What is the best car you can buy for under $6000?

[RAPID_BA]

To be brutally honest, at this price point you can't be too picky which model, colour or even age. You just search for low km mint condition cars, whether its a vs commodore or a ed falcon or if your lucky a au falcon, but my advice is buy a low km best condition car you can find. It just so happens its more likely to find a top condition ef-au in this price point.

[Ford_The_Win]

Originally Posted by HULK_BA

To be brutally honest, at this price point you can't be too picky which model, colour or even age. You just search for low km mint condition cars, whether its a vs commodore or a ed falcon or if your lucky a au falcon, but my advice is buy a low km best condition car you can find. It just so happens its more likely to find a top condition ef-au in this price point.

Of course you can afford to be picky! There are a lot of decent cars for sale at the 6k mark. You're just defaulting to the EF-AU because you like them, and that's fair enough, but that doesn't mean they're the best choice. I was in that guy's position a couple of years ago and now I'm stuck with a thirsty lumbering boat for the next two years. Get him to buy something else.

[EFFalcon]

or better yet, suggest a range of vehicles for him to go and test drive.
then let him make the decision for himself.

a falcon suits some people, but not everyone.
a falcon is great value for money, but that doesn't mean its a great choice for everyone.

[megaphat]

Below 6k?
I grabbed my BA for slightly less than that. It was just under 100k km too. Was a hard to find bargain though and a little beat up.

Probably not the best car for a young fella though. Its big, heavy, likes a drink and is frisky in the wet. Young hands could turn it into a pole magnet. They are very safe though.

If he had a bigger budget, I'd recommend a small car with ABS, TCS, DSC. Back to reality though, perhaps a small four-pot such as a corolla?

[Coyote mk3]

Originally Posted by Ford_The_Win

Because live axle Fords have a reputation for a slippery rear end, especially in roundabouts and wet weather, this combined with inexperience & testosterone is not always a good mix. Especially if he's used to driving newer cars that handle better. If the back end slips out and he doesn't know what to do, it could all end very badly. Which is why a FWD/AWD car would be more suitable.

No, of course the Corolla wouldn't stand up as well. But in it's defence, at least they are made properly and don't break down.

A midsize/large Japanese car like the Maxima, Avalon, and the local Magna would be much more suitable for a number of reasons that I've already gone over. You could easily pick up a good one for under 6k. The Magna is my pick.

I must admit you are correct when it comes to the live axle, however in my opinion it is much more predictable then a BA falcon. It also teaches the driver to be weary. If you give a young driver a brand new, perfect handling etc car then how are they supposed to learn what an older one is like when they take it for a spin in the wet.

As was said earlier, its still much more the driver than car.


p.s. Yes my car has caught me by surprise a few times, but it is a good learning experience.
(I can honestly say I have never lost it though)

[TheSneakiness]

I would be looking for an AU, loved my AU Ute. Miss it greatly.

[GT0132]

I'm in same boat , looking for a good P plater car. My budget is 10-11k and for that money i could buy a BA XR6 or $9,000 for your BA Fairmont looking at what they're going for these days

I nearly picked up an AU3 Fairmont recently with 50,000 on the clock for around $7,500 but got pipped at the post

[The Yeti]

for a P plater any thing Airbaged and ABS'd eg magna camery AU / BA, BF, VT, VX, VY, VZ (latest model lowest Km's)

For me, personaly I couldnt have gone past my XP, but theres no way I would let my son or daughter loose with the 4 wheel drum braked non colapcable sterrring column bugger all safety featured car with out alot of experaince

[Professor Farnsworth]

Originally Posted by aussie muscle

if he's just finishing school he's probably still on his Ps, so the v8 would be out

yeah but my point is the 6 should easily be attainable for less

Originally Posted by Ford_The_Win

Until the live axle decides to be a little bit stupid and slams him into a tree... mediocre crash rating in that old dinosaur won't help him much either. A Falcon is NOT a suitable car for a P-plater at all, save for a BF/FG.

