Best new small car... help

[Greg K]

Hi there guys,
my fiancee is looking at getting a new car in the next few weeks. So basically i want to know from peoples experiences what they know about the cars that fit this category...

must have/be:

- 5 door hatch
- less than $25k (on road)
- brand new or 07 plate model
- manual
- high on safety standards
- good performance on highways

the cars that we have looked at are the Mazda 2, Nissan Tiida, and the Toyota Yaris. She doesnt like the Astra hatch so unfortunately there wont be another Opel in the family..

thanks guys

[Snotty]

Hyundai i30 - 2007 carsguide car of the year

[btm]

mazda 2 for looks

yaris is not too bad either

[tuzinski]

fiat punto?

[USC]

nissan tiida if you want a bigger car. u could get a a honda civic vti driveaway for that price.

otherwise, out of your suggestions, mazda 2 would be my pick.

have u also looked at VW polo?? they are selling for quite cheap.

[Greg K]

top of my listis the Mazda 2 because of its safety features (NRMA voted it the safest car for 2008)

the Tiida i like because it is a little bigger and has a 6 speed gearbox.. which i think will make a defference when we go up the hunter valley every couple of months or so..

i have heard that the gearboxes in the new civic are a new design and not as reliable as the older ones.. but nonetheless a great car, so will have to check it out.

didnt even think of the polo USC, but now that you mention it i will look into it.

i like the punto, but i dont think it will be cost efficient when it come to spare parts and resale value..

i30 i like too, and again will look into it..

thanks guys, keep the suggestions coming!

[Dee]

Corolla - they all come with 6 speed standard now

cheap, realiable and will keep their value when selling

[Tfer]

Corolla - they all come with 6 speed standard now

cheap, realiable and will keep their value when selling

+ 1 ;)

[Greg K]

corolla is getting a bit big, as she wants to downsize from the vectra..

[btm]

the Tiida i like because it is a little bigger and has a 6 speed gearbox.. which i think will make a defference when we go up the hunter valley every couple of months or so..


but can you handle the looks of it?? imo, an ugly car

[Greg K]

but can you handle the looks of it?? imo, an ugly car

im with ya on that one BTM.... could definitely do with some styling advice...

looks like my list is getting bigger... going to look at the suzuki swift this afternoon.. and at the Honda Jazz tomorrow

[blueraven]

corrol/i30 or honda jazz :)

[USC]

Honda Jazz and Civic are now made in thailand..so watch out for quality issues.

suzuki swifts are nice cars but VERY SLOW (the non gti version anyway)

corolla for reliability..100%agree on that! but not for looks! tiida is also built in thailand and looks quite boring.

Prob go for one that offers Stability &traction control, air bags, and ABS as standard...

[Wraith]

I've driven both a Toyota Yaris and Nissan Tiida....

Both are deceptively large cars, especially the Tiida, it has stacks of room inside...

Prefer the Yaris o/a it looks better and drove better, either one of these 2 will have variants that make for a good everyday car fitting all your criteria for under 25k :)

[JohnBu]

Suzuki Swift Sports

( 2nd choice Mazda 3)

if could live with a 3 door, Polo GTi or XR4.

[Apex]

Suzuki Swift Sports

( 2nd choice Mazda 3)

if could live with a 3 door, Polo GTi or XR4.

The Swift Sport or Mazda 2 Sport would get my vote's.

[Greg K]

Honda Jazz and Civic are now made in thailand..so watch out for quality issues.

suzuki swifts are nice cars but VERY SLOW (the non gti version anyway)

corolla for reliability..100%agree on that! but not for looks! tiida is also built in thailand and looks quite boring.

Prob go for one that offers Stability &traction control, air bags, and ABS as standard...

thankgod there is someone else out there that doesnt like the look of the corrolla.... i thought i was the only one!

[Greg K]

The Swift Sport or Mazda 2 Sport would get my vote's.

i agree with you TEET.. the mazda 2 especially caught my eye in the looks and feel department... plus has a very high safety standard.. ie 8 airbags standard in the sports model amongst EBD, ABS etc DSC is a $700 extra

[Apex]

i agree with you TEET.. the mazda 2 especially caught my eye in the looks and feel department... plus has a very high safety standard.. ie 8 airbags standard in the sports model amongst EBD, ABS etc DSC is a $700 extra

I suppose the Mazda 2 Sport is the winner when safety is the concern, they are cool looking cars my Fiancé wants to trade down to one.

