[Tia Maria]

We're going to get a small, second hand car for me to learn to drive in, in NZ, and would appreciate any suggestions.

We're looking for:

1) 5 door
2) 5 sash belts (so I can fit 3 kids in the back)
3) Automatic
4) Sassy!

There may be other things that would be helpful, but I'm not sure what. Basically I want one that is small, so I won't have to spend five hours looking for a parking space I'm confident I can get in to, but at the same time its got to fit 3 kids (6, 4 & 1).

Cheers

Tia

[Jo Jo]

Oooh, what a timely thread - I want the same! I'll be watching this thread with interest.

[CJ22]

1) 5 door
2) 5 sash belts (so I can fit 3 kids in the back)
3) Automatic
4) Sassy!

Here you go:

http://www.wpclipart.com/armed_services/tanks/Sherman_Tank_WW2.png

[dilanium]

The Toyota vitz or Yaris perhaps?

(That's what I'm looking into getting when I get there).

[Ojai]

I was deeply impressed with the Suzuki Swift that I hired. It has all that, and is fun to drive to boot.

[kanatakiwi]

we have a little nissan pulsar which fits your criteria. its is a little zipper, great for getting around the city and not too bad on gas. I see heaps of them around the city so I am guessing they would be reasonable to buy. ... you didnt say if you wanted new or second hand.

[benandclare]

Got as nice little VW Polo as our "town car" :laugh

[Georgebulldog]

I'm looking too, having to drive an outback at the mo & I hate it, wont even try & park on the street as I can't see the front or back of it, a nice Golf would be great :)

[Tia Maria]

Thanks everyone, lots to check out.

I suspect it might be quite hard to get 5 sash belts as many just come with a lap belt in the centre back, so that might help us to decide.

Cheers

Tia

[dharder]

I suspect with smaller cars, there will be lap belts only. But you can get some sort of contraption that adds a harness to the lapbelt and anchors it to the car in the back, don't have the link at hand but have seen it and a couple of places in Auckland that will install it.

Apart from that, I'd love a Polo. I had similar requirements to yours and ended up with a Mazda Demio, which fulfills our needs. I just drive it around town, and it's fine for that. However, it's the kind of car that has no character at all, and since it is silver, I can't even spot it easily on a car park... In the first two weeks, I had two people drive into me, so it really is very unnoticable.

With a slightly bigger budget, I would have gone for the Polo...

Good luck with your search,

Daniela

[Familyofmonkeys]

Some of the smaller Mitsubishi's come with 3 sash belts on the back seats. But it is definitely worth checking all your car seats will fit across the back....we found that we couldn't get all our cars seats (2 car seats and a small high backed booster seat) in many vehicles when we were looking round, so in the end we went for a larger car with a nice reverse beeping sensor thing for me as I am rubbish at parking.

[BaldyBeardyBloke]

I was deeply impressed with the Suzuki Swift that I hired. It has all that, and is fun to drive to boot.

What if you want to go somewhere other than boot? :laugh

Sorry.

[JandM]

:laugh

M keeps looking at all the cars for sale on TradeMe, and calling me to 'Come and see your car for when we go to NZ.' The thing is, he's already decided that his car will be a nice practical 4x4 (like the old Range Rover he's got here), so what he's picking out so-called 'for me' are all the boy racer dream cars! Joking aside, I don't mind plenty of power (in fact, I want plenty of power), but I want a comfortable biggish saloon car round it.

[AndyR]

What price range are you looking at? not really had much experience with automatics in small cars however the Suzuki Swift is a great car, also look at the Suzuki Ignis. I think a Yaris may be too small to fit 5 in comfortably.

[dilanium]

What price range are you looking at? not really had much experience with automatics in small cars however the Suzuki Swift is a great car, also look at the Suzuki Ignis. I think a Yaris may be too small to fit 5 in comfortably.

