I may have found the car to replace the CV8 Monaro in the next few years

**HK1837** · 18-08-2012, 05:41 PM

After driving one, decided not for us. Drove OK but driver's seat was full manual adjustment, and me being 6'5" and my Mrs at 5'9" - it was a pain in the @rse even during the test drive. Plus it was way too low to the ground, vision was awful. So we have been looking ever since.

Looked at everything from Subaru XV to turbo diesel Hyundai i45 to VW Tiguan 155. None really impress, all feel like the are Janome powered, and underwhelm in the interior. Believe it or not the frontrunner was a diesel i45!

I dropped into a dealer to look at a secondhand X5 BMW a few days ago, as I saw the V8 logo on the windscreen. Too many kM for me. But he had a low kM Lexus RX350 there. This is what my Mrs originally wanted, but they were over $100k for a sports luxury! So i've been doing my homework and found one 12 month old , 17,000kM car for $65k (basically $59k+gst) and another 20 month old 12,000kM for $55k (privately so no GST to claim). I drove the 12 month old car today, drives really nice, good power. Servicing isn't all that dear. Extended warranty is on par with Toyota prices. I know bits are dear for them, but that is what 65% lifetime NCB insurance is all about! And the Mrs has been pretty kind to the Monaro over 6.5 years, only wheel scratches and front bar scrubs.

So I might be buying another Toyota! I think i'll buy new tyres and rims for it straight away, and put the originals to bed. She can't scratch them when they are in the shed!

**HZSandman** · 18-08-2012, 06:37 PM

just about to add that they are very small. Going from a Monaro to the Toyota or the Subaru will be really cramped for a tall bloke. I think I've metioned it before but the VW R36 is a real goer. We are super happy with ours and we went from the Monaro to it.

**HK1837** · 18-08-2012, 06:41 PM

I looked into VW servicing and it scared me off the VW CC. RX350 is essentially a fastback Kluger, so has heaps more room than the Monaro.

**HK1837** · 20-08-2012, 05:53 PM

Just bought an 8/2011 internal Lexus car (never owned by anyone but Lexus Australia). 17,000kM, sports luxury (top level car) with the only option available of an upgraded sound system. $114,000 driveaway was the new car price for this car (talk about over-priced as a new car!). Graphite with grey trim. Great car to drive. We saved nearly $50k on the new car price. Why would you be silly enough to buy one of these new!

**playwme** · 20-08-2012, 06:20 PM

What a bargain. That's a whole lotta car for the money.

**HK1837** · 20-08-2012, 07:33 PM

That's what we thought! They have had a $10k price drop on the new models, and it has really hurt those left with the 2008-2011 RX350's worse than that. Bad for people trading or those left with secondhand ones in yards, but good if you want a used one. To be honest, you'd have rocks in your head to buy one of these when you can have a Kluger for $40k less - they are essentially the same thing. My mrs simply didn't want a 7 seater bus though! What I have come to realise about these though is you get all the perks of a European car (like better/longer warranty provisions, great after purchase service eg free wash every 2 weeks, loan car when servicing plus much more etc) but without being fleeced on servicing and extended warranty prices. Annual (or 15,000kM) services are about $350 (so about twice Toyota's 6 months cost - i'll do oil and filter at 6 months though, these use Toyota filter and Synthetic so $100 cost @6months). They come with 4 years new car warranty (so this car has over 3 left), and another 3 years factory warranty after the 4 is over is less than $2000. Being a Toyota I have access to Toyota Insurance, which is only about $1100 - cheaper than NRMA, and includes full use of genuine Lexus or Toyota parts (lots of aftermarket bits around for these that NRMA etc will use). Plus it is a proper luxury car, pretty much the equivalent of BMW X5 and other such peers, just without the (for example) $3000 40,000kM service! Replaceable items like genuine catalytic converters are Toyota prices, not $3,000 a piece. If I do the oil changes myself at 6 month intervals it won't go into limp home mode and have to be taken back to the (for example) VW or BMW dealer! The only downfall is a semi-small front ender will probably see it written off as headlights are $5,000 a piece, radar grille badge is similar, and as it is a "used" vehicle (not a demo) it is not covered by new for old, so we'd get paid out the insurance amount and have to find another.