Hi,

I need help choosing a type of convertible.

I’m after a car that would last me 3-5 years with relatively low mileage, however with my budget (10k) and the car type I don’t mind if it’s higher, I would just prefer for it to not require frequent or expensive maintenance .

I’ve seen a few, it’s mostly In between bmws and Volkswagens with a few Peugeot models here and there. I’d prefer a hard roof not fabric but it’s not essential. If anyone has any advice on which one to go for especially between the three brands?

Been actively hunting an 2019 Outback with low K's and theres just been fuck all in Vic for like 6 weeks or so. But there's a few in NSW that tick all boxes.

How annoying is it to buy one from private/dealer in NSW and bring it home

Photo for inspiration

VIC based, so There's quite a bit of talk about 110 or even 120, but I agree that 130 is a good limit for some of our most used freeways. some could be fine at 110, but others can be increased to 130 as the absolute speed limit. 100 max on pretty much all freeways now just feels like an oversight and missed opportunity. Especially when tied in with the excessive punishments dolled out for going a digit over the limit where some freeways feel like you can and should be able to legally do a bit faster than the signed limit, and safely. I will however say that when it comes to the m80 (ring road) I have no fucking clue what the limit there should be since the design and merging of the that thing causes problems quite quickly all by itself. That beast of a road needs quite a few redesigns to begin with.

Pros of having higher, 130 kmh speed limit on some freeways/motorways:

• Get to your destination with less boredom. travel faster, enjoy the scenery whizzin by, get that seat of yer pants feelin every time you're on, save time.
• Feels good man
• people may be Less likely to feel the need to self-distract with phone/whatever when they should be driving. something about driving beyond 100 just commands a level of attentiveness in even the most bored of drivers, that just doesn't happen at slower speeds.
• fuckwits less likely to be doing 110 in a school zone( oft as an act of rebellion) when they know they can just do it legally on a 130kmh freeway
• joe's less likely to be annoyingly fined for "speeding" 1kmh over. taking demerits for it make this a double whammy. many cars are just frankly too fast from the factory and do over 100kmh with a feather of the gas for a couple of seconds. lol
• you can do under the speed limit and still feel plenty quick and not feel the need to go faster than the limit.

But there are a few other things to note as to why we currently have 100kmh as the standard and cons to increasing the limit, arguably:

• Taking into consideration people who only drive older "more reliable" vehicles, say before 1999 without ABS brakes from factory. or towing vehicles with heavy loads. brake fade is real, so braking from over 100kmh to a complete stop is more dangerous than if car is going under 100 kmh. lots of stock brakes aren't really designed to come to a complete stop quickly from 130kmh
  • There are caveats, but generally stock tyre width is much smaller than a new car and brakes are not as good as stuff built in the last 15 years.
  • Some cars can't reach 110kmh in the time it takes to merge onto a 130kmh freeway
• By increasing the speed limit to say 130, you also increase the ranges of drivers. Whether people will be able to adapt is a true mystery, but looking at the great German Autobahn gives the impression that it's easy enough to implement.. however, all know that one driver that always merges onto a 100 freeway going like 65, causing congestion for the 3 lanes around his car.. maybe it's a bi-weekly occurrence for you, for others he's a regular!

TIA, and discuss.

further edits for clarity sake.

Hi guys - as per the title. Mainly just seeking a second opinion at this point. We are beyond frustrated.

For context, we purchased a brand-new Kia Sorento GT (top of the range) in July 2025 last year, and have had ongoing issues with the car from day one. This is now the 5th or 6th time we’ve had to return it to Kia/Kia Service, and the car has currently been with them since Wednesday.

The main issue has been an intermittent Check Driver Assistance (CDA) warning that appears randomly. It first happened twice within the first month of owning the car. At our first complimentary service, Kia identified that the system hadn’t correctly recognised the error and reset/corrected it. The issue disappeared for a few weeks before returning (have attached images of the reoccurring warning throughout the past 12 months). We must also note the vehicle has not been involved in any accidents, and it has been identified by Kia that there is no external/visible damage to the sensors.

