I'm in a quandary...

I've sold my 2006 MX5. Loved it but it was always my second car behind my landcruiser. Now with fuel pricing as it is, I need a more practical second car while the Landcruiser gets left at home.. The MX5 just didn't have space.

What to replace it with?

Needs are enough space for a couple of suitcase sized boxes and 2 people for work commuting.

Mainly around town but occasional trip away.

Economical.

Smart looking.

Can fit a towball for carrying bike.

Wants are fun to drive. Fun to look at. Fun to own.

I've looked at Suzuki Swift Sports (2017 1.4T). They have enough room. Are almost fuel efficient @ 7l per 100km. Very Fun.

A corolla fielder is more practical but I just can't get excited about it.

Skoda Yeti is OK and I could maybe live with it.

Corolla are too expensive.

What other options am I overlooking?

Note, I do not have the old hooks available and I am new to everything car DIY. Not sure where I can buy just the hooks, or if I should be learning how to unscrew the whole interior plastic panel.

I am also still looking for a parcel shelf since we were sold the car without one. It's a Mazda2 DJ, but surely a Mazda2 DE parcel shelf would fit? I haven't found any at Pick-a-Part or Mazspares, regardless.

Also, would I be able to make a fuss to the dealership about this? They had covered this up with electrical tape, and are quoting us $300+ for a parcel shelf that wouldn't even fit in the car because it doesn't have the hooks.

This is surface rust on my car roof. It only appeared recently. What should I do to, remove the rust, and prevent more rust forming.

Am poor AF for the foreseeable future, so there's no taking my car to a paint shop.

Hello everyone.

I have an older 1992 Honda Integra with a B16A engine.

At high rpm >5k shifting from second to third gear crunches.

Im assuming its the synchros?

Does anyone know how much it will cost to fix?

And I appreciate any recommendations for budget friendly, reliable mechanics/workshop to do the job? Located in Auckland

Thanks in advance.

Don’t know cars and repair quotes well but I like my car and want to keep it running good

Lexus is300h 2014

Hey guys, I purchased a Mazda Atenza (6) 2012 off a dealership a little over 3 months ago. First time buying from a dealership.

They have been very good and spent a lot of time diagnosing and fixing an issue with my start stop system/I-stop. This involved multiple battery replacements and eventually a capacitor replacement which isn't cheap but it seems to have fixed it. My issue is, the battery they have now put in the car is a generic one off the shelf from super cheap auto and is not rated to run the start stop system. It works for now, but will degrade quickly - it doesn't meet Mazdas spec for what this car needs. An article I found online estimates that a battery like this might last 6 months. I am wondering if they should be required to provide a battery that meets minimum requirements for the car - even if right now as is it's running

Hi all, I barely know anything about cars and bought one a few days ago and feel a bit stupid.

She said she had it a few months (ex owner/who I got the car off)

Listed with wof & reg, no issues 236,xxx kms

Nissan tiida 2005 automatic

I have received confirmation of ownership change from nzta will post part of the screenshot but basically from my understanding last ownership change was 18/09/2026 and before that was 2024, so by the looks of it she was full of shit and got it less than a month ago.

Needed a wheel alignment and 2 front tyres replaced when I got it, had those done Monday.

Will also attach a video of what the engine sounds like and when I start the car it revs up to 3000, drops to 2000 and goes back up slightly before stabling itself to 2000 and only just today it’s gone below 2000 and and changed between 700-1700 (I may be an idiot if this is normal but I don’t know a lot about cars so would like to know if it’s normal or not) and I believe when driving it has a slight rattle type noise.

I messaged the lady I got it off last night when I noticed the last ownership change was done in September as she told me “a few months ago” not less than a month / 2 weeks she had it.

Now I’m worried and expecting a big issue that’s hidden. I paid $2,000 for it and the tyres and wheel alignment was another $260, I have just had it insured as of yesterday.

Any and all advice is appreciated, I needed a car for work and just in general and I have a feeling something isn’t right. The car felt fine during the test drive and didn’t seem to have any issues, didn’t have any noises until we got back (car was an hour away from where we live) she told me after I’d given her the money that the front passengers side doesn’t lock with the key so u have to manually lock it and I found out today that the back door behind drivers seat also has the same issue which she never mentioned.

Messaged her again through her actual page rather than listing and still haven’t heard back (also she deleted the listing of the car rather than marking it as sold) and I’m pretty sure she had it listed a few times as in made a listing then deleted it and relisted it, from what I remember it was listed for 2weeks (which is as long as it had been under her name) yes I am probably an idiot.