Depends on the Yaris. I know the three door liftback would be too tiny, but the five door liftback looks roomier. But then, I haven't seen one as they're not for sale in the US. (All I know is that I can fit into the 3 door so I assume I can fit into the five door, and being able to get into the car is a major bonus).

[IanW99]

Can recommend a renault clio, they are small, safe, can get them in automatic and come with three propert seat belts in the back.

We used to have a 1.6 and it was a great car to drive (very nippy), they were also popular with the driving schools back in the UK.

The only problems are that they are quite scarce in NZ and they aren't much good for taller people in the back (limited head room).

Ian

[boatieman]

Can recommend a Land rover discovery 3, excellent for towing the boat and has seven seats... so 6 shoulder belts..

[StevieD]

Can recommend a renault clio, they are small, safe, can get them in automatic and come with three propert seat belts in the back.

We used to have a 1.6 and it was a great car to drive (very nippy), they were also popular with the driving schools back in the UK.

The only problems are that they are quite scarce in NZ and they aren't much good for taller people in the back (limited head room).

Ian


Another thing to be aware of is the cost, Japanese cars have a huge support network here, whereas the Euro cars are not so well looked after.
A guy I speaking to one time lost his key, brand new French car, went on hols, came back and couldn't find the key (bit like the ad on tv :laugh )
In a nutshell the key could only be obtained from France for a ridiculous amount of money, I'm talking serious cash here. So be aware......

[Wahlet]

Get a diesel. They use up to 40% less fuel, the engines are known to last a long time (I knew a guy with a 91 Jetta that went 700K miles on its original engine), the new ones don't smoke and smell like the old ones.

My recommendation.

Personally? My wife and I are going car-less when we get to Welly.

[Tia Maria]

OK, so far I've got:

Honda Jazz (Fit)
Toyota Yitz
Toyota Yaris
Suzuki Swift
Suzuki Ignis
Nissan Pulsar
VW Polo
Golf
Mazda Demio
Mitsubishi (smaller ones)
Renault Clio

- Check room for car seats (we'll have 2 boosters and one proper seat)
- Look for dooh-dah that adds harness to lap belt
- Bright colour (so people see me coming! :D )
- Japanese cars have better support network

Andy R - unsure of a price yet, we bought our Honda Odyssey for about $15,000 so I was expecting to pay a fair bit less for a smaller second hand car, but a quick look at this site suggest this is not always the case:

www.autotrader.co.nz

Boatieman - Land Rover sounds a bit big for my needs!

Wahlet - I'm a fan of walking too and have lived without a car, (or learning to drive), for a long time but the combination of kids and limited public transport options where we are in NZ, means I'm having to consider it.

Cheers

Tia

[Tia Maria]

Forgot to add, does anyone know of any good second hand car dealer websites?

Cheers

Tia

[cappuccino]

Tia, why don't you go to the car auctions - they will let you test drive the cars you like and even if you don't buy on the day, it gives you an idea of what you like/don't like.

[Tia Maria]

Tia, why don't you go to the car auctions - they will let you test drive the cars you like and even if you don't buy on the day, it gives you an idea of what you like/don't like.

Not sure if they'd let me test drive one - I've only had two lessons! :D

But might be worth checking out, are they child friendly places?

Cheers

Tia

[cappuccino]

Ah, no you have to have a full licence and register with them before they let you loose! I can't answer about the kids cos I didn't take any with but I do remember seeing a few kids around.

[JandM]

Been to car auctions in the UK and they're absolutely NOT child-friendly. Cars are moving around and adults have their minds on their bidding. The officials demand that any children are under CLOSE supervision, and parents need their eyes in their behinds every moment for the practical dangers - I wouldn't think you'd be able to take in details of the cars.

[Jon&Candy]

I saw a 2006 Suzuki Swift with less than 10,000 kms sell at Turners Auction in Wellington for $13,000 on Saturday. That's going to make a great car for someone.

