Best Car under $10,000 for Massive Highway K's

Mudlode on 16/11/2023 - 11:39

Im looking for a car that I can reliably and cheaply (parts/fuel) put ~50,000km on in a year 99% interstate sealed surface Highway drives, but I only have a $10k budget .. can stretch to $15k for the right car

What would be my best option?

My only ideal is something that will have cruise control.. lowest fuel economy (at highway speeds) is a must. Beyond that it can be the most stripped boring thing out there, only needs to hold myself and some small luggage, auto or manual

This is for a new job I have an opportunity with that would require week on week off work 700km away for the first year so I'm not intending to move my family as after that year I will be home

Automotive

Comments

    • Ievgen on 17/11/2023 - 14:43

      Prius is great, had one, such a reliable and fuel efficient car. Can’t go wrong with Prius.

      Other close option as others already commented is a diesel VW Passat or say Skoda Octavia.

    • Hangryuman on 17/11/2023 - 17:03

      Prius freak me out with the low angled windscreens which I reckon could heat the interior like a furnace on sunny summer days … I test drove one and found it so weird and fugly I balked and walked - away.

  • IrrumaboRex on 16/11/2023 - 15:14
    +2

    I have a Mitsubishi ASX diesel and it gets me normally 4L/100 on highway with a best of 3.6L/100. It will be the top of the range too with all the bells and whistles. It will easily be within your budget with the lower k's ones fetching more.

  • mudshuvel78 on 16/11/2023 - 15:16
    +3

    I have an old 2007 I30 diesel that still gets around 750km to a 50l tank cruising on the hwy. Has been super reliable the whole time have owned it.

  • JimmyF on 16/11/2023 - 15:17
    -4

    LOL You don't want much…..

  • rockman117 on 16/11/2023 - 16:23
    +8

    I would look into LS400 or LS430- although they're V8, they have a very low drag coefficient, are very relaxing to drive which is vital for long-distance driving, and have surprisingly good highway fuel economy at 7-8L/100km. I think they have good safety tech (since they were a $100k adjusted back in the day), which is something else to consider. Their engines are reported to pass 1mil kms as well, so they're very reliable.

    • pencilhead on 17/11/2023 - 12:12

      V8s are very efficient at cruising, the engine just ticks along with very little effort. It's in town where economy starts to suck

    • stephendt on 18/11/2023 - 11:00
      -1

      7-8l is very high fuel consumption imo

  • brendanm on 16/11/2023 - 19:24
    +6

    Diesel VW golf.

    • WT on 17/11/2023 - 08:27
      +1

      this is the correct answer

      1.9 or 2.0 vw tdi, that would be 03? to 2012 models in vw/audi/skoda

      there are 1.9 versions in the states that are over 750k miles and I have seen a few 2.0 with 500k klm in au

      we got 4.3ish L/100 combined on a 2 hour drive which includes 30+ mins suburban driving and 6-6.6 city and heavy traffic. This is our real world numbers with no real (profanity) given about economy so you could get more/less depending on how you drive

      You can get them from 3-12k depending on model/year/klms

  • Rob-4x4 on 17/11/2023 - 07:47

    https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/?q=(And.Make.Toyota..Price.range(..10000)..Odometer.range(..80000)._.Year.range(2000..).)

  • Bilby s on 17/11/2023 - 08:49
    +2

    Another one for vw diesel, the engines will go forever if properly maintained, interior trims will crack and fall off but they will happily chew up the miles and return 3l-3.5l/100km, they are pretty simple to service and ride well on country/freeway driving.

  • 82norm on 17/11/2023 - 08:59
    +1

    Corolla. Subaru XV, Suzuki swift.

    • ESEMCE on 17/11/2023 - 09:15

      Definitely not something tiny like a Swift, even a Corolla/Golf is a little on the small side for comfortable Highway cruising IMHO.
      You want some heft to soak up some of the undulations.

