First Car Buying for My Girlfriend Under $7,000

LK-Daddy on 03/10/2017 - 16:42
Last edited 03/10/2017 - 18:20 by 1 other user

Hi all OzBargainers,

My girlfriend handed me a mission to buy her a second hand car. Her budget is less than $7000. She doesn't have any specific car reference. As long as it is reliable, safe, good fuel efficiency and not too big.

Base on my personal references, my criteria are

Min Year: 2005
Max Kms: 150000
Brisbane areas
Automatic transmission
Cheap to maintain
Price range: $4000 - $7000 (I have put the range upto $7000 but I would bring it as close as $6000 if possible)

I have mainly searched the following car branches:

  1. Honda Civic - Good Design exterior and interior. My top reference
  2. Toyota Corolla - Reputation in reliability but design wasn't outstanding. It's also hard and expensive to find a decent one with the above criteria
  3. Mazda 3 - Lots of compliments about this cars but I think it's also hard to get a cheap price
  4. Ford Fiesta/ Focus - I didn't know much about these cars. Are they good?
  5. Mitsubishi Lancer - No idea!

Please tell what your thoughts or experience with those cars above (probs and cons). Apart from indestructible Corolla ^_^!, what should be my 2nd choice? Are these cars still good behaving after 150xxx kms?

Thanks guys,

Poll Options

  • 8
    Honda Civic
  • 17
    Mazda 3
  • 47
    Toyota Corolla
  • 1
    Ford Fiesta
  • 0
    Ford Focus
  • 7
    Mitsubishi Lancer
Automotive

Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 03/10/2017 - 16:46

    Steer clear of auto focus around the 11-14 era I think it was.

    Kms depends on city or country. I'd buy a car with 150k country over 100k city any day.

    Corolla is my best bet but very bland.

    • whooah1979 on 03/10/2017 - 16:55
      +2

      Corolla is my best bet but very bland.

      op, if you can't get a corolla that she likes then try a tiida. made in japan and is basically a pulsar.

      • kerfuffle on 03/10/2017 - 19:34
        +2

        Having driven a Tiida as a Corolla owner, please don't get a Tiida. The ones from 2012 anyway.

      • [Deactivated] on 04/10/2017 - 06:12

        Toda are made in Thailand. Not a negative point against the car, but not Japanese.

        • whooah1979 on 04/10/2017 - 08:57

          Toda are made in Thailand.

          http://www.redbook.com.au/cars/research/used/details/2006-ni…

          Country of Origin JAPAN

          We would never suggest a thai made over jap model.

        • [Deactivated] on 04/10/2017 - 09:31

          @whooah1979: check the hatch, made in Thailand. Points to both of us.

        • pegaxs on 04/10/2017 - 09:39

          @whooah1979:

          While we are quoting unreliable sources… (Redbook are great for rough price guesstimates, their details can be wrong, as too their photos.)

          Wikipedia page on Tiida;

          Gen I

          2004–2012 (Japan)
          2006–2012 (Thailand)
          2007–2015 (Malaysia)
          2006–present (Latin America[citation needed] and Taiwan)

          Gen II

          2011–2016 (China)
          2013–present (Thailand)

    • K-Daddy on 03/10/2017 - 17:10

      yeah, I previously owned a 1999 corolla from my aunt and it is still driving good. But I would like something less boring for my girlfriend and Corolla is more expensive than other cars given that my budget is around $7k with minimum MY05.

      • montorola on 03/10/2017 - 21:22

        How about a Suzuki swift? They're pretty girly

        • K-Daddy on 03/10/2017 - 22:09

          yeah, true. They are pretty girly but not strong in power. Swift is good if manual.

        • montorola on 03/10/2017 - 22:12
          +1

          @ktphan:

          Is power that important to her though?

          I don't mean to generalise but my experience with women is that it's all about the looks vs power

        • K-Daddy on 03/10/2017 - 22:14
          +1

          @montorola: I think power is also a key thing for her too. I, personally haven't driven a swift but my friend (owned a Swift) told me that it is driven like a electric car :)

        • iRod on 04/10/2017 - 09:26
          +2

          @ktphan: My daughter has a Swift and absolutely loves it! It is cheap to run and does it with a certain flair that is popular with under 25 women. As my daughter is soon moving to Melbourne, she is wanting to sell it

        • pegaxs on 04/10/2017 - 09:46
          +2

          @montorola:

          with women is that it's all about the looks vs power

          Explains why they all like iPhones too, I guess…

    • steff on 03/10/2017 - 18:05

      what's wrong with the 10-14 focus? I ask because a mate is looking at a 13 focus and planning on commiting to it tomorrow

  • dogboy on 03/10/2017 - 16:56
    +1

    I think any of these cars will be ok. Shame she needs auto as that will bump the price.

    My 2c:
    The Corolla is reliable but so boring. The Lancer looks the best but not sure how reliable. Mazda 3s are just great cars. Honda is ok if you don't mind driving a Honda. The 2 Fords are meh, ugly and not fun to drive.

    • K-Daddy on 03/10/2017 - 17:15

      It's true. The corolla is quite boring design. What do you means by saying if I don't mind driving a Honda? Anything wrong with Honda? Ford will be my least options though. At the moment, Honda Civic, Mazda 3 and Corolla are my top 3 but again it depends on car conditions, milages and year model too.

