Most reliable late 90s car?

conormac

I've had a look round the old posts for used cars - generally seem to focus on the more recent and pricy used car range. Am thinking of buying a car now, 97 or 98 model that is about 4-5k. Would be for city driving so would need a compact enough model. Not a micra tho..

Had a look on carzone and the prices vary hugely..

Question is - what is the most reliable and economical of the 9 - 10 year old makes ond models? I'm a car novice and know I would need to bring someone with knowledge with me when buying - just trying to narrow the search a bit. Have heard that the japanese producers, toyota, nissan etc are the most reliable, but does this stand now for the older models?

Cheers.

Avns1s

Toyota Corolla ?

unkel

What kind of car are you looking for? How compact? Is a Micra too small, or do you just not like it? How's your insurance situation? Is reliability your only concern, or have you any other priorities, i.e. driveability, cost of ownership, how easy it will be to sell on, etc.

Very few 9-10 year old cars are worth €4-5k, BTW, so if your budget is around that, you could buy a much newer car

junkyard

I'd say a Honda or a Mazda tbh.

pm.

Avns1s wrote:

Toyota Corolla ?

when it comes to reliability you cant get much better.

mike65

My sisters Micra 1.0 has'nt missed a beat in 8 years. They might look a bit mumsy but they do the job.

Mike.

bazz26

If your spending €4k or €5k on a car then you will be able to get a car which is younger than 9 or 10 years old.

Jap cars tend to be the most reliable alright but there are lots of options. Really depends on what is the largest engine you are willing to go with too.

If you want to stay around the 1.0/1.2 litre then something like a Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta or VW Polo will do nicely. These are very easy on fuel and suited to city driving.

If you are looking for something a bit bigger such as a 1.4 litre then cars like the Ford Focus, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Mazda 323, etc.

conormac

I learned to drive in a micra - that's why I'm averse to them. Feels a bit like being in a tin can..

To clarify a bit – a 1.2 litre would be about right – any larger and I’d take a hit on the insurance. Have seen a lot of 97, 98 VWs around Dublin and they seem in pretty good condition. Tho, as said, I know nothing about cars really, so they look ok from the outside.

Am leaning towards something Toyota, though on carzone they seem a bit out of my range

colm_mcm

Last of the Toyota Starlets were great cars, 1.3 was quite lively too. Fantastic reliability.

bazz26

conormac wrote:

I learned to drive in a micra - that's why I'm averse to them. Feels a bit like being in a tin can..

To clarify a bit – a 1.2 litre would be about right – any larger and I’d take a hit on the insurance. Have seen a lot of 97, 98 VWs around Dublin and they seem in pretty good condition. Tho, as said, I know nothing about cars really, so they look ok from the outside.

Am leaning towards something Toyota, though on carzone they seem a bit out of my range

Use carzoneie, etc as a rough guide for prices but they are not written in stone and alot of them can be overinflated.

If it is your first car then you can expect to get about 6% to 8% discount off the asking price since you have no old car to part exchange. It is all about bargining.

vengeance52

corolla, golf, or i had a nissan sunny, plain car but did the job and never gave me any probs ever.

E@gle.

Corolla FTW

eamon234

Skoda Fabia 1.2 would be a good option - Polo without the price tag - unless you're one of the many badge snobs knocking around here!:D

colm_mcm

I thought the 1.2 came out in 2005?

eamon234

meant 1.4 and no - 1.2 Fabia came out in 2003

colm_mcm

wouldn't recommend the 1.2, unless it's a HTP higher bhp model. The standard 1.2 VW unit is painfully slow.

BostonB

Do the lad a favour and if you recomend a car at least find one between 4-5k.

On carzone your choice seems to be Micras, 1L Polo, Lupos, Fiats and Fiestas.

If you don't want a Micra, the Fiesta would be a good 2nd choice. 1.25 Zetec, good lively engine, good handling and cheap to keep on the road.

overdriver

Carina E. I put 70,000 miles up on one without a peep out of the thing. I sold it with 175K o the clock.