If she was after a 3-door I would say check out the new Fiat 500, they are cool little cars but there is a huge waiting list..

[oneightoo]

not interested in a 2nd hand newish low km mazda 3?

or are you after a brand spanker?

i like the 2's.. my gf wants to trade in her echo for a new one..

[sooty]

Mazda 2's new slogan
"The car your gf will want to trade in for":D

P.S 500th post...it was worth it...

[sasrit]

Have you considered a Ford Focus? Can get a nice manual Zetec 07 for about $24k, I've borrowed one for a weekend and didn't have high expectations, but at the end was quite impressed. Great seats, almost the most comfortable I've ever sat it (serious), good economy, spritely performance and has a great chassis with good steering feel, the only minor issue I had was that it wasn't the quietest car around (but then the Mazdas are the same). Ford dealers may do a good deal on brand new 07 stock, worth a look IMO. Small cars are getting very good these days.........
Mike.

[Apex]

Mazda 2's new slogan
"The car your gf will want to trade in for":D

P.S 500th post...it was worth it...

Hah you could be onto something there, these new little super mini’s have taken off big time here, 20-30YO chicks are buying them in droves.. Im sure since Suzuki reinvented the cool small car sales to that demographic have increased tenfold!

Ps: well done on 500...Im one off :p

[d.c.]

What about a Suzuki SX4 hatch, I think it meets all your criteria and lowered with a set of white multi-spoke OZ wheels looks just like a rally car.:)

[sooty]

Hah you could be onto something there, these new little super mini’s have taken off big time here, 20-30YO chicks are buying them in droves.. Im sure since Suzuki reinvented the cool small car sales to that demographic have increased tenfold!

Ps: well done on 500...Im one off :p

The car does seem to be turning into the ultimate replacement handbag.
Congrats in advance on cracking the 500 barrier...it's an esteemed club to be joining....watch out for the hazing though...*rubs head*

[Huhness]

I drive a Yaris YRS most days and its handles very well on highway speeds and in the city!

Comes in 2 and 4 door, looks pretty good for a small car and holds its value very well like any toyota! and is quite comfortable.

If you do test drive a Yaris test the 1.5L engine it is a much more zippy car than the 1.3L.

$750 for the safety pack with lots and lots of airbags..

Just a personal review on a car i drive 4 days a week. ;)

[Vectracious]

Jazz or Swift. The Jazz is pretty big inside for its size too.

[EL BURITO]

1.6 Fezzi has a alright interior and 5star Ncap even on the LX model if you are not going as big as a Astra.

Or a Yaris is good, Tida is cheaply built and colt is shit inside

Have you considered a TDI polo they have a 5 star Ncap too and are under 20K drive away

[EL BURITO]

Have you considered a Ford Focus? Can get a nice manual Zetec 07 for about $24k, I've borrowed one for a weekend and didn't have high expectations, but at the end was quite impressed. Great seats, almost the most comfortable I've ever sat it (serious), good economy, spritely performance and has a great chassis with good steering feel, the only minor issue I had was that it wasn't the quietest car around (but then the Mazdas are the same). Ford dealers may do a good deal on brand new 07 stock, worth a look IMO. Small cars are getting very good these days.........
Mike.
you can get a 07 for 20K drive away if you look in the right places

[USC]

People keep suggesting Yaris..but have you even driven one?? Or sat at the back in one? Its HORRIBLE! so TINY! the engine is ok but sounds like it revs heaps for nothing.

And changing a tyre is a PAIN in the ass! the boot is so awkwardly put together! to get the spare wheel out, u gota move the rear seats forward!

anyways, its your car mate..its up to u to test drive and see what you like.

[Hackstra]

hyundai i30 for the rip off looks of a 1-series is my bet

[rjastra]

Forget any of the Mazdas as they are well know to have poor NVH levels (road noise). Would be annoying to have a noisey car on those trips to the hunter valley.

Of all the suggestions the I30 and Corolla are the probably best bet.

