Looking for Used Car for $7k (2011 or Later under 200km) Melbourne

ronitdias on 27/06/2021 - 18:57
Last edited 04/07/2021 - 12:31 by 1 other user

Looking to buy a car with a budget of up to 7k, Melbourne based. I've been looking at deals across Carsales, Facebook and Gumtree. I have noticed a few things which I was hoping the community here could answer. Also, any links to Australian based car forums for my research on specific models will be appreciated.

Two of my biggest filters are year and mileage (brand also, I would lean towards Japanese, but would not say no to Ford/ Hyundai/Kia). It must be at least 2011 or later and hoping to get something under 200k. Now this is where one of my observations come in, most of the adverts I see from private sellers are good deals, but I see they have been listed for weeks and sometimes months, is this a normal trend? If I feel it’s a good deal and the car has been inspected a few times, then surely there must be a deal breaker that hasn't been disclosed in the ad description OR is that me overthinking?

Next is when it comes to dealer listing, most of the dealer listing within my budget are cars with more than 200k+ on the clock and I do not know if it is worth buying those cars. Also, cars that fit my filters are usually priced at $8-$10k and I was wondering how much bargaining power do we have with these dealers if we pay cash and all upfront? I have heard almost all mix reviews when it comes to buying from dealers, some friends have had some luck, but online community thinks and advice to stay away from dealers.

Lastly, I have been reading stories where dealers have cars on lots that are not listen online and that you could only find if you visited them in person. How true is this and in that case which are car lots in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne that are worth paying a visit to look at such cars. (a colleague suggested Car City in Ringwood).

Looking to have some helpful conversations.

Automotive Car

Comments

  • Muzeeb on 27/06/2021 - 19:11
    -2

    VY commy

    • brendanm on 27/06/2021 - 19:18
      +1

      S pac so you get the spoiler.

  • kerfuffle on 27/06/2021 - 19:26
    +6

    A ten-year-old or less car with less than 200K on the odo under $7K during a pandemic where used car prices have gone up?

    I don't know much about cars, but this sounds like a unicorn.

    • ronitdias on 27/06/2021 - 21:22

      Well there are deals out there but as I've mentioned its mostly from private and for some reason have not sold and the listing has been up for a while so I found that assuming as well.

  • artxty on 27/06/2021 - 19:28
    +3

    With your budget, get a Toyota Yaris, reliable and cheap to maintain.
    Make sure seller will be selling it with RWC.
    Bring a mechanic to check the car if you want.
    Make sure check PPSR https://www.ppsr.gov.au/ if car has any history of accidents.

    • nocure on 27/06/2021 - 19:59
      +2

      Budget Direct offer free ppsr checks.

    • Chocobros on 04/07/2021 - 12:23

      This ppsr check is some of the best advice you can receive… Had a mechanic sell me a sob story about needing money to pay for her father in laws dementia medication and try and shift a complete write off on me but last minute checked ppsr… The level of fake shock on his face was priceless to see when I told him his car had been written off.

      The git still tried to sell it to me at the same price.

    • Euphemistic on 04/07/2021 - 14:29

      Don’t bother with any of the other myriad of reports you can get form carfacts etc. they’ll cost you 10x what the govt one does and get you no extra value.

  • kma on 27/06/2021 - 19:42
    +1

    Yaris & Mazda 2 are possible.

  • websterp on 27/06/2021 - 20:07
    +9

    Would you be interested in a 2004 model BMW?

    • Cheapskate Paul on 27/06/2021 - 20:21

      "It must be at least 2011 or later"

      Does this answer your question?

      • websterp on 27/06/2021 - 21:17
        +3

        Yeah I've seen that but this one is a one of a kind.

    • Nugs on 27/06/2021 - 20:22
      +3

      They are $9k + another $1k for warranty
      .

      • SF3 on 27/06/2021 - 21:23

        To get started and thousands more to fix it up.

    • ronitdias on 27/06/2021 - 21:24

      Sorry, staying far away from German / European cars for the main reason that they are expensive to maintain and spare parts are hella costly.

  • Presence on 27/06/2021 - 20:58

    Plenty of Fiestas not far out of your your price/age range. I believe the autos had dramas so look at manuals.

    https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/?q=(And.Service.carsales..(C.Make.Ford..Model.Fiesta.).SuburbPoi.poi(Melbourne+VIC+3000x250km)..Year.range(2010..)._.Price.range(..11000).)&sort=%7eOdometer

  • mskeggs on 27/06/2021 - 21:04
    +2

    Can you drive manual? There seems to be some lower mileage little manuals around.
    Generally, I won't buy from dealers. For cheap cars there is no benefit over private (different for lower km/newer cars where there is a statutory warranty). You can save their profit by buying private.
    I'd be looking at Toyotas and Hondas if you want drama free. Age is less important than mileage and condition if you are a safe driver.

