Your questions answered: What is a great first car choice?

First cars are a common purchase at this time of year. In part that’s due to school leavers now ready to hit the road, but it’s also a time of the year when people and families have a little more time in hand to research a purchase and make the requisite trips to view and test drive potential new wheels.

With good used car stock in short supply, a significant number of buyers say they are looking at new as well as used cars.

Inflated used car pricing means the gap isn’t as wide as it can be – and there’s a decent choice of sub-$30K brand-new cars that are well suited to new drivers and yet have the bandwidth to grow with the needs of their owners.

We’ve published a cross-section of articles aimed at first car buyers on carsales and earlier this year celebrated our annual First Car Appreciation week.

We’ve also just named our Best First Car for 2021.

Follow the links for more information, and happy shopping.

Question:

Answer: The Kia Stonic is a sound choice and will also work well with your budget. carsales recently named its Best First Car for 2021 and another Kia took out the honour… That was the Kia Rio, another solid choice.

Question: I bought a Subaru Forester Hybrid and find it to be underpowered but reasonable on 91 unleaded fuel at about 6.5L/100km on the open road. But I am disappointed with it and want a change. I am thinking of a Mercedes-Benz C 200 or C 300 sedan but are there any other options you might suggest, perhaps an A5 Audi or BMW 3 or Volvo/Polestar? I don’t want full electric. I’m still range-hesitant because I do a lot of country driving to northern and western Victoria. – John G

Answer: Polestar is full-electric so scratch that… Otherwise the Benz will be the best car on your list, and a big step up from a Subaru. The new-generation C-Class arrives soon. If you are also thinking about an SUV body style then Volvo has a range of plug-in hybrid models worth a look and a test drive.

Question:

Answer: If you can stretch the budget to afford the new Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior it is by far the best Navara package and highly recommended. It picks up all the stuff that most buyers add after the showroom with great local suspension engineering by Premcar and a full factory warranty.

Question:

Answer: With used car prices as they are, many of the true seven-seaters will be out of your budget. The X-TRAIL isn’t a bad choice, but it’s only midfield in the small-medium SUVs. On current pricing, 2018-2019 models of the Mazda CX-5, Mitsubishi Outlander and more recent Hyundai Tucson models will be in your price range and will offer better tech, safety and more room than your 2010-vintage version – although you might still need the pod and rack.

Question:

Answer: Widespread adoption of solid-state batteries is arguably 15 rather than 10 years away and it’s our view that resale value of the next one or two model cycles of EVs is unlikely to be affected by this technology. With PHEVs, 100km pure electric range will still be on the outer edge of what’s available for a while yet. Most of the German brands will have viable PHEV SUVs in their line -up by the end of 2022. Here’s an article on the longest EV ranges currently and here is a look at what battery EVs are on the way to Australia. Polestar 3 is looking interesting, but timing may not work and, for outright performance versus dollars, the upcoming Audi e-tron GT could be a target for you with the poise and performance of the Porsche Taycan at a significantly lower price.

Question: We would like to upgrade our 1998 Nissan Patrol Ti as we plan to travel Australia. We are thinking of towing a van also… So suggestions about a Toyota, Nissan or other models to consider with a budget of $50,000 approximately. – Linda T

Answer: Most people go for Toyota LandCruiser or LandCruiser Prado but you will get much better value in another Nissan Patrol. Remember that prices of all heavyweight towing four-wheel drives have gone through the roof because so many people are planning a local getaway just like yours.

Question:

Answer: The Kia Picanto is good value and fine for short, zippy driving, but it only comes with a four-star ANCAP safety rating. carsales’ Best First Car 2021 mega-test has lined up the top micro and light cars, with the Kia Rio coming out on top.

Question: My partner has an old Toyota Corolla that needs replacement. She’s looking at a new Toyota Corolla, Toyota Yaris Cross or Hyundai i30. Which do you think is the better vehicle? – Mark J

Answer: The Toyota Corolla is a popular choice but it’s also expensive. The Hyundai i30 is better value but test drive all three and throw in the Kia Cerato as well. That’s a twin under the skin to the Hyundai and is arguably even better value plus comes with a seven-year warranty.

Question:

Answer: Thanks for the tip and another suggestion is to turn on the rear window heater, because in some vehicles the metal element is used as the aerial.

Question: My Ford Mondeo XR5 cracked a cylinder head in December 2020. The mechanic said it was probably a good time to replace the car due to the repair cost. We purchased a new Mazda CX-30 Astina X. We’ve found it lacks the zip we are looking for. A friend is buying a new car and has offered her 2015 BMW 435i coupe with 29,000km for $40,000. Would you keep the Mazda or sell it and buy the BMW? – Phillip P

Answer: The BMW will be a huge step up, won’t be short of zip, and will make driving far more enjoyable. You’ll also find that the CX-30 should be easy to sell at a decent price as good used cars are in short supply. I’d do the upgrade.

Got a question but don’t know where to find the information you need? Email us at editor@carsales.com.au

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