Jazz is just about to be replaced.

[dieselhead]

Wait for the new Fiat 500. It's got more class than a Mini for $10k less :)
Problem is, it could be a long wait. Looks like they're all sold this year...

[USC]

Forget any of the Mazdas as they are well know to have poor NVH levels (road noise). Would be annoying to have a noisey car on those trips to the hunter valley.

Of all the suggestions the I30 and Corolla are the probably best bet.

Jazz is just about to be replaced.

Have you driven a mazda 2 before you make such comments? the early mazda 3 `s used to have issues with road noise but you would have to be extremely fussy for it to annoy you...the road noise was fixed in newer models. Im not saying mazda is the best but they are quite nicely built!

I30 is a great car. Im not too sure about corolla...go for it if you want some boredom in your life.

[noobie]

Ford Fiesta 5 door Zetec, ABS, Airbags etc as standard. Alloy wheels blah blah.

Not the best looking car arouns, but the 1.6 in it has got a lot of go, and the handling is like a friggin go cart. Such a cool little car to punt around the mountains and great fuel economy.

Sweet gear throw too. Should drive one. Nice car.

[Apex]

Have you driven a mazda 2 before you make such comments? the early mazda 3 `s used to have issues with road noise but you would have to be extremely fussy for it to annoy you...the road noise was fixed in newer models. Im not saying mazda is the best but they are quite nicely built!

I30 is a great car. Im not too sure about corolla...go for it if you want some boredom in your life.


2nd that, All the late model Mazda’s I have driven haven’t been any worse than the Astra. We took a SP23 to Taupo (700km return) last year and it was a nice quite drive.
Car shopping is fun so just go out and drive a few different cars, take at least 20 minutes on the drive and try and find a good variation of conditions and make sure you hit the high way!

[Greg K]

my fiance drove the suzuki sport yesterday and liked the performance, but didnt think much of the interior... the race like seats arent really her..


thanks for the help guys... must say that i also like the fiesta zetec too. will be adding it to the list. the fiat 500 is a cool car, but is only a 2 door??? plus a little outta her price range..

has anyone heard anything about the citroens?? c2 doesnt look bad.. but how good is the build quality on a french built car?? and the spare parts?

[Greg K]

not interested in a 2nd hand newish low km mazda 3?

or are you after a brand spanker?

i like the 2's.. my gf wants to trade in her echo for a new one..

shes after a brand spanker mate..

[Greg K]

forget the citroen... just saw its a 2 door..

[Huhness]

People keep suggesting Yaris..but have you even driven one?? Or sat at the back in one? Its HORRIBLE! so TINY! the engine is ok but sounds like it revs heaps for nothing.

And changing a tyre is a PAIN in the ass! the boot is so awkwardly put together! to get the spare wheel out, u gota move the rear seats forward!

anyways, its your car mate..its up to u to test drive and see what you like.

I don't know what you drove but my girlfriends Yaris revs lower than my astra sri on the highway and its an auto..

Seats are very comfortable and the back seats move all the way foward by easily from the boot and inside the car and even lie flat giving you enough space for a home theater speaker setup, or a 42" plasma tv, or a 3' fish tank with stand and sump or a chest freezer all of which i have transported in the yaris.. Mate just because you took one for a 10 minute drive doesn't mean you can say its shit.. :rolleyes:

[USC]

I don't know what you drove but my girlfriends Yaris revs lower than my astra sri on the highway and its an auto..

Seats are very comfortable and the back seats move all the way foward by easily from the boot and inside the car and even lie flat giving you enough space for a home theater speaker setup, or a 42" plasma tv, or a 3' fish tank with stand and sump or a chest freezer all of which i have transported in the yaris.. Mate just because you took one for a 10 minute drive doesn't mean you can say its shit.. :rolleyes:


one of my gf`s own one and its quite small! You were able to carry all that stuff because it is a hatch! once again, i am not saying it is shit but it is definitely not the best. She was even having trouble starting the car in the morning!! and it was brand new! I have fitted a whole windscreen with the box(much bigger than the 42"plasma) in a charade...that does not mean it is big and spacious!

try putting 4 people in it and drive around towns on hilly roads...lol...u will know what i mean by revving. by the way, auto`s always rev lower while cruising unless you have 6 speed manual.

