Kia Rio. Photo / Supplied
Jocelyn lives north of Auckland, and makes two trips a month to the city. She needs a car that can cope with the commute.
She's after a five-door hatchback, that's automatic, economical and is a late-model vehicle that's not too small and is easy to maintain.
"Friends drive Peugeots and
VW Golfs, which they like very much, however my mechanic says they are expensive to repair and I'm sure I would probably need to spend more to get a later-model European car," she says.
I totally agree with your comments about vehicle size, Jocelyn. There are a couple of excellent new small inner city cars on the market that fit well within your budget, but if the drive down State Highway 1 is on a fairly regular basis, then you need to look for something with a little more punch.
I would urge you to stretch the budget and look at buying a new or near-new car as you inherit the latest in technology and long-term warranty.
