Shake up of cars and run around car needed.

obi604

We are doing a bit of a shake up in our household when it comes to cars.

Now

Main car = diesel SUV

Run around car = Gen 1 Nissan leaf

Future

Main Car = fairly new electric SUV

run around car = ????? The purpose of this thread. Budget = 6k

We really like the leaf so have decided to go with electric as the main car. I do not want to have 2 electric cars (where due to budget constraints, the run around electric would only have a limited range of 100km)

The future run around will mainly be for local stuff - schools, shopping, gaa, soccer etc etc 2 kids under 10. BUT will also be needed for some longer journeys of 400km round trip from time to time. Budget for this car is about 6k. I don't really want to go much higher so no point saying if you stretch to 10k, you can get this or that etc

Based on low mileage, I am thinking petrol and automatic, probably hybrid to be honest. normal sized car, not too small or not too big and something reliable (I understand I may not get this for my budget)

Number one contender I can think of here is the Gen 3 Toyota Prius from about 2010 onward but I guess most of these will have astronomical mileage on them.

Any other thoughts or comments or suggestions for a run around?

Key things:

I want a RELIABLE car

I want an AUTOMATIC car

Tax of about 200 Euro

Good MPG

Not asking for much, am I ??!!?? 🤪

User1998

I was going to say Toyota Aqua, same drivetrain as the Prius but in a smaller package. Mileage is usually low enough on them unlike most Prius’s. Prices start around €6,000.

bazz26

The Aqua has a terrible attraction with thieves and joy riders. Depending on where you live, your life could be constantly tormented with them trying to steal it.

Honda Fit or Jazz within your budget, perfect for your needs imo. Prioritise service history over mileage, anything even half looked after will serve you 5-10 years imo.

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121429788#Comment_121429788

are these hybrid? Or just normal petrols.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121429742#Comment_121429742

Why? Whats the attraction? I cant see much😊

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121429928#Comment_121429928

The low spec models have no alarm or immobiliser so if you live in a rough area they get targeted by thieves because they are easy to steal.

Most of them have had aftermarket alarms & immobilisers installed by now tho.

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121429788#Comment_121429788

was maybe thinking a size up. Is the Honda jazz/fit a bit small

elperello

With a budget of 6k would you consider just concentrating on getting the best, clean low mileage car you can get regardless of whether ICE or hybrid ?

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121430557#Comment_121430557

Yeah, I would as long as reasonably economical.

User1998

Toyota Auris perhaps

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121430697#Comment_121430697

Yeah. Not a bad option.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121430579#Comment_121430579

It would widen your options considerably.

+1 for Auris.

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121430942#Comment_121430942

This seems to come in mainly hybrid though or am I wrong.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121430946#Comment_121430946

Petrol and diesel as well.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121430946#Comment_121430946

There are no hybrid Auris’s within your budget. They are all petrol/diesel.

A Toyota Yaris will be cheaper to buy and maintain but it wouldn’t be great on that 400km round trip.

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121431137#Comment_121431137

Yeah. This is the thing. For the 400 km round trip which may need to be done sometimes all in the one day, looking for something thats not too dinky/small

Whatwicklow

I recently bought a petrol mini cooper run around, 2003. 2.5k and insured as vintage. Great little run around & wont lose a fortune and as an older car doesnt look out of place anywhere.

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121431440#Comment_121431440

Thanks. I think these generally don’t have back doors and I need back doors.

Whatwicklow

Don't rule them out, plenty of 4 door, barn door clubman's out there. Quirky, buy the right one and they are very versatile

obi604

I am second guessing myself now

I am thinking through this again and probably over thinking it all...... but here is my predicament, any thoughts 🤑

Option 1

sell current BEV run around for 6k

sell current diesel SUV for 15k

= 21k to play with (give or take)

buy decent SUV BEV for 30k

buy hybrid/petrol run around for 6k

=36k

Cost to me = 15k

Option 2

sell current BEV run around for 6k and buy a decent small BEV for 22k

Keep diesel SUV

Cost to me: 16k

The new BEV would be doing a lot of the run arounds also, e.g. if the 2 cars were outside the door (BEV and Hybrid/petrol) and we had to do a local run, the BEV would be used more so

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121429788#Comment_121429788

what's the difference between the Honda fit and jazz

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121432199#Comment_121432199

bump on my self confessed OCD 😬😬

obi604

any thoughts on my predicament 🙃

Really not sure why you’d take a diesel if your mileage is low apart from the odd 400km trip?

its all getting a bit more complicated than it needs to be, you have an electric car your happy with as your main car and need something cheap and small and have a budget of 6k.

for me I’d be hoping to get a Corolla/Auris/Fit/Jazz within that price range and prioritise service history and condition over mileage imo.

the issue is your budget is very low for the 2nd car with your requirements, reliable, cheap, maintained - pick 2 of the three.

