Hi All,
I am planning to buy my first car (5 seater) with approx $3k. I am looking for automatic car.
So question is how much old car i can get with 3k? What is brand that i should look for.
Since i do not have much experience with automobiles, i thought to get your advise.
Any advise will be greatly appreciated.
I agree with this comment. I recently sold my 2001 Ford for 3.5k because i was just spending too much on it.
Bull.
I bought a Ford Laser for $800, EFI, aircon, manual. It was the most reliable car I've ever owned, had one little issue that saw it on a tow truck (injector seals) but it was back on the road for $100 and tow was free with NRMA (ozbargain style). Changed brake pads on the rear too.
I regretfully sold it to buy a Volvo 240, and sure that car had its quirks but it never let me down, it was $1050 with 195,000kms, mint paint and a clean body. Sold it for after 2 months and spent a total of $140 to keep it running.
Current car…
Nissan Bluebird won off eBay for $1575, amazing car, beautiful handling, powerful engine, but its about to shit out the tranny after just 3000km.
So 2 out of 3 aint bad? And these are $1000 cars, for 3k you can get a lot of good cars.
OP look for:
Toyota Corolla AE101 or higher
Nissan Pulsar N15 or N16
I second this. i bought a $2000 Hyundai sonata ( 2001/2) model can't remember too well. i spent easily over 10k over 2 years because i couldn't afford to buy a new car and of course the repairs kept emptying the bank.
i now drive a much more expensive toyota yaris. but i love it to bits. it has not once let me down. Doesn't use much fuel. mine fits 5 people. i would highly recommend a used small toyota
There are many genuine reasons like change of economic circumstances for someone to sell an old car. For example many new young drivers/students use cheap old cars (mostly handed down from their relatives) due to their low income and insurance costs, but upgrade to new ones when they get a job or feel more comfortable driving or if they need a larger, safer car etc. Just because a car is reliable doesn’t mean everyone will drive it into it's graveyard.
If you choose a safe reliable model with a genuine low millage and get it checked out by a competent mechanic then the chances of ending up with a lemon is very low.
@OP: Finding a reliable good automatic Japanese small car with a decent millage for $3k is hard. If you are not driving a lot then go for one of the 6 cylinder ones (i.e commodore or falcon), 6 cylinder engines can last longer, therefore a high millage 6 cylinder is a far safer choice than a high millage 4 cylinder. Besides, there are plenty of cheap parts for them so maintenance isn't a huge issue either , the only down side is their fuel economy.
I disagree, there are plenty of cars around the $3k mark, why would someone want to sell their car…because they live in an consumer society and want something newer, faster, better? Who knows? All you need too do I look for lower Kim's (<200,000) service history is good anything Japanese is good, the Korean cars are getting better(notably hyundai. And Kia)
Also when you have found a car you like research the crap out of It to find common issues and see how common they really are, once you have a. Car you might buy take it to a mechanic or Nrma( both charge but mechanics are less) well worth spending a little Bit of coin to save yourself in the future. Or have. Mechanically minded friend check I out…
yeah just sold my car around that price 12years old at 83k kms. Still in good condition. Being forced to get bigger car by the house finance minister.
Thanks guys for honest opinion but it got me confused :).
Keep saving
Toyota corolla hatch
98 or newer
150-190k
Cheap, decent quality, older cars are not few and far between. Look for a popular make and model, one that you still see plenty of on the road these days. If you're after reliability, and don't mind paying the extra for petrol and running costs (insurance etc) then I'd look into a Ford Falcon, you can't go wrong. Why do you think almost every taxi these days is a Falcon? An 'AU' series Falcon shouldn't cost much more than $3,000 if you find the right one. I'd suggest googling things such as when the timing belt, spark plugs, and alternator generally need replacing, and how much it will be if it hasn't already been done. Service history is always good to have, too. Also, look into buying an ex-rental, people generally just write-off (no pun intended) the idea completely, but rental cars are constantly being serviced and are always well maintained, but again, it's your call. You can easily find a good car for ~$3,000! If there's a will there's a way! Good luck!
