BUYING a car can be a daunting task if you’re not a natural revhead, so our Carsguide team are here to help find the car you need.
Passion is often the deciding factor in new car considerations. I’m not talking about the instant turn-on of seeing the car you want sitting in a showroom but rather the results of the procreative act, which obliges prospective parents to consider a vehicle more commodious than the coupe they’re now driving.
That often precludes looking at flashy new cars — not when there are years of spilt drinks, regurgitated meals and greasy mitts to consider. No; safe and practical are the key considerations here. If stylish enters the picture as well, great.
The good news is that choice has never been wider or richer.
Carsguide has crunched the numbers and come up with three new cars that will cope with the coming years without costing a fortune. They’re a deliberately disparate trio, intended to reflect the vast choice car buyers have in this market.
The common factors: they’re all best-of-breed family transport and cost about $35,000. And like those you see at the right, each has five star crash safety, has been awarded at least four stars by Casguide road testers and simply represents the best buys for the money.
Not sure what to buy? Take our Carsguide Car Selector quiz below, then read the fine print.
TITLE: NND Cars Guide Selection Multipromo
FORD RANGER
$35,990
The Ranger is the go-to vehicle for families who love gardening, caravanning or escaping to the bush. It also makes obvious sense for tradie with a family. The ride height rivals anything an SUV can aspire to and it is almost as friendly to drive (forwards).
The rear-wheel drive XL double-cab is the cheapest way to climb into a Ranger. Its list price is $33,990 but most folks will drop another $2000 to swap the six-speed manual for a six-speed auto.
The 2.2-litre turbo diesel’s claimed fuel use of 8.9L/100km can be matched on real roads — Carsguide saw 10.1L/100km — and it has a braked towing capacity of 3500kg.
The interior is spartan or child-friendly, depending on the age of your offspring, with dense, durable plastic on the doors and a vinyl floor enabling quick mess mop-ups.
In terms of features, the 3.5-inch infotainment display is tiny by new car standards (the Ranger was released in 2011) but doesn’t lack for functionality with voice-operated Bluetooth and USB/iPod connectivity. No satnav, though.
The downside is its sheer size and the absence of both parking sensors and a camera when reversing. This isn’t a deal-buster but it won’t endear the big Ford who whoever does the grocery shopping.
Ford Ranger XL 4x2 dual-cab
SAFETY: 5 stars
ENGINE: 2.2-litre 4-cyl turbo diesel, 110kW/375Nm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed auto; RWD
THIRST: 8.9L/100km (diesel)
RESALE: 50 per cent
MAZDA CX-5
$35,110
Among SUVs, they don’t go much better than the CX-5. The mid-sized Mazda’s decent drive and high-class interior have earned this vehicle the status of Australia’s top-selling SUV.
The decision here is whether you want the extra weight and fuel use of an all-wheel drive. If you can afford to do without it — and most people can, given the CX-5’s ground clearance endows even the 4x2 versions with modest off-road ability — there’s $3000 to be saved.
A front-drive MaxxSport costs $33,620 with a six-speed auto and 2.0-litre petrol engine. Spend the extra $1490 for the safety pack, which adds such software as blind-spot monitoring and lane departure warning, and the price climbs to $35,110.
For that you get a vehicle with the look and elevated ride of an SUV and driving dynamics that shame some sedans. Official fuel use is 6.4L/100km; Carsguide returned 7.8L.
Standard gear in the MaxxSport includes a 5.8-inch infotainment screen with satnav, reversing camera, cruise control and auto lights and wipers. A small centre rear seat works against the CX-5 (good luck trying to get anyone to fit between a pair of booster seats) and the 403L boot is good without being class-leading.
Mazda CX-5 MaxxSport 4x2
SAFETY: 5 stars
ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 114kW/200Nm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed auto; FWD
THIRST: 6.4L/100km (91 RON)
RESALE: 53 per cent
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF WAGON
$33,840
Turning the reigning Carsguide Car of the Year into a wagon adds a lot of practicality for very little trade-off in looks.
Everything that made the Golf a winner has been kept but boot space explodes from the hatchback’s adequate 380L to 605L. That will cope with the biggest of prams and still leave room for a clothes-change bag, toys and whatever else you load up on to keep the little tykes satisfied.
