Is the mark 1 Almera the greatest car ever?

horseofstone · 07-06-2018 7:03pm #1

I'm driving a 00 almera since 2010 with 243k on the clock.this car is bulletproof,its never let me down, turn the key and away you go.I intend to keep it until it stops going.I change the oil and filter every 5k.thats all it ever needs,its a cheap reliable motor.there's a huge number of mark 1 almera's on the roads still.it says it all really !

colm_mcm · 07-06-2018 7:11pm

It’s no Corolla.

horseofstone · 07-06-2018 7:23pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

It’s no Corolla.

Yeah there's a lot of old corolla's on the road,but this almera's been through a lot,pulled a cow trailer with weanlings in it.tough as nails.

colm_mcm · 07-06-2018 7:44pm

Gearboxes on them are a weak point and the rust protection is pretty poor in spots. Sounds like you got a good one though.

Greybottle · 07-06-2018 7:47pm

Mercedes W123 240D

Or

Peugeot 504 estate.

A couple of Corollas in 3rd and 4th, but no question on the first two.

CalamariFritti · 07-06-2018 7:48pm

It depends on what criteria you use. Its cheap and reliable and lasts etc. But it is an Almeira. Same with the Corolla. They're the greatest car ever for people who want to get from A to B for as little money as possible. Some people want a little more style or comfort and are prepared to put up with some flaws in return.

If we're talking bulletproof I'd probably go witht the old diesel Merc 2. something litre, no turbo, auto box, ^ beat me to it. W123 or even W124.

Grab All Association · 07-06-2018 7:48pm

Corrolla is a good reliable car but you can’t deny it’s overpriced for this market. It’s a 3rd world car sold at first world prices. Hubcaps in 2018 too

Apparently the Diesel engine is the same as it was in 2002 with a few minor changes?

bazz26 · 07-06-2018 8:05pm

Grab All Association wrote: »

Corrolla is a good reliable car but you can’t deny it’s overpriced for this market. It’s a 3rd world car sold at first world prices. Hubcaps in 2018 too

Apparently the Diesel engine is the same as it was in 2002 with a few minor changes?

Plenty of other entry level cars still have hubcaps in 2018, some even have rear windy windows.

Corolla 1.4 Diesel engine was introduced in 2004 and competed well with similar competition. Ford used a 1.8 diesel engine up until 2011 that originated back to the Ford Sierra of the 1980s. Opel used a modified 1.7 Isuzu diesel engine again from the late 1980s in their cars up until 2015. Audi sold a 1.6 petrol engine in their A3/A4 upto 2009 that originated back in the 1980s also. That would make all them 3rd world cars too.

Atoms for Peace · 07-06-2018 8:06pm

The mk1 Primera was better, pity they had to make each subsequent mark worse than the one before.

colm_mcm · 07-06-2018 8:06pm

Grab All Association wrote: »

Corrolla is a good reliable car but you can’t deny it’s overpriced for this market. It’s a 3rd world car sold at first world prices. Hubcaps in 2018 too

Apparently the Diesel engine is the same as it was in 2002 with a few minor changes?

You are right, that engine is still the same basic design as in 2002 but has been uograded along the line. they really got it right first time and haven’t needed to radically change it. I think you’re being a bit harsh saying it’s a third world car. Corolla sells very well in USA/Canada, Australia, Japan etc. Toyota have other models aimed at developing nations like the Yaris saloon and Etios.

Toyota Ireland have a much better hold here than Toyota GB have in their territory, because of that they can charge more for less. People are still buying base model Corollas because that’s what they want. The Corolla is a conservative model and appeals to a certain demographic in Ireland.

bazz26 wrote: »

Plenty of other entry level cars still have hubcaps in 2018, some even have rear windy windows.

Corolla 1.4 Diesel engine was introduced in 2004 and competed well with similar competition. Ford used a 1.8 diesel engine up until 2011 that originated back to the Ford Sierra of the 1980s. Opel used a modified 1.7 Isuzu diesel engine again from the late 1980s in their cars up until 2015. Audi sold a 1.6 petrol engine in their A3/A4 upto 2009 that originated back in the 1980s also. That would make all them 3rd world cars too.