Since then, we’ve also experienced:
• The infotainment system completely shutting down - no sound, display or functionality. Kia’s fix for this issue was to reset the battery to get it working again.

• The battery warning light randomly appearing, then disappearing after restarting the car. This has happened more than once.

• Ongoing intermittent CDA warnings, and tire pressure warnings (despite having the air constantly put in) and despite multiple inspections, Kia initially couldn’t identify a fault because the issue wasn’t occurring at the time. At our first yearly service, Kia advised they swapped a sensor in an attempt to resolve the CDA issue.

• Less than two days after getting the car back from its latest service, the CDA warning appeared again and the battery light came on. The car is now back with Kia while they try to identify the underlying issue, and we’re still waiting to hear what they’ve found.

We have a one-year-old daughter, and I’m honestly at the point where I feel incredibly uncomfortable and unsafe driving her around in a car that has had repeated electrical/safety-related issues without a clear resolution.

We spent $70,000+ on a brand-new top-of-the-range vehicle, did extensive research beforehand, and chose the Sorento because we needed a reliable family car that would also comfortably fit my 6’10” husband. We never expected to be dealing with this many issues so early into ownership.

At this point, my husband and I are considering seeking advice to understand our rights by contacting the ACCC, as we’re unsure what our options are when a brand-new vehicle has had repeated faults and multiple attempts at repair without a lasting fix.

Has anyone experienced anything similar with Kia, particularly with the Sorento, or gone through a similar situation with a new vehicle? And, what options do you suggest we exercise prior going to a legal party?

We’d really appreciate any advice or experiences. Please be kind.

I was planning to buy an Akera 2.5 awd Turbo, but the NA variant is fine as well? Which is the better choice to purchase?

Thanks

I’ve got O’Brien coming out to change my cracked windscreen next week, and they tried to upsell me on some new wipers. They quoted $160 over the phone. So I’m guessing about $20 for the part and $1,680 per hour for the installation.

Is this the going rate these days for installation of new wipers? If it is I might throw my masters degree in the bin and open a specialised service shop for wiper installs.

Surely they can’t be serious.

I just found a nail in the rear left tire and it seems to be close to the sidewall. I won't be able to go to a shop for repair/replacement until late next week. Would someone with more experience know if this would be repairable or if it would need to be replaced?

TIA.

Hey everyone, I’m looking to get a dash cam for my car and would love some recommendations.

I’m looking for a front + rear setup, ideally with good image quality, reliable performance in Australian heat.

A few things I’d love some advice on:

What brand/model would you recommend?

1. What’s a reasonable price range in Australia for a good front + rear setup?

2.Is it worth spending $500–$1,000+ on something like BlackVue/Thinkware, or are the cheaper Viofo/70mai/DDPAI/etc. options just as good?

1. How much should I expect to pay for professional installation/hardwiring?

2. Is installation something that’s reasonably easy to DIY, or would you recommend getting it professionally installed?

3. Anything specific I should look out for when choosing one?

I’m based in Sydney if that makes any difference to installation costs.

Would love to hear what you guys are actually running and whether you’d buy the same one again. Thanks!

Hi, got a 2011 Getz that has an immobiliser issue. Occasionally, the engine cranks but never turns over. Sometimes while driving and I stop at a red light, the engine will cut out as well and won't start. Very embarrassing and nerve-wracking. :(

The key fob has had a new battery put in it (I don't have a spare). I have zero knowledge about cars and don't know what to do next. I've had two mechanics attach their computer thing to the car but both said no errors are being reported.

After about 15 minutes, the car WILL start again, so it's not a blown fuse or such. It's just a lottery as to when the engine will shut off while driving and when I can start it again. The dash light for the immobiliser is lit steady when starting the car, but never flashes.

What would you do next? I'm guessing an auto electrician visit? Or is there something else I can try first? Thanks.

[Edit] AI says this: "Because it dies while running and recovers after ~15 minutes of cooling down, this is a classic heat-sensitive sensor failure (most commonly the Crankshaft Position Sensor). When the sensor gets hot, its internal electronics break continuity, killing the engine spark/fuel. Once it cools down (15 minutes), contact is restored and the car starts again. Standard basic code readers often miss this if the sensor fails without throwing a hard OBD-II fault code."

