, they simply have less problems in the long run and cost a whole lot less in servicing. not only that but the parts dont have to be sent from overseas and you could simply be waiting for parts for a few weeks. its happend to my cousin countless times

if she does buy a car from bmw. audi, lexus, mini, alfa ect ect.

she will have to get services through the dealership otherwise she will void warranty, and be ready for $1000.00 plus just for the first service, and they pretty much just look over it and give it a service, its quite comical actually. make sure if she does decide to buy european that she askes when the next 5 services need to be carried out- 1000km then 5000km ect, not sure exactly when because each car differs but also ask how much each one of those services will cost, as each service has a different reason and the prices differ quite a bit.

but if your sister simply wants something a little more luxurious then she will have to go european imo. a holden or ford with leather seats just isnt the same. but be prepared to pay and also be prepared to lose atlest $10,000 in the first 12-18 months

integra typre r`s are sporty and quite shnazzy inside, but the exterior can be a little off depending on peoples tastes

the 2011 Lexus Ct200h Sports Luxury ZWA10R with a %20 discount will get you to around $45,000 but be ready to cop a huge loss on any of these new european cars,

you have the mini cooper, the vw golf and gti range if she wants something more sporty, audi a1 and a1 sport and bmw 118i

but in my opinion and from what your title askes.

i wouldnt spend over 30,000 max on a hatch, and def search for a demo in the higher price ranges, you could save 3-8000

Hey guys,

My girlfriend is looking for a new car to replace her old Corolla. She wants a small, fuel efficient, good looking, 5dr car thats reliable to drive daily. She will probably keep this car for 10+ years. Her budget is $20,000-$30,000 but she'd be willing to spend more if the value for money is there.

We're looking at almost all Japanese and European hatches. We're also considering the CT200h Lexus Hybrid. Its $44k but my girlfriends brother works for Toyota/Lexus and gets a 21% discount on all cars. Does anyone have any experience with the Lexus or Hybrids in general? Is the Hybrid technology good enough to last 10 years and 200,000kms if maintained properly?

Of the other hatches available, does anyone have any personal experience with any? Any you would or would not recommend?

Appreciate any feedback, cheers.

I have no idea on hybrids. Rule of thumb, more complex = more maintenance cost. Some hybrid parts are not serviceable unless by the dealership. For the time being I'd personally stay away from hybrids - unless she just plans on keeping the car for 2 to 3 years and turning over to another one.

Lexus, is an excellent choice IMO. I have a '99 IS200 regularly maintained approaching 190,000. Still going strong, still tight and no rattles or squeaks - not a single fault....

My car and the latest model Lexus still feel very "Toyota", ie switchgear. it feels like a blinged out Corolla with leather. I'm not questioning the quality - It just doesn't feel exclusive/premium especially when you can see switch gear directly out of an Echo, Corolla and Camry.

The big advantage with a Lexus is parts are interchangeable with it's much cheaper Toyota siblings - So parts are plentiful and reasonably priced, most people that have worked with a Corolla and Camry would have little issues with servicing a Lexus since the there are so many similarities.

If she isn't too fussed I'd say get a 2nd hand IS250 - Lots of goodies at a reasonable price and they tend to hold their value better.

Get the 1.2L (i think?) gold brand spankers with DSG for 22, redbook says 77kw, 0-100 in 10.6 so not that bad.. Pretty economical...

Economical on fuel, but service cost will be a nightmare. The quality on VW is pretty sh*t for the money spent IMHO.

This is what I'm pushing her towards. That 21% discount on an already excellent value car is just too good to pass up. Her main issue is she has driven a Corolla for the last 7-8 years and would like something else.

She likes the the FT-86 though, if only it were released this year!

If she wants the premium feel - She could get the top of the line model Corolla with all the leather etc. etc. + 21% off, she would be laughing, and have change to spend on shoes/bags ;)

Re-sale and insurance is also very good - so if she gets over it - she can still sell it at a good price.

Only thing that's rather bad about the corolla is the 4 speed auto is rather primitive. If only it were a 5 speed auto.

another option that nobodys rly suggested - honda?

jazz, civic, city ... that sorta thing

again, i dont know the opinions of them, but just so you dont overlook another option :)

  • 2 weeks later...

You check all brand cars with specification and your budget. Just see and compare cars price here. http://www.bestcarquote.com.au

If you select one, you send request for a quote.

Hey guys,

My girlfriend is looking for a new car to replace her old Corolla. She wants a small, fuel efficient, good looking, 5dr car thats reliable to drive daily. She will probably keep this car for 10+ years. Her budget is $20,000-$30,000 but she'd be willing to spend more if the value for money is there.

