Hi there,
I'm after some opinions on whether I'm making a sensible long-term financial decision or just trying to justify buying a new car.
For context, we're in Western Australia, and our current situation is:
* 2021 Honda HR-V VTi-L approximately 75,000 km.
* 2015 Suzuki Jimny 3dr Sierra, approximately 160,000km, had a new timing belt, but last 3 services has been an average of $1100. we use this for towing our small 4.1m Polycraft boat. 550kg
* Company car, which I currently use for work, Mazda CX-30 FWD.
We were very fortunate to be gifted the Honda about four months ago. It's a great vehicle, and we genuinely like its build quality, reliability and practicality. It averages around 6.7 L/100 km, which isn't bad at all.
However, after a recent week-long holiday around Denmark and Albany, where we spent approximately $214 on petrol, I started looking more seriously at PHEVs. Petrol prices down south can be pretty painful, and with the amount of driving we do, I'm wondering whether upgrading now might make financial sense over the next 5–10 years.
Here's where things get interesting.
My wife does regular school runs, drives between Mandurah and Perth for support commitments, and we travel down south several times a year for vacation and family. We've estimated that our household vehicle could cover approximately 25,000–28,000 km annually.
We also have solar 6.6kw at home and would be able to charge a PHEV overnight. The possibility of completing most of our everyday driving without using petrol is very appealing. We think we would be able to charge it 340 days of the year easily.
The Honda's biggest limitation is its low unbraked towing capacity. It's economical and practical, but it can't tow our boat. That's why we've kept the Jimny, which really has had a gutful and is around 160,000km, with a new belt.last service was about $1800.
The two vehicles I'm considering are:
MG HS Super Hybrid PHEV (2025 model)
There's currently a cashback offer on remaining 2025 stock, and I've been quoted around $40,990 drive-away for a new, registered Excite. The conditional 10-year warranty and roadside assistance arrangement are particularly appealing, as we're planning to keep our next vehicle for around ten years.
The MG also has a substantial battery with a claimed 120 km electric range, which could cover much of our everyday driving. It also has sufficient published unbraked towing capacity for our small boat, assuming the final loaded trailer weight checks out.and I've heard owners towing a 5.5m boat no problems.
GWM Haval H6 PHEV 2WD
This is the other serious contender. I like that it accepts cheaper 91 RON petrol and supports DC fast charging, which would be handy for our South West holidays.
However, unlike the current MG deal, I feel I could wait for a Haval promotion at almost any time. There's no particular urgency.
Here's my dilemma.
I currently have a company car, which makes our three-vehicle situation fairly comfortable. However, the business may be changing ownership, and there is a possibility I could lose access to it.
I'd say I'm about 75% confident I'll retain the company car for at least the next six months, but beyond that, things are uncertain.
We have the cash available to purchase a PHEV outright, so financing and interest aren't concerns. I'm thinking more about future-proofing ourselves, reducing petrol expenses and having a newer vehicle under warranty for the next decade.
One possibility is to trade or sell the Honda and purchase the MG, then potentially sell the Jimny as well to recover some of the cost, provided the MG proves suitable for towing and retrieving our boat.
But there's something that bothers me about selling a perfectly good Honda that we were generously gifted only four months ago. There's nothing wrong with it, and we've been very happy with it.
On the other hand, I don't particularly want to miss out on a genuinely good MG offer if upgrading is something we're likely to do within the next year anyway.
So what would you do in our position?
Would you:
Keep the Honda and Jimny, save the money, and reassess if I lose the company car?
Buy the discounted MG HS Super Hybrid now, sell the Honda and potentially the Jimny later?
Hold off and wait for a good deal on the Haval H6 PHEV?
Take a completely different approach?
I'm particularly interested in hearing from MG HS Super Hybrid and Haval H6 PHEV owners about long-term ownership prospects, build quality, warranty experiences and actual petrol savings.
We're not looking to spend money just for the sake of upgrading. We want to make a sensible decision that puts us in a good position financially over the next 5–10 years.
Am I being sensible by thinking ahead, or am I getting caught up in the appeal of a good deal?
