If you saw our Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/CarsAustralia/s/2Ik9rZLnh3 and were following along, our car got stolen, and it was recovered just a day later. In the following pics, the people who stole it are pictured, as well as the second pic where they changed the plates. They are "known" to the cops... if you have any info please pass it along so we can provide evidence to get these people what they should deserve. Apparently even with the finger prints all over the car and pictures of them driving it... without video evidence of them ACTUALLY stealing the car, cops can't make an arrest. Poor cop who was telling us sound so defeated. They are sick of it too. Our car was found around 1-2am on Tuesday around Thomastown with the well known car thieves' personalised plates after being stolen from Coburg. Cops impounded it... by 11am another Rex was stolen from around the corner from where they recovered ours up. Let's work together and get this stopped.

Doing a rocker cover gasket on a customer's car. Nice surprise for me under the cover. Fossilized oil everywhere...

Hey guys, I'm 21 and recently bought a 2019 Kia Sportage. It's been reliable, but it hurts my soul driving something this boring. It's a mum's car.
I've wanted a Mustang since I was a teenager, and now that they've depreciated so much, I really want to get one before I turn 22. I'm looking at a 2017 2.3 EcoBoost convertible, around 95k km, for about $35k drive away.

- I'm not interested in the 5.0. I think the 2.3 is fast enough and doesn't guzzle as much fuel.

How I'd pay for it:
- Sell the Sportage (~$15k)
- Borrow the rest from my dad, interest free
- I can pay him back in under 18 months

For anyone who's owned one, or made a similar jump at my age:
- Would I regret it?
- Anything I should watch out for on the 2.3 or the convertible roof?
- Roughly what are you paying for insurance?

Thank you so much

Porsche Panamera 4 Platinum Edition 2022 thoughts

Found one in at my local dealership in Australia. Was wondering are they reliable cars. This one is certified by Porsche, but it does have 75k kms on it which is kind of worrying me.

Are they reliable? Do they break often? I currently got Mercedes Benz E200 2022 and have been quite happy with it (0 issues so far) therefore I am a bit reluctant to be switching the cars as I am worried if it will come with more headaches than pleasure.

Also, what are the servicing costs?

Porsche Panamera 4 Platinum Edition 2022 thoughts

Found one in at my local dealership in Australia. Was wondering are they reliable cars. This one is certified by Porsche, but it does have 75k kms on it which is kind of worrying me.

Are they reliable? Do they break often? I currently got Mercedes Benz E200 2022 and have been quite happy with it (0 issues so far) therefore I am a bit reluctant to be switching the cars as I am worried if it will come with more headaches than pleasure.

Also, what are the servicing costs?

Hullo all

Im an mature aged new p-plater looking for a car under 12k preferrbly stretch to 15k

Something fuel efficient, like under 2.0L. Not really in a hurry so willing to wait a bit.

Maybe max 12 year old car, since I would prefer some more modern amenities like rear camera, front and rear parking sensors and digital speedo dash.

Current cars in the home are a 2023 honda crv, 2010 or 2011 holden commodore and a 2010 toyota corolla hatch. Atm I exclusively drive the Honda I am quite short and I like the height of it as well as its much easier for me to drive as far as pressure on the accelerator and brake goes.

I don't really enjoy driving and am looking for something to make the process of getting around as easy as possible really.

Is it worth looking at an older EV or hybrid? Are there any models/makes/years to really avoid?

Thanks

I've just sold my trusty accord euro cl9 and I need something to replace it and looking for recommendations.

I loved the accord for 8 years but sold it as it was getting a bit old and paint was faded and cracked and a bit small for my needs now that I've 2 small kids

I'm looking for something to replace the bullet proof reliability of the k24 engine but something a bit bigger and a bit newer.

