How many on here have "Downsized" ??

[buggerlugs]

http://www.news.com.au/money/cost-of...-1226502740251
We downsized from a Pajero to a CX5 only because the kids were all getting their licences........How many on here have "Downsized" over the last few years ?

[Ben73]

Nope. Up is the only way to go for me.
I have gone from medium sedan to small 4x4 to large sedan and my next will be a large 4x4. I hope my large 4x4 will have a V8 engine.

[Ford_The_Win]

I am downsizing before the end of this financial year. Going for a Lancer at this stage, probably in manual which is something I thought I'd never go back to. I have no use for a full size car anymore, I am sick of driving around in a big whale of a car. I don't really drive more than 100 km from home and never have more than one other person in the car. Plus sedans are surprisingly bad at swallowing big loads. Plus I want something that can actually go around corners and stop, and something that doesn't molest my pocket at the fuel pump, so the Falcon is going into semi-retirement.

[Oxa384]

we've gone from a 04 ba xr6 to a hyundai veloster.we miss the power but dont miss the rego/fuel costs, still got the coupe for cruising.

[IceValk85]

ive progressively moved up.

started with a wb carbi festiva bucket, with kia rocker cover lol
then had a great VR acclaim with lots of HSV bits.
got sensible and bought a SP23 mazda 3, loved it, but not fast enough
bought a BF MKII Fairmont Ghia, faster, but not fast enough and god damn thirsty
bought a Mazda 6 MPS, now that was fast, but SHOCKINGLY thirsty, and unreliable
now have a SIDI SV6 commodore, fast as the MPS (most of the time) and uses round 12.5l/100 instead of the 17 in the MPS so much better.
also significantly more comfortable and lazy.

Ice

[RegSpec]

Hmmm.....I moved from an XR8 to an XR6 Turbo.....but I wouldnt call it downsizing though...

[greenfoam]

Gone from a Commodore and Jeep to a Fiesta, smartest move ever. Uses half the fuel and twice as fast around corners as a full size car, can't beat these hoon laws so spirited corners are the only way to still enjoy your driving. Got a long term average of 5.9l/100 on the thing. Got no plans to ever own a larger car that this again

[Franco Cozzo]

I've gone from a small car, to a bigger small car, Fiesta to Focus, so I'm bucking the trend lol.

[greenfoam]

Well I could stretch it to a Focus but that would be my size limit, not like a Fiesta or a Focus is really a small car these days, not on the inside anyway

[Road_Warrior]

We've gone from a Falcon sedan, to a Falcon wagon and next is a Territory...

[Trump]

I'm thinking of an F350 as my next vehicle

[grandpa_spec_F6]

Large and in charge since the day I got my P-Plates... unless you count the Mrs excel

[prydey]

Originally Posted by oxa384

we've gone from a 04 ba xr6 to a hyundai veloster.we miss the power but dont miss the rego/fuel costs, still got the coupe for cruising.

my wife has a focus and i have a FG xr6. rego costs between a 4cyl and 6cyl here in adelaide is about $100 a year (a joke, but thats a story for another day). fuel costs between the 2 would also be fairly close.

to downsize from a falcon, it would want to be a pretty good reason and a LOT better in certain areas.

also, large cars are safer, end of story. ancap ratings are only comparable across similar sized vehicles.

no downsizing for me. of course, its horses for courses. everyone's situation is different.

[SSD-85]

Falcon to Fairlane here. I love my large Fords & wouldnt consider anything else.

[big_landau]

i recently bought a jeep,realy comfy,has been very reliable and so far quite a good thing.uses a bit of fuel,i got 565km out of the tank but thats the least of my problems,im just glad the lemon toyota has goooone.
the jeep suits what i realy want from my life so im happy.

[Angeldust]

i've just upsized from 5.7 litres to 6.0 litres

[Nikked]

Missus traded here lancer in on a Mondeo Sedan.

Take that trend!

[Drizz06]

I downsized at the start of the year from the mighty 5.0 Windsor to 4.0 DOHC Barra! $80 now gets me 550-600km's instead of 350-400.

[The Snout]

Different Strokes......

