[csirac2]

Has anybody used a "external door handle covers trim set" to change the style/colour of their external door handles? Eg. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/251153605812 or http://www.chromemycar.com.au/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=187

Are they effective or do they just fall off?

My wife wants a Honda City, which is apparently less boring than the i30 diesel wagon I'm favouring. In my area the run-out model 2012 i30 CW manual diesel wagons are being heavily discounted.

Her main complaint against the discounted i30s is that the door handles aren't the same colour as the body paint. I tend to agree, but we can't afford the extra $5k-$7k or so to go finding an equivalent SXL model.

I thought we could just change out the doorhandles ourselves if I could buy some spare white SXL handles, but I don't see the parts online. Maybe at wreckers?

Looking forward to replacing our faithful '99 LPG powered Falcon Sedan which is just too expensive to run in the city... I wasn't going to consider a new car but if I can stick close to $20,000 AUD my spreadsheets predict we'll "only" be $5-$10k worse off buying something new (we do 30 to 40,000km/year).

[Doggie 1]

Welcome to the forum. 
The diesel cw's are a good thing so if you can do a good deal on one, go for it.
As far as the door handles are concerned, you could always just get a paint shop to paint them - it wouldn't cost much at all.
I haven't used the chrome covers but I believe a few have so you'll get some responses I would imagine.
And if your wife sticks to wanting a Honda City you could always consider getting the i30 and trading the wife in. 

[Dazzler]

Those covers work great .. Put some on the Wife's CW over 12 months ago still perfect (no sign of falling off or deteriorating) Show your wife the pix of TrishCW in the Gallery (The CW dresses up nicely)

The Honda City gets a fairly average rating compared to some other Honda Models 

[csirac2]

Cool, thanks for that.

Next problem: remembering what a clutch is. Well, it's only been 3 years, what could possibly go wrong..

[Doggie 1]

I had an AU 11 dedicated LPG Falcon for some @450,000 kms - great car actually (unlike my BA LPG).
You'll love the diesel manual cw.

[Phil №❶]

No worries with the chrome handles, like Dazz, they work fine.

BTW Welcome. 

[csirac2]

Thanks for the pictures. I think it'll be an i30, just need to revisit the other manufacturers one more time - but $20k AUD doesn't buy you as much car at the others.

I had an AU 11 dedicated LPG Falcon for some @450,000 kms - great car actually (unlike my BA LPG).
You'll love the diesel manual cw.

My dual-fuel AU is a nice car, but I've had a few unhelpful mechanics pretend to know LPG and just made things worse. I used to fix my own cars when I was a student but now with a family and two jobs I just don't have the time to make 2nd-hand ownership as cost-effective as it should be (or I just suck at picking mechanics).

The AU is great on the highway, we do a lot of 2.5hr trips, a few 14 hours... how do you think the i30 compares (ignoring space of course)? I'm a fairly conservative driver, I never really wished for more power from my AU. On the very few occasions where I've floored it, better driving wouldn't have needed it.

If the i30 cw doesn't feel too strained with 2 adults + child, getting up hills/overtaking on the highway, I'll be happy. Just a concern coming from my small-car experiences in the past, especially in small autos.

The test drive should answer much of this I guess.

[Doggie 1]

I'm pretty sure you won't notice a lack of power with the diesel manual - they have a lot of tourque.
The i30 compares favourably with the Falcon on the highway in all areas, with the possible exception of road noise IMO.

[Dazzler]

I'm pretty sure you won't notice a lack of power with the diesel manual - they have a lot of tourque.
The i30 compares favourably with the Falcon on the highway in all areas, with the possible exception of road noise IMO.

 

.. even if you need an Auto for some reason you will still be impressed by the little diesel's torque 

[csirac2]

Well, I intend to pull the trigger on a new i30 diesel cw manual tomorrow morning, thanks in no small part to all the info buried on the forums of this website! And also that the only other Hyundai dealer in town simple couldn't match the deal I was getting (did I mention free cruise control and fog lights?).

The only thing I'll miss is no air-con vents for my daughter in the back, plus my wife will have to learn manual transmission.

