end of lease = new car time

hi all,

i'm coming up to the end of my lease and am starting to look at what cars may be suitable as a replacement.

so far i am looking at:

- mazda 6 diesel wagon

- ford mondeo diesel wagon

- vw passat diesel wagon

No surprise that i want a diesel wagon.

The VW is the more appealing car but it is also the most expensive. My current car is a mazda 3 and it has been super reliable and also a fun car to drive, but family reasons means that i must now get a biigger vehicle.

I also do a lot of highway driving, ie trips to regional nsw on most weekends, and that is one of the reasons i would like to get a diesel.

Has anyone had any experience in any of the above cars? if so, can you please let me know your thoughts on them.

FWIW - this will be a salary sacrifice lease through Leaseplan.



Thanks


g
 
Get a Euro or Jap... avoid Aussie build garbage unles you like visiting the dealership to get problems fuxed, I mean fixed.
 
holden commodore... the value for money is so good that it would make the fuel savings pale in comparison. Go for gas if really concerned.
 
It's not diesel but I have my forrester which is japanese and love it.
Being a subaru they have great resale value being a wagon it has
great room and is all wheel drive
 
Buy Australian if you can and try to keep your money here in what little manufacturing we have left.
FWIW I have had only good experiences with Aussie cars.
 
Get a Euro or Jap... avoid Aussie

Nah get a localy made vehicle Aussie cars are very reliable these days

Get a new Holden, their new petrol engines are very efficient
but I don't know if diesel is an option.

Also, remember that there are no many diesel pumps at petrols stations
so it won't be very convenient when you want to fill up
 
Are you looking at a manual or auto.
If auto the passat has the DSG which is an automated manual.
The passat will be more fuel efficient then the others, the DSG can also
be changed manually by the gear shift of you can option with paddles on steering wheel.
Have you looked at the new Golf wagon just on the market I believe.
I have the Jetta which is a golf with a boot,the boot is bigger than a commodore.
The golf wagon will be cheaper than all your preferred wagons and with the tdi should average about 5.6 L/100km, on freeway I can average 4.5l/100km@110 .
Checkout this site http://vwwatercooled.org.au/newforum/upload/index.php
 
If you are after the best economy/comfort/value/ reliability/space etc, then very hard to go past an EGAS Falcon. Don't forget to compare the best deal you can get, not just the RRP. Some makes eg. Ford, discount MUCH MUCH HARDER than others, often skewing perception of depreciation.

Remember your imported diesel will also shed heaps of value once you put heaps of kms on it as well.

I do like the diesels though. If you must, have a look at the Skoda diesel wagons. Huge inside and very economical and well priced. VW based mechanicals too.
 
I just got a VW R36 as a family car which is built on the Passat base and couldn’t be happier. Build quality makes the Holden / Ford options feel like Fisher Price toys which you’d expect with the premium you pay. The DSG box is the highlight and one of the features which steered me away from more expensive Euro equivalents. It’s not an automated manual; two clutch packs, two gearset shafts, super fast changes and very nice to drive. The Aussie manufacturers (and many of the Japanese) are yet to catch up on this front with most of the Euros now steadily moving to dual clutch (Audi, Merc, BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, etc).
 
why not pay out the residual and keep what you have? i would only be a couple of years old and i imagine in good nick.
 
In Dec 2007 I purchased a Mazda 6 diesel Hatch. Back then the diesel didn't come in a wagon back, otherwise I would have got it.

I must say I LOVE my car - it's never given me any trouble, and gets great fuel economy around town and on the open road.

When I first got it I did 4 fairly long trips per week to work and was getting around 5.4L per 100 kms. Now I mostly do very short local trips (SAHM, so school trips, shopping centre etc) - 5-10km per trip at most and still get 7.5L/100km. Open road trips I've got as low as 4.5L.

Effectively this means I get somewhere between 800-1000km per tank, so I'm very happy with the fuel efficiency. Service costs have been reasonable, and I've been very happy with my dealer. The low end torque makes it a pleasure (and sometimes exciting) to drive.

Given you have already decided on Diesel, I'm sure you know how quiet they are. On the down side, there were options that I wanted for my vehicle that I couldn't get because it was a diesel - rear parking sensors and chrome pedals come to mind. Also when I bought mine the diesel engine was restricted to the Hatch and Sedan, and the engine was only suited to the manual gear box; but I beleive that changed in 2008. Likewise, the Mondeo Diesel engine was only suited to an Auto gear box.

We chose the Mazda over the Mondeo due to leg room in the back seat and the interior noise.

Hope this helps

Cheers
Buddybee
 
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Thanks for your replies. Food for thought.

I would like to pay out the residual and keep the mazda 3 however my needs and requirements have out grown the mazda 3 - I need a bigger car now. I originally got the mazda 3 as a single man, but that was 2 dogs, 1 wife and 1 son ago so i obviously need a bigger car now.

I have thought about the gas falcons but i am reluctant to get any aussie made car. Yes i know that i should keep my dollars here, but the quality and reliable of a car is important to me, and a japanese or european car certainly beat any aussie car. it is unfortunate though.

The VW golf is also a great car, but size wise, it is about the same as a Mazda 3 and does not fit my needs.

I've never had any issues with the lack of diesel pumps. I occasionally drive a 3 tonner (when i am doing a reno) and i am always able to find a pump. plus, i do 95% of my driving in regional NSW, and most utes, 4wds and farm equipment are diesels anyway so there is always a pump somewhere. The only problem is finding a slow flow compared to a quick flow as a quick flow pump can cause issues.

A mid sized wagon, like a Mazda 6, Ford Mondeo or VW passat is about the size i want - and i would prefer a manual too. I have driven the passat with the DSG gearbox and it is a very beautiful car, but i think it is a just a little too expensive for my needs. I could afford it though but i don't want to spend that type of money.

So now i am looking at either the Mazda 6 or the Ford Mondeo. Mazda looks like it may be the winner due to my experience with Mazda as a company and with their product - plus it comes with a 6 speed manual box too.

One little story about lying car salesman, i took the Passat for a drive and i was talking to the car salesman at the same time and told him what other cars i was looking at. He replied saying, don't buy a mazda as they have only just started putting diesels into cars and VW have years of experience with diesels. He also said, that most people would wait for a few more years before looking at the diesel mazdas as the company is still "learning" about the diesel engine - he was basically saying that mazda had no experience with diesel.

I very quickly responded with the comment about mazda commercial vans and light trucks and also their rural equipment. Saying that they've had diesels for years. He then added that mazda have only just started putting diesels into passengar cars - and i said, that, in europe, mazda have been placing diesels into passengar cars quite a few years before they bought them out in australia. He changed the topic and i lost faith in him as a salesman. Damn pimply faced wanna be car salesman i thought. Those comments have lost me as a potential customer.

So it looks like a mazda 6 diesel wagon for me. i'll do a bit more research though but that looks like the winner.


thanks


g
 
I had a lexus guy quite offended when i told him they were upspecced toyotas. he denied any association. One look at that big tank lexus just screams landcruiser all the way to the petrol bowser

i bought an audi in a moment of madness. all excited about my fancy german import. anyway i found its not made in germany. its a nice enough car but next time will just be a commodore. the only diff is the commodore is bigger with more specs and has a large price diff. oh and the badge on the boot.... those 4 circles make me a better lover:)
 
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