Help Me Pick a Car

mavis30551 on 28/01/2020 - 15:04

Hello Ozbargain community.

My Car got totalled in a recent freak Hail storm and I am only going to get about 3.1K back if I am lucky.
- 10 year old mazda 6 with 200ks on the clock
Excess is $900 and car is only worth about 4-5

I dont really have any extra money so its looking like I either get a loan or buy a car in that 3-5k Price.

My question is can you guys suggest cars in this price range that would be reliable (4 cylinder small car is fine)
or should I be looking around 10k and getting a loan for a more reliable car?

Not really a car person but the only new, expensive, new car version I would even consider is a New Camry hybrid but thats like 36K and to keep it forever - like 15 years (second hand versions of these dont seem to be much cheaper)

Throw suggestions at me - Some I have seen include:
a Saab thing (no idea of the model
Kia Rio
old old Carollas

Automotive

Comments

  • Okayy on 28/01/2020 - 15:07

    buy corolla seems more reliable.

  • No on 28/01/2020 - 15:08
    +4

    Is it just cosmetic damage? See what the price to buy the Mazda back is if your otherwise happy with it.

    • djkelly69 on 28/01/2020 - 16:08
      +1

      Not sure what the process is like in other states, but may not be feasible in the ACT?

    • mavis30551 on 28/01/2020 - 16:19

      honestly, its probably more worth it for me to take the ride off.

      It just started making a noise in one of the wheels and that could cost a few hundy to fix. Cracked windscreen… it being absolutely worth nothing now, even 3k would be a decent deal for it.

  • 87percent on 28/01/2020 - 15:09
    +2

    Saab? No thank you

  • netjock on 28/01/2020 - 15:17
    -4

    Buy a smart car, they are going for cheap because people absolutely dislike them. Mercedes engineered engine.

    • pegaxs on 28/01/2020 - 16:14

      Owned one for 4 months and it was a nightmare. Absolute shit box. And with that comes Mercedes-Benz pricing. I could not off load it quick enough. ABS issues. Gearbox issues. Steering angle sensor issues. Rattles and bangs, horrible ride quality.

      • netjock on 28/01/2020 - 16:16

        Sounds like you got a lemon. There is a guy in Melbourne who is a specialist and the prices are lot more reasonable. Unless you get the turbo they are pretty bad cars.

      • spackbace on 28/01/2020 - 19:17
        +1

        Owned one for 4 months

        How am I not surprised? ;)

        • pegaxs on 28/01/2020 - 20:02
          +1

          It was a forfeit for work done on it. The guy I was fixing it for didn’t want to pay for it and I started charging storage. Got to a point we’re he just said “stuff it, not worth that much, just keep it” so I did.

          It took me 4 months to get rid of the piece of shit. Every time I went to take it for a blue slip, something else would fail. I would never willingly purchase one. For what I finally sold it for barely covered the amount I had spent on it in parts and labour let alone the storage costs.

  • ShortyX on 28/01/2020 - 15:22
    +1

    reliable

    Saab

    :O

    • bunnybash on 28/01/2020 - 15:42
      -1

      I've had a 2009 Saab wagon 93 for 6 years now… Been nothing but reliable for us. It's the only car we have too. Just anecdotal I know, but yeah… We've loved it.

    • mavis30551 on 28/01/2020 - 15:44

      I heard they were reliable?

  • Bargain80 on 28/01/2020 - 15:24
    +2

    Kia Rio or Hyundai Getz.
    Toyota Corolla (or Yaris for smaller budget).

  • RedZed998 on 28/01/2020 - 15:25
    +2

    Suggest a post 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer. They have been dropped from the line up, but are very reliable and cheap to buy, even off a dealer. Earlier models may be subject to airbag recall. The MY09 I own has been great, reasonable fuel economy.

  • crentist on 28/01/2020 - 15:33
    +2

    Toyota Yaris/Echo. A 10yo model with around 100k km is probably gonna be around $5k, and will be bulletproof. I'd happily go up to 15 years and 200k personally, if I wanted to keep it to $3k
    Ignore the people who say you need to spend $15k on a 2yo car for reliability - my gf used to do this until she saw me in two 15yo Japanese cars (Echo and mx5) with less problems than her newer and nicer cars. After returning from overseas, she bought herself a $3k car which has been awesome, if a little small.

  • ode1online on 28/01/2020 - 15:36

    That one

  • Dean29 on 28/01/2020 - 16:00
    -1

    Nissan Pulsar N14 SSS

  • pegaxs on 28/01/2020 - 16:10
    +3

    Saab? Good lord, that’s a quick way to turn your $3k into -$2k in a very short time. While in their day, they were a reasonably good vehicle, the used one today are just driven into the ground shit boxes. They were not a big seller, and considering they don’t make them any more, parts are going to become more and more scarce.

  • mavis30551 on 28/01/2020 - 16:19

    Lots of Kia Rio's for sale, are they reliable?

    Parts would seem like they would be easy to find.

  • jimbobaus on 28/01/2020 - 16:35
    +1

    As someone who works in the mechanical trade
    Avoid older Korean cars (Hyundai, Kia etc) they are known to be problematic once the KMS start climbing up.
    (you also want to avoid rebadged Korean cars, Mostly Holden's like the Barina etc)

    Aim for a Japanese car, Toyota, Nissan or Mazda overall cheaper long term to fix and tend to not have as many "known" issues like the Korean ones do.

  • [Deactivated] on 28/01/2020 - 16:55

    1

  • dasher86 on 28/01/2020 - 17:37
    +3

    Swift?

  • Drakesy on 28/01/2020 - 18:02

    Hyundai Tucson/Kia Sportage if you want something a little bigger

  • HardlyCharly on 28/01/2020 - 19:03

    Magna TJ.

  • yayrobots on 28/01/2020 - 20:22

    Early 2000's Corolla, 323 or Civic with Low Kms.

  • ozboygsl on 29/01/2020 - 10:35
    -1

    buy that one. Over there.

  • Euphemistic on 29/01/2020 - 10:41

    Reliability is a bit of a gamble at that age. Pick one of the favourites for a reduced risk, like corolla, Mazda 3, Hyundai. There is a chance you will get a lemon though.

    If you are prepared to repair a $5k car that has a good reputation isn’t a massive risk.

  • Diggins on 29/01/2020 - 15:14

    mitsubishi lancers or mirage, mazda 323, ford laser

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