      • Hangryuman on 17/11/2023 - 17:01
        +1

        I drove my Swift many times on highway trips - I loved it and said it was the closest thing to motorbike fun I had on four wheels - seats suited me perfectly with good springs to soak up any bumps - that was my perfect car - only sold it on doctor's orders cos it was manual and a left ankle fracture had me limping after using the clutch pedal.

      • 82norm on 19/11/2023 - 09:34
        +1

        What rubbish. I’m tad over six feet and drove 200ks each way to work on the New England Hwy, no issues with leg room or ride comfort.

    • FoxJump on 17/11/2023 - 15:30
      +1

      defo not a Subaru XV
      feels like Subaru makes as little effort as Mitsubishi in making pure ICE fuel efficient cars

      • Minimum chips on 18/11/2023 - 14:42
        +1

        Yeah, I would recommend Subaru for quite a few things, but fuel efficiency is not one. Fun to drive, cheap to fix, but not fun to fix or cheap to drive.

  • sprocketoctopus on 17/11/2023 - 09:20
    +3

    I think this point has been overlooked: Find something that ergonomically 'fits' you. Even things like a decent entertainment system would score high in your 'must have' list.

    Preferably Japanese, or late Commodore/Falcon. See how they fit for you as you are going to spend a lot of time driving it in single stints.

    Having said that, I reckon a late model Toyota Aurion; but check for roomiest (for your body shape), seat comfort, footwell, pedal box etc.

    The V6 will run for ever with routine servicing, and on the open road will have good fuel economy on 91 RON. Even things like a decent entertainment system would score high in your 'must have' list.

    I wouldn't bother with LPG it's getting harder to find..

    • Hangryuman on 17/11/2023 - 16:59

      friend had an Aurion - yep 6-cylinder power like an Oldhen but with Jap reliability - I suspect the fuel consumption from the bigger engine was higher than the OP may prefer …

  • mykeymichael on 17/11/2023 - 14:22
    +3

    Diesel Hyundai i30 first generation it sips on fuel. Super reliable.

    • andyfc on 17/11/2023 - 15:55

      Agree, while basic, will have cruise and the Crdi is a reliable (esp. on freeway) and frugal engine, good torque for hwy too.

      ~10k for ~ low 100kms. Make sure it has good service history.

      • stewy on 19/11/2023 - 03:44

        IIRC correctly the early i30 diesels didn't have cruise control, it was one of the reasons I went for a CJ Lancer instead at the time.

    • GordonHanley on 20/11/2023 - 14:16

      Came here to post this. Easily get 1000km a tank with highway driving.

      Only concern I can think of is road noise

      • FrankAbagnaleJr on 26/11/2023 - 07:46

        Swap the tyres to ultracontact uc6 and it'll solve the road noise problem.

  • quarkz on 17/11/2023 - 15:28
    +4

    I used to do 75000km a year for my job in a 2014 Suzuki Swift. Put 280,000km on it during that time and still have it with original clutch and suspension. Drinks 5l per 100km on 91. Very cheap and super reliable, never had an issue.

    • camr00 on 17/11/2023 - 17:26

      Hyundai Getz for similar reasons.

  • ValueBob on 17/11/2023 - 15:34
    +1

    Any Japanese sedan (i.e. with a boot). Sedan is the most fuel efficient shape, followed by hatch, and lastly SUV (the worst for fuel efficiency). Cruise control is a must. Engine: 4 or 3 cylinders but not too small (small engines have a harder time going up inclines and end up using more fuel).

    Avoid european cars (in general); they are no match to the Japanese in terms of reliability, parts pricing & availability, and serviceability.

    • JimB on 17/11/2023 - 16:20

      "Engine: 4 or 3 cylinders but not too small "

      Ignoring the 3 cylinder engine in the GR Toyota's , can you get any smaller than 3 cylinder?

      • sumyungguy on 17/11/2023 - 16:23

        Fiat imported some models of the 500 with the 875cc TwinAir engine.

