New medium sized car

jorgo86 · 13-08-2010, 12:23 PM

Hi all,

My mum's in the market for a new, medium sized car.

I've suggested Mazda 3, Hyundai i30, Ford Focus and Mitsubishi Lancer.

Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with these cars, and are there any other decent cars of that size I've neglected to mention?

Thanks!

Yellow_Festiva · 13-08-2010, 01:32 PM

I would add the Holden Cruze to that list.

I hired one for a week and covered a lot of km. Was very impressed. Should I be in the market for a medium sized car it would make the short list for sure.

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthr...ze#post3257976

My write up is post 214 of that thread.

jorgo86 · 13-08-2010, 01:40 PM

Nice review!

I'm still not sold on the Cruze... but I'm sure it will still be taken for a test drive

Stoney! · 13-08-2010, 02:04 PM

VW Golf, safest car 2010, world car of the year 2009, international engine of the year award 2009 and 2010 (1.4 twin charger). And countless BFYB and COTY awards. All these journo's can't be wrong.

Plus you get stacks of kit for your money, a wonderfully built car and presented interior, the best engine in a non sports small car on the market, Best economy from any small petrol car on the market, and a 7 speed dual clutch transmission.

Stoney!

GS608 · 13-08-2010, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stoney!

VW Golf, safest car 2010, world car of the year 2009, international engine of the year award 2009 and 2010 (1.4 twin charger). And countless BFYB and COTY awards. All these journo's can't be wrong.

Plus you get stacks of kit for your money, a wonderfully built car and presented interior, the best engine in a non sports small car on the market, Best economy from any small petrol car on the market, and a 7 speed dual clutch transmission.

Stoney!

And the price is considerably more than a Hyundai i30 or Cruze or Focus.

40 odd thousand for a Golf 103TDI DSG, $25k for an i30 SR, or $27k for a Focus Zetec, $25k for a Cruze CDX

atec77 · 13-08-2010, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jorgo86

Hi all,

My mum's in the market for a new, medium sized car.

I've suggested Mazda 3, Hyundai i30, Ford Focus and Mitsubishi Lancer.

Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with these cars, and are there any other decent cars of that size I've neglected to mention?

Thanks!

Budget dependant a baby bmw a couple of years old
My daily is a 3 litre 5 speed and its cheap to run and repair

jorgo86 · 13-08-2010, 02:55 PM

I'm sorry I should have mentioned the budget...

Looking at between 20k and 30k

**ebxr8240** · 13-08-2010, 07:33 PM

Mazda or Subaru..

Dave_au · 13-08-2010, 07:37 PM

Mitsubishi is still offering the best warranty for a new car in the business.

fou_bleu · 13-08-2010, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave_au

Mitsubishi is still offering the best warranty for a new car in the business.

The catch is, though:

"Mitsubishi's Diamond Advantage combines our 10-year or 160,000km* Powertrain Warranty, a 5-year or 130,000km* New Vehicle Warranty, and a 5-year Perforation Warranty with servicing costs capped for the first 4 years or 60,000km of driving."

www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au

fou_bleu · 13-08-2010, 08:16 PM

Well here's my opinion, based on automatic diesel (if available) models. Why?*

For my top recommendation, it's a toss up between the Lancer and i30.

It's a shame the Lancer doesn't have a diesel (yet), but it is a really good car IMO - and for $28,390 it is truly a feature packed car for the price! So that's my recommendation.

The Hyundai i30 (also $28,390) is also a great car and the model researched is even the top trim level model! So this gets an =1st with the Lancer for me.

The Mazda 3/Focus ($29,230/$29,790) twins are quite expensive for what you get - especially the diesel models which are the non-performance gems. Sadly the diesels get based on low spec models. They do offer, though, the best drive and highest quality (for the price).

IMO, I wouldn't shop anywhere elsewhere atm, but, hey, this is only my opinion. Hope I was of some help.

*I'm diesel biased, and believe petrol isn't even worth a look in with these cars for daily drivers.

Prices were retrieved from redbook.com.au on the 13/8/2010 @ 7pm

4.0i_SiX · 13-08-2010, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stoney!

VW Golf, safest car 2010, world car of the year 2009, international engine of the year award 2009 and 2010 (1.4 twin charger). And countless BFYB and COTY awards. All these journo's can't be wrong.