I'm considering a Honda CR-V or Odyssey or a Mazda 6 touring at the moment

Budget of around $15k

First time buying a car as a P plater, my main criteria is just wanting something small but reliable, I've found a few options for private cars closeby to me that I like the look and colour of that are also within my price range:

2010 Suzuki Swift, 120,000km, $9k
2017 Suzuki Swift, 125,000km, $15k
2019 Kia Picanto, 6,000km, $14k
2017 VW Polo, 130,000km, $15k
2015 Toyota Yaris Ascent, 50,000km, $16k

Which would you guys recommend?
I was leaning towards the Swift for budget reasons but also the picanto for low km, however I've been told VW is the most reliable?

Hoping this is the right sub to ask!
Edited to add another car I was curious about

I’ve recently found a listing for a 2003 SAAB 9.5 Aero which is my absolute favourite car and I’ve been talking with the seller over the online marketplace the listing is on.
Everything seems legit so far, buyer has agreed to do an inspection of the vehicle through redbook inspections since we’re in different states.
The only red flag I’ve found since talking with them is that when I asked for photos of the logbook he mentioned that it had been stolen during a burglary at their home.
I’ve already run the plates and VIN through official government sites and nothing was raised through those so the book could be genuinely stolen but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about if I’m potentially being setup here.

Im feeling very conflicted since they’ve agreed to an inspection of the vehicle and have been really clear in their communication, straight to the point but not emotionless either which I like but I can’t really get an understanding of if they’re being honest or not.

TL:DR, wanting to buy used car interstate that is missing logbook but plates and VIN search came up clean.

I’m looking at buying a used car privately in Victoria for $24,000. The seller has been upfront about the car having $21,542 remaining on finance with Pepper Money.
I’ve already done a PPSR check, which confirmed the finance, and the seller has provided part of an official payout letter.
The seller contacted Pepper Money and was told that the outstanding balance should be paid directly to them. However, they apparently don’t offer a coordinated settlement process, and removing the security from the PPSR can take a few days after payment clears.
The seller has also offered to call Pepper Money together so I can verify everything.
My concern is that I don’t want to transfer over $21k and wait several days before receiving the car. Ideally, I’d like payment and handover to happen on the same day.
This is my first time buying a car privately in Australia, so I’m not entirely familiar with the process.
Has anyone dealt with something similar? What’s the safest way to structure the payment and handover so both parties are protected?
Any advice would be appreciated.

How do I find out what my 1974 Caddilac El Dorado is worth? Left hand drive, some paint chips, cracked dash, drives well but probably needs work.

Is there anywhere on the Sunshine Coast or close to the sunny coast where there are car junkyards you can take the bits off yourself and pay for them

We have a 2008 Corolla that we intend to sell once our new car arrives.

The paint isn't great but the bumper is particularly bad, I'm wondering if it's worth the cost/effort of fixing this before we sell it?

I was considering checking to see if a wreckers had a matching one I could swap over? Given the number of silver Corolla's I figure it shouldn't be that hard to find one

Although I'm not sure how easy changing it over would be and if the colour difference would be hugely noticeable.

I'm just looking for opinions if it's worth doing or won't add to the sale value?

The bonnet is just dirty.

Hi all, looking for some advice on a car I am interested in Brisbane. I have seen the car on FB marketplace, and it appears good in the photos. I thought of getting RACQ to do a pre purchase inspection on it, and if everything is ok I would go ahead with it. I would either fly up and drive it back, or have it transported. Just depends on timing. Which leads me to a couple of questions. 

If I can’t fly up and see the car after the all clear from RACQ, what would be the best way to transfer the money to the seller and ensure the car will be able to be collected by the transport company? If I can fly up, I would just do cash payment. Essentially, I don’t want the seller to do a runner with the money. 

If I do drive it back to VIC, and there is no rego on the car in QLD, do I still apply for an unregistered vehicle permit through VicRoads, and will it cover me driving from QLD through NSW and into VIC? Or do I have to do a separate unregistered vehicle permit for each state?

Can I get insurance before the car is registered in VIC?

Thank you!

Hi hoping you can all help.

What is the best way to go about trying to get a car that has some scratches (possibly a dent?) that was accidentally hit in a car park please?

What is the best course of action to have it repaired? A panel beater? A smash repair place? A mobile one? Someone I haven't thought of yet?

