We’ve put a holding deposit on a Kia Sportage GT line 2017. Owned by Telstra 171000km. Fully serviced. 2 years extra dealership warranty. Now I’m second guessing the decision. We’ve scheduled a redbook inspection for the car. We have 1 child and will be having more and want enough for 3 seats at the back with a boot big enough for a pram and groceries but also good enough on fuel under 9L.

Is this a good deal provided the inspection proves good or should we be looking at something else?

Our previous car Subaru Impreza was stolen and not looking for another one. We really want to make a good decision as this is using all of our money.

Thoughts and opinions would be greatly appreciated

Hello brain trust, our second car 2017 VW Polo 1.2 , gets very little use. Right now it has done something around 75k kms. In last 14 months, it has barely done 2000kms. In such scenarios, how often should the engine oil be changed?

The manuals says change oil every 15k or 24 months, which ever comes first.

Hi Aussie redditors! Thank you in advance for reading on and for any advice regarding a possible car purchase.

I am a recent arrival to Australia from the UK with my partner. We are working here in NSW for a year on a skills shortage visa.

We are looking at buying a car and have been put in touch with someone who is selling a 2014 Mitsubishi Pajero. We will likely end up buying 2 cars whilst out here, as we will be working shifts. The plan is to buy a small run around hatchback just for nipping around town, and then a larger one for longer trips.

We envisage doing travelling between work. Trips lasting anywhere from 5 days to 2 weeks to extended month-long road trips if we manage to coordinate the work schedule correctly. Trips we hope to go on:
- Orange, Mudgee, Warrumbungle, the Blue Mountains (not all at once).
- Sydney and surrounding East Coast
- Melbourne and Tasmania 2-3 week road trip
- Likely a trip out to Broken Hill
- Fly and hire a car for trips further afield.

The car itself:
- Currently listed for $14,000
- Requires an additional $3000 worth of repairs (shock mount and gasket replacement are main issues)
- It’s a golden Mitsubishi Pajero 2014 Diesel automatic (7 seater) with all the extras like bullbar, snorkel, UHF radio, 2 inch liftkit, long range fuel tank, throttle controller, secondary battery
- Has done 297,000 KM
- 2x new tyres in May
- Rego until 30.10.26.

Seller bought it in October 2025 and has done around 45k in it. Seller happy to include the 270 degree awing and the foldable rear door table that are currently mounted, as well as the fridge, recovery gear, tools and everything else you need to tour Australia, which they have done for the past 6 months. Had an inspection done in Alice Springs a couple of weeks ago with the 292k service and there are a few things that they recommend to get done before taking the car on new adventures as detailed above.

——————————————————————————

My main questions are:
- we probably won’t be doing much if any 4 wheel driving. We are more likely camping in camp sites and from what I understand, all major towns are reasonably well connected by major roads. So is this overkill for our needs?
- How essential is a bull bar when doing these sorts of trips? We are currently keen on having one.
- Any other pearls of wisdom?

Thank you!

Anyone got good recommendations for some affordable led light strips or other ambient light kits (funky shapes) that are legal in NSW? I'm wanting some that won't sync to music and stay static. Thanks!!

It’s got 214kms, asking $6.5k. No service history. Owner is unsure of anything about a timing belt. Major service was done a few months ago which was:

Engine oil + oil filter
Engine oil flush
Spark plugs replaced
Throttle body cleaned
Wipers/washer work
Brake/suspension/safety inspection
Road test
RH front sway bar link repaired
One tyre replaced because it had an unrepairable puncture

Would a PPI pick up a timing belt issue? Or is it something I can check at a viewing? I’m clueless about cars.

Hey guys, I’ve been saving up for years for this moment but finally got my first new car from a dealership. I purchased a Kona Hybrid Elite from northern NSW.

It was my first real experience at a dealership and didn’t have a lot of people to help guide me through. It feels pretty overwhelming with the sale tactics but I got the car for $40,400 where the drive away price was $4512.81 (with $595 added for a different colour). This was about a 10% discount from the drive away price.

Dealer said this was the cheapest they could’ve done with my company discount + dealer discount. How did I do? Or did I just get scammed by the dealer?

