What would you do?

[distortion]

Currently have a BA xr6t. I bought this for my wife as a comfortable, safe and reliable car. It is great and I love it to bits. We have a young boy, and another on the way in 2 months time. I have just changed jobs and now get a car allowance rather than a company car. My wife would like to get rid of the turbo as its difficult to get children in the back seat easily... Her suggestion is for her to get a 04 magna or the like (big, roomy and economical) and for me to use my 15k a year car allowance to purchase a FG xr6t (One of my cars must be a fast ford or i'll go crazy )

15k a year to purchase and run an fg xr6t - is this viable (Some can be had under 30k). I do not need to do anything for 3 months has I have a loan car until then...

Appreciate anyones thoughts or opinions. I am in Vic.

[GasoLane]

I fail to see how getting kids into and out of a Magna would be easier than a Falcon !

The only thing easier for loading/unloading kids would be the back of a ute

[Yellow_Festiva]

Are the magna doors that much better than a falcons to justify the change of vehicle?

I would keep the falcon and mod it to your liking and buy a proper mid sized people mover designed with big doors and child carying ability.

[Highway]

more rear door room in a FG falcon then a magna. and im sure there isnt much difrance then a BA

[Jason[98.EL]]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

I fail to see how getting kids into and out of a Magna would be easier than a Falcon !

The only thing easier for loading/unloading kids would be the back of a ute

lol

I have a 98 el falcon and the reason for it is

1 i like the shape

2 I have 3 kids 1 in a car seat 1 in a booster seat and they fit well and are very easy to get them in and out of and it is lowered on lows

my father inlaw has a magna wagon and we have trouble fitting the 3 kids in the back

hope that helps

Jason

[Jase_Boss]

Go to a dealership and try a FG the rear wheel arch and rear door swing is much better than the B series, if you have a good dealer he will let you fit the kids seats in the back to see the ease of getting kids in & out of a FG's rear.

This is one of the reasons i brought the FG for my wife, that and its safety, one other factor is the amount of boot space, way bigger than the magna i would think

[bigsta]

Hi Mate,

Best of to speak to your accountant about the tax implications first but is keeping the BA for work a possibility and pocketing the $15K?

In terms of a second car I would steer clear of an old magna def not more roomy than a falcon and has plenty of issues including a appetite for head gaskets.
The 380 was alot better than the magna and i think they switched to a cast iron block too (not 100% on that) another great old cheapie is the VY commodores you can pick up a nice one for not much cash and they are very roomy,safe and economical, just stay away from the VZ the all alloy 3.6 had alot of problems.

A awesome family car is the territory I have one and its quite a excellent car overall they drive similar to a falcon and in AWD guise are really safe as they have a proper 40/60 power split unlike other fake AWDs which are really just FWDs and if you want a fast ford you can get a used turbo ghia for $25K odd and those things really move.

They do have a few bugs but the only really bad one is the ball joint issue on the SX/SY series but as long as you keep an eye on them Ford replace them for free no ? asked up until 150K and after upon application to Ford HO if beyond 150K

You can pick up a base model sx from $12K^^ they are a great car but are thirsty.

Anyway whatever you decide congrats on your new job and if you do get the FG you will love it too as they are another great car.

[distortion]

we tried a magna last week and found it was heaps easier to get the carseat in and my son in without hitting his head!

the au-bf rear doors are terrible for putting kids into - unless they are big enough to climb in themselves. The FG purchase wouldnt be for my wife, more for me. I like turbo's, like the shape of the FG and want to upgrade.

The reason why a magna and not another big family car is I will not purchase anything by Toyota. It is my personal gripe that in my area, it seems to be more Aurions and Camry drivers who hoon, dont watch where they are going etc. Just an opinion not a fact. The only other option for a relativly new (less than 8 years old) family sedan other than the Magna is a Commodore. Not sure how these go with children in the back? (also Magna's purchase prices are very good!)

[Jason[98.EL]]

Originally Posted by distortion

we tried a magna last week and found it was heaps easier to get the carseat in and my son in without hitting his head!

the au-bf rear doors are terrible for putting kids into - unless they are big enough to climb in themselves. The FG purchase wouldnt be for my wife, more for me. I like turbo's, like the shape of the FG and want to upgrade.

The reason why a magna and not another big family car is I will not purchase anything by Toyota. It is my personal gripe that in my area, it seems to be more Aurions and Camry drivers who hoon, dont watch where they are going etc. Just an opinion not a fact. The only other option for a relativly new (less than 8 years old) family sedan other than the Magna is a Commodore. Not sure how these go with children in the back? (also Magna's purchase prices are very good!)

my brother in-law has a commodore 2000something model and a mazda 6 3 yrs old and they wont use the commodore to take their 15 month old because they have probs getting her into it

the Mazda 6 on the other hand is great to get her in and out of

Jason

[FNQracing]

Mate, the Boss has given you a GREEN light to go out and get a new T. Rare. Very rare. Don't ask questions. :-)

[distortion]

he he yeah the turbo is not really a question in my mind... its more what to do as a family car! yet to drive an FG but very much looking forward to it!