The engine in the Corolla came out in the mk1 Yaris before the Corolla got it. It was 75bhp in the Yaris and 90 in the Corolla. An 02 Yaris D-4D would be quieter than a lot of much newer engines.
Agree with your post 100% though.

bazz26 · 07-06-2018 8:10pm

Define greatest car ever OP? Your definition might not equate to others.

crossman47 · 07-06-2018 8:16pm

horseofstone wrote: »

I'm driving a 00 almera since 2010 with 243k on the clock.this car is bulletproof,its never let me down, turn the key and away you go.I intend to keep it until it stops going.I change the oil and filter every 5k.thats all it ever needs,its a cheap reliable motor.there's a huge number of mark 1 almera's on the roads still.it says it all really !

I had a 99 almera for many years and I have to agree it was a great car. It never let me down.

Odelay · 07-06-2018 8:22pm

Greybottle wrote: »

Peugeot 504 estate.
.

Hell yeah! Great car!

I Am The Law · 07-06-2018 8:28pm

Mark 3 Golf

Blazer · 07-06-2018 8:30pm

Atoms for Peace wrote: »

The mk1 Primera was better, pity they had to make each subsequent mark worse than the one before.

I actually bought a new one in 2005, it was bulletproof really. It was the 1.6petrol and in my 7 years of ownership never let me down
Contrast that with a number of BMWs and 2 out of the 4 had breakdowns where I needed tows for faulty sensors. Stupid tech.

James Bond Junior · 07-06-2018 8:32pm

My first car was a 1997 almera . The rust killed it in 2009. 12 years from a semi modern car wouldn't be exactly greatest car ever territory. My 1999 BMW has a smidge of surface rust in 2018, go figure.

horseofstone · 07-06-2018 8:49pm

bazz26 wrote: »

Define greatest car ever OP? Your definition might not equate to others.

A car thats affordable to the masses,never lets you down and can do a fair bit of trailer pulling.I've pulled a tonne in weight (including the weight of the trailer) behind the almera.its taken its fair share of hacking over the years and still going strong.

AMKC · 07-06-2018 8:55pm

There is still plenty of MK1 Renault Meganes on the road too

At least with the Megane you get some style as well.

horseofstone · 07-06-2018 8:55pm

James Bond Junior wrote: »

My first car was a 1997 almera . The rust killed it in 2009. 12 years from a semi modern car wouldn't be exactly greatest car ever territory. My 1999 BMW has a smidge of surface rust in 2018, go figure.

Yeah but compare the price difference of both cars when new.pound for pound the almera's a better car.farmers always loved the mark 1 almera and that says a lot for them.you won't see too many farmers pulling a cattle trailer with a bmw.

Badger2009 · 07-06-2018 9:01pm

horseofstone wrote: »

Yeah but compare the price difference of both cars when new.pound for pound the almera's a better car.farmers always loved the mark 1 almera and that says a lot for them.you won't see too many farmers pulling a cattle trailer with a bmw.

Just because farmers like a car wouldn't make it 'the greatest car ever' for me. In fact, I have no interest whatsoever in towing a trailer with my car so I wouldn't rate that at all.

The_Honeybadger · 07-06-2018 9:02pm

97 Almere also my first car, absolutely loved it at the time, probably partly due to the novelty of owning my own car, and it never once let me down. I sold it on to a good friend who kept it for several years and he also had no issues with it. I don’t know about the best car ever but they were very good and great value for money.

biko · 07-06-2018 9:05pm

Mine would be
Toyota iQ
Honda Jazz

Jap cars are amazingly reliable

EPAndlee · 07-06-2018 9:09pm

I had a 93 corolla xli. When I bought a few years ago it had 13 owners and hasn't been serviced in 6 years. I ran it for 3 months with no oil on the dipstick. I sold it, up to about 16 owners now and the yoke is still going

Mint Sauce · 07-06-2018 9:23pm

Won every race with her, in TOCA Touring Cars on the PS1, if that's anything to go by.

07-06-2018 9:23pm

horseofstone wrote: »

.............you won't see too many farmers pulling a cattle trailer with a bmw.

Wouldn't look too good as most of them are diddling the income figures to send the 3+ kids to college in the city and the grants are easy money :pac:

Leonard Hofstadter · 07-06-2018 9:25pm

The Corolla was a far better built car and at least it was someway safe, the Almera got just two stars in the NCAP safety test and there was a strike through one of the stars because of a safety design flaw. A Corolla got three stars and had more safety kit as standard.