Why do you think almost every taxi these days is a Falcon?
Because they do a LPG Taxi pack and give incredible discounts that the other manufacturers dont.
THis is now incorrect, they stopped doing the taxi pack back in the BF range and they dont get discounts now.
Ive found i see more prius and hybrid camrys as taxis now then falcons.
Hybrid civic today i saw!
Au falcons are the ugliest cars ford ever made
Opinion duly noted and disregarded.
This post is the truth, but so many negs! Buy a new(er) car and lose money on devaluation, buy an older car, and potentially spend money on repairs.
Toyota camry with less than 150000K's if you can find one.
If you can qualify for a loan, then get something for around 15K with 4 years warranty remaining.
This is one of the models I agree with, mainly because its just short of butt ugly, and I think this is in some way the key to finding a cheap car. If you are willing to buy something 'uncool' and popular that still has a reputation for being reliable, you have the key. Reasons being:
uncool: people don't want it for this reason, not necessarily because the car is unreliable
popular: even if it's uncool now, if it was popular parts will be available, reasonably priced and best of all mechanics will know all about it (this is very important if you aren't doing your own mechanical work)
reliable model: some cars just suck, which usually means that the car just incorporates too many replaceable parts that tend to go when its done more kms, or it that it has issues which cascade if not fixed/serviced in time, or in short it doesn't cope well with abuse some cars deal well with abuse, Camry, corolla, falcon already mentioned, others don't like the commodore
I have found 5k to be the point where you get a car that is good value, but you can certainly find something for 3k. Large sedans are generally the best value, so look for falcons, commodores and magnas.
Dont forget to get Third Party Property Insurance. This is separate to the Compulsory Third Party insurance (CTP/Green Slip) The CTP only covers damage to people to pay for their medical bills if you are unfortunate enough to hit someone/they are injured in accident - but it WILL NOT cover the cost of damage to their car.
That is, you might think your car is only worth $3,000 so you don't need to bother with insurance, but if you have an accident and damage another car - you would be responsible for the full cost of repairs. Even a small accident can cost a lot - just say you rear end someone (crash into the back of another car) - that's going to cost maybe $3,000 if it's only the bumper. A bigger accident if you damage a few panels could be $10,000. And worst case scenario, you write-off their car - you would be up for the FULL COST of that car: $20,000 to $50,000+
It would cost about $300 per year for this type of insurance, but fairly cheap when you think you could be up for THOUSANDS of dollars in cost if YOU damage someone elses car. Some people think that becuase their car is so cheap or think that they are a good driver don't need to worry about it - but accidents happen, and without it, you are putting yourself at a large risk. How much is that BMW in front of you worth?
For cheap cars, Full Comprehensive insurance is probably not needed, as the amount you pay over a few years will probably be enough to cover the cost of your cheap car - and assuming you dont have an accident, you'd be in front. But as you have no idea of the value of other cars that you may damage I highly recommend everyone get 3rd Party Propety insurance. (or if you're thinking of borrowing a friends car - check if they have it, otherwise think if you really want borrow it - because if your driving, your responsible. I can think of a lot of other things id rather spend $10,000/$20,000/goodness knows how much on fixing/paying off someone elses car)
Great point danyool.
RACQ offer third party property for around $150 per year
I am from WA. I bought a car last month and I even got third party property damage insurance. rego is still may. Is it true that CTP in WA is covered in Rego itself?? Because I havent bought any separate compulsory third party insurance.
Yup correct ctp insurance is covered in your registration.
Keep in mind that CTP is separate to Third Party Property Insurance.
for newbie licence drivers, I suggest comprehensive rather!
sometime a Full Comprehensive insurance save a lot of headaches & time!
it's a different story if you're experience/good driver…….
like danyool said, 3rd party property is still necessary!
I don't agree at all. They charge so much for new drivers, get a first car that can take some panel damage without it being a big deal.
ThNks guys
I'd have to agree with popular makes and models. Honda Accord, Toyoyta Camry/Corolla, Holden Barina/Commodore. You might have more luck with maybe something like a Hyundai or Ford for a more recent year. There's also Daewoo and Kia..but no one wants to drive one of those.
