Reliable, fuel efficient, 5-door manual car for daily 40 minute commute. Max spend is $5k.
After looking on Gumtree, I'm considering the following;
Model: Toyota Yaris, Kia Rio, Hyundai Getz, Suzuki Alto, Ford Focus, Honda Civic.
Year: 2006-2009
KM: 130,000-200,000 Kms
Any suggestions on best car model at this price/age/km point?
Id suggest one with nothing wrong with it.
Stay away from Kia Rio and Ford Focus
Expand to include ALL CARS under $5,000
Small cars are not necessarily cheap cars to run
Look for ANYTHING with low kms (under 120,000), plenty of rego, service record / log books, accident free, good tyres and 1 owner of possible
Mitsubishi CH Lancer is a good, strong, well made and very reliable car and cheap to buy!
it has a few bad things…. i know people here are unaware of this but 2010 earlier petrol Hyundia Kias seem to have engine failures that are akin to Mitusbishi failures in the 1995-2005 period. ie. valve stems and worse
so to me any petrol <2010 Hyundai Kia is scrap
they also suck with their 4 spd autos
but if you can handle manual which it seems few people can theres a few manual bargains out there
Do you mean Hyundai OR Kia or both?
I'd say All Kias are Crap
Hyundais fair much better post 2005
@HeWhoKnows: That’s a pretty strong blanket statement when the same company owns both brands and shares drivetrains and platforms between them. Granted, early Kias were poor cousins to the Hyundai though.
They seem to have issues with older 2 litre petrols and newer 1.8s. The early Beta G4GM 1.8 in my car has been neglected, as I've been willing it to die.
Bastard just keeps going.
Look for Ford Festiva on Carsales. Up your budget a little and you'll get something with a lot less ks.
You will not get half of the cars you listed for that budget.
this is OZB, so assess it …
honda & toyota are known to be reliable, they'll hold their value - ruled out
ford focus in that price range had lots of issues
kia
hyundai
suzuki
of the 3, i'd go suzuki, it's the ugliest of the 3 with best engine (suzuki's generally don't die)
with best engine
The Alto has a 1.0L, it's not great. It's also tuned for 95RON, which will mean questionable lifetime if it has been used with regular
For $5k, so called reliable Honda or Toyota probably driven around twice more than any other cars for the same price tag. Just a false economy. Just get good condition mechanically tested car. Eg. Get a boring underrated car like Lancer, they don't die.
The one with good service history, good tyres, decent rego and a decent ownership background (that hasn't been used for Uber Eats)
Anyone could sit there and say "go for this model" and then you choose the one that's been thrashed
For a 40min drive, don't rule out something like these (are they the same car?!):
https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2005-toyota-camry-a…
https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2005-toyota-camry-a…
Only 130,000kms, enough power for a highway commute while not being stupidly thirsty, comfortable for 40min drive
one has a tow bar the other doesn't.
I know, but depending on tow bar design, it could've been removed
Actually just realised one is V6, 1 is 4cyl
- 3 YEAR WARRANTY INCLUDED WITH THIS VEHICLE*
Didn't even know that was possible with used car for only 6k and it's 2005 model! What would it cover exactly?
It will likely be one of those warranties that are more like an insurance policy. They cover very little and require you to have it serviced at a specific location.
I thought as such, remember many years ago something like that with one of my cars but it was only 1 year.
Looking to avoid the V6 as the fuel cost is high. I'm not worried about the ride comfort but getting that weekly fuel bill down.
Ah that's the difference between the 2 cars, 1 is a 3.0L V6 and 1 is a 2.4L i4
5L/100km difference (from an Alto 1.0L to the Camry 2.4L), will be 500L over 10,000kms. At around $1.50/L, that's $750/10,000kms
If you do 20,000kms/yr, you'd be looking at a $1500 saving, or around $30/week
Is $30/week really that big of a deal, when looking at an Alto vs a Camry?
I dunno about you, but I'd be paying that for the amount of time you're going to be in the car each week, just for comfort alone
Great points.
but getting that weekly fuel bill down.
Just curious, what car are you doing the commute in currently?
2004 V6 Commodore quite thirsty and fuel bill was reason for change. Also the commy has issues so time to retire her.
Timing chains?
@Muzeeb: 2004 so its a VZ so its an alloytec? alloytecs are shit
but anyway the 3.6 was never going to be a good commuter given then drink
Agree with spackbace. It’s more about the condition than the model.
Pick something common in the right size for you from Japan or Korea. The more common, the more likely there are cheaper parts. Pick one that looks well kept. Pick one with a decent, bit not ‘pre-sale’ service sticker or a service history (unlikely to have one at this age and price). Make sure it’s got decent tyres. Make sure it isn’t due for a timing belt change. ‘Major service’ may not be necessary, but it pays to have a timing belt done at the right time.
Watch out for dual clutch transmissions. Stick with a standard auto or manual.
Personally I’d have a swift over an alto and a corolla over a Yaris just due to the little extra size. Especially if you are driving highway at all. Makes less difference if it’s all urban 50-60km/h roads.