Plus you get stacks of kit for your money, a wonderfully built car and presented interior, the best engine in a non sports small car on the market, Best economy from any small petrol car on the market, and a 7 speed dual clutch transmission.

Stoney!

and boring as batshlt styling

vztrt · 13-08-2010, 08:29 PM

All cars listed are small cars and not medium cars BTW.

Camery, Mazda 6, Mondeo and Accord are medium.

Franco Cozzo · 13-08-2010, 08:41 PM

Suzuki Kizashi and Hyundai i45

fou_bleu · 13-08-2010, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vztrt

All cars listed are small cars and not medium cars BTW.

I disagree - what's the Fiesta? The Mazda 2? New i20? Supermini's?! The sizing scale is out of whack IMHO...

Medium car new prices (base model starting price):

Mazda 6 - 27k
Kizashi - $27k
i45 - $29k (best base model RE std equipment)
Camry - 30k
Mondeo - $30k
Accord - $32k

The expensive list goes on...

SteveJH · 13-08-2010, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vztrt

All cars listed are small cars and not medium cars BTW.

Camery, Mazda 6, Mondeo and Accord are medium.

I would argue that the Mondeo is a large car and the Focus is medium.

Same for the other Camry, and Mazda 6, they are the large car of their range.

The Mondeo is wider and taller then the falcon, though slightly shorter, how can that be medium when its slightly shorter length can probably be accounted for by the FWD layout and not needing to fit an i6 under the bonnet.

holland_ford · 13-08-2010, 09:17 PM

id go the i30 turbo diesel they are a very nice car easy to drive and are well worth the money

FPV+fteT3 · 13-08-2010, 10:04 PM

Consider a subaru imprezza they are a nice drive and hold their value better than most cars in their class.

GS608 · 13-08-2010, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vztrt

All cars listed are small cars and not medium cars BTW.

Camery, Mazda 6, Mondeo and Accord are medium.

They're all Large cars, our scaling is out of whack with everywhere else,

Small - Fiesta, Mazda 2, Yaris, etc
Medium - Focus, Cruze, Mazda 3, Corolla, i30
Large - Mondeo, Camry, Mazda 6, Accord
Larger - Falcon, Commodore, Aurion

Yellow_Festiva · 13-08-2010, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XR-CHIEF

They're all Large cars, our scaling is out of whack with everywhere else,

Small - Fiesta, Mazda 2, Yaris, etc
Medium - Focus, Cruze, Mazda 3, Corolla, i30
Large - Mondeo, Camry, Mazda 6, Accord
Larger - Falcon, Commodore, Aurion

I still scratch my head at how Holden can call the Cruze a 'small car'. And I agree with your categories as posted above.

However, in many European countries the 'small car' is what you have mentioned as 'medium' and then there are compact cars / sub compact cars and micro cars.

We call them small cause there isn't really much smaller in our market, but elsewhere the Fiesta, Yaris has 1-2 more size classes below them.

vztrt · 14-08-2010, 12:57 AM

The cars listed are classed as small cars. I also thought that it was a bit rich till I saw how little leg room they have in the back compared to the medium cars.

prydey · 14-08-2010, 03:50 AM

every car model has slowly grown over the years. the falcon has always been a large car, and in 1991 that was an eb falcon. today, its no bigger than a cruze or corolla.

manufacturers have had to create 'new' small cars as people still want a physically small car.

also, the camry/aurion thing is a bit confusing. they are pretty much the same size/shape and yet one is medium and one is large. i guess falcon and mondeo are similar but at least they look a fair bit different to each other.

Stoney! · 14-08-2010, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XR-CHIEF

And the price is considerably more than a Hyundai i30 or Cruze or Focus.

40 odd thousand for a Golf 103TDI DSG, $25k for an i30 SR, or $27k for a Focus Zetec, $25k for a Cruze CDX

You get what you pay for, with all those plusses there has to be a price attached to it....

But let's compare them a little more fairly shall we.