Have you tried getting the spare wheel out and putting all the trims back in? ;)

It is not a bad car but not better than say a suzuki swift.

[Huhness]

If it is so shit why did she buy one?

[USC]

If it is so shit why did she buy one?

I repeat again, im not saying it is shit...she bought one because she is biased towards toyota and wouldnt look at anything else.

[Apex]

I don't know what you drove but my girlfriends Yaris revs lower than my astra sri on the highway and its an auto..

Seats are very comfortable and the back seats move all the way foward by easily from the boot and inside the car and even lie flat giving you enough space for a home theater speaker setup, or a 42" plasma tv, or a 3' fish tank with stand and sump or a chest freezer all of which i have transported in the yaris.. Mate just because you took one for a 10 minute drive doesn't mean you can say its shit.. :rolleyes:

Are you sure its not a Hiace?? :p I wouldn’t be able to fit any of that stuff (bar the home theatre) in either of my cars…

[rjastra]

The Yaris is actually larger inside than the Mazda 2. ;)

[CAL.16V]

i know someone who got a Peugot 307 brand new, 2007 plate for 25k driveaway. .. they are running them out cheap because the new model is coming out .. good car

[Hackstra]

Are you sure its not a Hiace?? :p I wouldn’t be able to fit any of that stuff (bar the home theatre) in either of my cars…

I fitted a 42" plas and box plus a full 5.1 sound system all in the back of my TS, also had me and my mate 'comfortably' in the front, was amazing!

[cbrmale]

A couple of people recommended the Hyundai i30, but as a former Hyundai owner I wouldn't go near that brand. They are nothing but trouble, even the current model Elantra and i30. The Hyundai equivalent of these forums is full of tales of woe about rear suspension problems, electrical problems and brake problems. Electrics on Hyundais are the worst, Korean component suppliers are just not good enough. As for Toyotas, I have driven a couple of recent model Corollas and Camrys and they had sub-standard performance and handling, especially compared to the Elantra I had at the time. There are better cars around than Toyota, and better value for money too.

I've given a couple I wouldn't buy; I've heard good things of both the Suzuki Swift and the Mazda 2. I don't think anyone could go too far wrong with either of those as a new small car.

[rjastra]

A couple of people recommended the Hyundai i30, but as a former Hyundai owner I wouldn't go near that brand. They are nothing but trouble, even the current model Elantra and i30.

Not bagging Astras, but....Using that logic why did you buy an Astra? There are numerous stories from people about problems with their TS astras (brake wear, timing belts, etc etc).

People tend to only report (on websites etc) the bad experiences they have. I had no issues with my Astra SRi.

[USC]

Not bagging Astras, but....Using that logic why did you buy an Astra? There are numerous stories from people about problems with their TS astras (brake wear, timing belts, etc etc).

People tend to only report (on websites etc) the bad experiences they have. I had no issues with my Astra SRi.

agree..i owned a hyundai elentra but had no issues with electrical. Just had heaps of bad cheap plastics that crack in the sun.

astra ah have a fair bit of problems too.......heard people having to replace their leather seats under warranty, people having problem with their lcd display, rear wiper motor playing up in the TS, water pump leaking, etc etc. problems exist in any car. its man made, its not 100% perfect.

[Greg K]

ok people.... i have an update!

looks like she will have to upgrade to the size of an astra as the small cars will be too small to fit in a baby capsule, groceries and pram all at the same time!

we had a look at the 5 door astra yesterday which she really really likes!
i am trying to convince her to go for the diesel as i think she will prefer the power difference from the petrol cdx... plus the manual is a 6 speed!!

she has told me that she wants a car with go... not to street race anyone, but to car loads up to the hunter valley and overtake easily..


any opinions on this??

[USC]

ok people.... i have an update!

looks like she will have to upgrade to the size of an astra as the small cars will be too small to fit in a baby capsule, groceries and pram all at the same time!

we had a look at the 5 door astra yesterday which she really really likes!
i am trying to convince her to go for the diesel as i think she will prefer the power difference from the petrol cdx... plus the manual is a 6 speed!!

she has told me that she wants a car with go... not to street race anyone, but to car loads up to the hunter valley and overtake easily..


any opinions on this??



mazda 3 turbo diesel, astra turbo diesel (i think they have 2 different engines...one is less powerful..so beware), golf diesel.