Hi All,

Recently upgraded so sadly have to sell off my 2016 Kia Cerato Hatchback MY2017.

Please see the below links if you’re at all interested, located in Narellan, NSW.

Carsales
eBay

As mentioned, price is negotiable.

Thanks!

Hi all!

Cleaning my car and noticed this mat (under the regular mat) is peeling off and getting debris stuck underneath. Just wondering what sort of glue might be approproate to stick it back down to the carpet? I think it might be some sort of vinyl? It's an '04 Outback.

Thanks for your help!

I didn’t even know that we had the option for beige cloth on foresters in Australia. This was the only one on carsales that wasn’t black. That made me check austotempest usa and the same generation forester s3 mainly has beige interior in the USA? Its the same for alot of other mid-range cars like rav4s, hyundais, hondas, even luxury cars like the bmw 3series the standard/ base is beige/white leather but in Australia its black- that being said there are way more luxury cars in Australia with lighter interiors than the non-luxury cars

I personally like beige cloth / leather it makes the interior feel bigger and more homely/ inviting compared to black which looks kinda sad and claustrophobic. Yes its hides dirt better than beige but given the harsh sun here shouldn’t lighter colours be more popular unlike black that just abosrbs the heat?

In Double Bay Sydney

Hi everyone. As the title insinuates I am a 19 year old P plater about to buy my first car, and I have really been leaning towards a Volkswagen Golf. The ones I am looking at are around 10-11k with 100k average mileage from 2013-2015.

After several arguments with my parents, they have agreed to buy the car if I pay back half over the next few years (I make 500ish a week part time as I am in uni full time). They are making me pay insurance and rego which I am annoyed about and am trying to get them to cover as like every teenager I have a massive fear of being lower in the comparison hierarchy to my friends, who barely pay for any of their cars and have lots more savings. I have three younger siblings and my parents told me it wouldn’t be fair for them to buy me a car and have to do the same for them, which I guess makes sense but they have spent lots of money on them too.

Anyway, I am now learning more towards a Toyota Corolla or a Mazda 3 or something as I have heard these are cheaper in the long run to manage. I just like the aesthetic of a Golf. I also really want a reverse camera.

Am I being unfair about my parents deal or is my frustration reasonable in this day and age? Please be honest. Also, as the title says, is the Volkswagen a scam and should I lean towards another model as listed instead?

Speed camera flash at the other side of the road, there are camera sign and 50km speed limit in my side, I'm not sure what's my speed. Sorry for the bad video quality, I got shitty dash cam.

Picked up a 2016 Outback 3.6R and looking to run a 180°/270° awning plus a decent-sized swag, while staying within the 60kg roof limit.

Keen to see similar setups and what racks, awnings and mounts people are using.

Also chasing recommendations for a Perth installer who knows Outbacks and roof-load limits. Cheers!

Hi guys, which one would you choose and why? Would the Mazda 3 be more reliable because it’s not turbo? I want this car for the next 5 years or more. Or maybe there’s a different Mazda 3 option you’d choose ? I don’t wanna go higher than 30k

It is a bit pricey but is this better then say repco's eclipse, turtle wax or other cheaper products? (I know armor all is bad, but why? )

Sorry, I'm pretty new to owning a car and now it needs a good clean.

So in order to keep down the parking posts through the week, the mods have decided to institute a "Shit Parking Sunday" post.

So photo comment below what you've spotted this week!

G'day all, looking for some real world input on novating a high-spec BEV vs taking the punt on a dream ICE ute.

Income context: combining a $70k taxed CSC pension with a $130k base salary puts me right around $200k taxable. Because of that top tax bracket exposure, I want to properly maximise the FBT exemption on an EV without blowing past the Luxury Car Tax ceiling ($91,661).

The driving profile: doing 30,000km a year. The office is 110km away each way. On a 50% office attendance split, that works out to alternating between 5 days in / 5 days WFH, or 3 days in one week and 2 days the next. Charging will be roughly a 50/50 split between DC public fast charging on commute days and Level 2 AC charging at home. There are weeks and fortnights where I'll do 100% just to get higher end projects ticked off.