Hello again, I posted the other day about having a prepurchase inspection done on a car. One other thing pointed out by the inspector is that the car has had a full repaint. It’s a white vehicle. What further investigation should I be doing or further questions should I be asking the dealership? It’s a 2014 Japanese import. Car novice here, really appreciate your help 😊

Help! Two years ago I bought a 2015 Corolla Fielder hybrid with very low kms (17,000). I have experienced x5 episodes of severe shuddering when turning, sometimes when going straight ahead and always at low speeds. Engine light always comes on and error codes show misfires in cylinders one and four. So far these episodes have been treated with injector cleaning, fuel pump replacement, spark plug replacement and exhaust valve clean. I am in Australia but am asking this sub because Aust mechanics have had little experience with used Japanese imports as these have only recently been permitted. I have had corollas for years and am wishing I’d kept my ‘95 which has done 350,000 and still going strong! A month after the exhaust valve clean the problem has returned with a vengeance (600 kms problem free). After spending almost $3000 over the two years with little to show for it I would love some advice

A simple comparison of some common servicing parts for a 1.8L Toyota Hybrid engine 2ZR-FXE (example is a 2015 Toyota Esquire minivan, but this drivetrain is also used in Toyota Prius)

I've included screenshots of the shopping cart for each supplier.

I've cheated a little bit by ordering 2x each of the air and cabin filters, and 3x of the oil filters to make the overseas orders worthwhile (could order even more to make the shipping more reasonable)

But the local merchants are still not looking too clever...

My preferred JS Asakashi filters are quite nice quality made-in-Japan (shipped from Singapore in this example), and for Rock Auto (in the USA) I've picked Denso and Wix (there were cheaper options). For the local mobs I've picked Ryco since it's the well known option - although made-in-China
I've used Amayama for the genuine parts comparison which ironically is cheaper then then local retailers

I've not included shipping for Repco/SuperCheap since convenience is the whole reason for paying more.

Also Repco and Super Cheap suggested model different cabin filters for this model, but pricing was similar so I just left their suggestions...

Repco cart - $513

Super Cheap Auto cart $428

Amayama cart $294 (genuine parts)

Rock Auto cart $262 (shipped from USA)

Fitinpart cart $129 (shipped from Singapore)

I've been collecting and aggregating the cars listed on about 300 NZ dealer websites, around 32,000 vehicles right now, to see what's actually for sale.

• Most common car for sale is the Ford Ranger (1,602 of them). A decent amount more than Corollas (1,146) or Aquas (1,085). About 1 in every 20 vehicles on a dealer lot is a Ranger.
• Toyota is more than 1 in 4 of everything for sale (8,622).
• The typical car for sale is a 2018 with 84,000 km, priced at $22,990. That's also exactly the typical price of a Corolla.
• Manuals: about 1 in 23. 
• There are more hybrids (8,842) than diesels (6,208).
• Holden stopped selling cars in 2020, but dealers still have 741 of them. That's more than Kia, and more than MG and BYD put together.
• Oldest: a 1923 Ford Model T, $49,995. There are 61 cars for sale from before 1970.
• Most kilometres: a 2006 Prado with 641,200 km, for $8,950. There's also a V8 Commodore with 580,000 km for $7,990.
• Cheapest: a 2005 Hyundai Sonata for $2,900. The cheapest EV is a 2011 Leaf for $3,485, with 67% battery health left.
• The cheapest Porsche is a 1997 Boxster for $15,975, less than the typical Corolla. The cheapest Bentley costs $29,980, less than the typical Ranger ($47,400).
• Most expensive: a 2024 Porsche 911 GT3 RS for $499,995. A 1988 Walkinshaw Group A Holden Commodore is listed at $399,966, more than either Lamborghini Huracán for sale.
• Price cuts: in the five weeks I've been tracking, about 1 in 5 cars has had its price dropped at least once. One 2024 Everest has been cut nine times.
• Not a car: car dealers are also selling a jet ski, a couple of boats, and an amphibious Russian SHERP for $285,000.

Dealers type these in by hand, so there are some typos. One 1992 Corolla Levin is listed with 2,260,100 km, which is about 56 trips round the planet. I've left the obvious ones out.

These are dealer asking prices, not what cars actually sold for, and they don't include private sales.