But my total-cost-of-ownership analysis over 5 years - assuming 30,000km per year (coming down from up to 40,000km/year previously). Assuming 10% rise in fuel prices per year, and 6L/100km average (50/40/10% mix of highway/"light city"/"heavy city" driving); accounting for rego, tyres, official Hyundai servicing cost estimates and extrapolating, insurance, and 50% finance over 5 years...

Total expenditure into the brand new i30 is hopefully around $56k. That's about $9k to run in the 2nd year, up to $11k in the 5th. In 2011, I put $8500 into my Falcon which did 35,000km on LPG fuel.

This compares better than I thought it would with my non-insured second-hand scenarios, which came to $48-$55k. I haven't considered resale value. If I had 100% cash it would be hard to consider second hand at all.

[Doggie 1]

Congratulations. What colour are you getting?
That fog light/cruise option is a good one to get.

[Phil №❶]

Yes congrats 

[csirac2]

Indeed. And this all started because I was trying to prove my wife wrong (I'm always right, aren't I? Especially with finances!). She insisted a new car would end up cheaper over 5 years. Well, it turns out I'm still right, just not as right as I thought I was :}

In reality, driving a car costs money. Having it sit in the driveway costs money. If we could eliminate the car from our lives completely, we'd have a house deposit in no time

Edit: cruise/fog lights only available in non-metalic colours, which consists of deep blue & white at the moment. So we're going boring old white.

[Doggie 1]

If you look after it, which I'm sure you will, you'll have a car that will last you donkey's years if you want it to. So with that out of the way you can then focus on a house deposit without having to worry about breakdowns and unreliability and unexpected maintenance/repair costs thanks to the unlimited km five year warranty.

[Phil №❶]

Edit: cruise/fog lights only available in non-metalic colours, which consists of deep blue & white at the moment. So we're going boring old white.

Notice DB08 is patiently waiting for his WHITE car 

[Dazzler]

Indeed. And this all started because I was trying to prove my wife wrong (I'm always right, aren't I? Especially with finances!). She insisted a new car would end up cheaper over 5 years. Well, it turns out I'm still right, just not as right as I thought I was :}

In reality, driving a car costs money. Having it sit in the driveway costs money. If we could eliminate the car from our lives completely, we'd have a house deposit in no time

Edit: cruise/fog lights only available in non-metalic colours, which consists of deep blue & white at the moment. So we're going boring old white.

A white CW will dress up really nicely (Ugly Mongrel's is white and it is one of the nicest looking cars on the site)

Also note that you will be pleasantly surprised by the excellent resale value of the Diesel Manuals and being that the CW has been discontinued in Australia and that small wagons are scarce on the  market the saleability (when the time comes) should be excellent 

[Doggie 1]

Indeed. And this all started because I was trying to prove my wife wrong (I'm always right, aren't I? Especially with finances!). She insisted a new car would end up cheaper over 5 years. Well, it turns out I'm still right, just not as right as I thought I was :}

In reality, driving a car costs money. Having it sit in the driveway costs money. If we could eliminate the car from our lives completely, we'd have a house deposit in no time

Edit: cruise/fog lights only available in non-metalic colours, which consists of deep blue & white at the moment. So we're going boring old white.

A white CW will dress up really nicely (Ugly Mongrel's is white and it is one of the nicest looking cars on the site)

Also note that you will be pleasantly surprised by the excellent resale value of the Diesel Manuals and being that the CW has been discontinued in Australia and that small wagons are scarce on the  market the saleability (when the time comes) should be excellent 

The only non-metallic colours are actually white & red. The deep blue (Santorini) is metallic.

And yes, I am patiently waiting for my white car. I contacted the dealership as I hadn't heard any updates but was told, "No idea, they're probably just building it." 

[Hman]

The only thing I'll miss is no air-con vents for my daughter in the back, plus my wife will have to learn manual transmission.

I also got a great deal in October on an i30cw diesel manual with fogs/cruise and am loving it so far.

There are actually vents for the rear passengers under the front seats that are turned on whenever the 'feet' vents are on in the front. I know you can't adjust them but it's better than nothing