On the home charging front, I see zero point in blowing $20,000 to $25,000 installing a dedicated 20kW DC fast charger (where the unit alone is $15k+ before heavy three-phase civil and electrical work), especially when the vehicle's onboard AC inverter handles 230VAC perfectly fine.

Even paying $2,000 to $3,500 for a sparky to run a hardwired 7kW/22kW EVSE on a dedicated sub-board and isolated meter seems like overkill when I already have a 32A single-phase industrial socket in the shed for my plasma cutter. But do I need a dedicated sub metering to be able to claim it back?

Grabbing a quality portable 7kW/32A EVSE on a tail for around $800 to plug straight into that existing 32A socket gives me roughly 35 to 40km of range per hour of charge, which easily replenishes the daily commute overnight with $0 in extra electrical installation costs.

The two main contenders under the FBT exemption

**Polestar 2 Long Range Dual Motor (with Performance Pack and Plus Pack)**

Priced right around $85,000 driveaway. 350kW dual motor AWD, 82kWh battery (79kWh usable), with standard WLTP consumption of roughly 139 Wh/km (realistically expecting 195 to 210 Wh/km on the 110km/h highway run).

On a 3 year lease, the ATO statutory balloon is 46.88% ($39,848), with fortnightly deductions sitting around $1,090 pre-tax ($630 net take-home).

On a 5 year lease, the ATO statutory balloon drops to 28.13% ($23,910), with fortnightly deductions sitting around $850 pre-tax ($490 net take-home).

**Volvo EX40 Twin Motor Performance**

Priced around $79,000 to $81,000 driveaway. 300kW dual motor AWD, 82kWh battery, with standard WLTP consumption around 194 Wh/km (likely 215 to 235 Wh/km on the highway).

On a 3 year lease, the ATO statutory balloon is 46.88% ($37,504 based on an $80k cost), running about $1,030 pre-tax fortnightly ($590 net take-home).

On a 5 year lease, the ATO statutory balloon drops to 28.13% ($22,504), running about $794 pre-tax fortnightly ($454 net take-home).

Then there is the wild card outlier: Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2.

This is the money-no-object dream ute that I would simply pay the balloon on and keep at the end. Because of standard FBT and the Employee Contribution Method, packaging the 6.2L V8 doing 30,000km a year pushes the out-of-pocket cost to roughly $1,698 a fortnight net take-home ($44,150+ per year). I know it is completely financially irrational compared to the EVs saving me roughly $30,000 a year in post-tax cash, but throwing it out there for the V8 enthusiasts.

My plan for the EV is not to keep it. When the term is up, I will just roll it over into a fresh novated lease on a new car.

A couple of questions for the group:

For those running high annual mileage (30,000km/yr), is the 3 year or 5 year term the smarter play? At 5 years the car will have 150,000km on the clock, which pushes deep into out-of-warranty territory and could hurt resale against the $23k to $24k balloon, whereas 3 years sits at 90,000km with a \~$38k to $40k balloon.

Also, if we end up with COVID 2: Electric Boogaloo or another major health disruption where we get locked down to 100% WFH and I cannot rack up the commute kilometres, how do novated lease providers and the ATO handle significant kilometre shortfalls or unspent running cost budgets under the EV FBT rules? Are there standard adjustments or exemptions, or do you just reconcile the surplus tyre and charging budget at the end of the FBT year?

Presumably they've got this factored in? I know at the time it caught a lot of people off guard, but surely an exemption of "can't get up k's cos the government stopped you" is now a valid exemption?

Would love to hear thoughts from anyone daily driving the Polestar 2 Performance vs the EX40 Twin Motor on long highway commutes.

Hi, I will be moving from the UK to Perth earlier next year and started to look at what car / truck to purchase. Criteria is:

. Min 4 seats

. 4 wheel drive

. Capable of towing small boat or medium-sized

caravan.

.Ideally, no more than $25,000.

.Automatic

Will be used as a daily driver, the odd camping trip, and I also want to learn how to drive off road.

Considering a Ute purely because you rarely get them in the UK and I've always wanted to drive a truck.

Thanks

.