Volkswagen golf 1.4tsi 7sp DSG $31,990
Ford Focus Zetec 2.0 4sp auto $28,490
Holden Cruze CDX 1.8 6sp auto $25,990
Hyundai I30 SR 2.0 4sp auto $28,540

Pretty close if you ask me, i30 is a little overpriced. Cruze is great value. But the Golf is a very small premium to pay in a great looking well built and equipped car.

The entry level golf starts from as low as $24,990

Stoney!

Seduce XR6 · 14-08-2010, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordman6

I disagree - what's the Fiesta? The Mazda 2? New i20? Supermini's?! The sizing scale is out of whack IMHO...

Medium car new prices (base model starting price):

Mazda 6 - 27k
Kizashi - $27k
i45 - $29k (best base model RE std equipment)
Camry - 30k
Mondeo - $30k
Accord - $32k

The expensive list goes on...

I disagree with you lol

As an example a Mondeo is not in the same class as a Falcon so does that make a Falcon a super large car if the Mondeo is a large car?

The likes of Mondeo & Mazda 6 have always been regarded as medium cars & even now if you read cars mags still are is just that they have grown over the years as all classes have to a degree.

The Focus size vehicles are small cars & the ones below them such as Mini & Fiesta & i20 are actually a new class of micro small cars that sprung up as the focus etc grew larger.

Yes a Mazda 6 or Mondeo etc are close to a Falcon or Commodore in size however they are not actually classed as a large car or is it medium-large these days lol

If somebody said to me I am after a medium car then it would be a Mondeo or camry or mazda 6 etc that would come to mind.

I think it also depends on how old a person is in regards to remembering these as medium cars.

Out of all these on your list I would say a Mazda 6 or a Mondeo are good examples of Medium cars at great prices with good build quality & performance.

Bucknaked · 14-08-2010, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4.0i_SiX

and boring as batshlt styling

It's for his mum. Do you think she will take the same view of a car as most people on this forum. Most likely, a car which has "boring as batshit" styling will be least of her concerns. She will want something comfortable, fuel efficient, some options, safe, and cheaper to repair service insure and rego. Reliability would be high on her list as is the cost.

GS608 · 14-08-2010, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stoney!

You get what you pay for, with all those plusses there has to be a price attached to it....

But let's compare them a little more fairly shall we.

Volkswagen golf 1.4tsi 7sp DSG $31,990
Ford Focus Zetec 2.0 4sp auto $28,490
Holden Cruze CDX 1.8 6sp auto $25,990
Hyundai I30 SR 2.0 4sp auto $28,540

Pretty close if you ask me, i30 is a little overpriced. Cruze is great value. But the Golf is a very small premium to pay in a great looking well built and equipped car.

The entry level golf starts from as low as $24,990

Stoney!

Fair enough, I have no idea which was the premium model with the Golf, nothing on the vw site, just went to carsales chose brand new cars and went sort from most expensive and chose what sounded like top of the range (103TDI)

bingoTE50 · 14-08-2010, 09:23 AM

In regards to wahts large,small,etc . A EH Holden ,the family car of yesteryear ,is actually no larger inside than a toyota corolla sedan of today . Food for thought.

Seduce XR6 · 14-08-2010, 09:38 AM

Could always wait for one of these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tohBEeWv0io

prydey · 14-08-2010, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bingoTE50

In regards to wahts large,small,etc . A EH Holden ,the family car of yesteryear ,is actually no larger inside than a toyota corolla sedan of today . Food for thought.

you can see why the LWB models have disappeared can't you. i made a similar comparison as you did with my eb falcon.

i recently drove a LS focus back from nsw, and to be honest, it didn't feel a lot different to my bf2 falcon on the road. it is one of the heaviest in its class which may have attributed to this feeling. my last experience before that with a small car was a kf laser. the small car has come a long way.

i'm not bothering to offer any advice to the OP in what car to get, because i'm the first to admit, i'm a bit of a brand snob, and ford is it. i would buy a focus over any of the others. i wouldn't look at a mondeo, as its too similar in size to a falcon and i prefer the falcon styling and interior and engine.

Destroyer XR8 · 14-08-2010, 10:08 AM

My parents bought a new lancer ES a while back and i must say it a good little car, good power, usually 650+km off a tank and thats around town and comfy seats with a well set out interior though the only downiside in the interior is the es doesnt come standard with a centre console but other than that its worth a look.