I want it BACK!!!!!


50,000,000 taxi drivers can't be wrong...

BostonB

overdriver wrote:

Carina E. I put 70,000 miles up on one without a peep out of the thing. I sold it with 175K o the clock.

I want it BACK!!!!!


50,000,000 taxi drivers can't be wrong...

conormac wrote:

....Would be for city driving so would need a compact enough model. ...

Stark

Out of those cars BostonB mentioned, my first pick would be the Fiesta. Make sure you get the 1.25L Zetec engine, the 1.3L Enduro engine is okay given how light the '90s Fiesta body is, but the Zetec is much more powerful. My second choice would be the Polo. You could also get a Yaris for around 5K which would be a nice car.

BostonB

conormac wrote:

I learned to drive in a micra - that's why I'm averse to them. Feels a bit like being in a tin can..

To clarify a bit – a 1.2 litre would be about right – any larger and I’d take a hit on the insurance. Have seen a lot of 97, 98 VWs around Dublin and they seem in pretty good condition. Tho, as said, I know nothing about cars really, so they look ok from the outside.

Am leaning towards something Toyota, though on carzone they seem a bit out of my range

The cars that feel the heaviest, (less tinny) like the polo, ibiza are slow with a 1.0 and often lack power steering. Lighter cars are much nippier with a smaller engine, Micra etc. Fiesta is IMO good compromise and is the most stylish IMO. Though its a bit plasticky and low rent inside. Try a few and see what you like best. That the only way to know. Looking on Carzone you get an idea of price, spec and mileage. But don't ignore Buy and Sell and the Herald, More cars in the traditional press than the internet. Little old ladies in general aren't web surfers.

conormac

Cheers! These days I almost assume everything is cheaper by the mouse..

LOTTOWINNER

Corolla 2.0 diesel, 45mpg, and very reliable

BostonB

LOTTOWINNER wrote:

Corolla 2.0 diesel, 45mpg, and very reliable

Would the difference in tax and insurance not outweigh any savings in fuel? Considering...

conormac wrote:

....To clarify a bit – a 1.2 litre would be about right – any larger and I’d take a hit on the insurance. .....

JHMEG

Saw a survey of older cars and 3rd party warranty claims a few months back that showed the 1999 Honda Accord* is the most reliable car (now) from that time frame.

*Even tho this does answer your first question, I'm not suggesting you buy a 1999 Honda Accord.

maidhc

JHMEG wrote:

Saw a survey of older cars and 3rd party warranty claims a few months back that showed the 1999 Honda Accord is the most reliable car (now) from that time frame.

Probably will break you if something goes wrong though. A ford,toyota or nissan would be a better bet as there are tonnes of parts available.

colm_mcm

agreed. Keep it simple.

JHMEG

maidhc wrote:

Probably will break you if something goes wrong though. A ford,toyota or nissan would be a better bet as there are tonnes of parts available.

I've always found that the Honda stuff that does go wrong, or rather wears out, is always fairly cheap and plentiful. It's the "why are you replacing that?!?" parts that are expensive.

Except distributors. They're not cheap:eek: (But fortunately they can be repaired by a good auto electrician)

unkel

Jeez, OP is looking for a small car, max 1.2l. And then people are suggesting old (big) Japanese cars with engines way bigger than a 1.2l?

colm_mcm

and nobody mentioned the Octavia. not even once.

JHMEG

unkel wrote:

Jeez, OP is looking for a small car, max 1.2l. And then people are suggesting old (big) Japanese cars with engines way bigger than a 1.2l?

Keep yer hair on! Thread title: "Most reliable late 90s car?"

unkel

JHMEG wrote:

Thread title: "Most reliable late 90s car?"

