So... what car do you guys drive when not flying?

[simongr]

After 12 years I finally got a new car a few weeks ago. I have been driving a 1995 Jeep Cherokee since 2000 and it was starting to be less than friendly so we took the plunge after about two years of deliberation and went for... a Jeep Grand Cherokee! Have to say the price was almost too good not to take it - A$55K on the road for a Limited - which comes with leather, electric memory seats and integrated bluetooth stereo - a comparable Audi (Q7), BMW (X5) or Volvo (XC90) top out over 100K...

 

[wafliron]

But Mercedes-Benz don't make a ute

Suppose that you could buy a ML or GL and Pimp-It into a ute

He could buy an E63 and follow Stuart Appleby's lead... Stuart Appleby's BMW M5 Ute

 

[TiredOldFlyer]

Drove Grand Cherokees for years (great value )- had a change last year to an HSV Grange - but I do miss the Jeep no more country roads I would
like to think that my next vehicle will be a Jeep SR8. In the US they sell for $40,000 well over $70,000 list here.

 

[Keith009]

After 12 years I finally got a new car a few weeks ago. I have been driving a 1995 Jeep Cherokee since 2000 and it was starting to be less than friendly so we took the plunge after about two years of deliberation and went for... a Jeep Grand Cherokee! Have to say the price was almost too good not to take it - A$55K on the road for a Limited - which comes with leather, electric memory seats and integrated bluetooth stereo - a comparable Audi (Q7), BMW (X5) or Volvo (XC90) top out over 100K...

Well done!! Pics??

 

[simongr]

Keith - they were on Facebook - esp showing how it barely fitted in the garage - actually had the guy from the dealership come with a demo model to make sure it fitted before we ordered.. It is a tight squeeze...

 

[Keith009]

Ahh ok... must have missed the update. Will check when I get home. Sounds like a very large vehicle if it's what I'm thinking of but fab value compared to say a Q7.

 

[QF1]

Which was declined as I refuse to pay a fee for a credit card)[/QUOTE]


I realise why you are the boss!

 

[Deleted member]

Q9 is coming in 2013? and bigger than Q7 but more expensive as well.(Was told that by an Audi dealer)

Q7 was an ok size for us similar size the Kluger IMHO

Q5 is smaller than a Kluger IMHO

My car lease is up in the next 6 month's or so.

Q9 could do it for me. Have decided to stay out of new car market for two years so timing cold be just right

 

[simongr]

So a Q9 would be similar in size to a Hummer then? The Grand Cherokee seems to be similar size to the Q7/Prado - and that is already almost too big for a regular garage... I still duck when we go into a parking garage...

 

[MatF]

I currently drive a 1996 Mitsubishi Triton 4x2 Club Cab, with 190,000km on the clock. Can't complain too much, it only cost me $600

Previous car was a 2006 Mazda RX-8, but I sadly had to give it back after 4 years (it was part of my salary package, and they're turned over every 4 years). Probably should have bought it out, but it wasn't the most practical car. I like to think I'll have another sports car at some stage ....

Mrs MatF has an old Rav4, but we're about to replace it with a new Mazda CX-5 Diesel Grand Tourer (though at the moment it looks like delivery won't be until around September!). She likes a small SUV, and that new diesel engine is very, very good.

 

[drewbles]

After 12 years I finally got a new car a few weeks ago. I have been driving a 1995 Jeep Cherokee since 2000 and it was starting to be less than friendly so we took the plunge after about two years of deliberation and went for... a Jeep Grand Cherokee! Have to say the price was almost too good not to take it - A$55K on the road for a Limited - which comes with leather, electric memory seats and integrated bluetooth stereo - a comparable Audi (Q7), BMW (X5) or Volvo (XC90) top out over 100K...

Yes, but you still ended up with a Jeep

 

[UP4014]

After 12 years I finally got a new car a few weeks ago. I have been driving a 1995 Jeep Cherokee since 2000 and it was starting to be less than friendly so we took the plunge after about two years of deliberation and went for... a Jeep Grand Cherokee! Have to say the price was almost too good not to take it - A$55K on the road for a Limited - which comes with leather, electric memory seats and integrated bluetooth stereo - a comparable Audi (Q7), BMW (X5) or Volvo (XC90) top out over 100K...

