Help! Would you buy a car right now? Used? New? How much would you spend? What would you buy??? I have a 12 yo small sedan that will need replacing in the near future. Have been thinking about buying a new car before the end of the year, but so many questions!!!

No. Car prices, including used, are high at the moment. Is your car in a good condition and not needing a lot of repair work done? Personally I’d only buy a used car because a brand new one loses so much value the moment you drive it off the car yard. Maybe look at a car that has been part of a business fleet of cars and is likely to only a year old and not used a lot. Almost a new car and someone else has worn the loss of value.

Heyho2 I want to upgrade my XV for the Outback. I made my DH sit in one when mine was being serviced. Showed him how much prepper space the boot had. Tried to lure him in with the nearly army green….no luck so far 😢 I do love my XV though.

NightHawk My dp said the only thing that he knew about the outback was that it was a stereotypical car for lesbians in America. I told him thats exactly what I’m after 😅

I’ve only replaced cars when it was needed - eg old and breaking down all the time, and no replacement parts being made. Or, I needed to upsize to fit more kids in. DH has bought ex demos before, and saved a bit of money. I’ve only ever owned 1 brand new car - it’s my current one. It’s about 5 years old and I have been thinking about downsizing it as it’s a 7 seater and it’s only me in it 95% of the time. Before that, I had 3 second hand cars - first one was pretty old to start with, and I only had that a few years. Not very safe to drive due to it’s age. My next one will likely be brand new - not sure how many years away that will be, but I’ll be able to pay cash for it - if DH doesn’t upgrade his at the same time. Though I sometimes joke with DH we should get matching cars at the same time - a his and hers. If you think yours might need replacing in the future, start saving now. 🙂

Thanks all! Its such a hard one to decide. My current car was brought ex-demo after writing off the old bomb my parents passed down to me at 18. I had wanted to buy something a few years old, but the second hand market is crazy right now. A relative recently has their car written off, and it was such a rush to find something else on a limited budget, that I’d like to avoid that. Also mine needs 4 new tyres urgently and probably needs a service, as hasnt had one for 50,000km. It’s a good reliable car, that apart from a battery, tyres and accidental damage hasn’t missed a beat. I will still probably get about 3k trade in.. I would like something a little bigger with modern safety features. Something for a family, as I’m sure Ill be driving DD and her friends around soon enough. Whatever I buy I’d like to stay under 25k, closer to 20k would be even better. I wouldn’t have any issue getting a loan I dont think, though will try to pop it on my mortgage. Currently thinking about a Haval H2 (about a year old/ex-demo) or a new MG ZS or maybe a KIA? But I have no idea if any of them are any good. My current car is a Toyota.

I plan to buy a plug-in hybrid Eclipse Cross later in the year when they come to Australia, I have had a few new cars and like FlushedAway I don’t think about the value drop as I’m not buying it as an investment and I keep them for years (not as long as FlushedAway though). Turns out my cousin by marriage works for Mitsubishi and, with her staff discount, saved my dad thousands on his new Pajero Sport a few months ago and my aunty told dad I had to call when buying so I might save some of that lost value anyway.

Buying a car

Heyho2

We’re thinking about a suburu outback. I have no more info than that 🤣. We do want to go to the Flin...