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Hi,
Last couple days I've test driven Suzuki sx4 2L, corolla fielder 1.8L, VW Golf 2L, Subaru Imprezza 1.5L, Rav 4 2L, Toyota Corolla 2L, Toyota Wish 2L, Mitsubishi Colt 1.5L. All mostly from 2005 - 2008 and around $13 - $15K.
It is mostly just my 3.5yr old and me driving about town. We use boot space a lot for little bike, scooter, toys, etc and then add to this a couple suitcases when on big road trips - 2 or 3 trips a year.
I liked the compactness, manoeuvrability of the 2006 VW Golf 2L, but perhaps unreliable and uneconomic. The Wish is ok but I'm put off by its length and CVT. Thus the front runner is probably the Fielder 1.8L that has some cool bells and whistles (proximity entry, reversing camera), great economy, fairly good turning angle, good power and best of all was a quiet and smooth drive. But... had a 'black, dark' interior, a bit of a long car like the Wish and I found the back of the seat to be quite hard and uncomfortable.
So I guess my dream car would be this...
Quiet, smooth drive (including when on open road), great economy, good enough boot space (enough to get in a little bike, scooter, suitcase), shorter in length so can whizz about town, good turning angle (for U-turns and our challenging driveway), hopefully not a 'dark' interior, trustworthy/ reliable, under $15K. I guess the fielder ticks most boxes and would be future proofed somewhat, e.g. fitting in more stuff as child gets older, but who knows, he might only ever want his Ipad and not a surfboard, soccer ball is usually enough anyway.
Cars I have in mind to test drive over the next week...
Mazda 3 (but all seem very expensive)
Ford Focus (some reliability issues?), Ford Focus Wagon
Madza 6 wagon, Atenza
Nissan Tiida (NZ new 2L)
Honda CRV (not a fan of side hinged boot door)
Nissan Wingroad (doesn't excite me)
Nissan Dualis/ Quashqai looks good, but perhaps a decent one out of my price range. I could potentially go up in price but I'm certainly trying not to, every penny counts just now.
Appreciate any tips, suggestions to help guide me.

Most of the vehicles you have mentioned you have negative comments such as CVT transmissions, reliability issues, price, no space for the surfboard - so let me make things a whole lot easier and narrow the choices down for you.

The Mazda 3/Axela and the Mazda 6/Atenza with a 2.0L engine from around 2004 with under 100,000km are the vehicles to consider.

Surfboards normally go on the roof racks so that won’t be a problem when the time arises (that’s a couple of years away) and for one adult and a 3.5 year old boy a medium sized hatchback or wagon will easily do the trick. But if you feel you need a larger vehicle then have a look at the Mazda Premacy - it has seven seats and plenty of space for all the camping gear and more - and you will find a 2006 or newer 2.0L with low mileage for your budget.

You might even find a cream interior however you might regret the decision later - a dark interior is a better option for the active lifestyle with kids.

Thanks, I'll make Mazda 3/Axela and Mazda 6/Atenza my next test drive. We definitely don't want a bigger car so great if you have any further suggestions for a medium sized hatch or wagon. I value being able to whizz around the city, doing u-turns and parking with ease.
However, we both love our 1998 Honday Odyssey V6 prestige for it's light interior, high ride, comfy seating and especially quiet ride... we'll miss these. Steering is great too but the turning angle, size and length is terrible for u-turns, parking, etc. Its time is up... annual repair bill is bleeding us.
Great to hear if you have further suggestions that might suit us for a medium hatch/ wagon.

I believe you have already scratched the other choices off the list and the Mazda 6/Atenza and Mazda 3/Axela would rate highly against the competition in their respective classes in this price range.

Have a look at the Honda Edix - it is a bit different with its six seats and it looks more like a oversize hatchback than a MPV.

I'm about to buy toyota fielder. 2006. 1.8. 78000km. $15k. Lots of specs. Any thing I should be cautious about? Engine, transmission reliable?

The 2006 Fielder with a 1.8L motor is a good choice and at 78,000km the mileage is still low - look for a full service history. Some models (late 2006 - now) might have CVT transmissions, they are worth avoiding.

Hi,
Can you help me with this decision?
My parents have offered me their Mazda 6 sport hatch, 2007, 58000Km, 2261cc, NZ new, one owner (my parents) and excellent service history for the same price as the Toyota fielder $15K. Lovely looking mazda 6 sport hatch with sunroof, light and bright, leather interior, cruise control, looks new. They've bought a new car and were going to trade in their mazda for $15K... but I have the opportunity to buy it for same price as the trade in.
I'm torn between the two... The Fielder is only 1.8L so very economical and I think drives quieter/smoother and steering lighter and turning angle better. I found the Mazda's steering hard... e.g. need two hands to U-turn but the fielder I could easily U-turn with one hand... so I think Fielder easier to whizz about town. No service history for the Fielder (recent import) but I'm told is in tip top shape and intentionally picked so that it hasn't caught any rust in Japan.
The Fielder's superior economy, easy handling, smooth/ quiet ride, proximity access (no key in hand very convenient), reverse camera is swaying me. But I'm wondering if the mazda is too good of an opportunity to turn down. If I can get the price down on the Fielder then might clinch it. Perhaps better to buy from dealer as well.
Any thoughts on this that might help my decision-making?
cheers.

That is a good deal for a awesome car (NZ new owned by your parents, low mileage, service history)- definitely the Mazda 6 Sport.

I think you need to do a back to back test drive to compare the two - obviously the Fielder is a wagon so it's slightly different.

The decision is yours to make and from your comments it seems you have already decided that you prefer the Fielder - either way they are both good choices.

It is a lot safer to purchase a vehicle from a dealer than privately but a Japanese import won't have traceable service history.