IRS was only introduced to the Falcon range (in premium models) in 1998. Before that, we actually managed to steer our cars successfully without hitting too many trees. That's a very ignorant statement. If they can't go around a corner without stacking due to a live rear axle, they should consider not driving at all. But yeah i'd much rather recommend a BA/BF to a P-Plater, much more stable in the rear. Just don't tell them about the coil pack, ball joint, transmission, dif mount, actuator, steering rack, drivers seat, sunglass holder, warped discs, radiator, air-conditioning failures and they should be right.

I learnt to drive in a 1980 XD Fairmont Ghia 4 speed manual with a screwed clutch. It had cart springs on the back and a live rear axle, so theoretically it shouldn't even corner at all?

[KPCresta]

+1 For a late model Magna

Reliable, practical with four doors and reasonably economical as well.

My best mates wife has one with 287,000kms that has had some pretty inconsistent servicing and maintenance. Still runs fine without any drama.

[TheInterceptor]

How bout a Festiva (or Mazda 121)? Sips fuel, 3 or 4 door, pretty reliable, build quality is better than a falcons, fwd and ive seen heaps with low kms and under 6 grand. The 3spA is terrible imo but for average joe itll do fine. Pretty nippy, might be unstable if traveling at speed over our horrid roads.....
Not safe but us youngins dont really care most of the time till/if we stack....its way safer than my subie at least...subie only has sheet metal between you and the outside...no bars in the doors...

Yeah, heaps more P plate friendly 6k cars though...

[ch33z1l]

2003-4 Holden Astra?

[Brazen]

another vote for the Magna, get a TF Advance with airbags, cruise, ABS etc.

There is a Magna one of my relatives has, a 98 wagon model with over 250,000km hasnt been serviced for about 3 years, still going strong and drives like a new car. Tows horse floats no problem as well. The only thing they can remember replacing on it was an alternator.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Toyota Camry or Corolla...

Id probably go the Corolla, resale resale resale.. Once he knows what hes doing then he can upgrade to a bigger car and probably get back just as much as he paid for the corolla providing he looks after it.

[4.0i OHC]

Originally Posted by HULK_BA

What is the best car you can buy for under $6000? Young people typically are short of cash and this would be about their price range. I was asked this question by a fella in my street finishing school this year. Wants the best car for his money.

I would say looking out for a mint condition ef-au falcon with one owner and under about 80000km, I think it could be done. With a full 157kw and tonns of torque, cheap to fix. what a top value car. I dont think nothing can come near it.

Any contenders for best car under $6000?

It depends on the person. However, safety would also be a universally big priority when it comes to buying cars for a young person. For its age, the AU Falcon is actually quite a safe car (excellent airbag system, with more detailed sensing than the equivalent large cars, and a front centre passenger's airbag). I couldn't find safety data for the concurrent Magna, but the 03-05 Magna is considerably less safe in all areas (especially neck and chest; the Magna is actually quite worrying in that respect). It also has a big problem with it's engine; the cylinders aren't all in a line.

The VX Commodore is another option, but in my opinion is inferior to the AU. The wheezy Buick lump provides basically no power and torque, and its NVH level is somewhere between zero and zero (and this is coming from a Focus lover!). Contemporary articles comparing the Commodore and Falcon praised the Falcon's communicative steering feel and derided the Commodore's antiseptic tiller (I'll see if I can find some quotes). I don't have safety data for this model.

In my opinion, the best all round car (for reasons of safety, reliability, torque, steering feel) that you can buy at that price is the good old AU Falcon Ute (safer than the sedan, and looks better to boot). For small car lovers, the LR Focus is the way to go, with exceptional side impact protection for a 12 year old design. The TS Astra is also an option worth considering.

I know some of you will cry foul because I keep recommending Fords, but I can't help it, Ford really does make some good cars. Why does everyone (on a FORD FORUM ffs) have such a problem with them, to the extent of comparing the OP to a used car salesman when he discusses the merits of a particular option for younger drivers?