Or if you want to be certified pimp, can't go past an LS400.
http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/lexus-ls400-1992-…
You're probably better off looking for something around the 5k Mark and low balling around the 3k/3.5k. Someone is always desperate to sell. A 5k car sitting around unused is probably costing someone $150/month in insurance/rego.
Agree, bargain hunt and low ball offers, look for something with minor damage, scratches etc bu a good low km engine…
Avoid Daewoo like the plague, especially at the low-price end of the market. Even if they tell you "the engine's the same as a holden". Holden's nothing to crow about in terms of quality, and there's a lot more to a car than just the engine anyway. A decent engine doesn't help when the steering has gotten so bad it feels like you're piloting a boat or a hovercraft.
The model name "Barina" covers a multitude of Holden sins over the last 15 years. Older Japanese (Suzuki) Barinas, which had a good reputation at the time despite being pretty flimsy; middle-aged European (actually Spanish-built Opel) Barinas, and in recent years Korean (ex-Daewoo) Barinas. The European Barinas were great when new, but their little 1.3L engines won't last forever, so reliability now may be questionable.
Don't low ball, I swear I want to punch low ballers in the face… the only time you should lowball is when someone has an unrealistic price set… ie 5k more than others… that said they will probably have a reason… so unless they what you are low balling is identical don't waste peoples time… also to those who said you can get a decent car for the 3000 of this type or that please provide examples links… I don't believe a decent sized Toyota or great brand non aussie goes for that price as an low as that but i could be wrong, so link away.
The only good thing about Aussie cars is their parts are cheap… tends to be a case of the more reliable the car the more expensive the parts are from my experience.. my civic was rock solid…. never serviced it(lol) but parts were crazy.
even as an OzBargainer, I would still says: low ballers never find a decent car!
there is always a reason to sell a car at "unbelievable price"!
reasonable offer to reasonable car, you won't stood a chance for low balling, time wasting, for yourself & the seller!
I've had great experiences with Nissan's (Pulsar late 90's etc).
If you can find something with minor damage (scratches / scrapes) that would give you much better value.
Make sure it has service records.
Nissan pulsar is usualy a very reliable car. Bought one for 7K with 12 month rego, kept for 2 years- clocked 25k and sold for 6200 with almost no rego. They keep their value.
Large cars are cheaper second hand (Falcodores) if you are happy to spend on fuel. Corolla, Mazda 323 and other japanese cars.
Love my old Nissan Pulsar N15 ('99). Sold it for ~$3500 2 years ago with just a bit over 80k on the odo after owning it for a decade. Very reliable, but that pretty much applies to most small Japanese car around that era (Corolla, 323, Lancer).
Too bad I have to upgrade to a bigger car now as I now run a "mum 'n' dad's taxi service" :(
Only problem with some "scrapes" or bigger knocks is that it can knock the motor out of alignment so unless you know what your looking for steer clear of damaged cars. Its a bit of luck involved with them.
Apart from some good advice above. It's a buyers market. Don't take anybody's word, however nice they are, check receipts for work done, have a mechanic (you trust) check it (or even buy one from a mech if 'he'll' guarantee it in writing). Offer half of what's being asked after checking current prices - you never know. And don't complain if it falls apart in the first few weeks, bad karma … :)
You really have to do the research if you have no experience.
It really is a buyer's market. Take your time, there's ALWAYS another decent car out there. And plenty of mediocre ones as well.
Don't be persuaded by salesmen on anything. In my experience, they generally don't lie outright, but they do neglect to mention things that may be detrimental to the sale. Best way to score a bargain is to do lots of research so you know your stuff and can therefore rely on yourself to figure out if a car has any obvious problems before you take it to a mechanic for a more thorough going-over.
Thanks guys for all thoughts.
+1 for ford falcon
We bought camry last month, 1996 great condition for 2800. Only 112000K. Went to our mechanic friend abd he agreed that the car doesn't even need sonething to repair. The only problem-no aircondition:(
The previous owner bought the car new here and used it for these good 16-17 years, but it was an old man, so that's why the car is still in good shape:)
Good luck!