Also, last week, my wife got a 2006 NZ New Toyota Yaris (3dr manual) from the Toyota dealer in Porirua for $13,000. It still had 18 months original warranty left. That was an amazing deal, and probably not easy to replicate. I can confirm that it has 3 x 3 point seatbelts in the back.

By the way, there's no difference in size between the 3dr and 5dr Yaris. Both have sliding rear seats which allow you to choose between boot space or rear leg-room. There's even a split in the slide, so you can have 1 or 2 seats with lots of leg room and more boot space the other side.

[Tia Maria]

I saw a 2006 Suzuki Swift with less than 10,000 kms sell at Turners Auction in Wellington for $13,000 on Saturday. That's going to make a great car for someone.

Also, last week, my wife got a 2006 NZ New Toyota Yaris (3dr manual) from the Toyota dealer in Porirua for $13,000. It still had 18 months original warranty left. That was an amazing deal, and probably not easy to replicate. I can confirm that it has 3 x 3 point seatbelts in the back.

By the way, there's no difference in size between the 3dr and 5dr Yaris. Both have sliding rear seats which allow you to choose between boot space or rear leg-room. There's even a split in the slide, so you can have 1 or 2 seats with lots of leg room and more boot space the other side.

Oooh thank you, thats really useful info, it will give us something to compare to. :nice1 (Rep coming your way)

By the way, I'm guessing your not in Bath, UK anymore, unless you're travelling a long way to buy a car! :D

Cheers

Tia

[Jon&Candy]

By the way, I'm guessing your not in Bath, UK anymore, unless you're travelling a long way to buy a car! :D


Ooops - I forgot to update my profile! We arrived in Wellington on Thursday 10th.

[Tia Maria]

Posted this is in the wrong place earlier (whoops :o ):

I've found a picture of the child safety harness which can be fitted if you need more than a middle lap belt:

www.childrestraints.co.nz/boosterseats.htm

I can't work out yet if they can be fixed to any car - anyone know?

Cheers

Tia

[Tia Maria]

So the shortlist is:

Honda Jazz/Fit (3 rear sashbelts fitted after 2004)
Toyota Vitz
Suzuki Swift (2005 and after)

But I could have changed my mind by this afternoon!

I've been using this site:

www.whatcar.com

Cheers

Tia

[jubjub]

tia, my friend has a Honda jazz and loves it, although she doesnt have kids, she has to fit in quite a bit of camping gear and a bike!

[Tia Maria]

Yes, the Honda Jazz/Fit is probably my fave, although coming up a bit more expensive than the other two.

I haven't found Swift to look at yet but it looks good on paper.

I should have said the Toyota Vitz is also called the Yaris or Echo depending on which country it was manufactured in.

Cheers

Tia

[jubjub]

My friend with the Jazz is on Oz, but she found it was only a couple of grand difference between a 5 yr old car and a brand new one, so she got herself a brand new one.

I have also heard great things about the Yaris.

the swift seems a bit small when I see it on the road....

[mgbridges]

Martin had a Swift as his courtesy car and really liked it and said IF we'd been getting two cars it would have been perfect for me.

Enjoy shopping!

Anneliese

[Tia Maria]

I found this link thanks to one of IanW99 links:

www.rightcar.govt.nz

It allows you to compare the fuel consumption, safety features and pollution between different makes.

Its not completely comprehensive but it does have a fair few models.

I compared the 3 small car makes I'm interested in and found out there could be up to $400 a year running costs difference between the best and the worst fuel efficient car. Quite amazing considering they all seem fairly similar.

Cheers

Tia

[Georgebulldog]

Just bought a Golf to replace our tank, picking it up tonight :clap
Looked at a Polo but the boot was tiny & the Golf is a bit bigger but still a nice small car to drive, got it at Turners auctions
The Golf seemed a bit more robust aswell, test drove a Merc A Class but hated it although was a bit roomier than the Polo

How are you going looking? Found anything yet?

