Suggestions on a used car on budget - Toyota Yaris or VW Golf

Lnaruto43 on 07/10/2020 - 16:20
Last edited 07/10/2020 - 17:56

Hi I am searching for an used car , I am a new driver and my budget is 10K - 12.5 K and want to have reliable auto car which is above 2010.

Can you let me know Volkswagen Golf (2011) is a right choice or Toyota yaris(2011) both are same year and similar kms.

Update: Thanks for all the suggestions

My requirements are as follows

  1. Safety
  2. Reliability
  3. within budget

As many mentioned it would be better to buy a Toyota Yaris/Honda Jazz(after 2014) for all the three to satisfy.VW Golf seems to be also a good option but only lacks in the reliability according to some comments, as I am buying a used car might need to go for the Japanese cars as they seem to be more reliable. Thanks for the guidance and will continue my search.

Poll Options

  • 69
    Toyota Yaris
  • 13
    VW Golf
Automotive

Comments

  • justaperson on 07/10/2020 - 16:32
    +7

    Thats very expensive for either of those cars. 10-12.5k can get you a decent low km car between 4 and 6 years old. Spending that much money on small cars that are 9 years old, especially these two cars, is very foolish.

  • Muzeeb on 07/10/2020 - 16:34
    +4

    want to have reliable auto car

    Toyota, kia or hyundai

  • Orico on 07/10/2020 - 16:35
    +3

    Go to a Toyota Used Car Dealership and just buy a used corolla or Yaris. I just checked and prices of cars seem to have skyrocketed.

    Maybe private is better for your budget.

    • naruto43 on 07/10/2020 - 17:32

      I think all the used cars were priced high(although the original price used to be 17K for Toyota Yaris new) as the starting price of a new small cars is above 20K now. Seems to be due to the Aus dollar rate drop compared to other currencies.

  • Drakesy on 07/10/2020 - 16:35
    +4

    Being Ozbargain the Toyota will win anyday. The equivalent for a Yaris would be a Polo though.

    Still if money is important staying away from Volkswagen's DSG is a wise choice.

  • kathmandu-jeff on 07/10/2020 - 16:39
    +7

    Do note that those two cars are not the same size. A better comparison would be:
    Toyota Yaris vs. VW Polo
    or if you want something bigger:
    Toyota Corolla vs. VW Golf

    • naruto43 on 07/10/2020 - 17:34

      Yes the comparision you suggested seems to be correct but I compared it with price and kms

      • Quantumcat on 08/10/2020 - 13:46
        +2

        Work out what size and style car you need then start comparing prices. Buying something that is the right price but the wrong car for you is silly.

    • websterp on 07/10/2020 - 17:12
      +6

      ROFL
      I suggest you have the 308 promo comment saved somewhere so it makes it a lot easier to copy paste every time a newbie is asking for car buying advice!
      308 and Peugeot are terrible recommendations for someone buying a second hand car on a budget where maintenance costs and reliability should be key deciding factors.

      They only sold 2445 cars (all models combined) for the whole of 2019. That means expensive parts, very few dealerships, less third party specialists and no guarantee how long they would operate in Australia.

      • nubzy on 07/10/2020 - 17:45
        -7

        It's a better choice than the Golf..
        People can make their own mind up. None of those things you mentioned are an issue for me, and honestly, what are you expecting to go wrong in a ~5 year old car?

    • Caped Baldy on 07/10/2020 - 16:55
      +3

      You had me until the second half. Did you forget that the Japanese were part of the Axis of Evil?

      • websterp on 08/10/2020 - 10:56
        +1

        Yep. All the Kamakazes who flew into Allied warships were flying Mitsubishi Zeros. So we shouldn't buy Mitsubishi cars, utes and Aircons now? Even worse, the best selling car brand Toyota made Trucks for the Japanese Army during WWII. Based on your argument Japanese cars should be in the top of the list as they were the ones who bombed Australia not the Germans.

    • brendanm on 07/10/2020 - 17:41
      -1

      Did he convert the vw to run on gas?

    • jayboi on 07/10/2020 - 17:41
      -3

      My mate has a 2015 golf and he has driven 100000 kilometres with it being a reliable and very nice built car

      • jayboi on 07/10/2020 - 17:48
        -3

        Who negged me. Do you know my mates car? No I didn’t think so, why you have to neg when you don’t even know the car, yes it has been his daily driver for 5 years now with no issues
        I’m talking about my MATES car not golfs in general

        • thrillhouse on 08/10/2020 - 07:33
          +5

          I think the problem is that nobody is looking to buy your MATES car, they’re looking to buy a Golf in general.

  • pharkurnell on 07/10/2020 - 16:58
    +3

    You are a new driver you say ?? Dont spend $10k on a car…
    Buy a cheap $3000 heap for a few years as chances are you may well bang up and dint and scratch at the shops, fences, parking, and to get used to <insert your state>'s hideous drivers cutting you off and taking off after accidents.

    • naruto43 on 07/10/2020 - 17:36
      +2

      yeah understand my only concern is safety features would be less in older models.