+1
Camrys (and Corollas) are brilliant cheap cars. People's only complaint with them as a whole is "boringness". But ask yourself this - does your wallet care about boringness or does it care about the $ you will save in hardly ever having to get anything repaired on it?
I even heard story about a guy saying his sister never refill water to her Toyota Camry & the car kept running even when the water has emptied!
this show how good Toyota car is! highly recommended!!
hi, I think you are in Melbourne, so this probably will not interest you, but I have a friend who's father is going into a nursing home and they are selling his car, it has hardly been driven it is a ford XR6 1999 with just 115000 kms for sale, has been garaged every night has new tyres and 10mths rego they want about $5000, lovely car if you are intersted let me know.
Thanks but yes I'm in Melbourne.
Bit steep in Price, i not long purchases an AUIII (2002) wagon with the SR pack for 1800 and it only had 76000km on it, always serviced every 12 months etc.
For 5k gets you into BA/BA MKII these days which are a huge step up from the AU series.
We always buy Volvo's. They seem to have an 'embarrassment factor' discount amongst Australians. I'm more than happy to trade off the perceived embarrassment for a reliable car with a leather interior (and other luxuries) and full safety features at a low price. We are currently driving an '96 850 and love it. Unfortunately the engine is slowly wearing out as we near 400K which is a shame as it's been a great car. With Volvos it also pays to have a good Volvo mechanic with access to 2nd hand parts. It keeps repair costs down. They can be expensive if you buy new parts or have a mechanic who doesn't know their way around a Volvo.
A big safe car is our main priority - as we have a young family and need the space. You might find a smaller car suits you more if you are young/single/childless. Sitting down and working out what your priorities are (safety, reliability, cost to run, cost to repair, size, shape etc) will help you narrow down what car you want. It pays to do a lot of research so that you have a really good idea of what prices are for your preferred car. That way when a good buy comes up you will recognise it quickly and be able to get in before someone else does.
I also have a Volvo and don't recommend it. They really loose their second hand value, but due to maintenance I would hesitate to spend less than 5K (or even 10K) on a Volvo.
On safety, personally I consider the second most important feature after seat belts to be ABS, I would never buy a car without it. At 5K this shouldn't be a problem but might be at 3K. All other safety features are nice if you can afford them, but (my opinion) I wouldn't loose sleep from not having them.
ABS for motorbikes is a must, especially bigger more powerful ones. You only need to use it once and it pays for itself. Now that I've used it I wouldn't be without it for my daily commuter
The damaged car point is a very good point, we had some severe hail storms in Perth 3 years ago, and it made a lot of cars look like golf balls,
They were auctioned and $15,000 cars were sold for $3,000, luxury models at bargain prices,
Have you started a family, one question I'd ask myself would be to you trust your life or family's life in a bunky.
Toyota is definitely a good brand.
I hope you are also aware of all the running cost as well, as cars are the biggest money pit, out there.
I'd also check some auctions out.
Good Luck
@ ilostnemo
" Toyota is definitely a good brand "
i guess you may be lucky and have a trouble free one…i certainly didn't (goes for all brands i guess)
They are pretty good, but more importantly they have a reputation for being very good, which means they have an inflated second hand value.
I wouldn't say that's "more important", I'd say the actual quality is. There's so many Toyotas around, it's not hard to get a bargain if you look properly and negotiate the price.
I know he's being down voted, but I've seen a couple of the older camries (the 92-95 type years) with badly, badly worn engines. A guy at work has one that pretty much needs a full litre of oil added every 1,000km's. It burns that much - it needs a new engine but it's just not worth it.
Thanks guys for all insight. I do have family with wife and 1 yr old son. so safetly is the priority as well. Also, i m not sure if i'll be staying in AU for longer, hence i was looking for cheaper car so that i don't need to write-off big amount in case i need to go back.
just stay away from a european car and you should be alright. these not only are known to be less reliable but parts for them are also more expensive than their jap/korean counterparts.
as with what most have stated above, just get a mechanic mate or nrma to have a look over. it well money well spent and put ur mind at ease.