I actually quite like and admire the simplistic approach of the Jeep (although I don't have one myself), they are excellent value as well.

Matt

 

[TonyHancock]

It has finally dawned on me that I actually drive more KM's in a rental car than I do my own car.

 

[KitKat]

Anyone here on a novated lease? considering my options - buy outright, car loan (and tax deduct a component used for work) or novated lease

 

[Moopere]

Anyone here on a novated lease? considering my options - buy outright, car loan (and tax deduct a component used for work) or novated lease

Theres certainly no right answer here, completely depends on your circumstances. Even a standard lease (not novated) might suit you better depending on what you want to achieve and what your tax situation is likely to be.

I did a novated for my last car and it worked out fine, but I don't think it was actually any 'cheaper' at the end of the day. Its mu opinion that novated and other leases really just divert money from the ATO to the leasing companies ... its unlikely to offer real gain to the purchaser of any significant magnitude.

Having said that, my novated lease meant that I didn't have to pay a GST lump up front (though you do pay via each instalment) and the advantage over outright purchase is that you don't pay a capital purchase lump of money either. The advantage of outright is that you don't pay interest + fees over the period and can still make essentially the same claims against its use, so it would be cheaper in the long run (probably) so long as taking the up front hit and the loss of opportunity that having your cash in hand isn't a problem.

 

[wafliron]

Anyone here on a novated lease? considering my options - buy outright, car loan (and tax deduct a component used for work) or novated lease

Full disclosure first up: I work for a large car finance broker / novated lease provider.

Novated Leases can often offer significant tax benefits but it really does come down to individual circumstances. The most significant factors (in determining what is best for you) are your level of income, KMs you drive per annum (although becoming less important), price of the car (vehicle limit ("depreciation limit") comes into play) and what percentage of your driving is tax deductible (i.e. work-related).

Highly recommend you talk to an accountant for general advice, and a car finance broker / novated leasing provider to run some numbers and get some comparisons done - for the latter, make sure it's a company that does both general car finance and novated leasing though (most specialise in one or the other) so you get an "unbiased" comparison.

 

[Simo]

Also have to consider how long you want to keep the vehicle and also the amount of KM's you do every year.

I have my vehicles on 3 year leases but I am about to swap out 1 car after 2 years and it looks like there will be no probs and the remaining costs will be absorbed with the change over price.

My partners company car will be replaced maybe this FY mainly because of the 5k tax benefit and it is only 8 months old.

But best talking with your accountant on what suits you best and also what you want to achieve.

 

[Simo]

It has finally dawned on me that I actually drive more KM's in a rental car than I do my own car.

Yep I did that and sometimes i even got the same car a few times.

It was so handy because my mobile was already set up on the bluetooth.

 

[lovestotravel]

Currently tossing up between an X3/Evoque or maybe a Q3

So hard to pick they are all outstanding cars!

 

[wafliron]

Even a standard lease (not novated) might suit you better depending on what you want to achieve and what your tax situation is likely to be.

Did you mean a non-maintained novated lease here, rather than a "standard" lease (finance lease)?

Having said that, my novated lease meant that I didn't have to pay a GST lump up front (though you do pay via each instalment) and the advantage over outright purchase is that you don't pay a capital purchase lump of money either. The advantage of outright is that you don't pay interest + fees over the period and can still make essentially the same claims against its use, so it would be cheaper in the long run (probably) so long as taking the up front hit and the loss of opportunity that having your cash in hand isn't a problem.

I'm by no means an expert at the intricacies of novated leasing, but two comments here:

1) Pretty confident that if you were paying GST on the monthly repayments then either your employer or novated leasing provider was doing something wrong. One of the benefits of a novated lease is that the GST on the monthly finance repayments (and running costs, if fully maintained) produces ITCs that are claimable by the employer, and hence no GST is (or at least doesn't need to be) passed on to the employee.

2) I'm also pretty sure you shouldn't be (legitimately) claiming tax deductions for the repayments on a novated lease. The whole point of a novated lease is that the payments are made from pre-tax income (so no tax on that income - hence not claimable as a deduction), and the post-tax contribution in a fully-maintained novated lease is required (i.e. can't be claimed as a deduction) to offset the FBT liability created by the pre-tax payments.