I have been car hunting lately as I look to replace the 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara.

As the Government is offering a 50% rebate on new cars I thought I might go a bit upmarket...but not too much.

On the list so far are:
Audi Q5
Subaru Tribecca
HSV R8 touring wagon


All these cars are priced around $60 to $70k mark. I have looked at BMW X5 and Merc ML350 however, they are closer to $100k

Any thoughts on other models that I can look at around this price range.

skc

HSV hands down.

Resale value is higher on the Audi but servicing would be the most expensive, followed by the Subaru.

The R8 looks amazing, ridiculously powerful, plus plenty of room for trips/holidays. Also, they're quite fuel efficient (owned a commodore, LS1 is better then a renny!)

The sticker on the screen says 14l/100km however, the dealer principal is getting better consumption figures on his car.

I agree the HSV is very powerful and the wagon did well on the Top gear track...not that I will take it to the track. I am happy with taking the RX8 to the track.

At this stage I am leaning towards the HSV so it is just a matter of convincing the Mrs as she will be the one doing most of the daily driving in this car. Although I may need to convince her that the '03 Corolla is the better car as the shopping trolley. (our 3rd car)

skv

SKC,

I am sure she will like the Q5. Not sure you will like it as much though.

I have never seen a car that do better than the quoted econmical figure. Don't trust the salesmen.

I don't know where you get the 50% rebate from.
The proposed 30% depreciation allowance is still not law.
If it comes in (and it is only on commercial equipment) you can claim 30% of your depreciation entitlement in the first year.
This could have some interesting implications if you sell early.
If you sell a 100k car for $70000 after 2 years you would have to have either claimed no depreciation in the second year or pay back the tax.

I would talk to an accountant.

What you should buy depends on whether you want off road ability or not.
I wouldn't take any of those on anything but a well made gravel road.

The next car I want to put beside the RX-8 is a Land Rover Discovery but I need off road ability as well.

A Tribeca?? Are you blind?? :icon_no2: One of the ugliest cars ever conceived! :uhh: :banghead: :)

Surely the SS Touring will do just about everything the HSV thing would, especially in your wife's hands. Don't see the point myself in shelling out the extra.

Do you need a truck for a family car? If not, look at the A4 wagon or the Passat for that matter - both a great drive and more refined than the Holden - your wife would love them. Better active safety than the trucks you're looking at too, not to mention fuel consumption.

If you want something a bit different the Citroen C5 wagon is good buying (but admittedly not great on resale).

If you must buy a SUV, I still think the Subey Outback is hard to beat for family work and play. Basically indestructible, drives well, not offensive to look at and great resale.

I'd drive all of them (or perhaps your wife should??) before buying the HSV or a truck.

I have spoken to my accountant about this matter. Businesses that have an annual turnover of less than $2m can claim 50% rebate on the next tax return, this rebate used to be 30%. You are also entitled to claim the usual depreciation as well.

I need to do choose before June 30 as we will not qualify for the full rebate after that.

I did consider the Discovery 3 however, over the last three years we have only used the current SUV once for off road activity therefore, I don't see the point of a large SUV. However the wife has got used to the high driving position.

A Tribeca?? Are you blind?? :icon_no2: One of the ugliest cars ever conceived! :uhh: :banghead: :)

Surely the SS Touring will do just about everything the HSV thing would, especially in your wife's hands. Don't see the point myself in shelling out the extra.

Do you need a truck for a family car? If not, look at the A4 wagon or the Passat for that matter - both a great drive and more refined than the Holden - your wife would love them. Better active safety than the trucks you're looking at too, not to mention fuel consumption.

If you want something a bit different the Citroen C5 wagon is good buying (but admittedly not great on resale).

If you must buy a SUV, I still think the Subey Outback is hard to beat for family work and play. Basically indestructible, drives well, not offensive to look at and great resale.

I'd drive all of them (or perhaps your wife should??) before buying the HSV or a truck.

The new Tribecca looks a lot better although and has all the bells and whistles. However its is not as refined as the Q5.

Thanks for the tip, I will have a look at the A4 wagon.

The appeal of the HSV is the raw power and the $65k drive away price on a demo with 3k on the clock.

skc

I would take the Passat over the A4. Far more fruit on essentially the same car for a truckload less money.

e.g.
http://www.drive.com.au/buy/new/car_features.asp?init=736361220090101&make=volkswagen&model=passat&type=new&m=VOLKSWAGEN|PASSAT|&nv=1&SG=-826066677

I have been car hunting lately as I look to replace the 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara.

As the Government is offering a 50% rebate on new cars I thought I might go a bit upmarket...but not too much.

On the list so far are:
Audi Q5
Subaru Tribecca
HSV R8 touring wagon

Any thoughts on other models that I can look at around this price range.

skc

May I suggest Acura MDX? Or Honda Pilot?