Id recommend an old falcon or commodore station wagon (i have a 2000 AU wagon and love the conveniance. They are cheap as chips and if you do have problems they are relatively cheap to repair as there are tons of second parts for em. And dont be too concerned with lots of km's … the 6 cylinders engines regularly do 250,000km+ without issues (mines at 270,000 and still starts every time)
I think someone is not happy with Ford Falcon and hence negging Falcon comments.
I have to agree with that! The main thing wrong with the Ford/Commodores are their petrol use… but they are safe, reliable and really easy to repair.
I've got a 2002 Commoodore with 300,000km's on the clock, and it's so very easy to work on and service myself. The engine itself is still very strong, though I've been replacing lots of other bits (mainly because I want the car to last a lot longer).
+1 for Toyota Corolla late 90's model. If your on a budget then a Japanese car is the best and parts are very cheap for Corollas you should have lower cost of ownership over time. Definitely keep away from euro cars maintenance will be a headache. Pick up a 2nd hand Haynes workshop manual and start teaching yourself from the basic oil change upwards. http://www.haynes.com.au/category54_1.htm
Thats what I did when I could barely afford a car. now after 15 years, can do everything myself accept for removing engine but some day I will attempt it.
It is easy to get workshop manuals on the internet, great advice.
A couple of main things:
Ask when the timing belt was last done
If its FWD ask when the cv's were done last.
This is ontop of the normal shit you would check- you can search google for that
Look at the log book for that info if there is one. And while you're in there, check that it's been serviced at roughly the correct intervals without any major gaps (like 40,000km+).
you probably can get a 2000-2003 Kia Rio for around $3k. Search Gumtree.
I know you only have $3k but for future reference don't buy a German car. they are a bottomless money pit when it comes to repairs.
You can't go past hondas or toyotas for reliability (as long as the k's are low) but as someone else mentioned they have an over inflated resale price. imho the best car you can buy for 3k would be a commodore sedan, the wagons are more expensive (VY/VX with low k's would be ideal, get one on LPG if you can).
We bought a VY wagon on LPG (cheap to run and wow even after 10,000k the oil looks brand new) 2 years back and my dad has owned one for about 6 years. He has hardly spent anything on the 6 years that he has owned it and ours has done 330,000k and we haven't done anything but changed the oil (we bought it when it had 270,000), plus we've driven up to cairns and back (from adelaide) via the coast (+10,000k trip). The great thing about commodores that even if they do go wrong the parts are dirt cheap and everything is really easy to get to unlike some jap cars.
I used to hate commodores (I'm a big honda fan) but really they are quite reliable for what they are and their resale value is garbage so can be picked up cheap that plus cheap parts and you pretty much can't go wrong.
I would stay away from falcons personally, they have a reputation for blowing head gaskets which can be very costly.
Reason why your oil still looks golden because LPG doesnt have anywhere near the amount of carbon byproduct like petrolium does. The oil however is abused more in LPG due to higher combustion temps and gas blow by contamination.
Also in regards to falcons, the only model that as bad for blowing head gaskets was the EF/EL falcon, an issue which was rectified in the AU series, most EF/EL's would of had the head + head gasket redone by now, so long as it was fitted with the updated AU gasket its all good. Besides its not an expensive item, around 700 or so will get you a reco'ed head + VRS kit and the labour to put it together (around 4 hours or so)
You'll find Mitsubishi TE, TF and TH Magna Advances for $3000, a few with under 200,000km on the clock. The Advance is the same as the base model Executive but with extra safety features including airbags, ABS brakes and cruise control. No-one really seeks them out, so the prices are low, but they were avoided by hoons and very little goes wrong with well-maintained ones (check the logbook for service records). They also have one of the best-sorted front-wheel drive chassis of their day, decent engines, and somewhere to plug your iPhone into the stereo.
