For most people, your vehicle is usually either your largest or second largest investment. The feeling of driving your new car home can be a very special time. However, when we get this purchase wrong, it can be an absolute nightmare.
We mechanics often get asked what are the best cars to buy. Of course, that answer can depend on your individual wants and needs, such as car budget, priorities like reliability or luxury, your lifestyle and family size, whether or not you will use your new car for work, and so on.
Typically, mechanics all around the world most often respond with this same answer: buy a Toyota. Why would we suggest you buy a Toyota as your next car purchase? Because Toyotas are world-renowned for their reliability, making them a very good choice of vehicle. Their manufacturing quality for the vehicle price is truly excellent.
We do appreciate though; a Toyota is not for everyone, for reasons of budget, stylistic choice, etc.
Some things to consider when purchasing a new or used car:
- How much warranty (if any) does the car come with? Many manufacturers offer a 3 years warranty; however we are starting to see manufacturers like Hyundai, Kia and Mitsubishi offer 7- to 10-year warranties, with unlimited kms. To me, this says they have a quality product that they are prepared to back.
- What is the resale value? Some cars are great at holding value and others decline rapidly. I recommend you take a look on Carsales.com and search up the make and model you are looking to purchase but look up the same car that is 5 years older. This will give you a good indication of what it may be worth in 5 years time and how well it holds its value.
- Search for reviews. Look up the make and model on google and see if you can find good reviews. If the reviews aren’t great, the car generally isn’t.
- Are you paying too much for a used car? Once again, search the vehicle you are looking to buy on carsales.com and see what other people are selling them for. This will give you a good idea of whether you are paying market value.
- Does it have a good service history? Check the cars log books to ensure it has up to date and regular servicing. A poorly serviced vehicle has the potential to cost you thousands in unwanted repairs in the future.
- Conduct a REVS check. This ensures the vehicle has not been a repairable write-off, or has money owing on it.
- And finally, if you are purchasing a used car then we strongly recommend you have the vehicle inspected by a qualified mechanic. Having the vehicle inspected could save you thousands of $ in unwanted repairs.
Here are our suggestions of vehicles by category:
- Reliable, quality built, outstanding engineering – Toyota, Mazda
- Reliability and quality with a slightly smaller budget – Hyundai, Nissan, Kia, Subaru. Mitsubishi
- Tradies choice – Toyota Hilux (Ute), Hyundai I-Load (Van)
- European Style – Mercedes
- European with a smaller budget – Volkswagen
We are always happy to help you with your next vehicle purchase, so feel free to get in touch if you would like advice specific to your needs.
