Q&A: Which new car should I downsize to from a Kia Carnival
Australia’s best-selling people mover may look big, but it’s not exactly a freight train. Is your perspective subjectively skewed?
QUESTION
In 2018 my wife wanted a larger vehicle due to going through an adoption process. As it turned out she decided not to go through with the adoption.
She has told me that the vehicle we bought is now not suitable and she is finding that it is far too much for her to handle and now wants to downside and save on loan repayments.
The current vehicle is an MY18 Kia Carnival Platinum 2.2 diesel with approximately $41,000 owing on the finance. We would be using the current vehicle as a trade-in.
At present I'm looking into the viability of downsizing to one of the vehicles listed. I would like your advice on which one you recommend in my situation and the possible on-road costs. I would arrange my own finance and also the plates would need to be transferred over to the new vehicle.
Don
ANSWER
Don,
If you trade the Carnival now you’ll probably end up being a few thousand dollars in the red. (Not tens of thousands, but a few.)
Frankly I think this proposition is nuts - as much as I’d like to get you a new car and some new finance. Here’s why: A Mazda3 is 4.67 metres long and 1.8 metres wide. A Kia Carnival is 5.11 metres long and 1.99 metres wide.
Are you honestly telling me that 44cm in length and 19cm in width constitutes ‘far too big’? This is a conclusion which is unsupported by facts. (As an engineer, I live in the ‘facts’ domain. I’m also trying to be diplomatic, which I’m poor at...)
Also, you’ve been driving your Carnival for two years - it’s clearly not 'far too big'. Of the three vehicles you’re considering: Maybe it’s a good idea to decide first if you want a car (Mazda3/Cerato) or an SUV (Mazda CX-3/Seltos).
The hatch version of the cars is generally closer to the Seltos in terms of overall practicality. Mazda3 2.5 Vs Cerato 1.6T - roughly equivalent in terms of performance. Both pretty sporty. Mazda has a conventional auto; Kia has a DCT. (DCTs are more fuel efficient, but less refined at low-speed maneuvering.)
Kia has a longer warranty. Seltos 2.0 - if you’re into the sporty performance of the cars above, the 2.0 Seltos will disappoint. The 2.0 + CVT transmssion is adequate but not sporty. Seltos is also available with the same 1.6T + DCT powertrain (albeit with AWD) as Cerato GT.
Both Mazda and Kia are on the top of their game right now, so you’re not exactly choosing a good or bad vehicle by looking at these two brands. If you’re looking for more of a luxurious option, the Cerato is good, but the Mazda3 is great. But you should definitely test drive both and decide on that for yourself.
We can help you with a discount when you know what you want, but frankly this just seems a totally redundant reorganisation to me.
I must’ve driven a dozen Carnivals for a week at a time, and to me there’s very little difference in terms of driving and parking. It’s not as if Carnival is a virtual B-double.
There might of course be an emotional dimension to this decision, and personal preference is a thing, clearly. I always tell people what I actually think (which is why I have so many friends…) but I’m happy to help them achieve their objectives, even if we happen to be on different pages there.
On the plus side of upgrading/downgrading as the case may be: there have now been 23 straight months of sales declines in new cars. There’s a lot of pressure out there in the market on importers and dealers, so discounts are generally good.