Subaru Tribecca is out of question. I looked at it while I was shopping for my family car, my Honda Pilot feels/drives much better than Tribecca yet cheaper than Tribecca. :p

I was shopping for a SUV back in 2006 and Tribecca navi can't even have my home address which my Pilot finds no problem. (my house address was pretty new back then).

just my 2 cents

^ oops, my bad. you are from Australia. Acura is not available there neither is Pilot. :p

wait how does this rebate work? I'm looking to relocate to Australia...a 50% rebate on new cars would be tempting to me!

Found info using Google, seems to be only a tax write off if used for business purposes.

wait how does this rebate work? I'm looking to relocate to Australia...a 50% rebate on new cars would be tempting to me!

Found info using Google, seems to be only a tax write off if used for business purposes.

Only applies if run a small business. The rebate is against the income you earn which essentially means you end up paying less tax. This is part of the economic stimulus package to keep the Australian economy going. The new car dealerships are doing a roaring trade as a result of this incentive.

skc

Hi SKC, if you're considering a Tribeca, I recommend taking a CX-9 for a test drive. If you do let me know what you think.

Cheers,
Danny

However the wife has got used to the high driving position.

A common excuse used by women to justify driving a truck.

The new Tribecca looks a lot better although and has all the bells and whistles. However its is not as refined as the Q5.

Thanks for the tip, I will have a look at the A4 wagon.

The appeal of the HSV is the raw power and the $65k drive away price on a demo with 3k on the clock.

skc

Sorry but I think even after the facelift it still looks like a dropped pie.

Try the Passat too. If you want some grunt the R36 goes hard.

Understood re: the HSV but the SS ain't exactly slow and I doubt you'll notice the difference in most driving conditions. Also think about ride and whether you want wifey scuffing the HSV's large rims in supermarket carparks.

^ oops, my bad. you are from Australia. Acura is not available there neither is Pilot. :p

We have the MDX badged as a Honda. Don't know what the Pilot is.

Passat has been mentioned, but I'd especially suggest the R36 wagon.

Alternatively, the Q5 with the V6 TDI engine...did I say torque!:eyetwitch

Or, since you like to play the system, the Q5 with the 2.0 TDI (125Kw and 400Nm) avoids LCT because of its fuel economy. And you can chip it!

Hi SKC, if you're considering a Tribeca, I recommend taking a CX-9 for a test drive. If you do let me know what you think.

Cheers,
Danny

Be careful about fuel consumption with the CX7 and CX9 - they both make the RX8 look like an anorexic. Although if you're seriously considering the HSV I'm guessing fuel consumption ain't top of your priorities... ;-)

Be careful about fuel consumption with the CX7 and CX9 - they both make the RX8 look like an anorexic. Although if you're seriously considering the HSV I'm guessing fuel consumption ain't top of your priorities... ;-)

The fuel consumption figures is the only stumbling block at the moment. I even looked at a Commodore SS V as it comes with cylinder deactivation. However, it still seems unpalatable.

skc

How bad can the LS2 be compared to the LS1?? I don't remember the ol' commodore being THAT bad on fuel :squint:

The V8s are ugly in the city.
expect 15-16l/100km if you drive in peak hour traffic.
With deactivation they claim 7.5-8 l/100km on a trip.

Living in Brisbane might not be too bad. It would probably use no more than the RX-8.

Wagon...?

I don't mind an RS6 :)

Thanks for the feedback guys. After looking at all the options I just picked up a new Mercedes ML 280. It is a 3L V6 turbo diesel with tons of torque. Comes with a few goodies such as Zenon lights, sun roof, 13 speaker sound system, electric tail gate and a few other cool features.

My wife loves it which is great.

skc

Sounds like a smart buy...congrats

That Merc is a slipper y slope.
My brother in law bought one then a ML500.
Now he has an AMG GL500.

He loaned me the ML500 for a week.
They are much better than a vehicle that big should be.

Surprisingly good off road too.

My wife has the ML320CDI Drives well , able to get to the snow and back using only 8.5l/100km with four adults, back fully packed with bags and roof box full of ski gear. Gets around 12l around town and has huge torque ( 510nM). Wish the Rx8 had only half that torque figure.

The ML 280 turbo diesel does not have quite that much power however it seems more than adequate. I took it around a narrow twisty uphill road and I had all four wheels off the road.

It seems quite nimble for its size. I understand there are tuners such as Brabus that sell upgrade chips that increase the power output.

skc

Try the new X5M coming in 3 months. My friend WAY just ordered one.

hmmm... I like the X5 twin diesel ... 0-100 in 7 sec!

My Kluger is 7.79.... :)