Your First Car! :P

[Mao]

haha! If only that particular Civic would still be available by the time I get my licence... for me, the car would simply be an effective means of mobility, as I can't stand public transport 

I'm just worried about the prices associated with buying Japanese parts for these cars if the need arises - according to my dad it can be quite an expense

Get a Holden. If you want something cheap, get an Astra. If you want something nice to drive around in, get a VZ Calais. I swear you cannot get a better first car for <$10k.

[kenhung123]

Are they expensive to service?

[Mr Keshy]

Civic's would be very cheap to service, mainly because of the wide availability of parts. Plus, these would more than likely be out of warranty so it can be done either by yourself or another cheap mechanic.

Mao probably speaks from experience (Y) Best to listen to him haha. Camry's Commodores and Falcons are really cheap to service though, again, because of the wide availability of parts and also, the cars are made here so parts are more accessible.

Oh, Camry's do come in smaller engines I think, so you might save fuel/money there.

Generally speaking, I believe, Honda and Mazda were the expensive ones to service. But I doubt much can go wrong with a civic

Have you looked at corolla's? They're reliable as well, as an A to B car, I guess that may suffice.

[Mao]

Doesn't matter what car it is, expect to pay ~$3k per year maintaining the vehicle (rego + insurance + services). Keep in mind that servicing is more than just servicing the engine, you need to keep an eye out for tyres, breaks, transmission, lights, steering & breaking fluids. Generally, these things get replaced around the 5-7 year mark. If you buy a car less than 5 years old, be prepared to shell out when these things need replacing. If you buy a car more than 5 years old, be prepared to shell out if the previous owner was lazy.

I recommend Holden simply because they are easier to service. Internal parts are more accessible due to the fact that it's a bigger car and there's more room under the bonnet. If something goes wrong, the mechanic is not going to charge you $400 to disassemble and reassemble the front of the car.

[kenhung123]

If I just go for 3rd party insurance and register under my parents name with me as a frequent driver, surely the insurance won't be that much?

[Mao]

If I just go for 3rd party insurance and register under my parents name with me as a frequent driver, surely the insurance won't be that much?

New P platers can pay as much as $1500 for comprehensive insurance, or $500 for third party.

[kenhung123]

What do P platers 'normally' go for?

[Mr Keshy]

The car will probably be insured on mums name, with me a secondary driver. Comprehensive.

[Mao]

What do P platers 'normally' go for?

If you live at home and daddy bought the car, you'll probably have to fork out for insurance.

If you live by yourself and bought the car for $2k and you're strapped for cash, you'll probably just have third party.

It depends on your financial situation.

[werdna]

Getting this car in a year's time...

[Mr Keshy]

Honestly, I hate e90's without the Msport front. They look awful without it imo.





This just looks awesome

[Shenz0r]

My Dad's handing down his Mitsubishi Challenger to me, and buying himself a new car.

I think people will be slightly scared to see a P-plater drive a 4WD

[Mr Keshy]

What year challenger?

[Special At Specialist]

I'm seriously considering getting a Skyline instead of an SV6. They have an awesome exterior, especially the back half of them, comfortable seats, they're manual cars and they only cost around 15k for a good model, such as this:
http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/nissan-skyline-1999-14312674?base=&vertical=Car&cr=48&page=5&eapi=2&__N=1216%20903%204294963846%204294963593%201247%201282%201252%201246%201912&num=15&silo=Stock&sort=~Price

If I'm going to get a Holden Commodore SS once I get my full licence, then I might as well live a little before then by getting a sick car like this. It just wouldn't feel right to replace an SV6 with an SS, especially since they're both autos.

[morantz]

I want a Japanese small car, that's why I've had my eye on either a Mazda 3 or Toyota Corolla to cut fuel costs without being too small and weak. I've particularly like the Mazda 3 SP23, with a 2006 model going for around $13k with optional leather and BOSE audio. This model isn't particularly fuel-efficient, however it is zippy especially with a manual transmission. Here's the link on carsales. http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/mazda-3-2006-14260332?base=1216&vertical=Car&cr=395&page=33&eapi=2&__N=1246%201252%201247%201282%201216&num=15&silo=Stock&items=%5bMake%3aMAZDA%2cModel%3a3%2cSeries%3aBK%20Series%202%5d&sort=%7eOdometer