[Ishley]

Focus diesel....... Any diesel really.

[Greg K]

why would you choose diesel over petrol?? apart from the obvious advantage of more kilometers per tank

[cbrmale]

Not bagging Astras, but....Using that logic why did you buy an Astra? There are numerous stories from people about problems with their TS astras (brake wear, timing belts, etc etc).

People tend to only report (on websites etc) the bad experiences they have. I had no issues with my Astra SRi.

I bought my Elantra in 2000 because it was bigger, faster and potentially more reliable than the TS Astra of the time. By 2000, it was clear that the TS was a troublesome beast.

The AH is more reliable than the TS, although they have some electrical problems (the CIM in particular) they aren't as common as on Hyundai. Despite websites tending to report the worst, Hyundai problems are endemic. My Elantra had three sets of front disc rotors, the first two warped badly and the third was a different formulation that gouged to minimum thinness in about 10,000km! Front brakes were a common problem with the XD, as were broken automatic gearboxes, cracked exhaust manifolds, premature wear in shock absorbers, faulty cd players, leaking hatch struts (and mine had all of those problems and more). I've had about ten new cars in my life, and truly the Elantra gave me the impression that no duration testing was done on it at all. Give me some credit, I've been around, I've had a lot of cars, I know what's acceptable quality and what isn't. And on the 2000 through 2006 Elantra XD, all of the problems I had were common problems with that model. It cost Hyundai a fortune in warranty repairs, and a fortune again in ex-gratia after the warranty expired. I got sick of taking it back time and again to have something else fixed.

I also was drawn to buying an Astra because my wife's XC Barina was a whole lot better put together than the Hyundai. So far the XC has had one trifling thing fixed in warranty, and an ex-gratia repair about eight months ago. Not bad for four years and 60,000km.

I've had one problem with my SRi, one of the horns expired.

[AdzSri]

mazda 3 turbo diesel, astra turbo diesel (i think they have 2 different engines...one is less powerful..so beware), golf diesel.

diesels don't have go, they have torque when blown. i would only buy a diesel if i was looking to cover a load of kays day in day out as diesel engines love the open road and long hour durations. a used 307 by the french would be the way to go!

[sooty]

why would you choose diesel over petrol?? apart from the obvious advantage of more kilometers per tank

the 6spd manual has 110kw and 320nm stock, far more torque than any of the petrol. 0-100 in a smidge over 8 seconds stock (quoted figures are bs). ask any oiler owner here, she would not regret the decision!

[sooty]

diesels don't have go, they have torque when blown.

you could not possibly be more wrong. buy a greenbox and it has more power than an sri-T...going 0-100 in 7.4 (faster than an xr5 focus). max torque from 2k, peak power at 4k. research a bit more before making stupid comments...

[USC]

you could not possibly be more wrong. buy a greenbox and it has more power than an sri-T...going 0-100 in 7.4 (faster than an xr5 focus). max torque from 2k, peak power at 4k. research a bit more before making stupid comments...

yeh..thats like saying put a bigger turbo in the sri-t and see what happens...
im not saying diesels are bad but they are certainly not a better drive than any petrol engines.
a green box will certainly not make the engine last for more than a couple of years I reckon.

[sooty]

I was never saying they are the greatest thing invented.
Just pointing out that saying "they have no go" is a completely ludicrous and unfounded statement :)

[sooty]

a green box will certainly not make the engine last for more than a couple of years I reckon.

Based off what?
Cars in the UK have run with it for like 60,000+ miles with no troubles...

[USC]

I was never saying they are the greatest thing invented.
Just pointing out that saying "they have no go" is a completely ludicrous and unfounded statement :)

agree;)
I quite like diesels myself!

re: green box, the green box hasnt been around for long enough to know long term effects. at 60000kms, the engine is still quite new. internals havent suffered from metal fatigue.

[sooty]

*60,000 miles
But this is true.
It's all a matter of time to see what happens, but so far, it looks alright, so hear's hoping :)

[Greg K]

is going diesel really worth it is shes going to be doing less than 200kays a week in the car???