As mind bogglingly boring, uncomfortable, noisy and all as they are, there is a reason people think highly of them.

Francie Barrett · 07-06-2018 9:30pm

bazz26 wrote: »

Plenty of other entry level cars still have hubcaps in 2018, some even have rear windy windows.

Corolla 1.4 Diesel engine was introduced in 2004 and competed well with similar competition. Ford used a 1.8 diesel engine up until 2011 that originated back to the Ford Sierra of the 1980s. Opel used a modified 1.7 Isuzu diesel engine again from the late 1980s in their cars up until 2015. Audi sold a 1.6 petrol engine in their A3/A4 upto 2009 that originated back in the 1980s also. That would make all them 3rd world cars too.

The Ford Kent engine was first used in 1959, but continued to be in made until 2003.

Philb76 · 07-06-2018 10:02pm

Neighbour bought an ex garda corrola saloon years ago at auction looks awful and had to put a second hand gearbox in it but still uses it everyday he's a tradesman and he carries everything in it or on the roof takes serious abuse

AMKC · 07-06-2018 10:55pm

captainspeed wrote: »

The Corolla was a far better built car and at least it was someway safe, the Almera got just two stars in the NCAP safety test and there was a strike through one of the stars because of a safety design flaw. A Corolla got three stars and had more safety kit as standard.

As mind bogglingly boring, uncomfortable, noisy and all as they are, there is a reason people think highly of them.

Awe but the Megane got 4 stars and had more safety kit than the Corolla as well as been a better equipped car all round.

JohnBoy26 · 07-06-2018 10:55pm

horseofstone wrote: »

I'm driving a 00 almera since 2010 with 243k on the clock.this car is bulletproof,its never let me down, turn the key and away you go.I intend to keep it until it stops going.I change the oil and filter every 5k.thats all it ever needs,its a cheap reliable motor.there's a huge number of mark 1 almera's on the roads still.it says it all really !

As said the corolla was a much better car. The almera had the nissan sunny's reliable and proven engine but the gearbox was weaker and the car itself was built at a cost and seemed to get very loose and worn after 100k miles.

Things like door hinges and wiper linkages would be worn at 100k miles something which you wouldn't see on a similar vintage corolla at that mileage.

Rust protection was also very poor, much worse than the older sunny and it also lacked independent rear suspension so it's road manners were not as good as it's predecessor and far off a corolla.

Not sure i'd agree that there is still a lot of mk1 almeras on the road. The are gone very scarce as rust has killed them off.

JohnBoy26 · 07-06-2018 10:57pm

AMKC wrote: »

Awe but the Megane got 4 stars and had more safety kit than the Corolla as well as been a better equipped car all round.

The megan was a ball of sh1te. The e11 was very close to gaining 4 stars in the euro ncap at the time which was very good for what was in essence an early 90's chassis.

Yakult · 07-06-2018 10:59pm

Driving a 98 Toyota Corolla, over 250,000km up on it. Still runs like a beaut, just passed its NCT again today for another year.

Way more Corolla's on the road than Almeras, in fact I haven't seen one in a while now!

JohnBoy26 · 07-06-2018 10:59pm

Grab All Association wrote: »

Corrolla is a good reliable car but you can’t deny it’s overpriced for this market. It’s a 3rd world car sold at first world prices. Hubcaps in 2018 too

Apparently the Diesel engine is the same as it was in 2002 with a few minor changes?

It's far from a 3rd world car tbh. That diesel engine is a fantastic refined engined and is really the best sub 1.6 diesel on the market, even today.

Pedro K · 07-06-2018 11:00pm

I have a 00 N15 Almera. Have had it since September 2008. The car is bulletproof. Outside of basic maintenance, and consumable parts, the car has never, in nearly ten years, let me down.

However. At the start of this year the clutch started slipping. Another consumable part, and I could go and get a clutch from somewhere and fit it, but given the age of the car, it's getting more and more difficult and exoensive to insure every year.

As such, I think it may be time to consider getting a newer car. If I do, I will be devastated to see the nissan go!