We're looking at almost all Japanese and European hatches. We're also considering the CT200h Lexus Hybrid. Its $44k but my girlfriends brother works for Toyota/Lexus and gets a 21% discount on all cars. Does anyone have any experience with the Lexus or Hybrids in general? Is the Hybrid technology good enough to last 10 years and 200,000kms if maintained properly?

Of the other hatches avaliable, does anyone have any personal experience with any? Any you would or would not recommend?

Appreciate any feedback, cheers.

You check all brand cars with specification and your budget. Just see and compare cars price here. http://www.bestcarquote.com.au

If you select one, you send request for a quote.

Hey guys,

My girlfriend is looking for a new car to replace her old Corolla. She wants a small, fuel efficient, good looking, 5dr car thats reliable to drive daily. She will probably keep this car for 10+ years. Her budget is $20,000-$30,000 but she'd be willing to spend more if the value for money is there.

We're looking at almost all Japanese and European hatches. We're also considering the CT200h Lexus Hybrid. Its $44k but my girlfriends brother works for Toyota/Lexus and gets a 21% discount on all cars. Does anyone have any experience with the Lexus or Hybrids in general? Is the Hybrid technology good enough to last 10 years and 200,000kms if maintained properly?

Of the other hatches avaliable, does anyone have any personal experience with any? Any you would or would not recommend?

Appreciate any feedback, cheers.

You check all brand cars with specification and your budget. Just see and compare cars price here. www.bestcarquote.com.au

If you select one, you send request for a quote.

Hey guys,

My girlfriend is looking for a new car to replace her old Corolla. She wants a small, fuel efficient, good looking, 5dr car thats reliable to drive daily. She will probably keep this car for 10+ years. Her budget is $20,000-$30,000 but she'd be willing to spend more if the value for money is there.

We're looking at almost all Japanese and European hatches. We're also considering the CT200h Lexus Hybrid. Its $44k but my girlfriends brother works for Toyota/Lexus and gets a 21% discount on all cars. Does anyone have any experience with the Lexus or Hybrids in general? Is the Hybrid technology good enough to last 10 years and 200,000kms if maintained properly?

Of the other hatches avaliable, does anyone have any personal experience with any? Any you would or would not recommend?

Appreciate any feedback, cheers.

post-89124-0-10158000-1321442773_thumb.jpg

You check all brand cars with specification and your budget. Just see and compare cars price here. www.bestcarquote.com.au

If you select one, you send request for a quote.

Hey guys,

My girlfriend is looking for a new car to replace her old Corolla. She wants a small, fuel efficient, good looking, 5dr car thats reliable to drive daily. She will probably keep this car for 10+ years. Her budget is $20,000-$30,000 but she'd be willing to spend more if the value for money is there.

We're looking at almost all Japanese and European hatches. We're also considering the CT200h Lexus Hybrid. Its $44k but my girlfriends brother works for Toyota/Lexus and gets a 21% discount on all cars. Does anyone have any experience with the Lexus or Hybrids in general? Is the Hybrid technology good enough to last 10 years and 200,000kms if maintained properly?

Of the other hatches avaliable, does anyone have any personal experience with any? Any you would or would not recommend?

Appreciate any feedback, cheers.

You check all brand cars with..... Just kidding :thumbsup:

Honestly I wouldn't be looking any further than the Japanese cars for the decent overall blend of reliability, build quality, performance, maintenance costs and resale value she will get for the money. Especially she should consider the marques with model lines that have been going for 15+ years already. These cars have had a lot of R & D gone into them and they don't still exist for no reason ;)

I work at toyotaI drive corollas daily, they are the best value for money imo and got the reputation of toyota to go with, Think about this , 1997 corolla hatchs still go for 4-5 grand with plenty of kz of them.

I would say Go the Corolla Sport model in tidal blue hehe :) Very very nice car IMO.

If she wanted a Levin it has tight ass bucket seats with sunroof as a factory standard, but the bucket seat colour is orange and black :@ wierd colour, it doesnt match shit.

if i didnt say corolla id say go for mazda 3 they are so nice to drive too

Edited by sultanaz

Mrs got a current Levin SX manual about 6 months after release, has about 80k on it now, and the closest I can come to faulting is that it is a little sluggish (100kw for 1400+kgs..) and 6th gear is too short. I believe they may have changed the ratio on 6th at some point. Saying you are looking auto though, don't bother... This engine struggles with a manual, the 4 speed auto is attrocious! New Impreza seems worth a look too..

Saying you are looking auto though, don't bother... This engine struggles with a manual, the 4 speed auto is attrocious! New Impreza seems worth a look too..

Auto Corollas are very slow (0 - 100 takes 11.4 seconds) but I don't see how that will be much of a problem for intended purposes here.

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