[USC]

is going diesel really worth it is shes going to be doing less than 200kays a week in the car???

she can keep the diesel for the following week:)

[sooty]

She'll only have to fill up every month :)

[JohnBu]

is going diesel really worth it is shes going to be doing less than 200kays a week in the car???

based on say saving 3L per 100km.

6L per week,

312L per year @ $1.40/L

$437 per year..

would take 5 years to recoup to the additional purchase cost.. (plus possible additional servicing cost)..

however the you cannot deny the extra torque.

oh, also you better get your wife to visit a petrol station to see the diesel pump, it's disgusting and there's usually only 1 or 2 for the whole petrol station.

[rjastra]

I read an interesting article that seems to suggest that diesel is not the way to go for Oz simply because we need to import it. Prices will continue to rise and you will always be battling with the heavy transportation sector for supply.

A much better alternative is LPG... hardly an option on a small car.

Therefore the best bet is to find a small car that runs on normal dishwater quality 91RON ULP that is economical.

Considering any of the small cars available (Focus, MAzda 3, Corolla etc) as $5000+ cheaper as a petrol rather than a diesel and all run on normal ULP I can't see how anyone could suggest the diesel option.

You can see that people agree as ALL the diesel models are being discounted as heavily as the petrol models.

One of the most fuel efficient in the small car arena is the Civic!

[EL BURITO]

A much better alternative is LPG... hardly an option on a small car.
One of the most fuel efficient in the small car arena is the Civic!

I have seen a Excel with the conversion

Jazz is even better :p

[sooty]

Sorta a smide off topic but my mates dad just went dual fuel (diesel/LPG) on his pathfinder....35% gains in power and torque :eek:

Anywho, as for the diesel pump, massive misconception they're dirty, they are just slightly more oily, so pull a michael jackson and wear a glove, plus, with the astra (unlike mum's jetta) you can use the high flow pump, 40 litres is done in no time :p

[cbrmale]

I think diesels have their place, but the Astra diesel was too expensive for me. Based on my average mileage, it would take me the life of the car to recoupe the additional purchase price. The problem is the turbo and intercooled engine is more expensive to build than a normally aspirated petrol engine of equivalent performance. Added to that the higher cost per litre of fuel oil, and it isn't economical unless you do a lot of kilometres per year.

And the acceleration figures aren't bs, the manufacturers always give a uniformly optimistic set of numbers. 0-100 8.9 for an Astra diesel, compared to 8.5 for a 2.2 SRi or the same 8.9 for my SRi auto. The diesel is slower than it feels because it has a narrow power band, and it loses momentum on each additional gearchange to 100. The SRi and the turbos spin to 6,500, which makes the difference.

[sooty]

The diesel is slower than it feels because it has a narrow power band, and it loses momentum on each additional gearchange to 100.

You can hit 100 in 3rd...hardly multitudinous additional gear changes:rolleyes:

[cbrmale]

You can hit 100 in 3rd...hardly multitudinous additional gear changes:rolleyes:

Alright then, so it's just not particularly quick (AH Astra diesel manual accelerates the same as my AH Astra 2.2 auto).

[USC]

Alright then, so it's just not particularly quick (AH Astra diesel manual accelerates the same as my AH Astra 2.2 auto).

with the green box, the diesel is faster right?

[EL BURITO]

with the green box, the diesel is faster right?
yes

[sooty]

Alright then, so it's just not particularly quick (AH Astra diesel manual accelerates the same as my AH Astra 2.2 auto).

genuinely interested to see whether this would be the case :)

[Lucky_Astra06]

went thru all dealers on parra rd n bought da suzuki sx4!!! huge drive away special at rick damelian $24,990 for the all wheel drive hatch or $19,990 for 2WD hatch, they also come in a sedan but dont look as gud...

[Greg K]

went thru all dealers on parra rd n bought da suzuki sx4!!! huge drive away special at rick damelian $24,990 for the all wheel drive hatch or $19,990 for 2WD hatch, they also come in a sedan but dont look as gud...

have added the sx4 to the list..

