What car to get?

PostmanPot said:
Now we're talking. Why not the A4 if considering the 3 Series? Both being sedans.
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I guess from what I've been looking at cars.co.za & autotrader.
I upped my budget to 350-360K, and I found a lot of good 3 series & A3's which are relevantly new with very little mileage not the case for A4.
I spotted this awesome A3 sedan. The brilliant black just screams at me. Hoping they have something similar at Bruma.
I have found some good 3 series but nothing gripping looks wise in terms of colour, there's a lot of
 
tsume said:
I guess from what I've been looking at cars.co.za & autotrader.
I upped my budget to 350-360K, and I found a lot of good 3 series & A3's which are relevantly new with very little mileage not the case for A4.
I spotted this awesome A3 sedan. The brilliant black just screams at me. Hoping they have something similar at Bruma.
I have found some good 3 series but nothing gripping looks wise in terms of colour, there's a lot of
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One of the best looking cars on the road. But ±R350,000 is the new price of some A3s. If you insist on low mileage, you are getting less value for money. If you're happy to get ****ed by paying practically new car prices, and think extremely low mileage is important, then go ahead. You're only throwing away more money.
 
PostmanPot said:
One of the best looking cars on the road. But ±R350,000 is the new price of some A3s. If you insist on low mileage, you are getting less value for money. If you're happy to get ****ed by paying practically new car prices, and think extremely low mileage is important, then go ahead. You're only throwing away more money.
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What mileage vs car year should I aim for with BMW/Audi before I say hell no?
My plan is not keep the car forever but for maybe 3/4 years & trade it in, hopefully be in a position where I can afford a top executive car by that point. I'm guessing I should take the service plan in to consideration as well.
 
Rouxenator said:
W204 Merc or new Astra sedan.
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Ah, totally forgot to look for any W204 Mercs. I was busy trying to get a good looking A class because the standard one is so dull. But seems once all the good looking features get added one might as well look at getting a GTI or C class.
 
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tsume said:
What mileage vs car year should I aim for with BMW/Audi before I say hell no?
My plan is not keep the car forever but for maybe 3/4 years & trade it in, hopefully be in a position where I can afford a top executive car by that point. I'm guessing I should take the service plan in to consideration as well.
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If you intend keeping it for 3 - 4 years and then trading in, then look for something 1 - 2 years old with the balance 3 - 4 years' plan remaining, for the peace of mind. Calculate your monthly mileage and get something that will be at less than 100,000km once the plan expires and you trade in.

Just because a model of car is a newer age, does not mean it is different to an earlier one of the same model. For example, the 8V A3 sedan is from 2013 and has not been facelifted, so a 2013 one would offer you the same as the 2016 one you linked, and you'd be saving a lot.

The Audi B8 A4 is from 2008 but was facelifted in 2012 (B8.5) and had the interior updated, so again it would be better looking for a 2012/13 one using the A3's example above.
 
Rouxenator said:
You can get a lot more NEW in the Astra Sedan. Mileage = 0, German = 100%
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I took a 2010 Astra 1.6 Turbo for a spin the other day and was quite impressed. Fit and finish was great, the car was neat and well looked after and the engine is a peach. It was about on par with my i30 on comfort, but a lot more premium in terms of gadgets and tech.

Quite a looker, too, and not as common down here as say a Golf :)
 
PostmanPot said:
If you intend keeping it for 3 - 4 years and then trading in, then look for something 1 - 2 years old with the balance 3 - 4 years' plan remaining, for the peace of mind. Calculate your monthly mileage and get something that will be at less than 100,000km once the plan expires and you trade in.

Just because a model of car is a newer age, does not mean it is different to an earlier one of the same model. For example, the 8V A3 sedan is from 2013 and has not been facelifted, so a 2013 one would offer you the same as the 2016 one you linked, and you'd be saving a lot.

The Audi B8 A4 is from 2008 but was facelifted in 2012 (B8.5) and had the interior updated, so again it would be better looking for a 2012/13 one using the A3's example above.
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Ah thanks. I'm guessing the reason for lower cost in the 3 series range is due to the facelift.
 
tsume said:
Ah thanks. I'm guessing the reason for lower cost in the 3 series range is due to the facelift.
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Correct. I meant to say regarding the B8/8.5 is that the shape is from 2008/2012 and is still being sold in 2015.
 
I may be the resident Opel fanboi, but the Astra sedan is much more than meets they eye, or even first drive. Get it. You won't regret it.

Edit: Yes, built in Germany, check the VIN - it will start with W0.
 
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tsume said:
Went to Merc to take a look at the A1, the dealer said he will take a look at his pool for something around my range.

Now I understand why BMW drivers are viewed as ass****, cause the dealerships are asses as well. So BMW is definitely out for me.
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:confused:
 
It's been over a week since I was promised a trade in value by a Honda dealership and Kia was going to see if they could better their offer on a Monday as I went just before closing (this offered by themselves). I've not heard from either one since! Most dealers these days do not care one bit about service
 
tsume said:
So I'm in to looking for a newish car, hopefully a demo model or newly used with very low mileage.
I don't see the point of getting a brand new car, also hoping to catch some festive/new year manager.

Aside from safety, reliability, cost of maintenance, ride comfort, fuel economy; what I do want is: automatic, cruise control

Added bonus:
-Sports pack
-Turbo/Charger, likely means better with fuel consumption
-Sunroof

My budget is around 250-300K.

I've been looking at the Kia Cerato, Mazda 3, Audi A1 sportback.

What other cars can I get which have the above features?
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http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/2015-vehicle-dependability-study

FYI.

Fuel economy , look , price are all important.. but on top of all, reliability should come always first. You certainly don't wanna spend huge bucks repairing.
 
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Rouxenator said:
Astra Sedan 1.4T Enjoy A/T sells for a nudge under R300k, comes with a 6 speed autobox and all the other goodies you would want.

103kW Turbo engine
Leather Steering Wheel
Enjoy Trim
Rain Sensor Wipers
Anti-dazzle review mirror
Rain sensor wipers
6 Speed Automatic
Hill Start Assist
Power & Heated Side Mirrors
Colour Coded Door Handles
Daytime Running Lights
Cruise Control
Front & Rear power windows
Remote Controlled Power Door Locks
Leather Steering Wheel
Electronic Stability Programme (ESP)
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
Electronic Brake-Force Distribution (EBD)
High Level Brake Light
ISOFIX Child Seat Anchorage
17" alloy wheels
Radio CD 400 with Graphic Info Display
6 Airbags
Graphic Information Display
Onboard Computer
Optional 7” Colour IntelliLinkCD/Radio System
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FINALLY they have an automatic!

Is it any good though?
 
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