Approximately what would something like this (on a toyota) cost to fix?
Do we go through insurance or pay for it ourselves? What if we can't? What do other people do?
Please note the white background (and near the tyre) is simply from the editing program I used.

TIA

Our seltos died on Friday, mechanic at Jax said oil was empty (filled less than 6 months ago). Towed it to Kia who said its probably fucked and they won't even start to look at without payment and that Kia is unlikely to accept it as a warranty issue due to service history even though it was affected by an earlier piston ring recall, had the transmission replaced in 2022 under warranty. This model is also affected by an excessive oil consumption issue but due to our patchy service history (they say it's 12k overdue but it was serviced at 135k and it's now at 144k), they aren't willing to even bother taking it to head office. I've had a quote for 8.5k to replace the engine with a 2nd hand one and am talking to wreckers who say maybe $4-5k. Any advice or suggestions as to what my best option is?

I’ve only owned bikes before so this is my first car purchase. I’ve spent about 10-20 hours researching cars and I’m feeling massively overwhelmed with choice, so I’m outsourcing to Reddit for a little support with this decision.

I’m from the east coast of Aus and need to relocate to Wagga for 6-12 months and have no idea what kind the road conditions are like down there. I’m not driving for work but I’m worried about finding myself on unsealed dirt roads with a low clearance vehicle. After Wagga I should be back on the coast so unsealed roads so normal clearance won’t be an issue.

I’m a 30YO male. Car will be a daily driver. Not planning on any intentional adventure off-roading. I have a budget of 10-20k which I want to buy a used car outright. Reliability is my top focus. Second would be something fun and engaging and I’m happy to sacrifice a little bit of fuel economy for it. But thirdly, if I need the ground clearance as a must then that might supersede fun.

I’ll be vetting the car in person, looking for good service history, test rides, pre purchase inspections before I buy.

Currently these are my top picks. I want to go for either the Mazda or Liberty, but the Outlander is my current pick if I absolutely need something with higher clearance.

1) 2016 Subaru Liberty 3.6r - 130,000kms - $16k

2) 2021 Mazda 3 G25 Astina - 150,000kms - $17k

3) 2018 Mazda 3 SP25 GT - 130,000kms - $13k

3) 2018 Subaru Outback 3.6r - 85,000kms - $19k

I guess the questions are:

- Do you think I need the extra ground clearance?
- Which of these would you pick?
- Are there any other cars you would pick if you were me?

Thanks

Hi all, we're looking at replacing the family car.

We test drove a 2020 Honda Freed (Gen2) 1.5L Hybrid 7spd DCT. It is a grey import. We liked the way it drove and how practical it is. I would like to import the current model from 2024, but It will likely be too expensive.

Does anyone have any knowledge of these cars or hybrid Jazz/Fit that it's based on. I assume the 2nd gen freed is based on the 3rd gen Jazz. They sold the 3rd gen Jazz here, but Honda Australia never sold any hybrid with 7 speed dual clutch transmission. They skipped this system and went straight to the current E-HEV system (what is used in the 3rd gen Freed)

This engine, transmission and body style was never sold here. What does this mean for servicing and repairs?

Is there anything I need to look out for? I heard the DCT can have issues if not looked after.

Hey all, im looking to buy a new car soon ish and was curious about people's opinions on which makes were relatively safe buys.

Ive had awful luck with the last two cars ive bought, so am hoping for some opinions to help me make a decision.

im looking at a budget of 25-30k, and looking at medium-large SUVs.

Personally preference at this point are Subaru forester/outback, Honda HRV/CRV, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and Nissan X-Trail.

ive heard Kia are expensive for parts, same for Subaru, and that Honda's and Hyundai are good for reliability.

Ive also recently read that a lot of the new Chinese market cars are actually really good value for money, i like the Jaecoos, i think internally i just struggle with the concept of them being as cheap as they are and still reliable, good cars.

aware that a lot of this comes down to opinion and anecdotal evidence but hopefully this helps me narrow down my choices a bit.

Thanks for reading and for any help and advice offered.