"Family" car recommendations < $15000

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Hi all - apologies if this is a bit of an odd question to be asking, but I was wondering what peoples thoughts are about familyish used cars in the 10 - 15K range? at the moment I am looking at either the toyota Aurion, or Mitsubishi 380. The 380 seems very very good value for money, but looks to be a bit less economical than the Aurion...

Thoughts? Also feel free to ignore :D

[The Mekon]

For that money I would search for a Toyota Avalon with low Kms.
a 2004 model will be at the lower end of your range and you will be surprised what a good car they were.

For less money a Honda Accord VTiL 7K will put you in a 2002 model with around 100,000km. Great cars.

Something fancy? Lexus GS300 2002-2004 can be around 15K. Not the best looking car but heaps of refinement.

[TrevorW]

Toyota

[astro_nutt]

Ford BF II falcon wagon, duel fuel or dedicated gas. Plenty of room for scope stuff, camping and kids. Servicing cost, parts are reasonable too. Cheers!

[Screwdriverone]

Hi Tim,

In Dec last year, I bought a 2002 VY Holden Commodore Lumina from a local car yard, it had only 30,000km on it (old local bloke owned it and upgraded to a VE Calais) , 6 months rego, Cruise control 5 alloys, aircon, tow bar, window tint, mats and mudflaps and I got them to chuck in a 200,000 km warranty (third party) for $14k. Its a cracker of a family car and all the fruit I need.... I love it and it can fit my three boys in the back (2 of them are over six feet tall - 17 and 15yo) and heaps of boot space... I can get sub 9L/100km on highway and average 13l/100km commuting from the 3.8L V6....

Lovely car, effortless cruiser with heaps of comfort, well worth a look if you can find one of similar vintage or younger with lowish km!

Good luck..

Cheers

Chris

[casstony]

Falcon or Commodore station wagons make great family cars with heaps of room in the back for the dog, telescope or holiday luggage. They also comfortably tow a loaded trailer.

We bought two 18 month old '99 Commodore acclaims and we'll probably still have them for another 10 years - chose the acclaim model at the time to get the side airbags. The Falcon with factory fitted gas would be an attractive option if you're doing high mileage. Our petrol fueled Commodores do better than 30 mpg along the highway but are heavy on fuel around town.

It's impotant to test if the seats are comfortable in the car you choose. Back in 2001 when we were shopping the Falcon was not an option for me due to very uncomfortable seats - they had a hollow in the middle of my back.

[GeoffW1]

Hi,

Enthusiastically agree. These and Camrys have been accused of being dull, but they are very reliable, and with a better local support structure than Mitsubishi. The fuel economy will be a bit better than a Commodore 6, and there are spare parts available everywhere if you need them.

A biased comment ;) I think the build quality is better as well.

Cheers

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Thanks guys. Im not a car person at all - I just want the thing to get from point A to B. :)

My current car (92 Subaru Liberty) has been great, but on the way back from Bendigo to Melbourne, the spark plug leads where popping off, leaving me with only 3 cylinders - that was causing it to overheat, which is a slow death for an engine. Hopefully its just dodgy spark plug leads, but I suspect that some combustion gasses are somehow escaping past the plugs, and causing them to pop off... :shrug:

I will take it to my local servo, and see if its an easy fix...(usually a forlorn hope)

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So how do the Camrys and Avalon's rate against the Aurion? I suspect the engine is the same :)

[Kevnool]

Hello Euro welcome to IIS

Cheers Kev.

[Omaroo]

Huh? Have you simply tried to tighten the plugs - or better still replace them? Simple as threading the new ones in by hand until they stop, and then tighten another quarter turn. If they have a metal compression gasket then do the same but tighten a full turn. If this is all it is it's crazy to start condemning a car when you may not need to....

[fuso]

Hi Tim, the Aurion has a different engine than the Avalon or V-6 Camry.
The Avalon is a long wheel based Camry, same 3 Lt V6 an 4spd auto.
When the new Camry came out, Toyota ditched the Avalon, made a new 3.5 Lt V6 (200 Kw), installed a new 6spd auto and called it the Aurion.

Every Aurion has the 6spd auto and bigger 6.

Avalon is old 1990's tech, the engine and auto box (3Lt 145Kw, 4spd) remained unchanged.

I would be happy with either Aurion or 380, or you could buy what I drive....... Nissan Maxima, 2003 and later model have the bigger 3.5Lt V-6.

[Kevnool]

Why not crimp the spark plug conector on the leads a wee bit to get to the auto shop to replace them.
Could it be that easy.

$50 bucks for new leads or $$$$ for another car.

Try it.

Cheers Kev.

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They are pretty tight now - I have also cleaned out the whole area surrounding the plugs - hopefully that is all it was...

[Omaroo]

See how it goes, but I'd also be changing those leads as Kev is suggesting. Was it happening on one bank and not the other (boxer engine)? See how you go - the Subaru will go for millennia if looked after. The engine is so well developed that they are about the most reliable out there, and there are no Toyotas with an engine that's been under a hood for so long.

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Looks like I will be changing the leads :D I was using some pliers to crimp the leads slightly, and I must have crimped it too much - when I put them back in, the car felt like it was running on three cylinders - I pulled the leads out, and one has a nasty white scorch mark around the area I was squeezing it. Its lucky I am on holidays, and have time to much about with this stuff :lol:

[Omaroo]

Some very salient advice - change them one at a time - with brand new ones. This way you won't get them crossed or mixed up - which can be rather unsettling. You're not affecting the mechanical valve timing, importantly, (!!!!) but you will have ram[ant misbehaviour to content with. Make sure that you push the leads on FULLY too - you should (in most cases) feel them almost "snap" into place when properly seated.

[brian nordstrom]

;) I have an 8000km now one of these , ..but mine's new and slightly over your 15k by 2 k . Toc .
In my 8k in just under a year from new I have been bush up here lots of times , tonns of room on the back for camping gear as well as a good weekends stargazing equipment .
I sleep :D on the back of mine because that gets you off the ground away from the ants up here .
They are BAD! :help:
Any way 17k and a 6 year warrenty will get you a GW V240 ute , I have the 4x4 model . Good wagons .
These uts are so much like telescopes ,
' lots of people have lots to say about ,, them but havent really looked thru one'
Look into them you wont look back ?? :thumbsup: .and the money you save you will be looking....
.....UP !! ..:thumbsup:.
Brian.