It’s an outstanding example of a wagon bettering the perceived practicality of an SUV.
The top-spec Highline models are within reach for a rubbery $35,000. The 1.4-litre turbo petrol costs $33,840, while its turbo diesel counterpart starts at $36,340. We prefer the petrol, as do 90 per cent of you.
The features list includes a 5.8-inch infotainment touchscreen with satnav and the expected audio interfaces, reversing camera and front/rear parking sensors, sports front seats and piano black and chrome highlights to lift the interior ambience if the LED lights in the footwells and doors aren’t enough.
One of the few negatives is the rear seats. They’re fine for adults but they put thrashing bodies in booster seats within kicking distance of the front occupants. Personally, I’d trade some cargo space for more rear room and driving comfort.
VW Go lf 103TSI Highline
SAFETY: 5 stars
ENGINE: 1.4-litre 4-cyl turbo, 103kW/250Nm
TRANSMISSION: 7-speed dual-clutch auto; FWD
THIRST: 5.2L/100km (95 RON)
RESALE: 51 per cent
SEDAN
Toyota Camry Hybrid
$34,990
Can thousands of taxi drivers be wrong? About the best route maybe, but not about this choice of cab. The petrol engine-electric motor hybrid is so much better to drive than the conventional Camry with a great deal more power and torque yet uses as little as 5.2L/100km of basic unleaded. Classified as a mid-size sedan, it is in fact barely smaller inside than a Falcon. For $6000 more you can get almost-Lexus level luxury in the Camry Hybrid L but this version with its smaller wheels rides more smoothly.
PEOPLE-MOVER
Kia Rondo Si CRDI
$32,490
Carsguide’s favourite people-mover (or multipurpose vehicle if you prefer) is Citroen’s Grand Picasso but that’s a good $11,000 more than this adept and decent-looking Korean seven-seater. It’s a bit basic by comparison but the turbo diesel comes into its own under a full load of passengers or cargo. Promised fuel use is 6.4L/100km. Five-year warranty with capped servicing too.
SMALL CAR
Mazda3 SP25 GT auto
$32,590
Small cars, as we keep saying, really aren’t that small anymore. The new Mazda3 approaches the bigger Mazda6 in some interior directions both as sedan or same-priced hatchback. For Carsguide though, the range really gets going with SP25 series that uses a bigger four-cylinder petrol engine than the entry models but little more fuel — only 6.1L/100km of basic unleaded (and the auto is more frugal than the manual). The well-equipped GT line is a Car of the Year candidate.
PRESTIGE
Mercedes-Benz A180
$35,600
Crept up from just under $35K but we’ll give it a guernsey because it’s still a historic low price from a new Benz. It’s also an entry level prestige car you can drive without looking try-hard, with a standard automatic driving a lively petrol engine. Traditional Benz buyers will find the ride confrontingly firm but this car is all about those of us who have never thought to afford Tristar car.
TRADITIONAL
Holden Commodore SV6 auto
$35,690
It’s highly unlikely you’ll pay full freight, in which case the best car ever built in Australia is an almost ridiculous bargain. The SV6 is pretty much the sweet spot of the VF range, with the full-capacity V6 delivering a good deal more poke than the entry-level Evoke, without the cause-for-pause fuel use of the V8s. Yes, they’ll stop making them in 2017 but so numerous are these that parts and spares will be obtainable for decades.
SPORTS
TOYOTA 86 GTS
$35,990
OK, so it’s almost a grand over our designated limit and, no, it’s not a family car — but it does serve to show how little you need spend for all the car you could want. And this is a great car, an instant icon that everybody with the least drop of fuel in their veins should drive at least once. Carsguide’s joint 2012 Car of the Year with its Subaru BRZ twin, this classic lightweight, rear-wheel drive coupe gives instant gratification. Stunning handling and dynamics make it the best sports car this side of a Porsche.
VERDICT
There is no right or wrong answer here. The car you need will largely depend on lifestyle choices — much like the one that got you into the “what do we do for a car” predicament in the first place.
I’d take the Ranger and accept having to do the shopping runs. My (city based) friends assure me that won’t work long-term. Most preferred the Mazda’s looks but were more impressed with the Golf’s furniture-ingesting carrying ability. It’s a case of horses for courses and these three steeds are all proven stayers.
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