  • knasty on 17/11/2023 - 16:56
    +4

    Hyundai i30/i40 diesel both are <5L/100k on the highway.

  • Hangryuman on 17/11/2023 - 16:56

    I loved my Suzuki Swift 1.3GC - perfectly reliable, and I would have happily got in that and driven it around Australia without a second thought (I DIY added a KMart cruise control) but that was a 1985 model manual and probably less likely to find today.

    Spamry is a most popular car but when I punched a one-day rental up and down the freeways in Dallas Texas I was rather horrified at the fuel bill to refill the tank - comes with a bigger engine, etc. - so dunno about that

    I loved a 2006? Lexus as the dreamcloud-like quietest car I've ever driven - that was $6K a few years back - but probably needed new (VERY expensive) air shocks - but Lexus are legendary reliable so I'd look at those.

    as for low mileage - a city car with low mileage may have more wear from frequent shorter trips than a country car that did mostly long trips where the engine got fully warmed up (half an hour or so) and has less wear on the engine.

    • billy72 on 29/11/2023 - 12:07

      what is the Kmart cruise control you mentioned? link please?

      • Euphemistic on 29/11/2023 - 12:31

        I had a Kmart cruise control back in the day. Worked OK on an AU falcon and then on a RAV4. My old man had one from mid 80s. Had a vacuum operated ‘throttle cable’ and a sensor which required fitting a magnet to the driveshaft. I suspect Kmart don’t sell them anymore as most cars will have factory options and don’t have a throttle cable, but now have e-throttles and speed control from the ecu.

        You can probably still get an aftermarket cruise control but not at Kmart. Quick search on eBay didn’t show any.

        • billy72 on 30/11/2023 - 15:57

          thanks!

  • Aust on 17/11/2023 - 18:56
    +2

    Doing that many klms you want something with a longer wheelbase or you will get sick of it pretty quickly.
    Also get something that has a timing chain, not a timing belt.
    The above all points to a camry, or a well researched and inspected accord

  • CGradeCyclist on 17/11/2023 - 19:18

    Subaru Outback turbo diesel. Pretty much designed for this type of driving. I drove from Brisbane to Sydney on one tank (just!)… :-)

  • adn on 17/11/2023 - 20:51

    I use to do the melbourne and Sydney run once a quarter. So picked up the newest, lowest km Aurion I could afford. It fuel efficient on the highway but sucks around town compare to a hybrid. However I didn't want to mess with batteries with a car going to be closer to 10 year plus during my ownership. Also wanted a v6 over the 4 cylinder so I could overtake on the dual carriage with alot of confidence.

    With you budget probably a gsv40 series will fit.

  • Vent89 on 17/11/2023 - 21:44

    I had an Aurion for 11 years, 8L per 100km on the freeway using 91 fuel. Could pickup a good 2010 onwards model with under 200,000k for that budget. Just keep changing the oil with castrol edge 5w-30 when it goes on sale every 15,000k and your golden. 2GR-FE really is good for the money, so much so I updated to the last iteration of that engine, a 2015 Crown Majesta rocking the same 2GR-FXE hybrid system out of the Lexus GS450H.

    • skillet on 18/11/2023 - 10:03

      The Crown is the real deal they are the best JDM could offer. A lot of Taxis in Japan are Crown.

  • pr0o on 17/11/2023 - 23:00
    +1

    I got Toyota Yaris sedan, amazing on fuel. Got me to Canberra and back from Sydney in one tank.

  • Commander Shepard on 18/11/2023 - 00:01
    +2

    Bit of a left field option. I have a 2017 Renault Megane GT.

    Its done 190,000kms. Services are every 1 year/30000kms.

    If you go for a higher mileage one. You would pay 10-15k easy.

    Mine has adaptive cruise, awesome suede blue bolstered heated seats, lane keep, blind spot, reverse camera, LED headlights, large sunroof.
    Engine has 151kw and its a wet dual clutch. So very fun to drive in the hills.
    Gets 5-6 on the hwy. 6.8 on the daily commute.

