What is the cheapest safe car by running costs?

Zaph0d

I want to buy a car that has the cheapest annual running costs including depreciation, servicing etc. In other words it can be the most embarrassingly crap car in history so long as its cheap to run and you don't instantly die when it crashes. Oh yeah, automatic only.

I hate unreliable cars because of the time and money spent with the mechanic.

It's for my wife if you haven't guessed and it has to be automatic as she can't manage gears.

Body damaged would be great because she tends to hit things a lot.

We are in our 30s so insurance costs aren't going to figure so highly.

I am thinking skoda octavia?

PaddyFagan

Zaph0d wrote:

I want to buy a car that has the cheapest annual running costs including depreciation<snip>

This would normally be the biggest concern with Skoda's - there is still a lot of badge snobbery in Ireland. But the biggest question is what age of car are you looking for? The newer the (typically) less likely you are to have large repair bills, but it's still a risk, the older the car the less you will lose on deprication.

The best way to look at this would be to consider, everything:
Purchas Price
Servicing (based on the milage you'll do over the time you have the car)
Fuel (based on the milage you'll do over the time you have the car)
Tax (based on the number of years you plan on holding on to the car)
Insurance (based on the number of years you plan on holding on to the car)
- What you think you can get for it when you sell it on.

Because almost all of the running costs increase with engine size, smaller engines will typically cost you less.

I'd start with how much do you want to spend on the purchas price of the car, and start looking for a something with a small engine in that price range...

Paddy

PS A quick search on www.cbg.ie seems to suggest that there are a reasonable number of 1l Auto Micra outthere, I suspect this will be the cheapest overall option. Ofcourse, this might not suit, anything else is likely to get more expensive.

pontovic

you could try a japanese import 1.0l nissan micra with automatic transmission ? might be hard to find but micra's are generally reliable. anyone any word on this ?

PaddyFagan

Actually most of the 1L Auto Micra's on cbg seem to be irish cars (low reg numbers always a good sign):

http://www.cbg.ie/Car_detail.asp?CBGID=379278&ID=636833&NumPics=3&Make=Nissan&Model=Micra%20GX&frmFilter=All

http://www.cbg.ie/Car_detail.asp?CBGID=290324&ID=519120&NumPics=0&Make=Nissan&Model=Micra&frmFilter=All

Paddy

pontovic

hmm didnt know that they made automatic micras over here.

Zaph0d

if you had an accident in a micra would you not get totalled?

Zaph0d

corolla?

Borzoi

Zaph0d wrote:

if you had an accident in a micra would you not get totalled?

No, you won't be moving faster than a brisk walk anyway;)

But for small, cheap and auto, they'd be the way to go

Carb

Zaph0d wrote:

It's for my wife if you haven't guessed and it has to be automatic as she can't manage gears.

Body damaged would be great because she tends to hit things a lot.

Woud you not think about getting her some driving lessons instead. What about the rest of us road users?:D

JohnCleary

I'd say Micra tbh

pontovic

yeah i second that motion. if your wife cant handle gears in a car and she is prone to hitting things she needs some driving lessons.

Zaph0d

she's had 40! and to be fair to her she hasn't hit anything for the past 6 months. the reason she can't manage gears is that she chose to only learn on an automatic and to buy an automatic for her first car.

anyhow micra auto it is
cheers!

colm_mcm

Jap import Toyota Yaris 1.0 Auto is the way to go, 4 star crash rating, arguably cool, minimal depreciation, maximum reliability

that said, they are relatively expensive to buy. if you go for something like a nissan Almera 1.8 Automatic (2000 on) it'll be ridiculously cheap due to its large engine, and reliability should be good

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=352483

finding a skoda octavia automatic may be difficult.

Mr_Mofo

why does the automatic Micra have a clutch pedal? what is the best way to use the micra transmission? thansk

Anan1

Mr_Mofo wrote: »

why does the automatic Micra have a clutch pedal? what is the best way to use the micra transmission? thansk

It doesn't. D for forwards, R for reverse, P for park, that's pretty much it.:)

Timmaay

colm_mcm wrote: »

if you go for something like a nissan Almera 1.8 Automatic (2000 on) it'll be ridiculously cheap due to its large engine, and reliability should be good

Equally so, 99/00/01 Honda accords automatics are fairly worthless, and bulletproof also, if the high tax is ok with you. Big diff between on of those and a 1l micra I'll admit, i don't know what size car your after.

Bigus

Micra automatic with 7k miles 5950 http://belgardauctions.webzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201044200132168
Or try a Prius if you want a really safe car

Seweryn

Zaph0d wrote: »

I want to buy a car that has the cheapest annual running costs including depreciation, servicing etc. In other words it can be the most embarrassingly crap car in history so long as its cheap to run and you don't instantly die when it crashes.
I am thinking skoda octavia?

I don't think that any car can beat the Baby-Benz .
Check this thread:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056026594

Alanstrainor

This thread was started in 2006...
Closed.