Ask an expert

hi, i am looking at purchasing a used car. I am looking at spending no more than $15,000. My requirements are that it needs to have good boot space as i deliver cakes. It needs to be economical to run and not to big and bulky and suitable for a family of 4. I have recently test driven a Nissan Tiida which seemed ok, but i was a bit worried that the engine size of 1500cc was not quite grunty enough for out of town trips. i also like the Toyota Corolla station wagons, but don't want anything too long. There is so much choice out there and the more i look the more confused i get. any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Can’t disagree with your comments on the Tiida, it may struggle with a bit of gear and all seating positions filled. No question over its realibility, but it has has never really set the world on fire in terms of performance or desribility apart from fleet sales in NZ.

A couple of vehicles spring to mind (in no particular order) that may appeal;

Mazda3 (5-Door Hatch)
Suzuki SX4
Toyota Corolla (1.8 Hatch)
Honda Civic (Hatch)
Nissan X-Trail
Hyundai Tucson
Peugeot 307

As you can see only one European car makes the selection list as I consider them to be high risk in the price range you are in.

I have not listed any Subaru’s either as there are so many options and engine specs (mainly due to the huge influx of used imports) it simply gets too confusing and also high risk.

There was one model 2.0litre Subaru Impreza hatch however which was sold new in NZ around 2004 and represented awesome value for money at the time. Second-hand they would also be well worth a look as would a later model NZ new Impreza.

I have also included a couple of what I consider to be good value for money SUV type vehicles (Tucson and the X-Trail). They are not overly long and may suit your lifestyle and needs better.

Once you have decided on a particular make/model try and find a vehicle with a long and proven service history.

Hope it helps.

thank you for that, it has narrowed it down a bit. I have been scouring the internet for hours and a few car yards as well and so far the best deal i came up with was a Toyota Fielder 2004, 1800cc, 75,000kms for $13k. it is an import and from a car yard so i would have to get it AA checked first. what do you think? there is a nice looking suzuki SX4 on trade me, but it is $23k, so over my budget and the boot space looks small. haven't seen them in person though.
peugeot's look nice but would be reluctant to go for a europeon car at this stage.
A lot of cars you mentioned in my budget have high K's or are getting on in age, wish i could wave a magic wand and find the perfect car! it is very tiring!

The Fielder is not a bad choice and definitely worth consideration. They are all used imports and I would have thought almost identical in size to a Corolla wagon.

If the overall length is not a problem then I would compare prices, odometers and age between the two. You may find you can buy a later model NZ new Corolla wagon with a proven service history for a similar price to the Fielder.

hi again, thanks for your advice, i have had another look and there are a few corollas that suit my needs and come in on budget. just one more question. a lot of them are 1500cc. would this be grunty enough or am i going to have the same issue as the Tiida? there seems to be more choice in the 1500cc range than the 1800cc. thanks heaps

I would not entertain a 1.5 litre Corolla myself.

Apart from the very latest wagons, all NZ new Corolla's (current shape) have the 1.8 litre engine.

Definetly the one to go for in my opinion.