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Thinking about trading up to a H2......no way would I down size, too much comfort and style to be had, I don't want to be on on my death bed wondering what it would have been like to be driving round in a decent car.

[blueoval]

Ive gone from a modified supercharged AU to a Subaru Liberty GT. You can call it an down grade if you want, but I love the liberty and it suits my lifestyle perfectly. I would have kept the AU and still bought the Lib if I had the room, but thems the breaks. Something had to go and I needed something a bit more up to date for work.

[big_landau]

let face it if you won the lotto would wouldnt drive a barina etc,i dont care what anyone says but a festiva dont drive like an ltd.

[pauljh74]

Gone from XE Falcon to EL Falcon to Mazda 3 SP23 sedan.
If you offered me a Mazda 323 10 years ago - I would have turned it down and still gone for the Falcon. It's just that the small and medium cars have stepped up in size and power in the last decade or so, making them attractive options even to 6cyl car buyers.

I have more headroom in the Mazda, am getting single digit fuel consumption for the first time and it drives well and has decent speed - not far behind the old EL XR6 thanks to the 200+kg weight advantage.

Priorities change over time. The first car was borrow a little off the parents for a car. Second car was use all the savings, 3rd car was redraw from the home loan. In the next 10 years (the time I think I'll keep this one for) I think the right path would be to have something that uses less fuel to save money - but if you have the coin to feed a V8 beast and that makes you happy, then go for it.

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by big_landau

let face it if you won the lotto would wouldnt drive a barina etc,i dont care what anyone says but a festiva dont drive like an ltd.

Doesnt Bill Gates still drive his 80s Volvo? His reasoning is he still likes it and it still drives fine.

[big_landau]

Originally Posted by blueoval

Doesnt Bill Gates still drive his 80s Volvo? His reasoning is he still likes it and it still drives fine.

thats ok,whoever gets his cash when he is gone will drive the volvo straight to the scrappys,get a pallet of beer and a ten call calls on the way home.they wont have a problem spending the money i bet.

[pauljh74]

Originally Posted by big_landau

let face it if you won the lotto would wouldnt drive a barina etc,i dont care what anyone says but a festiva dont drive like an ltd.

I wouldn't go all out on a Ferrari either - it would be like dating Miranda Kerr, looks great and fun, but every time you go out, you'd be worried someone would move in and take her away.

I'd probably go mid-range German luxury

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by pauljh74

I wouldn't go all out on a Ferrari either - it would be like dating Miranda Kerr, looks great and fun, but every time you go out, you'd be worried someone would move in and take her away.

I'd probably go mid-range German luxury

That's exactly how I'd feel too. I'd want something nice but not so showy that you'd worry if a fly shat on it, or it got looked at the wrong way by some bogan.

German luxury? Hell yeah!

[Ford_The_Win]

Originally Posted by pauljh74

It's just that the small and medium cars have stepped up in size and power in the last decade or so, making them attractive options even to 6cyl car buyers.

I have more headroom in the Mazda, am getting single digit fuel consumption for the first time and it drives well and has decent speed - not far behind the old EL XR6 thanks to the 200+kg weight advantage.

That's exactly why I'm downsizing to a smaller Jap car. There is no disadvantage to having a smaller car these days. They are just as comfortable and quick as the full size cars of yesteryear except they handle a hell of a lot better and are a lot better built. The EL is very comfy but it handles like a bag of crap. The OHC 6 has more power than I use so if a modern 4 cylinder can keep up and use half the fuel, then I'm gonna get me one! The only problem with cars like the 3, Lancer, i30 is the visibility, but all new cars have crap visibility.

[Jason[98.EL]]

we have gone against the trend and gone from a 98 EL (still got it ) to a late 2005 Kia carnival 4 kids does that to ya

if ford did something with the room we need i would have bought a ford

Jason

[Phil B]

My XB coupe is shorter, lower and lighter than my XH ute. Somehow I don't think it's downsizing! Definitely wont be getting rid of my ute though, I'm always using it to carry and tow stuff. The money I've saved carrying stuff instead of freighting outweighs the fuel costs for me.

My parents have an AU and a Toyota Starlet and are thinking of selling the Starlet, they need the bigger car with having a tandem trailer, boat and caravan.