      • pharkurnell on 07/10/2020 - 20:07
        +1

        You dont need 1200 airbags to be safe. There are plenty of safe cars out there for <4000 .. yea might have lots of klms but good cars to learn to drive in adn to work on too.. parts a plenty at wreckers/evilbay etc.

    • Willco88 on 07/10/2020 - 18:11
      +2

      Lol not long ago brand new driver wanted to spend 50K crazy

    • Mistredo on 08/10/2020 - 12:17

      On the other side, new cars come with parking sensors and reverse cameras that lower the risk of damaging them.

      • Quantumcat on 08/10/2020 - 13:49

        Better to learn/gain experience in a car that has none of those things otherwise you'll become dependent on them and if you have to drive a car without them in a few years you'll be incapable

        • Mistredo on 08/10/2020 - 14:04

          You can say this about anything in your life that you depend on. In modern times, you have a lot of things you rely on that you would be otherwise lost if you didn't have them.

          It is like telling kids today, live a year without a phone, so you know how it is in case you don't have one.

          If he needs to drive a car without these features in the future, he will learn as he would learn now, so why should he force himself to a worse situation just because he might need it one day?

          • Quantumcat on 08/10/2020 - 14:21

            @Mistredo: Phone is not the same thing. It would be more like saying get a phone without an address book so you can learn to remember a few key phone numbers, rather than no phone at all (not a bad thing either, I only remember two people's phone numbers not including my own off the top of my head)

  • jayboi on 07/10/2020 - 17:34

    You can get a 2014 mark 7 Golf for $9k on Carsales with 130000 kms. Go with that, newer model year with better features than a 2011 and the 2014 was redesigned, the 2020 model has the exact same body style as the 2014 golf

    2014 golf is also really safe with a 5 star crash safety rating, so I cannot recommend that enough
    Yaris is a tiny car and very cheaply made but it’s reliable but it is a little less safe than a golf due to the how small it is

    • brendanm on 07/10/2020 - 17:43
      +1

      What engine in the golf you are talking about? The 118tsi is a grenade, and any of the low powered petrols have the dry clutch DSG, which is also rubbish.

      • jayboi on 07/10/2020 - 17:44

        It’s a 90TSI

        • brendanm on 07/10/2020 - 17:49
          +2

          Terrible gearbox.

          • jayboi on 07/10/2020 - 17:49
            +1

            @brendanm: The gearbox issues were from the older models. They have since fixed it when mark 7 was out

            • brendanm on 07/10/2020 - 17:55

              @jayboi: No, they didn't.

              You must be nearly out of negs as well :(

  • NotSureIfSerious on 07/10/2020 - 17:42
    +5

    As a previous golf owner with 8 or so grand spent on repairs i'd advice against it but YMMV

    Have a Honda Jazz now, so cheap and reliable and Yaris will be in similar boat

    • naruto43 on 07/10/2020 - 17:46

      Thanks for the suggestion.

    • jayboi on 07/10/2020 - 17:47

      What year golf did you own?

      • NotSureIfSerious on 07/10/2020 - 17:56

        Mk 6, was a manual so dodged the crappy DSG but the TSI engine was a complete POS and blew up at 115k

    • Orange182 on 08/10/2020 - 09:45
      +1

      Very disappointed golf owner here too. MK5 GT TDI

      • brendanm on 08/10/2020 - 21:53

        How did you get a bad TDI?

        Edit - oh, you're the guy I tried to help with his car, but didn't want any help.

    • BetterValue on 08/10/2020 - 11:10

      I can second that. Once they start giving issues they cost a lot to maintain. From experience.

  • jayboi on 07/10/2020 - 17:46
    +1

    OP, here is a link to a MY14 golf for 9k, bargain IMO.
    https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2013-volkswagen-gol…
    These typically go for more as well, the MY14 also has a touchscreen with a much more updated design

    • brendanm on 07/10/2020 - 17:49
      +1

      Terrible gearbox.

      • jayboi on 07/10/2020 - 17:50

        They were an older model year, they fixed it when mark 7 came out. But OP, I’d not recommend you go with a 2011 golf just because of the gearbox issues back then

        • brendanm on 07/10/2020 - 17:55
          +1

          Lol no they didn't.

          • jayboi on 07/10/2020 - 17:58

            @brendanm: Ok, where is the recall/issue shown?
            Please link it to me
            Clearly you’ve owned a MY14 golf before

            • brendanm on 07/10/2020 - 18:04

              @jayboi: Yes, there must always be a recall when something is rubbish. /S

              All set clutch DSG are rubbish. Powershift was most rubbish. VW one not as bad as that but still pretty crap, especially for a new driver, who will ride the clutch and treat it as a normal auto.

              Clearly I'm actually a mechanic and have worked on all this stuff. Clearly your sample size of one of your mates cars is a bit rubbish.

              • jayboi on 07/10/2020 - 18:11

                @brendanm: How much does a clutch cost to be replaced?
                9k for a MY14 is really cheap its usually 13-14k. Surely with OP getting it under their budget there will be a little room to get the clutch replaced

                • brendanm on 07/10/2020 - 18:27

                  @jayboi: A lot. It's probably cheap as it probably has clutch shudder, or an intermittent mechatronic issue.