On internet forums, the idea is to read all posts in a thread before adding one

oleras

98/99 Fiesta Ghia, nice nippy 1.25 and @ €2.5k wont loose a fortune selling it on after a year.

fits

Mazda are seemingly number one for reliability in 6-9 year old cars. I recently bought an immaculate '99 323 F hatch for less than half your budget. Its a 1.3l (websites advise against this engine but I find it grand, and I'm used to driving more powerful cars). Another option might be the Demio. I really like my 323 and am feeling a bit of 'brand loyalty' coming on
For your budget I'd be looking at getting a newer car than a 99 (depending on make and model). Carzone prices are definitely inflated.
Yaris and corolla would probably be good choices as well, and if you wont be doing much mileage, stick with a small petrol engine.

JHMEG

unkel wrote:

On internet forums, the idea is to read all posts in a thread before adding one

Smartass. I did read it all, and answered the OP's question. I didn't suggest he buy one.

unkel

JHMEG wrote:

I did read it all, and answered the OP's question. I didn't suggest he buy one.

Ah, editing your post made that a lot clearer

BostonB

JHMEG wrote:

I've always found that the Honda stuff that does go wrong, or rather wears out, is always fairly cheap and plentiful. It's the "why are you replacing that?!?" parts that are expensive.

Except distributors. They're not cheap:eek: (But fortunately they can be repaired by a good auto electrician)

Ah Honda. I remember trying to get just the back section of an exhaust for my CRX and it cost £400 punts on its own.

colm_mcm

new Honda and Mazda parents aren't cheap,

unkel

BostonB wrote:

Ah Honda. I remember trying to get just the back section of an exhaust for my CRX and it cost £400 punts on its own.

Back on topic please, folks. Despite of the thread title, the OP is clearly looking for advice on what small car to buy for his budget

BostonB

unkel wrote:

Back on topic please, folks. Despite of the thread title, the OP is clearly looking for advice on what small car to buy for his budget

Is a CRX not a small car within his budget?

http://www.usedcars.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=658350
http://www.usedcars.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=670352

JHMEG

BostonB wrote:

Ah Honda. I remember trying to get just the back section of an exhaust for my CRX and it cost £400 punts on its own.

220 euro in january for a genuine Honda back box for a Civic Coupe vti. I think you were done.

@unkel: yes, I editted the post for the benefit of the pedantic among us.:D

BostonB

JHMEG wrote:

220 euro in january for a genuine Honda back box for a Civic Coupe vti. I think you were done.

@unkel: yes, I editted the post for the benefit of the pedantic among us.:D

I' didn't say I paid it. Just thats what Honda were looking for it. I wouldn't consider 220 cheap for a back box either. Honda's are expensive for parts. Quality machines but be careful when buying if your on a budget. Cost of parts and repairs is something to consider.

unkel

JHMEG wrote:

@unkel: yes, I editted the post for the benefit of the pedantic among us.:D

Thanks, we appreciate that kinda thing a lot :rolleyes:

BostonB wrote:

Is a CRX not a small car within his budget?

http://www.usedcars.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=658350
http://www.usedcars.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=670352

I get the feeling the OP prefers a 5 year old small car for his budget, not a 17 year old small car. Don't you?

BostonB

unkel wrote:

...I get the feeling the OP prefers a 5 year old small car for his budget, not a 17 year old small car. Don't you?

Only if the OP hasn't driven one. I was simply agreeing about the cost of Honda parts. They are going to be dearer than Ford or Nissan etc. Mind you, you might not need any. Still an Accord or Civic for that matter isn't likely to be within budget considering insurance and other factors. Someones bound to suggest a lexus next.

unkel

BostonB wrote:

Someones bound to suggest a lexus next.

Or a BMW 7-series. That's the thing I was hoping to prevent

bazz26

Nobody mentioned the Skoda Octavia then?

unkel

bazz26 wrote:

Nobody mentioned the Skoda Octavia then?

They did

bazz26

unkel wrote:

They did

Just me then.

unkel

bazz26 wrote:

Just me then.

Er, no. Colm beat you to it (post 30)

bazz26

unkel wrote:

Er, no. Colm beat you to it (post 30)

Doh!!

Having another blonde moment....

unkel

Yeah not like you to miss a post before posting yourself. Mind I had to check the thread twice to spot it too