    The reason I purchased it as I wanted a fun mild-hot hatch. That can be fitted with a tow hitch for a eMtb. But still has all the safety stuff.
    Its an excellent car and I think it looks far better then the run of the mill golf GTI. Definitely more reliable compared to a MK5 or MK6 GTI
    Have not had any issues besides a leaking A/C line that got fixed for $300. Same engine was in my previous RS Clio which was also very solid.

    https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2017-renault-megane…
    This white one will sell well under 15k

    https://imgur.com/9CDCxZd
    https://imgur.com/WrsBFXu
    https://imgur.com/5j70NyD

    • Techie4066 on 19/11/2023 - 16:38

      +1, plus it has a cool party trick, 4-wheel steering. Been looking for one myself for months. Just picky about getting LED headlights and adaptive cruise (also adds AEBS). Does yours have Android Auto/Carplay? Been trying to figure that out.

      • Commander Shepard on 19/11/2023 - 21:26
        +1

        Yep great turning circle.

        And yes. Mine has wired android auto.
        You can also get an updated usb module for apple carplay I believe.

        Be carefu when updating the main R Link software though. Some of them don't like upgrading from version 3 to version 7/8/9. You will brick it if its not the right version.

        But yes. Its an excellent car. Definitely ticks all the boxes for me.

        • Techie4066 on 19/11/2023 - 21:29

          Awesome, thanks. Mum has a Kadjar so familiar with Renault. Do you know how I can tell if one has AA or not? Was that from MY17 onwards?

          • Commander Shepard on 19/11/2023 - 21:36
            +1

            @Techie4066: I have a feeling they can all get AA. But refreshed 2017s definitely have it. But I think all models can get it. Dont quote me though.
            The best way to check if a model is a 2017 refresh is the lane departure button on the headunit and the extra cameras for adaptive cruise near the rear view mirror around at the top of the front windscreen.

            • Techie4066 on 19/11/2023 - 21:40
              +1

              @Commander Shepard: Yeah I've heard I can mess with the software. I think through ddt4all. Not too keen on that.

              the extra cameras for adaptive cruise

              On Carsales I go straight to pictures of the steering wheel and look for the adaptive cruise button on the left lol

              Anyway you chose well. Did you get it used? They make great bargains now but it's a bit tough for those that owned from new.

              • Commander Shepard on 19/11/2023 - 22:38
                +1

                @Techie4066: Yeah I got it used. Paid 13k. I probably overpaid for it at the time (12 months ago). But I wanted the factory tow hitch which is hard to find. As soon as I hit 200,000. The car will be hard to sell for over 10k I reckon. But hopefully I never need to sell it. And I can just run it into the ground.

                Edit: Its also insured for 25k. So if we are ever are in an accident. We will be well and truly covered.

                • Techie4066 on 19/11/2023 - 22:45

                  @Commander Shepard: Wow, $13k was overpaying? The absolute cheapest I've seen since about July is this which has been up for a few months, is in a regional town and has finance owing. Think you got a great deal unless they've appreciated - crazy to think they were going for nearly $40k new.

                  • Commander Shepard on 19/11/2023 - 23:02
                    +1

                    @Techie4066: Yeah that looks like a good one. Better colour then mine. And way lower kms.
                    Such great value for money compared to other options. Just no factory tow hitch or adaptive cruise which is a shame. Still good though!

  • living4music on 18/11/2023 - 00:11
    +2

    Please don’t get a small car if you value your safety. Highway high speed don’t go well with small cars

    • 82norm on 19/11/2023 - 09:30

      To an extent that’s true. But if you have a head on at 90-110ks, irrespective if you’re in a dual cab, SUV, or a Corolla, it’s ain’t gonna be good either way.

      • living4music on 19/11/2023 - 16:58

        But if you are in a big SUV and have a head on crash with a small car, which driver is likely to survive?

