Australia Car?

"rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S" (rb1971)
01/08/2014 at 18:51 • Filed to: None

Guys and gals- You might have seen a few posts over the last week from me talking about buying a car in Australia, where I go a few times per year. I'd like to start establishing a credit history there since we are looking to buy a house in the next couple of years.

It didn't happen this trip, but we are headed back in a couple of months and I'd like to make it happen then. So I am looking for suggestions.

Critical Items:

- Relatively small size (have you seen the roads?)

- Reasonable Fuel Mileage (If I'm going to buy a V8, it's going to be a Ford Falcon XB.)

Almost-critical: Not available in the US.

Nice-to-haves (there might not be a car with all of these at the same time):

- Convertible

- Manual

- Diesel

- 4 Seats

Cars I have considered so far include a Holden Maloo (wife hates utes; I don't own enough singos anyhow); 2003 Alfa Spider; 1991 Nissan Figaro (still sort of like this, but the one I looked at had some issues); Mazda Cosmo 3-rotor (just really terrible fuel economy, and a weird motor means it would be difficult to have worked on).

Any ideas as to what I should look at?

DISCUSSION (22)

HammerheadFistpunch > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
01/08/2014 at 18:54

If I were buying an Australian car, it would be 100% Land cruiser 79 diesel manual ute.

Kinja'd!!!

Sorry im no help.

Big Bubba Ray > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
01/08/2014 at 18:55

Kinja'd!!!

Fuck all the criteria and get a Commodore Ute.

davedave1111 > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
01/08/2014 at 18:55

Are you going to do enough miles over there for fuel economy to matter? If you pick up a cheap car with poor economy and don't do many miles, it'll take a long time to make up the difference in purchase price with the extra fuel you'll use.

For Sweden > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
01/08/2014 at 18:56

Kinja'd!!!

The answer is always Ford GT

Kinja'd!!!

Another possible answer is Citroen C4 two-door.

rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S > HammerheadFistpunch
01/08/2014 at 18:58

Well, these do come in troopie, right? That is on the list.

rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S > davedave1111
01/08/2014 at 18:59

Part of the deal is that it's a second car for my inlaws (who will be storing it for me), and they will get irritated if I buy something that is bad on fuel.

rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S > For Sweden
01/08/2014 at 19:01

I saw a Ford GT like that in the Bay Area not long ago. I don't think they're that good on gas.

I like the idea of a Citroen (2CV maybe?) but that C4 looks like a Prius. This is not a positive. Are they good cars?

Doge_Supreme drives a BRZ > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
01/08/2014 at 19:05

Kinja'd!!!

Ford Falcon Boss 335

This in no way matches your criteria, but you should get it anyway.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
01/08/2014 at 19:05

A cursory GIS yielded this:

Kinja'd!!!

http://www.carlocators.com.au/index.php/vehi…

SAAB also made a turbo-4, manual, 4-seat convertible.

stuttgartobsessed > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
01/08/2014 at 19:06

GET A CITROEN!!!!!

HammerheadFistpunch > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
01/08/2014 at 19:06

Kinja'd!!!

davedave1111 > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
01/08/2014 at 19:17

Oh, ok. And at least it's nice to know that when you put your foot down, you're just getting your money's worth out of a more efficient car :)

It's hard to suggest anything specific because a) I don't know the Aussie market that well and b) you've got pretty wide-ranging options there, but it strikes me that what you'd be best off doing is keeping your options open and looking for a bargain rather than any specific car. Keep an eye on Ebay Australia (or whatever you need to watch over there), visit some car auctions when you're there, check the classifieds, and when you see something going cheap, grab it.

If I was in Australia, I'd want to drive something very Australian, so a muscle-ute, basically. Are you American? If so, you're probably going to have fun driving some of the European or Japanese cars that the US doesn't get. Fiat sells more cars in Australia than just the 500. I haven't driven the new one, but a Panda might be worth a try.

Simplify, then add beer > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
01/08/2014 at 19:43

Unfortunately the Saab soft top was a heaving piece of shit. The motors and mechanism frequently fail.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Simplify, then add beer
01/08/2014 at 19:51

Well I don't know these things.

Buy a 4-door SUV and cut the roof off?

Simplify, then add beer > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
01/08/2014 at 19:58

Unless you are looking for a full sized sedan/wagon/ute, you're going to struggle to find anything actually Australian.

Vehicles to consider. Not sure if any of these are available in the US:

Volkswagen EOS. Small soft top, good build quality

Ford Territory. One of the last few Aussie made cars around, very practical

An old FJ or Troopy. Because they are far more common here than in 'merica

MX-5. Because the answer is always Miata, erm, MX-5

Peugeot 207/208 Diesel Wagon. Very Jalop. Much turbo fun. Almost bought one

Proton Satria. It's a steaming heap of shit, but the GTI goes like stink and costs basically nothing

Skoda Octavia. Do they have them in the US? Basically a VW but cheaper and less common on the roads. Also available in diesel wagons

Renault Clio - again, not sure if this is in the US. Good fun to drive. Also the Megane is a nice-ish soft top.

That's all I have off the top of my head.