[EL BURITO]

have added the sx4 to the list..
well there are 3 variants to choose from too

[Greg K]

yeah will prob be the hatch and 4wd..

up to the missus, but wont know till we see one..

[EL BURITO]

well the 4wd is basicly the new cruze and it drinks the petrol like along the lines of 9L per 100 is nasty

[Greg K]

well the 4wd is basicly the new cruze and it drinks the petrol like along the lines of 9L per 100 is nasty

thanks for the info mate... didnt realise that it was that bad...

has anyone heard anything about / seen any Fiat Ritmos about??

[rjastra]

thanks for the info mate... didnt realise that it was that bad...

has anyone heard anything about / seen any Fiat Ritmos about??

Manual only. Golf sized. 1.4L turbo or 1.9L TDI. $30K+ price range.

[USC]

Manual only. Golf sized. 1.4L turbo or 1.9L TDI. $30K+ price range.

u can get an sri t for a little bit more. 1.4 turbo would be so laggy and uncomfortable to drive if u plan on owning it for a long time.

[rjastra]

u can get an sri t for a little bit more. 1.4 turbo would be so laggy and uncomfortable to drive if u plan on owning it for a long time.

A little bit more? $5000. A substantial difference in that price bracket.

Laggy? Ever driven one? All reports suggest that is not the case. It just feels like a strong 2L normally aspirated engine.

Much the same way the 1.4L TSI Golf isn't laggy.

[Greg K]

Manual only. Golf sized. 1.4L turbo or 1.9L TDI. $30K+ price range.

manual is what she wants, golf is similar in size to Astra, and price range just fits.. i think the main thing is that she wants a 4/5 door

[Greg K]

well we picked this one up last week.. very very happy with it!

[Huhness]

The right colour shape and model! Nice :D

[imay]

Good choice, and with run-out deals on at the moment bet you got a good car for the money.
One of my wife's favorites at the moment.

[Wraith]

Nice choice - that looks fantastic, I'm a big fan of the Mazda 3, top car :)

Pity white ian't available for the MPS 3...

So does this mean you extended your initial planned budget to get the SP23 model ?? appologies if you've mentioned that somewhere, I couldn't be bothered reading through the pages of this thread - too many of them :)

[EL BURITO]

nice mate, there a nice car. still like the look of mums Maxx sport

only thing to watch out for is your rear view that C pillar is huge

[Greg K]

Nice choice - that looks fantastic, I'm a big fan of the Mazda 3, top car :)

Pity white ian't available for the MPS 3...

So does this mean you extended your initial planned budget to get the SP23 model ?? appologies if you've mentioned that somewhere, I couldn't be bothered reading through the pages of this thread - too many of them :)

they are unbelievable cars for the money that you spend! the one we bought was the last Crystal White Pearl hatch in Australia, with 6 speed box and luxury pack (leather, bose stereo, DSC and Traction control). we added auto lights, floor mats, bluetooth, tints, and they threw in an mp3 cable and extra 3 year warranty.... inclusinve on on road costs, was less than $32k.. i cant think of another car with the same features in 5 door with a decent size boot for close to the same price

the final price that we paid was less than our budget price so we were very happy! the photos dont do the paint any justice...

[EL BURITO]

they are unbelievable cars for the money that you spend! the one we bought was the last Crystal White Pearl hatch in Australia, with 6 speed box and luxury pack (leather, bose stereo, DSC and Traction control). we added auto lights, floor mats, bluetooth, tints, and they threw in an mp3 cable and extra 3 year warranty.... inclusinve on on road costs, was less than $32k.. i cant think of another car with the same features in 5 door with a decent size boot for close to the same price

the final price that we paid was less than our budget price so we were very happy! the photos dont do the paint any justice...
dam mate that price is great only like 2K more than wat my rents paid

[Greg K]

dam mate that price is great only like 2K more than wat my rents paid

i pinch myself all the time about the deal we got!

im waiting for the dealer to call me back and ask for another 2-3 k haha

[bornwild]

Suzuki Swift, Ford Fiesta or Mazda 2.

Don't buy nothing else...

