Car Options up to 15k

[AE82 FXGT]

Mazda 6 MPS ticks most boxes

Swiss Army knife of cars, I love mine, bit of a sleeper as everyone thinks it's just a normal Mazda6. Not afraid to leave it around town as I was with my RX8, and gets nice fuel economy (for a 4wd 2.3 turbo) about ~460km per tank around town, which could get better if I kept it off boost more often.

you have one of the cool early series one too which means no lame boost reduction in 1st and 2nd

There is no late model Mazda6, they only made the GG model turbo 4wd, the top spec GH is only NA 2.5 FWD.

I take it you are talking about the new Mazda3 MPS? They turned down the boost in first and second because they seemed downright dangerous when boosting around corners etc, The turbo would come on like a slap in the face. The newer one is a bit more linear and predictable.

[duddley]

What kind of car does your work expect you to use? ie is it a 4wd ute for going out on sites or a bmw for seeing boring people in suits?

[dnalunchie]

Mazda 6 MPS ticks most boxes

Swiss Army knife of cars, I love mine, bit of a sleeper as everyone thinks it's just a normal Mazda6. Not afraid to leave it around town as I was with my RX8, and gets nice fuel economy (for a 4wd 2.3 turbo) about ~460km per tank around town, which could get better if I kept it off boost more often.

you have one of the cool early series one too which means no lame boost reduction in 1st and 2nd

There is no late model Mazda6, they only made the GG model turbo 4wd, the top spec GH is only NA 2.5 FWD.

I take it you are talking about the new Mazda3 MPS? They turned down the boost in first and second because they seemed downright dangerous when boosting around corners etc, The turbo would come on like a slap in the face. The newer one is a bit more linear and predictable.

ah yeah, my bad, all i saw was the mps tag and instantly thought of the 3 model, very few people brought the 6 although they are both great cars

[rollaholic]

Mazda 6 MPS ticks most boxes

Swiss Army knife of cars, I love mine, bit of a sleeper as everyone thinks it's just a normal Mazda6. Not afraid to leave it around town as I was with my RX8, and gets nice fuel economy (for a 4wd 2.3 turbo) about ~460km per tank around town, which could get better if I kept it off boost more often.

its not really the boost that kills the fuel economy though is it, its the heavy right foot and excessive use of power

[d1 mule]

i vote 10 k on a wrx and 5k on therapy lessons so you learn some self control......the novilty of having a "fast" car will wear off in a couple of weeks/first time at the service station....then you will drive it nicely

[AE82 FXGT]

i vote 10 k on a wrx and 5k on therapy lessons so you learn some self control......the novilty of having a "fast" car will wear off in a couple of weeks/first time at the service station....then you will drive it nicely

Thats what I thought when I had my RX8, every fill up I was like "OK, now I'm not going to fang it and burn through this quick", next week I was back there saying the exact same thing.

Solution? - I sold it.

[AE82 FXGT]

ah yeah, my bad, all i saw was the mps tag and instantly thought of the 3 model, very few people brought the 6 although they are both great cars

Yeah 3 feels a little faster but isn't as planted around corners, nor as roomy/comfortable or practical.

The 6 MPS wasn't very popular at all in NZ, thats why there wasn't a new one

[dnalunchie]

i vote 10 k on a wrx and 5k on therapy lessons so you learn some self control......the novilty of having a "fast" car will wear off in a couple of weeks/first time at the service station....then you will drive it nicely

Thats what I thought when I had my RX8, every fill up I was like "OK, now I'm not going to fang it and burn through this quick", next week I was back there saying the exact same thing.

Solution? - I sold it.

yeah but even compared to a WRX a rotary uses up crazy amounts of fuel

[Lloyd]

9.8L/100km driving open road last time from the RX8. Dunedin to Cheviot on the same tank full

[iOnic]

Who cares how much fuel they use, you'll never fit 7 safely/comfortably in most of the cars mentioned here. OP needs to decide what he actually wants and which of his criteria are important. Still unknown if the source of the money for the car has any say in what sort of car it is.

IMO without actual info and realistic criteria, thread is confusing and just a list of people's ideas of what they think is cool at the moment.

[BZG Wagon]

Fuel's only going to go up. In a few years you'll look back on 2011 / 2012 and thing geez. $2.25/L was a bargain.

Hence use more now.

[waynesb]

If you have a mortgage and can borrow another $100k that should cost you around $6kpa... javascript:emoticon(':idea:')

Of course you have depreciation on top of that so you buy something has done most of its depreciation all ready.

Here's an awesome Maserati Ghibli GT for $35k, [url]http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/maserati/ghibli/auction-436576517.htm[/url], which would cost you $2100pa if you're paying around 6% on your mortgage. Yes gas is more of a problem, (as is carting the kids), but you've got a spare $7900 out of your $10k budget and you'll feel like a million dollars! Of course if it breaks down that $8k could disappear quite quickly... gulp. javascript:emoticon('8O')

I bought my wife a Nissan Presage 3.5l for carting the kids, and myself a '94 Mercedes SL280 (trademe $11k . I can take three kids to school on the way to work if I need to, but if I need to take all four kids or we're going on a family trip I take the Nissan, (and the wife gets to enjoy the Merc for a day). Problem solved.

But I'm not really making your decision easier am I

Just wanted to point out that lots of things are possible by thinking outside of the box...

[B1NZ]

i vote 10 k on a wrx and 5k on therapy lessons so you learn some self control......the novilty of having a "fast" car will wear off in a couple of weeks/first time at the service station....then you will drive it nicely

Thats what I thought when I had my RX8, every fill up I was like "OK, now I'm not going to fang it and burn through this quick", next week I was back there saying the exact same thing.

Solution? - I sold it.

We had a V4 STI and it was surprising how economical it was if you treated it nicely,

It was also surprised how uneconomical it was if you treated it badly

If you stayed somewhere in the middle of these 2 it could easily do 550km's on a tank of gas, If I wanted better economy I let the wife drive and it increased to about 650+km

[BzzzzR]

Right so I have narrowed it down slightly, have knocked the Fielder z off the list due to pretty ave looks, have def decided against a turbo due to zero control over my right foot in a car with boost (trip to HB in the brothers legnum VR4 proved that) and I have decided if I am getting it over 2 years I can stretch the budget to 20k over 2 years. So these look good.....

(This one is off a mate so should get it for 18kish)
http://www.autobase.co.nz/cars-for-sale/Honda/Accord/Sedan/801600.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/mazda/atenza/auction-443976156.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=442573643

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/mazda/atenza/auction-444054236.htm

or if I am spending slightly less

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/honda/accord/auction-436258165.htm