They're supposedly cheap to repair - but frankly not enough went wrong on mine over 150,000km for me to be sure. To some eyes they still look pretty modern too. Take your time, find a well-cared for example and you could do well. See:
http://www.carsales.com.au/car/mitsubishi/magna/te-series/ad…
http://www.carsales.com.au/car/mitsubishi/magna/tf-series/ad…
http://www.carsales.com.au/car/mitsubishi/magna/th-series/ad…
AU Falcons and the equivalent Commodores in good nick are good choices too. The late-1990s Commodore with the extra safety features was the Acclaim model. A late-1990s Honda Accord is appealing but might be a little pricey to repair.
We just bought a 2000 model TH Magna Si V6 (basically an Exec with a few flow down features from the Sports like 16" alloys, ABS, IRS, rear spoiler, 3.5L instead of 3.0L engine, it was an end-of-year clearance car of the day) <— actually most Magna owners don't know what an "Si" is and under price them. They tend to be cheaper than the Advances though each have their pros and cons.
$2200 (he was asking $3000 down from $3700 originally)
It's manual but Autos are way easier to find.
209k on the clock, immaculate service history (serviced religiously every 5k with invoices)
The only thing 'wrong' with it is the sagging headline interior which just about all family sized cars of that era suffered.
For $2200 it's bloody great value we think. All the big services were already done (timing belt, water pump, clutch!, gearbox, tyres etc etc) - those services alone cost more than the car does.
Long story short, fantastic cars if you pick a looked after one. It's a bit thirsty though so with $3000 the OP may be able to find dual fuel LPG but I found those were out of our reach. LPG commands higher price.
One year ago I bought a Honda 2000 accord for only $4k from a friend of a relative, it's driven only 100k, like mint condition, owned by old couple that barley drove this thing. since they where going back overseas, they sold everything, and I picked up this fantastic car, best to buy a car from someone you know rather than a dealer, they are full of it!
choice used to do a used an annual used car survey. toyota always topped it. ive bought numerous townaces & lite aces & laser s/w over the years mostly with no problems. if hasnt been mentioned things to look for;
rust
oil in radiator/water in oil (looks white)
clearish transmission fluid that doesnt smell burnt
less owners better
plain colours (yes, owned by boring/steady/normal peeps); def not red or black
mustnt blow grey smoke (oil burning >rings or valves)
doors open/close smoothly
get onto redbook to confirm value
always buy privately, you get a much better sense of the cars history, if the owner has had it a while and has repair receipts you can get a decent idea (after checking items above) of what to expect
& bit luck/karma/good fortune always helps
You guys are really helpful to me. Thanks a ton..
Talking with someone who is selling his Holden Astra TS with approx 109842 km. Does anyone has any view on this car?
They are pieces of crap, they have the amazing ability to throw timing belts randomly, the electronics in them are flakey to hell (they have a habit of destroying ECU's) and the overall quality is extremely poor.
They are cheap for a reason, avoid.
Astras became well-known for a flaw in the engine that caused serious over-stationaryness and cash flow problems for their owners. I can't recall the details exactly, but be very careful. Maybe someone else can remember what the problem was. Caused by the timing belt maybe?
EDIT: Beaten by Copie.
Thanks guys..i m avoiding this now..Does ford fairmont GHIA has also bad reputation as ford falkon?
its the same car with extra 'trimmings'
Ford doesnt have a bad mechanical rep at all, infact its quite the opposite, the only people hating on them are clueless mechanical wise. The I6 is one of if not the most reliable motors ever made, they have done more km on our roads then any other motor.
A late model AU (so AUII or AUIII or BA) is the pick of the bunch, cheap as chips, reliable as anything, extremely cheap to maintain, parts are available at every auto store and resonable on fuel.
The only real issues with them is that the AU series isnt exactly pretty and the interior plastics are pretty ordinary, but those are mainly cosmetic.
At 3k i would be solely looking at mechanical reliability and not cosmetics.