[Venomous1]

Originally Posted by fairlaneman

Why does everyone (on a FORD FORUM ffs) have such a problem with them?

This. I recommend a FORD simple.

[FlipXW]

Originally Posted by Ford_The_Win

Until the live axle decides to be a little bit stupid and slams him into a tree... mediocre crash rating in that old dinosaur won't help him much either. A Falcon is NOT a suitable car for a P-plater at all, save for a BF/FG.
Who would be thick enough to pay 6k for an ED Falcon? It's nearly 20 years old. With that amount of k's it would probably spit out a headgasket soon due to being driven short distances and then he's paid 7k for a 20 year old unsafe poorly made Falcon.
Although I suppose it doesn't matter what any of us say, you'll tell him to get a Fawcun anyway

I had 4 different falcons while on my P's the newest being an AU11 XR6 ute, all manuals. I never had them 'step out' on me unintentionally, never had an accident, never even put a scratch on any of them. If you cant handle a 6cyl falcon you probably shouldnt have a licence.
Ill stick up for the live axle and ED's too, my old man reckons his BA GT is alot more nervous in the rear around a corner at speed than his ED XR8. The ED is probably more reliable than the BA as well

For that sort of money I would be looking at a Falcon, Liberty, Forester, GQ patrol or a tidy 60's series.

[Uncle Niceguy]

I can't believe no ones mentioned VW Golf yet i currently use a mark 3 as my daily and its great theres less thing interior wise the can brake/be pulled off no copper attention you still get abs good airbag system a good reliable yet powerful engine fwd so it aint dangerous with regards to the rear end randomly slipping out easy to mod if u want to and a mark 4/5 can be had for under 6k i would assume and resale value is another. plus the vr6/r32 option for more power yet good fuel economy.

plus p-plater full of testoterone + powerful car = speeding fines and cop attention.

[4.0i OHC]

Originally Posted by FlipXW

I had 4 different falcons while on my P's the newest being an AU11 XR6 ute, all manuals. I never had them 'step out' on me unintentionally, never had an accident, never even put a scratch on any of them. If you cant handle a 6cyl falcon you probably shouldnt have a licence.
Ill stick up for the live axle and ED's too, my old man reckons his BA GT is alot more nervous in the rear around a corner at speed than his ED XR8. The ED is probably more reliable than the BA as well

For that sort of money I would be looking at a Falcon, Liberty, Forester, GQ patrol or a tidy 60's series.

My experience mirrors yours. I've never owned a car, but all the times I have driven AU Falcons, I have never experienced any unintentional 'step-out'. I've never driven an ED, but from my experience, the AU had a better rear end than the BA (AU IRS is better still!) and is certainly more reliable and built better. However, the BA is a brilliant looking car.

From my experiences, Falcons handle well, They have great steering feel (at least the AU does).

Then again, what would I know? I learned on a '98 Merc which steers left, is horribly unreliable, unrefined (with a wheezy V6 under the bonnet), has trim pieces falling off everywhere (in contrast, the AUs that friends and relatives own are flawless in this regard), has an accelerator pedal that feels like a cheesecake and often gets stuck, and most importantly, has no steering feel whatsoever (it's insane that a car can have recirculating ball steering in 1998).

Don't know much about the Subarus, but I only ever hear good things about them, and the AWD could only come in handy in the wet.

Ford_The_Win: Your assertions that Falcons of that era are poorly made and break down often are nothing short of fallacious. Maybe you just happened to pick up a bad example?

If you don't want your car, I'll come down from Brisbane and pick it up.

[boss54]

swb maverick

[GT0132]

Can't believe what people are saying about cars pre 2000 being unsafe, what a load of crock.