[big_landau]

nothing wrong with a magna for your wife as they are a good car if used as a daily driver.if the magna suits your needs the get one then get the turbo

[ThaFlash]

i dunno about a ba xr6t being that reliable, depends on the k's, then personally turbo in the wet under the inexperienced female foot not that safe, ad mods to the mix and reliability and safeness goes bye bye.

if you are gonna haul your kids around mate go an au, heaps of room, safe car, renowned reliability and robust design, ad lpg to the mix and your laughin'.

keep your ba xr6t, currently still giving fg's a good run for their money.

those are my thoughts.....either way good luck mate.

[TURBOTAXI]

Originally Posted by ThaFlash

i dunno about a ba xr6t being that reliable, depends on the k's, then personally turbo in the wet under the inexperienced female foot not that safe, ad mods to the mix and reliability and safeness goes bye bye.

if you are gonna haul your kids around mate go an au, heaps of room, safe car, renowned reliability and robust design, ad lpg to the mix and your laughin'.

keep your ba xr6t, currently still giving fg's a good run for their money.

those are my thoughts.....either way good luck mate.

From my own experience the BA Turbo is a very reliable car. Mine is over 245k.
LPG The BA Turbo.

[bigsta]

Originally Posted by distortion

we tried a magna last week and found it was heaps easier to get the carseat in and my son in without hitting his head!

the au-bf rear doors are terrible for putting kids into - unless they are big enough to climb in themselves. The FG purchase wouldnt be for my wife, more for me. I like turbo's, like the shape of the FG and want to upgrade.

The reason why a magna and not another big family car is I will not purchase anything by Toyota. It is my personal gripe that in my area, it seems to be more Aurions and Camry drivers who hoon, dont watch where they are going etc. Just an opinion not a fact. The only other option for a relativly new (less than 8 years old) family sedan other than the Magna is a Commodore. Not sure how these go with children in the back? (also Magna's purchase prices are very good!)

I just sold a VY commodore for the territory mainly cause i needed the 7 seats funnily enough i did notice the terry rear doors were slightly smaller than the commy but nothing to massively complain about I never had a problem getting my 2 year old in and out of the commy but in the terry i have to be a bit more careful cant recommend the VT-VY2 high enough cant comment on the rear access to the BA compared to it because the falcon never got me past a test drive.

Best bet is mate go to a dealer and try the car seat yourself in a few diff makes and than look for one privately.

[dylancox]

Originally Posted by TURBOTAXI

From my own experience the BA Turbo is a very reliable car. Mine is over 245k.
LPG The BA Turbo.

The BA Turbo motor and driveline seem pretty solid, but I can't say the same about the suspension. I live in an area with very rough roads. I've nearly lost count of how many front lower balljoints i've gone through trying to remove clunks from the front suspension. After about the 6th replacement, redoing the bushes in nolathane and a very painful wallet I just gave up and learnt to live with it. But there's no better car than the BA on the highway.. it floats along effortlessly, plenty of power and the suspension's clunks magically disappear until I get back into suburbia. The diff bushes are also an atrocity. I hope that the FG fixed some of these issues?

[Crazy Dazz]

I agree with the idea of keeping your family sled and personal ride separate. Having your missus tootle around in a turbo must prove expensive. If you want to trade the BA turbo on an FG, go for it, but make sure you do it as a novated lease.

For the family ride, I recommend a Falcon Wagon on LPG. The wagons have more room in the back (longer wheelbase) and have “Squarer” tops on the rear doors.
I am biased. We’ve owned 3 Mitsubishis, and in each the engine was garbage. Plus I credit a Falcon wagon with saving us from serious injury in a head on.

[SSVPom]

OK, I'm in the same boat and here's my opinion:

Firstly, if you need the extra reddies in your pocket each month, use the car allowance for everyday spending. You would need to keep the eqivalent 30% tax back to off set any possible tax bills due to you not using the car allowance for business purposes. This does not solve your need for a new car, but gives you more in the back burner month-to-month.

Secondly, another option is getting a smaller loan on a cheaper older car, but it will not give you the same returns. I know you're spending less in the first place, but you end up about the same position at the end of the day but you'd be driving a new car - which would you prefer ?!

Finally, and this it the way to go if you want to drive a decent new car (and we're all car enthusiasts here, let's face it) and make the most of the car allowance you are paid, you could purchase a new/demo car, on a Commercial Hire Purchase plan with some sort of nominal residual at the end. This makes the best of your car allowance as the interest portion is tax deductable, as is the depreciation of the vehicle, and all other running costs and repairs. New cars depreciate more, so your taxable income is therefore reduced more. This is what I do. I only spend around $700 pm on the monthly car payments, but still manage to justify the majority of the balance of my car allowance not spent on the vehicle come tax time. I bought a brand new Subary Liberty for $34k in 2007 and got on a 4 year plan with no residual, (and paid it off early) but it cost me around $840 pm... it was a cheaper car but I could therefore not claim as much depreciation or interest back, and it cost me more per month. It did not work out in my favour as much as much as my current situation which was getting a more expensive car with a residual, which reduced my monthly payments, and increased what I could claim back at tax time !

