Modern life enq if you don't mind

[dapper]

The time has come to delve into the modern world of car buying due to a change in circumstances and I wondered if you might have some advice. With a new addition to the fold on the way I'm thinking the wife might need something a little bigger than her current 07 Corolla Seca. She's saying it'll do until we know what pram we get and how we get on a few weeks after bub has arrived.

Pulling up at home last night,I remained in the car until the end of a particularly interesting radio doc. As I sit there the newly into parenthood neighbours pulled up in their 90's Ford Laser hatch (Escort type affair) and I saw what a load of gear the fella hauled out, and that was without the baby who accompanied the similarly weighed down with bags mother. Another car blocked my view so I couldn't see how this was all stacked up in the back, where was the pram though?

My mind was set. We need something bigger. Of course ever since Mrs d was confirmed preggers, being the diligent father to be and weighed down myself with the guilt heaped upon us by marketeers telling us we need to ferry our kids around in as safe a car as possible, I'm looking for something safe, or as safe as can be. Under AUD15,000 (UK readers, you'll laugh at what I'm going to have to fork out for my choices compared to back home) and I've come to two I like.

SENSIBLE HEAD
A 2010 Mondeo 2.3 LX. Trim wise that's the bottom of the range here (badgings different I think), but the difference in moola for a TITANIUM is ridiculous. Anyway, something under 100k on the clock would fetch $11k.

Or...

LEFT FIELD HEAD
2005 Volvo V70, all the gubbins and I mean all, 130k on the odo, garaged, full serviced and preventative bills up the hilt, not a mark, haven't asked about the front suspension yet, AUD 13k

So what do you think?

Mazda 6 anyone? This would be a serious consideration but those noughties light clusters aren't my bag.

PS I have a 1990 saab 900i 2dr Combi that usually does all the lugging about, boot gets filled quite a bit with various jobs so the jump in size past the Focus Estate/Wagon size won't be for no reason. It'll get used.

[dodgerover]

Last of the proper Falcon wagons? You'll fill it once you go out with a baby.....I wouldn't go for the Mondeo unless you do all city driving, at least the falcons were built for the Aussie conditions

Land Cruiser Troop carrier more space is always better....

[joem83]

Falcon. Or something like a Pajaro Collarado as they are known down there.
I'm having the same issue atm, I also have a non retro parentmobile thread in here lol.
I'm torn between a CRV or a Bmw Touring.

[welshpug]

Of the two, volvo 100%.

[joem83]

Did you guys get the Mazda 5? They are cheap over here, look to be a good size and quite nice looking for a MPV.
But out of the 2 you listed, Volvo.

[dapper]

As a pom I just can't see the point of the extra cc capacity of the falcon/ commodore and I certainly don't have the need for lugging around the weight of a 4WD system else I'd follow the crowd and go with the relianbilty of Subaru outback/liberty. The conditions I'd need would more than be utilised by the Mondeo from the ford family.

If I have to be different it has to be the Volvo but is it a sensible choice?

[composimmonite]

What are the most popular cars used as taxi's as that often gives an indication of something with large boot and decent economy.

Paul h

[dodgerover]

Jan 25, 2014 10:51:09 GMT composimmonite said:

What are the most popular cars used as taxi's as that often gives an indication of something with large boot and decent economy.

Paul h

Everybody used Falcon wagons on gas, not sure what the new ones are, they're pretty bulletproof, I wouldn't want to batter a Mondeo round Aus in the heat, dust and on corrogated dirt roads, it'd be in a million bits

[waveman1500]

Traditionally the Falcon and Commodore have been the only taxis since the 1970s, but increasingly now I'm seeing a lot of Prius taxis.
The Falcons and Commodores will do a genuine one million kilometres on the original drivetrain during their maximum five-year life as a taxi, but after that they're ready for the scrap heap.

One of my mates bought a 2003 BA XR6 Falcon in 2005, and had it for a few years. By the time it got to about 6-7 years old and 199 thousand kilometres the manual gearbox was whining and starting to jump out of gear, the rear door lock actuators had failed, the driver's seatbelt didn't retract anymore and there were a few rattles starting in the interior trim. In general it felt a lot rougher than most Japanese cars do at 15 years old. Admittedly the car was used hard by a young driver and had done a few track days at Mallala, but still I was disappointed that it didn't last better.

The Falcons do gargle fuel as well, even when compared to the Commodore. It used to be that they were cheap to run on gas, but now the government have put fuel excise on gas, so it's hardly even worth running LPG anymore. Definitely not worth paying for a conversion, as they've stopped the rebate on conversions too. 5 years ago gas used to be less than half the price of petrol, now it's more like 70% of the price. My mate has a dual-fuel Hiace van, and says that he can now run cheaper on petrol if he buys it on a cheap day (bottom of the discount cycle).

[dapper]

The dust roads will be few and far between as we're living in inner city Melbourne. There'll be the occasional run up country Victoria, down the Peninsula or along the Great Ocean Road, definitely no sandy outback routes to contend with. There's absolutely no way I'd buy a Commodore/Falcon, waaaaay to big engined and given i saw LPG at 99cents other day, not much incentive. Anyway, the F&C taxis I've been have been dogs, sorry but the only ones I'd consider are from the GM back catalogue from the 80's.

[joem83]

Is fuel expensive these days? I filled a 2008 XR6 up for $50 in 2008, thought it was quite cheap lol.

[waveman1500]

The petrol now in Adelaide is ranging between $1.46 per litre on cheap day and about $1.64 on expensive day. Back in 2008 the fuel discount cycle used to be weekly, so you could predict it was always on the same day, which was Thursday from memory. Now the discount cycle is a lot longer, more like 10 days.

My Suzuki Sierra costs $50 to fill up (35 litres into a 40 litre tank), to fill up a Falcon with 98 octane these days is well past the $100 mark.

[joem83]

Gone up a fair bit then.

[loudandproud205]

I have a 2011 Toyota Auris (the Corrollas replacement) I have 3 kids and don't struggle with it.

Even on the bad occasions when I have my niece or nephew one is 2/3 years old the other is 2 months old, we havn't struggled with space (my kids are at school when the niece or nephew is here)

I wold go as far as saying its more practical my either of my Discoverys when it comes to the push chairs and baby things.

We had many cars over the years while mine were growing up, everything from Renault Espaces and Vauxhall Zafira to Peugeot 205 and MK2 VW Golf.

[Deleted]

I always vote Volvo for a modern as long as its not the fuggly first generation hybrid S30 wibblepoo.

[dapper]

The Auris is still a Corolla here and in NZ. It's a fair sized boot and I'd dare say we could probably manage with one child. Just getting that urge to change, but it seems it could be just for changes sake if loudandproud205 can fit that lot in.

Could this mean I can return to my W123 fetish? Loathe to part with the 900i until it dies on me which doesn't look like its occurring any time soon but the constant lure of W123's on Melbourne streets has me drooling on a daily basis.