Battle of the mid-sized bargains
Our car comparison series pits some of the most popular vehicles on the used-car market against one another to help find the perfect fit for you.
This edition, it’s the battle of the medium-sized cars under $16,000. As South Australian motorists’ love affair with large sedans waned and their adoration shifted towards similar sized SUVs, those who didn’t want to join the large-car arms race have been increasingly choosing from a myriad medium-sized cars that are cheaper to run.
Read on to see which of the popular sellers from 2012 are great value bargains on today’s used-car market. The four cars featured here have something to offer every type of motorist, whether it’s cheap running costs, safety, style or sports-car handling.
The competitors
Toyota Camry Altise 2012: The Camry is solid and reliable and is the low-risk, no-brainer decision for those who want a car for everyday use and fuss-free driving. Motorists who want more from their car need to look at the other three contenders. Hyundai i45 Active 2012: The Hyundai is a good-looking vehicle that had a shortish model run, so it’ll be harder to find in the pre-loved car world.
The Hyundai is a bit harder to find than the other 3 models.
Mazda6 Touring 2012: This car was popular when new, so there’ll be lots of good Mazda6 vehicles out there for those looking for a proven all-rounder. Subaru Liberty 2.5i 2012: The Liberty has family car functionality and liveability, but with sports-car handling and great safety credentials.
What’s hot
If your main concern is how running a car will drag on the household budget, the Camry and i45 are perfect for you. If safety tops your list of ‘must haves’ then the Camry and Liberty are the go, as they achieved five stars in this year’s Used Car Safety Rating.The Liberty’s active safety equipment makes it an even safer pick for drivers. When new, the Mazda6 and the Subaru Liberty were the dearest of the four vehicles, but they also had the most standard features.
The Mazda6 is probably better value as the Liberty has depreciated a fraction more than the other cars.
The Mazda6 is probably better value than the Liberty.
However, if you like to take a drive for the sake of driving, the Liberty is as much at home on twisting Adelaide Hills roads as it is on rough country lanes. Its legendary symmetrical all-wheel drive is at the heart of this design and gives it an edge over the rest.