[bornwild]

Lol...you said you wanted something small :p

I just read that you bought the Mazda3...nice car :)


ps. Should have gone for the Diesel though...especially seeing as the performance is similar to the sp23 and the diesel is a heck of a lot more efficient

[USC]

they are unbelievable cars for the money that you spend! the one we bought was the last Crystal White Pearl hatch in Australia, with 6 speed box and luxury pack (leather, bose stereo, DSC and Traction control). we added auto lights, floor mats, bluetooth, tints, and they threw in an mp3 cable and extra 3 year warranty.... inclusinve on on road costs, was less than $32k.. i cant think of another car with the same features in 5 door with a decent size boot for close to the same price

the final price that we paid was less than our budget price so we were very happy! the photos dont do the paint any justice...

Nice car! congrats!

how does the auto lights work? im thinking of getting a mazda 3 myself...just not sure if i want this option. do they put a new stalk near steering wheel? where does the sensor go?do they need to drill anything?

does it work nicely?

[Greg K]

Lol...you said you wanted something small :p

I just read that you bought the Mazda3...nice car :)


ps. Should have gone for the Diesel though...especially seeing as the performance is similar to the sp23 and the diesel is a heck of a lot more efficient

yeah i know the title says small car, but halfway through test driving all of the small cars we dicided to go for something a little bigger... thats why the thread goes for 7 odd pages...

and as for the diesel, the missus would be lucky to fill up once a month, so wouldnt work out to be any more cost efficient!

[Greg K]

Nice car! congrats!

how does the auto lights work? im thinking of getting a mazda 3 myself...just not sure if i want this option. do they put a new stalk near steering wheel? where does the sensor go?do they need to drill anything?

does it work nicely?

auto headlights work off the original stalk.... you just leave it in the off position and it does all the work for you from a dash-sunk (ie doesnt stick up/out) sensor at the base of the windscreen.. this sensor also calculates the temperature for the climate control.. i think.

yeah, no drilling or anything looking out of place.. nice feature that leaves the headlights on for 30 seconds after you lock the car (at night) and also turns them on as you unlock the car (at night).

[USC]

auto headlights work off the original stalk.... you just leave it in the off position and it does all the work for you from a dash-sunk (ie doesnt stick up/out) sensor at the base of the windscreen.. this sensor also calculates the temperature for the climate control.. i think.

yeah, no drilling or anything looking out of place.. nice feature that leaves the headlights on for 30 seconds after you lock the car (at night) and also turns them on as you unlock the car (at night).


nice!! very tempting!! do u think I could install it myself?? so what exactly do they add?how do u turn it off??

[poita]

congrats Greg, Mazda's are a great car.
you will have fun with it :)

[Greg K]

nice!! very tempting!! do u think I could install it myself?? so what exactly do they add?how do u turn it off??

i wouldnt see why you couldnt install it yourself.... you turn it off by overiding the switch and manually turning on the headlights..

[Greg K]

congrats Greg, Mazda's are a great car.
you will have fun with it :)

too bad i am stuck with my 10year old vectra and my fiancee has the new car!

but still an awesome car.. :)

[poita]

wow, same boat
im in the 13yr old calibra, and she has the mazda 6.
good to give the mazda a floggin every so often though :D :D

[USC]

i wouldnt see why you couldnt install it yourself.... you turn it off by overiding the switch and manually turning on the headlights..

so u cant actually turn it off unless you turn to headlights on, then off again...unlike in the cx-7, mz6 etc where they have an auto lights on setting on the stalk?

have fun with the 3!!:D

[Greg K]

so u cant actually turn it off unless you turn to headlights on, then off again...unlike in the cx-7, mz6 etc where they have an auto lights on setting on the stalk?

have fun with the 3!!:D

kinda defeats the purpose of having auto lights if you can turn it off... but then again, we havent had the car long enough to discover all the little tricks...

[Shaun]

i30 Diesel

[Greg K]

already bought an sp23 Shaun.. but we did test drive the i30 (petrol). nice car but didnt match the sp23 for price/features

[USC]

kinda defeats the purpose of having auto lights if you can turn it off... but then again, we havent had the car long enough to discover all the little tricks...

hehe..not really...giving the option to turn autolights off is a good idea I think...but thats just me ;)

oh I read in a mazda forum, sensor goes near A pillar...so the sensor in the middle is only for climate control.