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Drive Life : April 30th 2010
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1HERSA1 0008 TOM KERR SUBARU TOM KERR SUBARU 883 Victoria Road West Ryde 1300 577 693 www.tomkerr.com.au *Offer ends 5pm 2 May 2010. Pictures for illustrative purposes. Plates not transferable. DL 1142 BB9125 OTHER DEMONSTRATORS TO CHOOSE. HURRY IN FOR BEST SELECTION. CALL 1300 577 693 LIBERTY 2.5i SEDAN $32,990 DRIVEAWAY > 6 Airbags > All Wheel Drive > ABS/VDC BNC08P 3251 km >6S p e e dM a n u a l >H i l lH o l d > Dual Zone Climate Air > 7 Airbags > AllWheel Drive > ABS/VDC > Integrated Sat Nav >R e v e r s eC a m e r a > Bluetooth Handsfree > 5 Star Safety >M a n yE x t r a s >M Y 1 0M o d e l LIBERTY 2.5i SPORTS PREMIUM WAGON SAT NAV DRIVEAWAY RSK14U* 4426 km $50,990 >M a t s a n d T i n t >C a r g o T r a ya n dS t e pP a n e l > My10 Model COVER STORY DAVID MORLEY Before you fall for the latest model in the showroom, consider a second-hand selection. Almost as good as new There are plenty of reasons for buying a new car. For many people, it's the security of a new-car warranty and the knowledge that nobody before them has had a chance to abuse or neglect the car. And since they're the first owner, they'll get the best from the car in terms of its mechanical condition and potential reliability. Then there are the less easily definable reasons to buy ''out of the box'': that new-car smell and being the first in the neighbour- hood with the latest model. But for financial pragmatists, buying a new car is anathema. Because when it comes to cold, hard financial realities, shopping for a second-hand car can be a smart way to go. New cars depreciate the fastest in their first two to three years (and some are far worse than others in this regard). Buy it second-hand at that point and the worst of its depreciation is behind it. And thanks to the best factory warranties we've ever seen, a three- year-old car might have two years (or more) of factory cover remaining. Also, modern cars are much more reliable and durable these days. The other thing in the used-cars' favour is that highly specified new cars depreciate the fastest of all. The best-equipped, safest version of a second-hand car is often not a whole lot more money than the mainstream version. So, what are the best buys in our five categories? We've included a few choices but it's fair to say all the cars we've listed are reliable, have a good standard of safety and have no mechanical woes likely to bankrupt you in the next couple of years. So here goes. 8 Drive Life April 30, 2010 drive.com.au Best learner/young driver's car VOLKSWAGEN GOLF V 2004-2009 Young drivers have lots of requirements in a car. It needs to be safe, easy to drive, economical and cheap to buy, so smaller hatchbacks tend to get the nod. And of those, the Generation 5 Volkswagen Golf is a stand-out. There are petrol and diesel engines, manuals and good automatic gearbox options. They're safe, too, with anti-lock brakes, traction control and plenty of airbags. Reliability can be an issue, so look for a service record and an interior that isn't shabby. Prices: $15,000-$30,000 FORD FOCUS 2002-2008 The Focus looks pretty good even a few years on and it has a great chassis with lots of balance. The engines aren't the car's highlight but they do the job and safety is good with dual front airbags on all models, although the base- model CL didn't get anti-lock brakes as standard. So buy the LX for just a grand or so more. Prices: $8000-$23,000 MAZDA 2 2002-2007 OK, so it's not the current shape but the first car we saw badged as the Mazda 2 was a darn good thing. Small, but big on the inside, the 2 is extremely well built and the interior is as groovy as all get out. Best of all, it drives really well and is one of the better small-hatch automatics around. Prices: $9000-$15,000 Best luxury car LEXUS LS400 1991-2000 Lexus's first stab at the luxury market was a great car. But because it's getting on a bit and was an unknown quantity when it was new, it's dirt cheap now. Pocket-money cheap, in fact. But you're still buying a smooth, quad-cam V8 with all the bells and whistles. It's well made and will still impress the neighbours. Leather, sunroof and alloys for the price of a bus ticket. Prices: $5000-$20,000 MERCEDES-BENZ E55 2000-2002 This was the model before the supercharged engine came along and added loads to the asking price. See, many think the non-supercharged E55 is the poor relation. But drive one and you'll soon see this is a proper, performance luxury sedan. Against a $190,000-plus new sticker, you'll now pay peanuts and it even has that elusive AMG badge. Prices: $33,000-$45,000 BMW 7-SERIES 2002-2005 Most 7-Series BMWs are leased by their first owner. Problem is, nobody wants them second- hand, so values go to hell in a big way. An eight-year-old 735i with a V8 engine, everything that opens and shuts and a new price-tag of nearly $180,000 can be yours now for about $30,000. 'Wow!' probably covers it. Prices: $30,000-$60,000
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