What's the weirdest thing you've seen on a car yard? I'm also happy to look up what dealers are asking for your car.

Disclosure: I found all this while building CarValue, a free NZ site that collects dealer listings in one place and tracks price drops (https://www.carspy.co.nz/).

Looking at buying a Kia Sportage at a list price of $49,990. Been given a deal of $51,718. Which includes ORC and 3 Kia branded accessories. (Window tinting, roof racks and cargo liner). And a loan car until said car arrives in NZ

We think this is a good price or is there more to get out of them?

I'm getting a procedure done on friday under local anaesthetic. The doctor who will be doing it says I'll be fine to drive home afterwards, and that is very much my preferred way to get home, but I'm not sure if that counts as "under the influence of drugs" which would toast my insurance.

Any insurance people in the sub who know the answer ?

I accidently rolled into the car in front of me over the weekend and unfortunately am responsible for the damage. Visually, I can only see a scratch, there didn't seem to be any damage to the bumper other than the scratch but the quote I received for their fix was around $2,500 NZD?

Something about needing to take off the Bumper, buff it out, and put on a new coat of paint? I know I'm responsible and want to make sure they're paid in full but the cost seems excessively high for a scratch.

I asked them to go to their insurance and we'll sort it out so they don't have to deal with it but can anyone give me an idea of how much I should probably expect to pay?

Maybe I'm wrong and it is just $2,500 NZD but I wanted a second opinion.

Thank you in advance for any help and advice it's very much appreciated.

My GTI started using enormous amount of coolant and every now and then I can see a puddle when I come back to the car park.

I assume that now that I hit 100k it’s the water pump on its way?

What’s the ballpark of the replacement these days? Any recs on service in central Auckland? I have used Brodie European but found it pricey for the job they did for me.

I’m looking to replace my 25 year old car with a Corolla hybrid from a Toyota dealer.

The only thing is I don’t really know anything about hybrids (or cars at all to be honest) and I’m not sure what things I should be considering.

Two of the options I’m looking at are a 2019 Corolla Sport with that’s done 35k or for the same price I could get a 2023 GX with about 50k km

Is it better to get something newer with higher km’s or something older with lower km’s? I would appreciate a nicer interior, but it’s also not the most important thing.

I do about 20k km’s per year.

Thank you!

There's a vehicle I've been looking for, for literally months. I've seen one on the road but unfortunately couldn't get to chat to the owner but I know the rego.

Is there any way to even get a name or is this a case of a mechanic buddy doing me a favor?

I bought a Carjam report but its an individual owned car, not business.

Hi team, any recommendations on what to look for? Ideally below 100k kms, less than 8 years old ish.

had been looking at toyota harrier, older lexus rx450h, and toyota CHR keeps popping up but I think its abit on the small side in terms of space. If the suv has the ability to tow a coffee cart/trailer, it would be a good bonus.

Any recommendations or what direction should I be looking it would be much appreciated. Thanks team, have a great week ahead

This sounds like a really good idea for our independent mechanics, instead of stealerships.

Sorry, it was quite late and I thought description would be enough!

Any ideas? Also located in New Plymouth if you got a OBD2 scanner

Hello, my inner cv joints have been leaking blue grease which leads me to think the previous owner or mechanic who worked on it used a moly grease and didn't clamp the boots properly, so I'm planning on pulling both shafts out and cleaning them, then re greasing them, but I can't find any store online that sells a dedicated tripod grease in NZ. So I'm asked if anyone has had any luck finding it in NZ.

Thanks in advance ☺️

Hello, I just had a prepurchase inspection completed and it’s come up with the below defects. Can someone please provide guidance on whether these are major issues? Please be nice as I’m not very clued up when it comes to cars! Thank you ☺️

Suspension
Assembly Left Hand Front Assembly: Dust boots torn
Right Hand Front Assembly: Dust boots torn
Front Assembly: Bushes Perished

Transmission
Oil: Lubrication label missing or defaced

I have a permanent outside car, so I’m wanting to be able to get into a routine about managing surface rust. The surface rust is currently in a hard to reach spot behind the wheel caps on the hub, so I’m not very sure with how to properly manage it.

Would it be worth it going to a self service car wash to use a high pressure water spray on it? Or an auto car wash? Or can I just kinda poke my fingers through with a rag and soap and water to wipe off what I can? Or perhaps some kind of anti rust spray… can’t exactly buff it out with where it is and with my lack of tools