ABS, ESC, Airbags, heated seats??, meah.......I learnt in a 1972 HQ Kingswood sedan with no power steering, drum brakes in the rear, bench seat, 3 speed manual on the column and no interia reel seat belts and it was no problem cornering or driving in the wet - just so long as you had good radial tyres on it and were driving sensibly you were sweet. Can't believe the garbage I'm reading here

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by GT0132

Can't believe what people are saying about cars pre 2000 being unsafe, what a load of crock.

ABS, ESC, Airbags, heated seats??, meah.......I learnt in a 1972 HQ Kingswood sedan with no power steering, drum brakes in the rear, bench seat, 3 speed manual on the column and no interia reel seat belts and it was no problem cornering or driving in the wet - just so long as you had good radial tyres on it and were driving sensibly you were sweet. Can't believe the garbage I'm reading here

Umm.. Id rather have my kid in a car with ABS, Traction Control, DSC and 10 airbags then a HQ Kingswood.

You would be mad not to.

Only have to look at how much longer that HQ would take to pull up compared to a VE, and even more so in the wet.

Newer cars with safety features always win in my book, the others should be scraped unless kept as collectables etc.

[4.0i OHC]

Originally Posted by GT0132

Can't believe what people are saying about cars pre 2000 being unsafe, what a load of crock.

ABS, ESC, Airbags, heated seats??, meah.......I learnt in a 1972 HQ Kingswood sedan with no power steering, drum brakes in the rear, bench seat, 3 speed manual on the column and no interia reel seat belts and it was no problem cornering or driving in the wet - just so long as you had good radial tyres on it and were driving sensibly you were sweet. Can't believe the garbage I'm reading here

It's not so much the ABS, but the structural integrity of the bodyshell (passive safety). Go on the ANCAP website and search for a few cars. Take a look at the injury measurements by clicking 'Download Full Report'. Compare the FG Falcon, AU Falcon and BMW E36 3 Series, and take a look at how far cars have come in the last twenty years (safety wise, it was a severe regression styling wise). The raw numbers don't lie. Don't be blindly misled by ANCAP's heavily flawed star rating system.

Oh, and for the record, the AU Falcon used one of the best ABS systems available at the time in the Bosch system.

I love the AU. The steering is just so precise.

[GT0132]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

Umm.. Id rather have my kid in a car with ABS, Traction Control, DSC and 10 airbags then a HQ Kingswood.

You would be mad not to.

Only have to look at how much longer that HQ would take to pull up compared to a VE, and even more so in the wet.

Newer cars with safety features always win in my book, the others should be scraped unless kept as collectables etc.

I agree Brent, I guess my point was, not so much that the newer cars were less safe, but while the cars of today are a lot safer because of their features, thats not to suggest the cars of old were unsafe.

Anyway back on topic, I had a look at Magnas based on advice here and you do seem to get a lot of car for your buck

[AU Mont]

Originally Posted by ch33z1l

2003-4 Holden Astra?

i hope that was sarcasm?

[RAPID_BA]

We can argue about which car is better on paper but as a used car and at a relatively low price point, condition of the car is a big factor. I'd buy a mint ed or mint ef over a clapped out au or ba, that's for sure.

At this price point condition and km is king, forget about colour and which model is supposed to handle better (when new). It might not be relevant when considering condition.

[Coyote mk3]

Originally Posted by AU Mont

i hope that was sarcasm?

Haha, I was thinking the same thing

[Professor Farnsworth]

Originally Posted by AU Mont

i hope that was sarcasm?

why? they're pretty good little cars to drive

[Revolver]

Originally Posted by AU Mont

who here spends ridiculous amounts of money to keep a 10+ year old falcon in "mint" condition only to sell it for 6k ?

You look after it RIGHT & it wont cost you a ridiculous amount of money......

[Paxton]

I paid just under $6,000 for an EF XR6 in 2008. Even with two other cars, the EF is my daily driver.

Today, however, it would be a TJII Magna. Unbreakable, not terrible looking, great engine, and more inclusions than you can find in the 80s/90s cars thread.