For what it’s worth I’m watching $3k cars locally for a potential learners ride. Looking at Swift, corolla, Mazda 3, lancer, Hyundai’s, Nissan but not focus being Euro. Haven’t set foot in one yet, but pretty sure when the time comes I’ll find a decent hatchback for my money, even if it needs a little bit of work.
Keep checking Gumtree, Carsales, Marketplace, and Carsguide everyday until you find a car in good condition. I'd also perhaps scrap the requirement for manual - there are plenty more autos on the road and while on average they'll be more expensive to buy and maybe a bit more at the petrol station you might be missing out on a lot of results (also would only take a few clicks to sort through). I would go for a late model 2nd gen Yaris based on personal bias (also a common and reliable car + badge) but ideally the car you'd get would be any 'reliable' older Japanese car in good condition. You probably won't be able to find the 1.5L at this price but the 1.3L is reliable too. Here's one I found in my state WA - 2011 Yaris, 91,000KM, manual, $6k negotiable: https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/alkimos/cars-vans-utes/2011-…
There’s nothin wrong with looking for, and waiting to find a manual if it’s what you want to drive. I wouldn’t buy an auto hatchback, I just prefer driving a manual - and I don’t sit in bumper to bumper traffic daily.
Agree, but if you're looking for <5k, low KM, reliable those are already are quite tight car searching requirements without the further restriction to specific transmission. With that being said, you'd most likely end up with a manual car with those requirements even if you included the greater number of autos - but I wouldn't want to miss a really good deal by restricting my search too much.
That’s fair enough, but it’s not a really good deal if automatic isn’t what you want!
Another thing to consider is that typically if a manual goes wrong, you replace the clutch. If an auto goes wrong, you need a new one.
How long does it take to get used to the speedo in the middle? I'm wondering if it will do my head in.
Didn't think about that. Yeah, definitely might be one of those things that you can either live with or can't stand.
it is that vegemite moment.
toyota camry ? OzB official vehicle
to me i dont find petrol non hybrid camrys to be efficient enough nor do people need that size for a commuter
best to stick to hatches, even a subcompact like a Swift if you can hack it
Once you purchase, it is almost guaranteed you will need to spend some moolah on some form of repair.
lol that was actual gold (thank you).
Unless you know the vehicle well I would assume that an additional $1500 to $2000 will be needed unless you get that factored into your purchase price…..that new battery , tyres, ……
Got to thinking for a manual car should I be looking at KMs in terms of clutch life. Of course clutch life depends on type of driving / driver but in general 80,000 km car should have plenty of life left in the clutch?
A clutch is not so expensive in comparison to a new / refurbed auto
Depending on the driver a clutch should last up to 200,000km. My car supposedly has a very soft clutch that wears out quickly from factory. I changed it at 140k when it wore out.
Escooter
It is more down to the individual car…has it been serviced (at all), how many owners, condition of the paint, interior trim (if tatty often goes with how they have been driven) . An example of a brand like Toyota with a good reputation could be a lemon as it has been used and abused by Uber delivery drivers….
Proton, they are good and reliable, only thing is that they have failed to market this car well in Australia and they are not so much popular.
You must be a Malaysian.
200,000 on a 4 cylinder… vehicle under 5k… they are a give-away because they deserve to be at the car wreckers.
Save your money… try and get at least over the 10k mark.
Rubbish.
My pick from those listed: Yaris — cam chain.
Further suggestion: Honda Jazz 1.5, also uses a cam chain.
Great suggestion, didn't realize these little cars had chains, that is a game changer cheers.
I used to have a Jazz. They are literally amazing.
Get the one with the 1.5 (I think) - one of them has vtec and one doesn't. The vtec one is legitimately pretty quick. I had way more fun in that car than pretty much any other, plus it's like a van inside. Jazz is the right car for everyone.
I have a 2007 1.8L Getz that I paid 2k for back in 2018 with 200,000kms. I've put 100,000kms on it and have spent 1k total for timing belt and clutch. Oil filter changes etc. I have done myself. Still drives as well as the day I bought it. From my experience if you know it's been serviced regularly and you're prepared for the big items coming down the road (clutch and belt for me) you should get your moneys worth out of a cheap vehicle. There's always exceptions to the rule and it'll always be a roll of the dice.
Mazda 323, early-mid 2000's model.
It is reliable if the normal service was done.
Car Sales:
SSE-AD-11865741
2014
120K KM
$4900 Neg
Manual
and almost 11 months of Rego left
Its already driven 122,065km probably more reliable than VW
Mechanically yes..that 1.4 Fire Engine is used widely . Old thinking that Italian cars (or Euros) are not reliable…yes Toyota parts may be easier to find….
Old thinking that Italian cars (or Euros) are not reliable
As someone who sees plenty traded in, and talking to their owners, it's not old thinking…
Mitsubishi Colt
Yes most Hyundai's are good definitely the Getz or i20 i30
Pretty hard to get anything decent for cheap in the current market unfortunately.
Most cars within $5k are trash.