                  • jayboi on 07/10/2020 - 18:29

                    @brendanm: isn't a manual way better in this case?

                    • brendanm on 07/10/2020 - 18:31

                      @jayboi: Sure, if op wants to drive a manual, not many people do.

            • zoob on 08/10/2020 - 21:27

              @jayboi: I've owned a MY14 golf. Luckily got the clutch pack fixed under warranty but I suspect if it was out of warranty it would have cost a fair bit. Also knew someone with similar issues in the same car that got it fixed for free just out of warranty as they had serviced the car with the dealer.

          • jayboi on 07/10/2020 - 18:05

            @brendanm: Now your comment comes up lol sorry

  • Willco88 on 07/10/2020 - 18:08
    +2

    Reliability and affordable and cheap services go Toyota all day everyday, but look at the Corolla they come in sporty models as well.

    Even look at the Mitsubishi mirage 2013+ very fuel efficient great for the city driving.

    On the other hand Hyundai are very reliable and cheap to fix and service and very good fuel economy.

    I've owned and driven 20 cars from 3cyl 4cyl all the way up to V8 and Turbo

    • jayboi on 07/10/2020 - 18:12

      Mitsubishi Mirage is a crap appalling quality car, Look at Doug Demuro's video on it, uncomfortable ride and hard seats with basic tech etc.

  • Bid Sniper on 07/10/2020 - 19:08
    +2

    Look at late model Kia Rio as well

  • Screamingeagle on 07/10/2020 - 20:19
    +1

    I know that your looking at a newer model than this one but I bought a 2009 Toyota Yaris (from new) and I have since sold it to my parents. It currently has about 160000km. It is a 2009 1.5litre 4 speed auto hatch. Mechanically it has been very good with no issues. It has been regularly serviced. It drives alright and is quite comfortable to sit in. The only real issue with it has been the paint in that the clearcoat has peeled off. It began about 4 years after I got the car. It as spread to pretty much all of the metal panels. The clearcoat on the bumpers are still fine. Mine was blue and from what research I have been able to do and from what I have seen from other cars driving around it is a fairly common problem with the paint.

  • PoKGuy on 08/10/2020 - 09:44

    I'd recommend a Mazda 2/3, or Hyundai i30 and its variants, or Subaru's Impreza/XV are also good as first cars.

    Target < 10 y.o. and less than 100,000kms on the odometer.

    Generally, the simpler the engine (naturally aspirated rather than forced induction), will be cheaper to maintain.

    My comments above is purely based on reliability, ease of use and cost of ownership (servicing, insurance, repairs, depreciation).

  • affable on 08/10/2020 - 10:02
    +1

    Hyundai Accent are good value and heaps to choose from in your price range. Only real "tech" omission that it "needs" is a reversing camera on the hatch as the rear window view is pathetic. Aftermarket reverse cameras are available if required.

  • OzHunterNSW on 08/10/2020 - 10:08
    +2

    Go Toyota… parts and service will be cheaper.

  • HeWhoKnows on 08/10/2020 - 14:15
    +1

    No 2 cars are the same.
    Its not a simple comparison.
    You CAREFULLY must check condition of each car, service history, serving and spare parts cost (VW much more).

    Its all about getting the best car for your money.
    Nothing else matters.
    hence look past these 2 cars.

    Furthermore a good car at the right price will always sell quickly
    So if these cars are still available they are either too expensive or something is not right with them

  • Peck on 08/10/2020 - 14:59

    Corolla hatch. Made in Japan

  • Pro-crastinator on 14/10/2020 - 01:31
    +1

    Highly recommend driving them both - and then deciding.

    I've rarely had a hard time deciding what car I want to buy, after a test drive.

    P.S. My vote was for the Golf, but I am biased because I own a Golf GTI. I have had it for 5 years and 110,000kms and I would definitely buy one again. Had 1 minor issue with suspension creak (shortly after warranty had expired) and they still fixed it free of charge.

  • dazeet on 25/10/2020 - 23:28
    +1

    Consider the Used Car Safety Ratings for passive/crash safety. Personally, I would go for at least 4 stars, so that would rule out most light cars except the Honda City. It would also cross many small Toyotas off your list at your budget, as their outdated platforms until their eventual replacement with the TNGA generally result in sub-par USCRs vs their rivals.
    https://www.monash.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1956514/2…

    As for active safety - most reliable makes and models in decent condition would perform similarly. But do be mindful that some makes' electronic stability control (ESC) systems are tuned to act with more delay and/or more abruptly than others, which could make a bad situation worse. Test drive a few models with good tyres and less worn suspension in a less populated area, and see which ones work better with/for your driving style.

    Adding reliability, longevity, simplicity, and longer term ownership costs into the equation, I would consider first:
    Mazda 3 (BL series onward)
    Mitsubishi Lancer (CJ and CF series)

    And then:
    Honda City
    Hyundai Accent (2011 onwards)
    Hyundai Elantra (2011 onwards)
    Kia Cerato (2013 onwards)

    • naruto43 on 26/10/2020 - 10:59

      Thanks Dazeet for the suggestion

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