AU Falcon are usualy very descent cars and very cheap bcs they guzle like tanks. Lower specs the better as with any other car more electronics = more trouble once it ages past 10-15 years. My parents have AU for 10 years and it has never missed a beat. (Even though it gets serviced rarely)
My brother had an AU Forte and it was a terrible car with numerous recalls and a number of mechanics I know have stated it is one of the worst car ford ever released
Alot of manufacturers have various recalls, even Toyota have had a stack recently. Most of them arent critical issues such as this http://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/955606
Most are just small things which dont effect the overall car.
Totally agree about the recalls effecting a lot of brands, Toyota had the largest recall in history back in '08 if I am not mistaken.
And my mistake it was an AUII
I had a 99 one, it was good for ages and then was cr@p. Dropped a timing belt and had tranny problems, then would constantly go into limp home mode. Never found out the cause of that despite about $1500 in repairs that never fixed it. Ended up trading it in for 1k, and was very happy with that!
they are good cars up until 100 000 and then they go to crap pretty quickly.
I have one.
I would recommend a Camry. This car will last….
Mitsubishi Magna (TJ) Sport or VRX if you're lucky… i sold my vrx with 137xxxkm in mint condition for $5300 over 2yrs ago. Would get it over a holden/ford of the same vintage.. only downside is that back seats dont fold down
I wouldnt get a model below the Sport/VRX as the 3 lower models had a 4-speed auto with known problems to the wave spring… the 5-speed tiptronic in the sport/vrx/ralliart are plenty strong with traction control (same variant used in automatic evo gta models)… plus the sport/vrx model has 13kw more and have options like better strut/spring combo plus a rear swaybar so it doesn't overly feel like a boat or holden/ford going around corners with full passengers + semi-bucket seats
8-9l/100km on cruise control
anywhere from 9-13l/100km city driving depending on traffic
i spent $6000 on my toyota echo 2001(60, 000kms) 3 years ago, regular service every six months ($200) and i never had a problem with it, for your budget you MUST buy a japanese car because they are cheap to maintain, i will recommand a 1990+ toyota camry(big car) or Mazda 121(small car), don't go for civic.
they are great and reliable, also spend a $20 to run a report of the car that you are interested in see if there accident,
thats what i did, i went to one of this auto car repair shop near where i live and pay a guy $100 to check the car before i bought, they won't mind if its after hours and one quick test drive they will know if the car is good or not.
hope it helps
Guys, whats your thought on "2000 Holden Calais VX" with approx 250k ?
another round of timing belt change will cost u close to 1k…….. air con belt, steering wheel belt, engine belt…..
They don't have timing belts… or air con belts, or steering wheel belts… they just a single serpentine belt which doesn't cost much to buy, you can replace it yourself pretty easily :)
250K is almost dying, i don't think u will even make it to 300k without paying a big bill,
again, go toyota or Honda.
The only "semi" reliable car I could think of at that price is a 3 door Hyundai Excel Manual.
I know you wanted 5 door and atuo but for that price you'll pick up a lemon.
the lowest hyundai should consider is elantra - car of the year for many years in australia. never get more than 160k……. time to go back to factory.
I sense a troll.
The only decent bit about an excel is the motor since they were made by mitsubishi, everything else in them is very ordinary.
Not many of them left on the roads these days, because they have rusted and fallen apart.
1st version of elantra was changed to lantra using mitsubishi engine, elantra is real hyundai engine.
not mitsubishi
What? i was replying about the excel not the Elantra.
yeah just to clarify to the reader, just in case he thought hyundai elantra is mitsubishi engine too
again some people deliberately get old sonata due to mitsubishi sport engine.
From 25 years of previous experience, don't do it.
The car you buy, will have problems. ie if it was a good car, the previous owner wouldn't of
sold it, traded it in. Yes there maybe exceptions but these are few and far between.
Cars can got big dollars to repairs ie timing belts replaced, transmission repairs, wheel bearings etc etc.
I spent $3,000 in one year on a $4000 car, never again.
My advice, increase the budget and buy a nice car, with interest rates this low, you should be able to afford it.
I just bought a 2 year old kia cerato, 5 years unlimited warranty, it drives well, and I'm pretty sure I'll get many years out of it.
There is no point saving $7,000 on a car initially, and then spending $7,000 in repairs in the years to follow.
YMMV