Reliable 2nd car in 1K to 1.5K price range ?

dealgan

I'm in the market for a cheap A-B 2nd car, and not quite sure what I should be looking for !

Around 9k miles annually : 90% commute (country roads) 10% around town.
Need 4/5 doors for handiness
Hatchback preferred, but not a necessity.
Budget: 1.5k

From reading other threads on here, I'm guessing a 00/01 Corolla will fit the bill nicely, and keep plodding along for a few years, having low maintenance costs along the way. - Any difference in 4 door/5 door versions ?

But, if I do the maths on road tax versus fuel costs on say 1.4 Petrol versus 1.8/1.9 diesel, I get the cost of a bigger diesel car coming out cheaper, but should I also be budgeting higher servicing costs for diesel versus petrol ?

Having bad experience of a renault dci diesel that shredded its fuel pump and died a sad death, am I better off sticking to Petrol cars in this price range, or are people simply avoiding the 1.8/1.9 diesels due to higher road tax ?

Advice & suggestions please ?

Thank you.

bazz26

At only doing 9k miles per year I don't see how you will save a whole lot overall by opting for a diesel. Remember that on your budget you will be buying a fairly leggy diesel with interstellar mileage that will have had it's better days behind it.

I'm also of the opinion that generally someone looking to sell a diesel in this price range has decided to sell it because there are some expensive maintenance/repair bills around the corner and they have decided it's better to invest that money in a newer car otherwise they would just keep it going.

On your budget and mileage you would be better off getting something like a 1999/2000 pre VVTi petrol Corolla or Avensis, these are light cars, are very good on fuel and generally don't give alot of trouble as the mechanics are simple.

Moneymaker

What bazz said basically.

Corolla, Civic saloon, Mazda 323 should all suit your needs just fine.

dealgan

Thanks

Anything in particular to look out for when viewing a corolla ?

Is this right, since 1998 they all have timing chain ?
Clicky or do I need to check for belt being replaced.

I appreciate the help !

JohnBoy26

Both pre vvti(4e-fe) and vvti are fine. Both are excellent on fuel and both are very reliable but the 4e-fe is widely regarded as being the better engine because some early vtti's had a tendency to burn a bit of oil.

The vvti models are nicer to drive however, the engine is nicer to use, is quieter and more refined(not that the 4e-fe is unrefined or anything) and it's more powerful. The interior is also nicer on the vvti models with more supportive seats and a black interior, rather than the Grey and beige interior used on the pre facelift 4e-fe models.

JohnBoy26

dealgan wrote: »

Thanks

Anything in particular to look out for when viewing a corolla ?

Is this right, since 1998 they all have timing chain ?
Clicky or do I need to check for belt being replaced.

I appreciate the help !

No, corollas had a belt on the 1.3 4e-fe engine. This engine was fitted to all bug eye Corollas up until the end of the 1999 when it was replaced with the vvti in the facelifted e11 for the 200 model year on. The vvti's have a timing chain.

I wouldn't worry about having as belt on one of these though as it's very easy to do for any decent mechanic as access is good and the system is well designed. The belts are rated for 60k miles or 5 years, whichever comes first.

dealgan

Thnaks very much.

cjpm

Have 1999 and 1993 corollas. Over 170k miles on both. 1999 has abs, 1993 does not. Both 4e-fe. Bullet proof engines to be honest. You'll pick a pre 2000 corolla up very cheap. Loads of them still on the road.

dealgan

Can't get a liking for the looks of the earlier corolla (Bug eye ?)

If the budget could be stretched to 2k, would anything different be suggested ?

03 Corolla seems much nicer to look at, as does an 03 Fiesta, and they both seem to be around the 2k mark with tax & decent test.

Anything especially good or bad about either of those ?

Moneymaker

Nope, both are generally great cars for what they are.

That era of Corolla is considered one of Toyota's best.

The Festy is a fine car also.

bazz26

dealgan wrote: »

Can't get a liking for the looks of the earlier corolla (Bug eye ?)

If the budget could be stretched to 2k, would anything different be suggested ?

03 Corolla seems much nicer to look at, as does an 03 Fiesta, and they both seem to be around the 2k mark with tax & decent test.

Anything especially good or bad about either of those ?

What about a Avensis? Should be able to pick up a 2002 model for €2k.

dealgan

bazz26 wrote: »

What about a Avensis? Should be able to pick up a 2002 model for €2k.

As a second car, I thought them too big and higher fuel & road tax cost.

Will have a look and see what available though.

bazz26

Not much difference to be honest, they are a light enough car and good on fuel too.