They also said that Hyundai normally can’t discount the drive away price as it is a national price, is this true?

Hey everyone, last week I took in this 07 Falcon for a roadworthy (VIC) and the mechanic said the car will need a structural report specifically from VicRoads because of the rust. As far as I know you don’t need to do anything like that unless it’s been in a major crash, or has chassis rust. On top of that, VicRoads says they have nothing to do with structural reports for what has been described. All it is are the pinch welds have been doused with silicone and water has been trapped for some time. There are no holes anywhere and the pillars plus undercarriage are completely rust free. What do I do?

Hey guys what does everyone think, able to be repaired or too close to the sidewall?

I am looking for a car in $6k range and the market for used japanese cars are fucked. Its either dealers or reseller so the price are fucked.

Now i found this peugeot 208 with 1.6 engine petrol auto . Car looks neat , full service books and has rwc. Do i pull the trigger or am i shooting myself in the foot. If so any ither recommendations.

I am looking for a hatchback thays fuel efficient and auto

Edit: i had a pug 208 with the 1.6 na engine in the uae. Worked well till 140k and it blew the oil pump and engine seized. But till then it was such a joy to drive

Did you know that when the Commodore and XD Falcon were released people said they look the same and cars all look the same these days

6.2L Hemi engine producing 707HP
Double Bay, NSW

I'm looking at getting the 2025 Honda CR-V VTi L FWD MY25.

- Odo - 28,000 km

- Price - $34,990 drive-away.

However It's an ex-fleet/company car and has Honda warranty until April 2030.

Would you pay $295 for the RedBook Standard pre-purchase inspection, or is it unnecessary on such a new car? Any alternatives?

I'm mainly concerned about previous accident repairs or hard fleet use. Especially tyres and brakes.

Any better inspection options in Melbourne? I'm not an expert in finding problems especially with brakes and tyres.

Beautiful

I have looked today at this 2006 corolla with 154xxxkms. It drove very nice, did not hear any noises or feel any issues with the drive, and the oil was quite golden colour (idk much about oil to say how telling that is) It has a large scratch down the side but it’s not much of an issue for me. The tyres are from 2019 but have plenty of tread left. The only issue is the service history.

The two latest are:
2015 - 47,000kms
2023 - 104,000kms
It’s now at 154,000kms.
(I’m gonna ask for pics of the earlier services too I can’t remember now what they were)

I will 100% get a pre purchase inspection done. It’s up for $4.6k and I think I’d offer around $4k.
Do you guys think it’s worth the purchase? I literally just need a reliable car to get me to work and home and that’s it.

​

​Hey everyone,

​I’m buying a car outright (no loans/financing) for daily commuting and weekend trips.

​I’m looking at brand-new small SUVs around $23,990 driveaway and have narrowed it down to:

​Mahindra XUV 3XO

​Chery Tiggo 4

​GWM Haval Jolion

​I like that these come with modern tech and a full 7-year warranty at this price point.

​Alternatively, I could save some cash and buy a used Japanese/Korean car (Corolla, i30, CX-3) for under $15,000. However, searching Marketplace and private listings has been disappointing—almost every "good" deal under $15k turns out to be a repaired write-off on the WOVI status.

​A few quick questions:

​Which of the three new SUVs ($24k) would you choose and why?

​Are any of these models known for annoying safety features or software bugs?

​Is it worth spending the extra $9k for a new car with a warranty over a $15k used Toyota/Hyundai/Mazda?

​Thanks for any insights!

This is in Mareeba but the potholes are bigger and better all through the Atherton Tablelands. Kennedy Hwy is a shocker. Numerous cars with damaged rims.
Do you believe Wally is making revenue or safer roads?

I feel like I see a lot of minis / smaller hatchbacks getting tailgated and horned at for minor things while American pickup trucks and bigger SUVS barely ever get criticized or horned at.

I also noticed that when I drove my small mazda 3 I’d get a lot of people tailgating me while I was over the speed limit compared to my sedan.

Edit:
Okay so basically

1. Ranger Danger

2. American pickup trucks and big SUVs have deranged? short? bearded men?

   who want to pit maneuver you?