    • ronitdias on 27/06/2021 - 21:21

      Yes, I can drive manual, would tbh prefer manual if it means getting it cheaper. I'm looking at Mazdas as well. I'm a safe driver for the most part. Use would be mostly city driving with once a while highway trips.

  • Peter Enis on 27/06/2021 - 21:28
    +1

    Haven't bought a used car in a long time but last time I looked, there was usually some red flag with the ads that had been around a long time yet they seemed like really good buys. Finance owing was a common one.

    • ronitdias on 27/06/2021 - 21:30

      That would easily be visible in a PSSR report right?

  • whitelie on 27/06/2021 - 21:35

    What sort of car are you looking for? What are your main requirements other than being under 10 years old?

    • ronitdias on 27/06/2021 - 22:44

      Alright, my main requirements are under 200k (but I'd consider higher if service history is there). Honda/Toyota/Mazda/Hyundai/Kia/Ford in that order. Prefarbly a hatch like the 3 / Jazz / i20 or a compact sedan like 3 / Yaris / City / Corolla. I'm more inclined towards Mazdas at this point as they come with a 2L which could be useful in climbing hills and steep inclines. Transmissions doesnt matter, I like driving manual. These are what i am looking for at the moment. Something that is reliable in the city but will be supportive if I have to ever drive interstate or long roads trips.

  • pegaxs on 27/06/2021 - 21:52
    +7

    Have you considered a used 2004 BMW?

  • Ziff on 27/06/2021 - 23:27
    +1

    Volkswagen Up!

  • Euphemistic on 28/06/2021 - 07:19
    +1

    Keep looking. You may need to compromise on kms or age to match your budget. If it were me I’d compromise on age before kms ie 2007 car with 150k on it rather than 2012 with 220k

    • ronitdias on 28/06/2021 - 07:45

      I agree! I'm gonna take my time here, as a I have just started looking, I'll be doing detailed inspections for every "good deal" I see and gonna try to not commit too early without due diligence. I don't even have to go back that further, I'm seeing good deals on 2010 and 2009 cars as well that are well under 160kms within my budget

  • casho on 28/06/2021 - 13:09

    How often do you drive and how far per year?

    • ronitdias on 28/06/2021 - 19:30

      Probably few days a week with the occasional road trips once every few months, looking at around 15k per year.

      • Oz8argain on 29/06/2021 - 18:02

        what do you drive now?

        • ronitdias on 29/06/2021 - 19:11

          Nothing had a car about a year ago which was a bad rushed buy. Hence want to plan ahead and do my diligence before getting something substantial.

          • Oz8argain on 30/06/2021 - 10:04

            @ronitdias: ok so it's broken?

            • ronitdias on 30/06/2021 - 21:32

              @Oz8argain: I sold it off and cut my losses at that point cause I couldnt afford to get it fixed and it didn't seem worth it.

              • Oz8argain on 01/07/2021 - 14:06

                @ronitdias: Ah that sucks man, cars down that price range are mostly basket casss

                • ronitdias on 01/07/2021 - 14:44

                  @Oz8argain: Tbh I was a student, there were train replacement works going and travel was almost 2hrs each way so I was desperate, what I got was a lemon, it was 2001 Civic for $2.5k with RWC that had done like 200k which then started making noises while taking off on the first gear and I got rid of it cause I couldn't afford any repairs. That's the budget now is to buy something that will last a while, make sure everything is in order and do my proper research before committing.

                  • Euphemistic on 02/07/2021 - 16:38
                    +1

                    @ronitdias: 1 fault does not make a lemon. A lemon is something that keeps failing time and again.

                    Any $2.5k car is a bit of a gamble, but there are many that keep running for a long time.

                    • ronitdias on 02/07/2021 - 17:53

                      @Euphemistic: Agreed, might have just been my bad luck. I'm pretty sure if I had the cash at the time I'd have gotten it fixed and probably would have used it till date.

                      • tonyjzx on 04/07/2021 - 22:31
                        -1

                        @ronitdias: $7k just buys you a more expensive lemon in the current situation

                        i personally wouldnt trust shit at $7k or even $17k right now

                        • ronitdias on 05/07/2021 - 08:56

                          @tonyjzx: So my friend what do you suggest I do?

                          • Euphemistic on 05/07/2021 - 09:48
                            +1

                            @ronitdias: If $7k is all you have, you buy the most common reliable newest low km model you can afford and hope for a decent one. Before you buy ANY model get onto google and see if there are common problems and see if you can live with that risk, or know it’s already been fixed.

                            IMO if you are buying around 150k km and about 7-10yo you should be able to get a reliable car. That’s not saying it won’t have issues, but it shouldn’t have too much wrong. You may need to live with some minor niggles. Cars should comfortably do over 200k km with reasonable care. Just look at how many are for sale at well over 250k km and still running(yes, could be selling because of issues, but someone buys them)

                            I bought a 10yo car with around 140k on it. Has it been trouble free? No. But it hasn’t cost more in repairs than I would have spent buying a newer more expensive car. I was also prepared to replace the clutch as it seemed that it regularly wore around those kms. I did have it replaced after about 18mth. Being able to DIY does save some costs though and I’ve fixed a few minor issues with the help of the internet to diagnose and tell me how to fix.