        • Euphemistic on 19/11/2023 - 21:50

          All depends on the actual impact. “Head on“ implies directly nose to nose with the centre line of both cars aligned. This rarely happens. All things equal a larger car would likely be better, but all things are not equal in motor vehicle crashes.

  • Antikythera on 18/11/2023 - 04:05

    how about something with slightly less optimal fuel efficiency, but fuel that costs 85c/L instead of 210 c/L ?

    dedicated LPG VE commodore. (or equivalent Ford.)

    • ESEMCE on 18/11/2023 - 08:05

      Only problem is if your driving those distances, you're regional and then fuel availability becomes a big issue.

  • DV0993 on 18/11/2023 - 10:41

    LPG barra/thread.

    • Daabido on 18/11/2023 - 14:47

      FOG - Whirlpool has joined the conversation.

  • figarow on 18/11/2023 - 12:42

    lowest fuel economy (at highway speeds) is a must

    I'd grab a Honda Jazz with cruise control. Forget bigger cars, they have bigger engines and use more fuel. The zealots don't like to hear that.
    Something like this will work, alternative is go the hybrid route if possible with the budget?

  • Daabido on 18/11/2023 - 14:24

    Buy the safest car you can afford. Your family would rather have you in one piece.

  • brentsbits on 18/11/2023 - 14:34

    Anything you can get for under 10k that is in any way reliable is going to have a monster amount of kilometres on it already

  • simplystu on 18/11/2023 - 20:03

    OP … by description of your job that you stated in OP - sounds like "Drive In Drive Out" - mine site job … is that correct ???

    If so … most probably means driving on dusty/dirty unsealed roads for part of way close to site.
    So take that in consideration as well.

  • Waltervp on 18/11/2023 - 22:21
    +1

    With all that highway cruising your must have adaptive cruise control. It keeps your distance behind cars instead of creeping up. Is awesome. On your budget i can highly recommend the MC or MD ford mondeo titanium diesel which has that in your budget. Many taxis do 500k kms in them. Absolutely marvellous car, plenty of space, super cheap in hwy, 6 lp100km.

    • Waltervp on 20/11/2023 - 07:33

      Another bonus with the MC or MD titanium model mondeo is the blind spot assistance and the autonomous braking if necessary.

    • billy72 on 29/11/2023 - 12:10

      From what year, the MD ford mondeo have adaptive cruise control?

  • clemoly on 18/11/2023 - 23:52

    I'm looking for something similar - an economic dependable beater car as I need to commute 100km a day. Top of my list right now is a $5k 2013 Mitsubishi Mirage. 4.6L/100km and reliable. I've got another flashier car for the weekend :)

    • Commander Shepard on 19/11/2023 - 21:31

      While reliable and cheap to run. Those are lacking in safety tech arent they? Doing high kms means your more at risk of being in an accident. If you can spare the money. Its probably worth spending a little bit more to get something that might protect better in an accident.

  • Brianqpr on 19/11/2023 - 09:20
    +1

    Loads of cars on marketplace that have only been driven on highways.

    All just serviced and "mechanically A1" too.

    Take your pick.

  • factor on 19/11/2023 - 13:50
    +1

    Just make sure it has a bullbar! The overall cost of writing off cars even with comprehensive insurance is unhelpful to your finances.

    Deer, wombat, roo. If you're doing lots of long distance night driving you will hit something. While roos used to be one of the larger issues, they tended not to be so problematic except at dawn and dusk. The explosion in the Deer population makes late night driving more dangerous. Deer are happy to stand in the middle of the highway to challenge a car at any time of night.

  • gorgeous5 on 19/11/2023 - 21:11

    Honda City

  • kaleidoscope on 19/11/2023 - 23:37
    +1

    Any japanese hybrid car that fits your needs. Look into second hand imports from japan (not local market 2nd hand).