Most importantly, get good advice from a reputable accountant or bookkeeper who works in your favour, not just the ATO's.

Good luck with the decision,

Cheers.

[OzJavelin]

Originally Posted by distortion

My wife would like to get rid of the turbo as its difficult to get children in the back seat easily...

I remember when I was a small child (with a sister) my mother drove a VW, a Mini, a Morris Minor, a Mazda 808, an LJ Torana GTR, etc, etc .. one of the biggest cars she ever drove was an EH wagon. Obviously life was simpler then because none of these is what I call easy to get kids in/out of ...

[XRGhia]

Turbo Terri ghia? Big, fast and economical

[wrongwaynorris]

Have done the exercise recently and unless your 'e only doing a few thousand kilometres a year you wont be able to afford an FG XR6T on the allowance alone . Lease payments approx $950 .00 PM = $11,400.00 , Insurance $ 600.00 - $1,200.00 depending on your driving record , age , where you live and wether its garaged or not , Servicing , Tyres , Registration , Green Slip plus Fuel . So unless your'e willing to tip in over and above the allowance forget it . I'd be keeping the BA XR6T and buying the missus something like an MPV .

[wrongwaynorris]

[QUOTE=distortion]he he yeah the turbo is not really a question in my mind... its more what to do as a family car! yet to drive an FG but very much looking forward to it![/QUOTE

If you love your BA you will be over the moon with the FG as it is twice the car .

[XR6_661]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

The only thing easier for loading/unloading kids would be the back of a ute

Or a pitchfork...

[Spudz27]

I am going to don my flame suit here but why not a V6 camry? Our 04 sportivo has anchor points in each rear seat built into the rear shelf, unlike the ford where you have to buy extra ones or move the one you get around. Also the rear doors open out wider than the fords rear doors making it easier to put the kids in. As much as they are an ugly car they are reliable and hold value. I have had mine near on 2yrs and have done nothing more than service it.

[SSVPom]

Leasing is not the option I'd be going, unless I was salary sacrificing for a vehicle, or using my own cash.

Commercial Hire Purchase will be better suited to the situation here, as you are buying the car to own outright over the term - at the end of the lease term you hand the car back and walk away with nothing.

You can pay out CHP early too, normally for naff all early termination fees. For example because of selling a house, I was able to pay off my Subaru at 2.5 years through the term where owed $15k and the car was still worth $23-25k. Win. I could have sold it and kept the difference (but would have had to pay tax on the difference technically) but I kept the car for my wife.

An FG XR6 Turbo bought for $45k driveaway will cost around $750pm over 4 years, with a $15k residual at the end, or around $900pm with a small residual... remember the car will be worth at least $15k private after 4 years should you wish to sell it and start again, by paying off the residual... or of course you can finance the final $15k over another year and own it outright after a total of 5 years.

Leasing does not work at tax time and at the end of the term if you manage your own car allowance..... in my opinion of course !!

(Dons flamesuit also)

Cheers.

[GT 160]

Prado

Great resale, well built, cant kill it with an axe and my Mrs has tried.

[distortion]

wow thanks for all the great advice everyone

sorry puffin, no toyota for me, ever. I am sure they are a great car, but i have personal vendetta against toyotas at the moment!

wrongwaynorris - I did the sums with RACV finance, and it works out to be approx $652 per month? (based on a 30k asking price in 3 months time, over 5 years) to purchase entirely. This would give me approx 600 in running per month, fuel, insurance etc.

Yeah running the BA turbo for my wife was a bit of overkill... I wanted it to drive on the weekends, but really, I didnt drive it enough for it to be worthwhile for her. The main complaints from the much better half, are the rear access issues, fuel use, and parking difficulty. She is used to smaller cars

I think my next move will be talking to an accountant, then probably CHP my fg, sell the BA, and purchase either a mazda 6, or magna. (would prefer to spend around 12 on this one!)

Once again, appreciate all the advice - all highly valued and considered

[TURBOTAXI]

Originally Posted by wrongwaynorris

Have done the exercise recently and unless your 'e only doing a few thousand kilometres a year you wont be able to afford an FG XR6T on the allowance alone . Lease payments approx $950 .00 PM = $11,400.00 , Insurance $ 600.00 - $1,200.00 depending on your driving record , age , where you live and wether its garaged or not , Servicing , Tyres , Registration , Green Slip plus Fuel . So unless your'e willing to tip in over and above the allowance forget it . I'd be keeping the BA XR6T and buying the missus something like an MPV .

For my 2009 FPV F6 Per month I pay about $1680 pre tax and $240 post tax for a fully serviced lease doing 40,001k per anum. Thats a fortnightly total of about $960 total but because so much of it is pretax its only about $700 or around $350 per week out of pocket. Keep in mind as a fully serviced lease that is meant to cover everything. - Rego, tyres, fuel, insurance, servicing, cleaning, some accessories etc.... My Fuel cost alone will sit at about $65 per week (700k) so the remaining $$ goes to everything else.

[xespak84]

i would keep the ba.

[GK]

A BFII Futura wagon on LPG would be an ideal family car.

GK