      • dogboy on 04/10/2017 - 12:51

        Not to be racist but it seems most Hondas are driven by asian people.

    • Slippery Fish on 03/10/2017 - 17:31

      My brother's lancer go's ok, and he does the bare minimum to look after it.

  • spackbace on 03/10/2017 - 17:04
    +4

    Does she need auto or is that your preference? Could get much newer manuals for that price.

    At the end of the day, no 2 cars are alike after 150,000kms. People will give judgement based on reputation, etc etc, but a Corolla could still be thrashed and a Lancer etc could be loved by a Nanna owner… you just wont know until you look at it, drive it, PPSR it ;)

  • geek001 on 03/10/2017 - 17:21
    +2

    Personal opinion, if you are buying an older car, I would go Japanese. But whatever you do, please PPSR it like Spackbace has recommended, especially if the car has low kms for its age. I have known some people who replaced the entire car dashboard from the wreckers to get the low kms.

    • [Deactivated] on 03/10/2017 - 17:27

      Would a 2005+ car not have a digital odometer? I may be wrong but I was under impression Kms travelled was stored elsewhere and the dash just displays that reading. Happy to know if wrong or how it actually works.

      • geek001 on 03/10/2017 - 17:36

        Full disclosure, I am not a car person. I have just heard stories from people who "had friends" who did that to an otherwise unsaleable car. Logically speaking though, the odometer reading has to be stored somewhere regardless of whether it is a dial or an IC, and wouldn't that section of the car be replaceable?

  • yoonibear on 03/10/2017 - 18:06
    +3

    Corolla - durable and reliable.
    I'd steer clear of the Focus/Fiesta. I had an 04 WP and it was costly fixing it and maintaining it

  • Blue Cat on 03/10/2017 - 18:24
    +2

    Corolla is the only answer.

  • nubzy on 03/10/2017 - 18:25
    +1

    Corolla or Mazda, but Mazda 3 seems to hold their value much better and I think you will struggle to get a good one for a cheap price. Both very reliable though.

  • CarbonMini on 03/10/2017 - 19:40
    -1

    Dang, I would recommend a Hyundai Sonata (might be too big) from 2006. I drive the 2005 model, and it hasn't failed on me once during the 12 years that my parents and I have driven it for.Its not very expensive either, definitely in your budget.
    If the Sonata is too big, I would recommend a Kia Rio.

  • supnigs super skids on 03/10/2017 - 19:45

    corollas good ones

  • Dont Care on 03/10/2017 - 20:41
    +3

    she handed you a "mission"to buy her a car? sucker.

  • hasselbladsnapper on 03/10/2017 - 21:18

    A WQ FIESTA … the boxy version with round lamps in rear lower bumpers. Not to be confused with the current shape built in Thailand. The WQ, was built in Germany with great quality - fit & finish. at the price point!. My wife has had one for circa 9 years and still going strong, as yet nothing done to the vehicle except a new battery and a stop lamp. Strongly recomend, but stay away from the later model's and the FOCUS, transmissions are RS!, similar to the VW Golf disaster.

    • K-Daddy on 03/10/2017 - 22:16

      Noted that. I also noticed by inspecting a few Ford cars, their paint is really bad, most of them are faded in colour.

  • spychiatrist on 03/10/2017 - 21:33
    -1

    Civic. Don't be a sheep.

  • dcep on 03/10/2017 - 23:09

    Mazda mx-5

  • boomramada on 04/10/2017 - 08:20
    +2

    Its pointless to ask which car to buy in ozb, #1 ozb choice is Toyota, but I prefer Lancer :)
    Have used all those cars, except Ford.
    Civic, expensive to service, parts, but good resell, (manual) good to drive, good design, no longer made in jap?.
    Lancer, (manual) good to drive.
    Mazda, (auto) good pick up.
    Toyota, boring, easy to re-sell.

    They all reliable these days.

  • Ryanek on 04/10/2017 - 09:07

    How about a Suzuki Swift? Surprisingly spacious inside for its size and economical.

  • BobLim on 04/10/2017 - 11:35
    +1

    Why not a Yaris/Echo? Mostly the same benefits as the Corolla at a cheaper price in a smaller package…

    • Speckled Jim on 04/10/2017 - 12:22

      This. Mum recently bought a 1.3 Echo and she loves it.

      I'd recommend a later 1.5l for better performance and more airbags. They should be very negotiable at dealers as they're reputedly hard to shift.

      Or an 05-on Swift.

    • Unknown1 on 04/10/2017 - 22:50
      +1

      Fantastic idea lets kill OP's Girlfriend, in that case, get the Rio.

  • Unknown1 on 04/10/2017 - 22:48
    +1

    Toyota AE86.

    TBH, either a Ford Aspire, Honda Jazz or Suzuki swift. The Honda Jazz handles like a dream.

  • Oofy Doofy on 07/10/2017 - 23:23

    Can confirm CJ Lancer and newer are bulletproof.

  • j05h on 10/10/2017 - 13:37

    I recently bought a 2012 Mazda 3. Fantastic car, drives really nicely. Seems to have enough power when you want it but is still quite economical

  • adams03 on 13/10/2017 - 14:14

    Get a Subaru, they are mostly bulletproof.

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