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121441314#Comment_121441314

I haven't bought the electric as the main car yet :)

And am second guessing my overall way forward here from the first post

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121435405#Comment_121435405

One is a Japanese import and the other is a UK import or an Irish car. No other difference really.

Iecrawfc

I have a similar situation, main car is a 2014 diesel SUV that the wife usually uses, will keep that for another 2-3 years or so and replace with an electric hopefully. The other car that does mostly small runs is a 05 Mazda 3, this is coming to the end of its time, want to replace it with a bigger car about 2017/18, don't want to spend too much on it, thinking a 2nd hand hybrid but concerned with a 2nd hand hybrid or electric being problematic. Maybe a Toyota, Subaru, Mazda 6 or similar

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121429788#Comment_121429788

Would these be reasonably economical? On short journeys AND on occasional motorway stints.

maninasia

I remember looking into similar a few years ago, the main driver of fuel use is the engine size i.e. you don't need a hybrid engine to have an economical or even a more environmentally friendly petrol car, you can just get a light car with a small cc engine.

Hybrids are good but they cost more to buy and if you crash it is much more expensive to repair (taxi driver told me must be true lol).

If I'm wrong happy to be corrected.

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121444624#Comment_121444624

thanks. I Always had it in my head to just get a Prius/hybrid…..as they seem super economical and reliable etc and use battery at low speeds - which is where I will spend a lot of time

however, the price of some Prius and hybrid Auris are really dear for 10+ year old cars, not sure if worth it

then with hybrid comes another thing of the battery and is that ok, cost to repair etc etc I am looking at 10+ year old cars so battery may need maintenance

maybe hybrid is good etc but something like a normal Honda jazz 1.3 automatic may be just as good from an economy point of view………I’m not sure

At that price range of 6k your not going to get something that is economical and reliable, the jazz / fit would be a solid runner to get you around, it should be reliable if maintained but it’s probably not the most economical.

any of your queries regarding mpg can be gotten from google - look at what years your price range allows and google their mpg it’s really straight forward.

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121447463#Comment_121447463

true. There was a time when 6k could have got you something half decent but not so much these days.

like some 2013 Prius’s for nearly 15k is a bit much IMHO

What would you recommend?

obi604

Any thoughts on the Honda insight?

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121447985#Comment_121447985

Nice car but I rather the Prius personally. Honda insight doesn’t really act like a hybrid its more like a fancy stop start system and feels a bit more cheap inside.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121447463#Comment_121447463

Pretty much any small Japanese car is both reliable and economical. Theres hundreds of them out there for under €6k

You could buy a near 20 year old Prius for €2k and it will most likely be bulletproof.

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121450614#Comment_121450614

Thanks

in automatic mode, are they economical?

also with the Prius, is the battery and maintenance of the battery just one more headache to worry about.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121450631#Comment_121450631

Well I was doing deliveries for a Chinese restaurant one night, flying around. The trip computer wouldn’t go below 58mpg.

And yeah there is a risk involved but they are very reliable. Every taxi on the road is a Prius.

Alun

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121450631#Comment_121450631

What maintenance? You can get a periodic battery health check at Toyota dealers, and probably some indy outfits too, but there's no maintenance as such. As mentioned above there are taxi Priuses that have been going for decades without any battery issues.

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121451610#Comment_121451610

fair enough. My thinking is the battery is just one other part to go wrong

out of interest does anyone know the cost of checking the heath of battery? If I am to buy a Prius, I guess no harm in getting the battery checked before I pull the trigger.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121451621#Comment_121451621

You can check it yourself for free on the cars centre screen. Check Youtube.

Alun

The Toyota hybrid health check is only for existing Toyota owners. The system is guaranteed for 5 years or 100,000km from new, but you can get a health check to extend it by one year or 15,000km each time you get the car serviced up to a maximum of 15 years. They probably wouldn't do it just for some random person showing up with a potential second hand buy though.

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121452192#Comment_121452192

Like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqwr0cUfqWE

kanuseeme

If toyota are going to give a 15 year warranty, you can bet your house that there is a very small chance of anything going wrong.

Free health check to get you to spend 300euro on a service, another years warranty on something that will never go.

Alun

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121452387#Comment_121452387

That's the 12V battery, not the hybrid battery. I've seen elsewhere that you can check some things using an OBDIII dongle, but haven't looked any further.

Anyway as @kanusemee says above, the chances of any kind of battery / hybrid failure are very small indeed, these are cars that top the reliability charts consistently, year after year.

obi604

So i think im goiing to go for the Prius. probably a 2011 or 2012

Sounds like even at older ages and high miles that its relatively reliable

and looks to be cheaper than smaller cars like Honda jazz etc of same year

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121458721#Comment_121458721

right decision?

kanuseeme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121460686#Comment_121460686

LoL, relax, when are you going to purchase?

With VW price drops, the new year might have better value.

You seemed to have up your budget on the 2nd car also.