  • Xtimn8 on 20/11/2023 - 05:27

    I have a 2009 Holden Cruze Diesel, I've heard people don't like the car but for the past 7 years that I have owned it, it hasn't missed a beat. I drive 75km each way and can get it down to 5.2km per 100, and over 1000 km per tank.

    • Euphemistic on 20/11/2023 - 06:02

      They’ve got a bad rap for reliability. You’ve got a good one and that’s great, but it’s not worth the risk for someone doing lots of kms. Maybe OK for a cheap car around town where you’re 5min from help or 30min from home, but not to regularly drive several hundred kms.

    • kaleidoscope on 21/11/2023 - 07:04

      I think you got lucky with this one. Everyone I know that owned a holden have regretted it. One of them even went to vcat for a steering column fault and stealership / holden kept denying it's a fault. (It's been dragging for good few years).

  • tuckala on 20/11/2023 - 09:56

    Ford Mondeo 2.0 diesel. Make sure you buy the most recent model as older ones have gearbox issues. Ours has been reliable and economical since new. There are alot for sale with some with very high KMs. Check to make sure they have had their timing belt and water pump replaced as that can be costly to do if previous owner hasnt got around to it.

  • placard on 20/11/2023 - 11:06

    Camry or Aurion I'd say. Will just eat up the kilometres. I wouldn't want anything smaller on a freeway for long periods, a longer wheelbase car will be more settled and less 'jiggly' or blown around in the wind/trucks.

    Camry and Aurion have good NVH levels too, so a nice quiet place to be. The Aurion's 2GR-FE engine is reasonably efficient around town (if driven sensibly) and really efficient on the freeway. Silky smooth V6. My brother has owned a 2008 one from 140k, it's nearly 300k and not given an ounce of trouble. I've heard of people getting the Aurions up to 500k without much issue.

    Main thing with Aurion is change oil every 10,000km religiously. The engines don't like old oil. Alternator can go at a certain point. Transmission is claimed 'sealed for life' but if you want it to last, change the trans fluid every 80-100k or so.

    Yes you could get slightly better economy from a diesel, but one expensive euro part replacement will negate those fuel savings. I just think any older European vehicle is just not worth the risk. Some have fairly reliable engines, but it's everything else it that falls apart or becomes dodgy - ie electrics.

  • L45TPH45E on 20/11/2023 - 13:54

    toyota prius c

  • jedimaster on 20/11/2023 - 14:14

    Hyundai Accent hatch. Will fit your budget and decent mileage

  • ChatCPT on 20/11/2023 - 15:58

    Got Highway star in the mode name

    https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2004-nissan-elgrand…

  • billy72 on 20/11/2023 - 17:57
    +1

    If massive highway, go for Ford Mondeo Diesel. Cheap, and reliable and the body frame is sturdy and heavy, lot of options and utilities.
    The second option is Passat but can't beat Mondeo in terms of price.

    However, they're not suitable for city driving.

    Please don’t get a small car or large SUV/4x4, very uncomfortable for massive highway

  • emmabravo on 23/11/2023 - 21:51

    Does it need to be brand new? If not my vote is a VW Golf. Ours is 11 years old and still runs like new!

    • billy72 on 23/11/2023 - 21:56

      Passat is much better on the highway. Many above just suggest their reliable small cars but forget the "massive highway" part

    • Euphemistic on 24/11/2023 - 05:46

      I think everyone would like to know what new car you can get under $10k

  • Gros21 on 24/11/2023 - 10:50

    If U are doing dido and have sfa capital. Just salary sacrifice.

    Pressume money must be 130+ so likely would be worth it.

  • ultracheapweeabookun on 02/12/2023 - 20:28

    If you are going petrol, I would say a 2009 or newer Lexus is 250. Has low displacement for a v6, so it'll sip less fuel than a 4cyl, depending on the 4-cyl displacement, while not chewing up fuel like a v8 when you get off the highway.

    Otherwise, I believe a 4-cyl diesel will do you well.

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