[Tia Maria]

Just bought a Golf to replace our tank, picking it up tonight :clap
Looked at a Polo but the boot was tiny & the Golf is a bit bigger but still a nice small car to drive, got it at Turners auctions
The Golf seemed a bit more robust aswell, test drove a Merc A Class but hated it although was a bit roomier than the Polo

How are you going looking? Found anything yet?

I see they're advertising Turners a lot at the moment, did you find it easy to buy there? Enjoy your new nippy car!

Yes, we decided on a Toyota Vitz (Japanese name for a Toyota Echo or Yaris).

The car dealer showed me its review in the 'Dog and Lemon' guide ( http://dogandlemon.com/ ) and it got two excellent ratings for safety and reliability. Its also a nice colour! :p

Since getting it, several people have said how economical they are to run and very reliable, so hopefully that will prove true.

Currently trying to work out how to get 3 kids car seats in the back, but it looks possible......

Cheers

Tia

PS While looking for a car, I was warned off Honda Jazz/Fits that have CVTs (Continual Variable Transmission), apparently they break down a lot.

[zardell]

Its also a nice colour! :p



:laugh :laugh :laugh

I like it !!!

Julie

xx

[sizzlingbadger]

My mum had a VW Polo and it was a nightmare, could only get the three wheeled pushchair on the back seat and one car seat in next to it ! ! ! Not so good when she took two kids to look after with one needing the pushchair. The Golf is definitely a good choice :nice1

We've been looking at downgrading ours but it's not an easy or cheap quest, at the moment we've got a Delica and it being so versatile we can't find a better or more economical vehicle. So far we've used it to transport a new bath, a load of hay, whole sheet of ply ! ! ! Any suggestions :D Definitely can't get down to a Toyota Vitz as we've still got three kids on high backed booster seats :uhoh We proved that one on holiday when we had to go for a Toyota Estima to get everything in :o

[Georgebulldog]

[QUOTE=Tia Maria;205828]I see they're advertising Turners a lot at the moment, did you find it easy to buy there?

We didn't use the auction side of things just one we saw on Trade Me that was in stock, it was all done very quickly, got a service & new Reg & WOF & picked up the next day, got them down by a few $$$ too by saying I would walk away to think about it rather than sighning up there & then, she soon went off & came back with a figure more in my budget :raebanana

[Farfields]

We have a Mazda Demio, and think it is really great. There are three models available, depending on the year of manufacture. We have a 2006 version, and I'd recommend it compared to your needs. Colour is Lavendar, which has provoked comments about my manhood, but I like a bit of individuality...

Here's a link to one for sale (if the link still works)
http://www.thecaryard.co.nz/index/Mazda/Demio/Mazda_Demio_215149.html

5 doors, automatic or manual, 5 seat belts (lap belt in centre though), split folding read seat. Boot space is flat with seats folded and low sill to get things in the back. Taller than other similar cars (can get my mountain bike in with only needing to take front wheel off). Boot space still pretty good with seats up. Downside, I suppose, is that the tailgate is fairly large - just step back as you open.
Manual 1300cc (what we have) is pretty nippy, but I guess automatics will be slower. Fuel consumption is great for us - 700km on 40l tank
Parking is easy as it is still a small car.
Don't know about fitting of child seats - you ought to get advice on that I guess.

Style wise is very debatable though ;-) depends on how wacky and individual your tastes are. Swift and Micra probably have better head turning appeal, but are not as practical from my perspective.

The older MK 1 style is similar to ours, but the newer 2007 model is completely different.

good luck hunting. Car buying can be fun, try out some funky models just for the joy...

[migratory birds]

I'm hoping the Canadian manufacturers of the "ZENN" (Zero Emissions, No Noise) all-electric car (the CityZenn due out in 2009 capable of highway speeds for a couple hours with a five minute recharge on the battery) will be available in NZ.

Sassy? Yes - esp the brilliant blue head turner.

Don't know if it'll hold 3 kids in back...but it will hold 20 cases of, well, you should watch this funny video to learn more about the Zenn:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M88k6Ipp3c