.png)
2 weeks ago
6
Mid-sized rider car income started dropping disconnected a agelong clip agone successful Australia, with buyers progressively turning to purportedly much applicable SUVs… oregon settling for alleged tiny cars which are truly thing but.
In 2013, determination were 30 antithetic mid-sized cars disposable successful Australia, including 9 premium models.
There are inactive plentifulness of options available, but affordable options are acold fewer. Of the 25 mid-sized rider car nameplates sold successful Australia successful 2013, conscionable 7 of these had a basal terms nether $60,000.
Mind you, of the mainstream mid-sized rider car segment, the Toyota Camry had a 70 per cent stock of full income past year.
But if you privation thing larger than a Toyota Corolla but smaller than your parents’ aged Ford Falcon, you don’t needfully request to get a BMW oregon a Mercedes-Benz. You besides don’t request to get a Camry.
Below, the members of the CarExpert squad person shared the mid-sized models they’d buy, including some luxury and mass-market models.
Scott Collie: BYD Seal oregon BMW M340i
BYD Seal
The Seal isn’t perfect, but it offers a batch for your money.
It’s bully to look astatine connected the outside, packs an impressively luxurious interior, and drives with capable polish to warrant its price.
The Tesla Model 3 is inactive the standard-setter successful this segment, but the Seal isn’t acold down it – and thing tin lucifer it erstwhile it comes to value.
BMW M340i
The 3 Series remains the champion mid-sized sedan wealth tin bargain successful Australia, and the M340i is my prime of the range.
From the buttery creaseless inline-six which changeable the M340i to 100km/h successful conscionable 4.26 seconds successful our testing, to the luxurious interior it conscionable ticks each the boxes. It’s adjacent businesslike connected the highway.
I conscionable privation BMW offered the wagon successful Australia…
MORE: Buy a BYD Seal
MORE: Buy a BMW 3 Series
Max Davies: Toyota Camry oregon Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Toyota Camry
It’s the boring choice, but there’s a crushed Toyota sold much than 10,000 Camrys present successful 2023.
The Camry starts astatine a hairsbreadth implicit $35,000 earlier on-road costs and is 1 of the cheapest cars successful the segment, but inactive retains Toyota’s precocious modular for dependability.
While it gets by with a simply capable infotainment system, it does person a reasonably comfy thrust and I similar that it isn’t trying to beryllium thing it’s not.
You tin adjacent get a hybrid enactment for nether $40,000, which volition mean large savings successful the agelong run.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
While determination whitethorn beryllium amended and possibly wiser choices, it’s hard for maine to look past Mercedes-Benz for luxury and style.
The C-Class has a classy look connected the extracurricular and its interior is stunning successful layout and design, though it’s rather costly and lacks immoderate tech compared to its rivals.
For overmuch much wealth determination are besides AMG show hybrid models, which volition ne'er not beryllium an breathtaking prospect.
MORE: Buy a Toyota Camry
MORE: Buy a Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Jordan Mulach: Skoda Octavia oregon Hyundai Ioniq 6
Skoda Octavia
It’s predictable isn’t it? I ain a 10-year-old Octavia RS and support it’s inactive the underrated show car that provides each you could ever need.
Skoda’s terms creep upwards is simply a spot of a shame fixed the Octavia RS doesn’t contiguous arsenic overmuch of a worth proposition anymore, but amongst its competitors it’s the lone conveyance that offers a genuine show level connected a comparative budget.
Give maine a wagon too, due to the fact that it would beryllium the coolest car successful the daycare carpark.
Hyundai Ioniq 6
As overmuch of a tantalising proposition arsenic the Tesla Model 3 is, I conscionable can’t spell past the sleek plan of the Hyundai Ioniq 6.
It and the Ioniq 5 (which is sadly classified arsenic an SUV) connection the champion non-Tesla tech for the wealth portion retaining comparatively accepted features. Indicator stalk, anyone?
MORE: Buy a Skoda Octavia
MORE: Buy a Hyundai Ioniq 6
Josh Nevett: Skoda Octavia oregon Genesis G70
Skoda Octavia
The Octavia has been a chill car for a precise agelong clip now, with a mentation disposable to suit conscionable astir anyone.
Of the existent generation, the precocious introduced Sportline variant successful wagon signifier would beryllium my pick. It’s priced successful enactment with the basal Style exemplary but boasts much goodies; improving aesthetics and the driving experience.
Even if you person immoderate amusive with the options list, the Sportline comes successful good nether $50,000 drive-away – an implicit bargain.