                            • ronitdias on 05/07/2021 - 10:43

                              @Euphemistic: Thanks for that, yes i have been able to stretch my budget by 2k after looking at everyone's comments. And just in doing that have been seeing a lot more cars pop-up with low kms and within 8-9 years old. I understand that issues will pop-up and I hope to be in the same boat to buy a car which will not give be any major breaks that could have been avoided by spending a little extra.

                              • Euphemistic on 05/07/2021 - 12:00
                                +1

                                @ronitdias:

                                which will not give be any major breaks that could have been avoided by spending a little extra.

                                $2k extra isn’t a lot, and no guarantee. Don’t blow your budget by too much solely to get extra reliability.

                                • ronitdias on 05/07/2021 - 12:49

                                  @Euphemistic: There is never any guarantee when it comes to this, there are examples where cars have blown engines, right after driving it off the showroom floor.

                                  • Euphemistic on 05/07/2021 - 13:34
                                    +1

                                    @ronitdias: Exactly my point. Don’t stretch your budget too much because anything can happen.

  • ronitdias on 08/07/2021 - 08:53

    I have 2 inspections this weekend on 2 cars and wanted the community's thoughts on which is a better.
    1. 2011 Honda Accord Euro Luxury with 165k kms for $9k - This is through a mate that is vouched for in terms of conditions and service history and has come down to this price just cause its within the family. I liked this deal but kind of in 2 thoughts as it has a bit higher kms than expected for the asking price. But I guess the engine, reliability of this model and features kind of make up for it
    2. 2013 Mazda 3 Neo Manual with 114k kms for $9k - Single female owner that has always been serviced from Mazda on time with full service history and in excellent condition.

    I wanted to understand in terms of long-term usage (4 years min) and then re-sale value after that time which would be the better deal, in my head the re-sale value of both cars is very similar after 4 years as the Honda will be well above the 200k kms mark which affect the re-sale value and the Mazda being a manual even though is newer may have the same depreciation.

    • jaffar on 09/07/2021 - 01:09

      Good job OP, 2 good options. You are right that once a car hits 200k it will affect resale to the average buyer also year vs. trim level is another variable that's important to some buyers and not to others. Because of this I think the Mazda might have the slightly better resale given it's newer and has 50k less kms (especially if you can mantain log book - so it's a spotless 2 owner car). For me the two cons of the Mazda when selling are that it's 2nd gen/pre-2014 facelift and manual and for the Honda it would be KMs and age.

      What type of driving are you doing? It could be another factor that could help you decide. The Accord is a 1,550kg family luxury saloon so based on that probably not the best on fuel with the auto transmission on short or city trips but fine for highway. The Mazda is 1,450kg and manual - so a little lighter and manual might be able to save you some fuel.

      A quick check on gumtree and carsales and both cars seem to be similarly priced so this is based purely on the pros/cons above. I think on resale I would go for the well mantained Mazda 3 but I'd seriously consider the Accord depending on how the inspection goes based on interior and overall package. I have a 30km commute (each way) with highway driving and traffic on the way back and would much rather be sitting in an older but nicer trim auto car than a manual and base trim car and would be happy to make up the potentially not too large difference in resale (this is without actually knowing the differences in interior of your Mazda 3 and Honda Accord Euro of interest).

      Carsguide has a tool that can be a little inaccurate that shows trim level. https://www.carsguide.com.au/honda/accord-euro/price/2011/lu… Honda Accord gains 18" alloys, sun roof, leather upholstery, heated seats, parking distance rear… not bad and looks like it'd be quite comfortable on longer trips, although the larger wheels just mean its gonna be more expensive to replace. How did the inspection go?

      • ronitdias on 09/07/2021 - 13:17
        +1

        I would much rather be sitting in an older but nicer trim auto car than a manual and base trim car - This is one of the reasons I am slightly leaned towards the Honda. Honda Accord gains 18" alloys, sun roof, leather upholstery, heated seats, parking distance rear + paddle shifters might I add. I've been told the Honda has been maintained excellently which will be more evident from my inspection tomorrow. The Mazda from the photos and reviews is the base trim and comes with basic interior options and no fancy bells & whistles.

        Reading your take on this makes it feel that the Mazda being a basic trim and a manual would only have age and kms to match its re-sale value against the Honda as many used car buyers do focus on the make and model of a car, like a normal person will choose an Accord over a Civic at the same price for comfort and features that the higher model provides.

        I'll have more feedback after I actually drive the 2 cars tomorrow!

    • Euphemistic on 09/07/2021 - 08:04
      +1

      Either or which. Pick your favourite to drive.

  • lovetodiscuss on 15/07/2021 - 17:11

    $7k (2011 or Later under 200km)?

    Not even possible when there was no Covid. I bought a Civic, 2006 with 140K mileage for $6500.

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