Genesis G70
You don’t spot galore of these connected the road, and by relationship of nonsubjective measures that astir apt makes sense. After all, the G70 is simply a thirsty luxury sedan with a tiny footwear and nary country for rear passengers.
But my goodness it’s handsome, and it goes similar stink. The interior is stylish, too.
I person a existent brushed spot for manufacturers that persist with low-volume sellers similar the G70, due to the fact that specified cars adhd overmuch needed flavour to the manufacture successful an property dominated by SUVs.
MORE: Buy a Skoda Octavia
MORE: Buy a Genesis G70
Jack Quick: Skoda Octavia oregon BMW i4
Skoda Octavia
If you’re 1 of the fewer radical inactive looking astatine a mid-sized sedan/wagon successful 2024 I’d urge taking a look astatine the Skoda Octavia.
The Czech institution precocious introduced a caller mid-spec Sportline variant that would beryllium my pick. I’d personally spell for the wagon, but the liftback is simply a large enactment too.
Something that inactive surprises maine astir the Octavia is however overmuch retention abstraction it packs for a conveyance that’s comparatively small. It’s besides based connected the aforesaid level arsenic the Volkswagen Golf.
After a sportier option? Skoda besides offers the Octavia RS which packs the aforesaid peppy 2.0-litre turbo arsenic the Golf GTI and is simply a applicable country carver.
BMW i4
This electrical liftback has grown connected maine implicit the years, though the faux beforehand grille is simply a tad excessively beaver-like for my liking.
The instauration of the caller entry-level eDrive35 variant however, got it implicit the enactment for me.
The BMW i4 eDrive35 slides nether the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold which means it’s besides exempt from Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) for fleet leasing.
Sure the i4 isn’t arsenic businesslike and doesn’t connection arsenic overmuch scope arsenic the segment-leading Model 3, but it forms arsenic a fantastic luxurious alternate for idiosyncratic who doesn’t privation a Tesla.
MORE: Buy a Skoda Octavia
MORE: Buy a BMW i4
William Stopford: Skoda Octavia oregon Genesis G70
Skoda Octavia
Now we’re talking. Yes, present I americium excited astir humble mid-sizers, erstwhile that astir boring of segments.
The SUV-ification of Australia has reached a constituent wherever adjacent a Camry is an absorbing choice, and different mass-market mid-sizers are practically exotic.
The mass-market conception has been hollowed out, but determination are inactive immoderate desirable options. I could spot myself successful a Camry Hybrid, but hold times blew retired truthful acold that Toyota paused caller orders. The caller 1 isn’t arsenic good-looking but it has amended infotainment, though it remains to beryllium seen however overmuch it volition cost.
We cognize however overmuch the rival Honda Accord volition outgo and, portion it’s nary uncertainty rather a susceptible Camry competitor, there’s a important premium for it.
That leaves maine torn betwixt 2 much breathtaking options: the Hyundai Sonata N Line and the Skoda Octavia RS. I’ll narrowly springiness the borderline to the Czech contender present due to the fact that it tin beryllium had arsenic either a applicable hatchback oregon a much roomy wagon.
Genesis G70
As for much premium offerings, I’ll spell with a Korean option.
The Genesis G70 3.3T‘s backmost spot and footwear are cramped adjacent by 3 Series rival standards.
But its operation of a terrific chassis, a almighty twin-turbo V6, and a agelong instrumentality list, arsenic good arsenic a terms tag implicit thousands of dollars little than a comparable German sedan marque it intolerable to ignore.
It’s a pity the much applicable Shooting Brake mentation isn’t offered with this engine.
MORE: Buy a Skoda Octavia
MORE: Buy a Genesis G70
James Wong: Audi A4 allroad
The mid-sized conception was erstwhile littered with wagon options, but they’ve dwindled importantly implicit the years…
In the lack of VW’s Alltrack scope arsenic good arsenic Skoda’s Scout crossover wagons, my prime is the beautifully aged Audi A4 allroad 40 TDI quattro.
Who needs an SUV erstwhile you tin get thing similar this? It drives amended than a Q5, positive there’s a chill origin successful the exclusivity of buying a much niche product.
It’s besides ridiculously businesslike – the 2.0 TDI with 12V mild-hybrid assistance and twin-dosing AdBlue exertion quotes hybrid-like substance depletion of conscionable 4.9L per 100km, with NOx emissions reduced by “more than 90 per cent” compared to its predecessor.
My cleanable household car.
MORE: Buy an Audi A4
English (US)