JohnBoy26 · 07-06-2018 11:01pm

Atoms for Peace wrote: »

The mk1 Primera was better, pity they had to make each subsequent mark worse than the one before.

It really wasn't though. It might of been a better drivers car but the almera and the sunny were better built and more reliable.

Leonard Hofstadter · 07-06-2018 11:34pm

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

The megan was a ball of sh1te. The e11 was very close to gaining 4 stars in the euro ncap at the time which was very good for what was in essence an early 90's chassis.

The Mk1 Megane was a fine car, and far more comfortable than a Corolla. Sure it wasn't as reliable as a 90s Corolla (few cars are), but they weren't bad either.

The Mk2 on the other hand was rubbish even when new.

Arthur Daley · 07-06-2018 11:39pm

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Won every race with her, in TOCA Touring Cars on the PS1, if that's anything to go by.

Think that was the Primera in TOCA. It went well up against the dominant Laguna and strong and stylish mk1 A4. The Accord, Volvo S40 and 406 were not as good, midfield runners, while the Mondeo was brutally underpowered in it. What gameplay in that one.

JohnBoy26 · 08-06-2018 2:38am

captainspeed wrote: »

The Mk1 Megane was a fine car, and far more comfortable than a Corolla. Sure it wasn't as reliable as a 90s Corolla (few cars are), but they weren't bad either.

The Mk2 on the other hand was rubbish even when new.

The mk1 megan was a dreadful car, really dreadful. A friend of mine bought one new in 00 and it went through two gearboxes in the first 6 months.

I can't agree on them being more comfortable either. The seats were comfortable but the ride was harsh and crashy on any hint of an uneaven surface.

They were also horrible to drive, the clutch wasn't that nice to use and the gearchange was just dreadful, especially on the pre facelift.

Isambard · 08-06-2018 8:20am

no, definitely Corollas from the mid nineties, any number of them on the road still despite scrappage and exploitative Insurance Companies.

Bigus · 08-06-2018 8:38am

The most compelling reason for getting a newer car below @ 1.22

1998 Corolla vs 2015 Auris crash test , and I'd say a Corolla would fare a lot better than a mk1 almera

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xidhx_f-ouU

JohnBoy26 · 08-06-2018 8:54am

Bigus wrote: »

The most compelling reason for getting a newer car below @ 1.22

1998 Corolla vs 2015 Auris crash test , and I'd say a Corolla would fare a lot better than a mk1 almera

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xidhx_f-ouU

That's not a 1998 corolla though. It's a 1992-1997 corolla.

JoeA3 · 08-06-2018 9:24am

My Dad had a couple of MK1 Almera saloons as company cars back in the late '90's, early '00's. Absolutely dreadful cars imo, even when brand new. They were a decade behind the class leaders in terms of refinement, comfort, equipment and that's before we get to the styling...

jacksie66 · 08-06-2018 9:31am

This post has been deleted.

Cee-Jay-Cee · 08-06-2018 9:42am

I would say the EJ/EK civic is a better and more reliable car, it also looks better and is nicer to drive, is more economical and all round better car.

JohnBoy26 · 08-06-2018 9:51am

JoeA3 wrote: »

My Dad had a couple of MK1 Almera saloons as company cars back in the late '90's, early '00's. Absolutely dreadful cars imo, even when brand new. They were a decade behind the class leaders in terms of refinement, comfort, equipment and that's before we get to the styling...

The run out s models were alrite when it came to spec for a car of that era. Don't think they looked too bad either in the s trim certainly no worse than a saloon focus which would of been considered the class leader at the time.

They were a pretty straightforward and reliable car. The engine in them was excellent in terms of robustness.

I ran a sunny with that engine to 200k miles and the only hiccup was when the fuel pump went. The engine itself never gave a days bother and never even burned a drop of oil.

JohnBoy26 · 08-06-2018 9:56am

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

I would say the EJ/EK civic is a better and more reliable car, it also looks better and is nicer to drive, is more economical and all round better car.

An ek civic is way better than an almera in almost every way

Cee-Jay-Cee · 08-06-2018 9:58am

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

The run out s models were alrite when it came to spec for a car of that era. Don't think they looked too bad either in the s trim certainly no worse than a saloon focus which would of been considered the class leader at the time.

They were a pretty straightforward and reliable car. The engine in them was excellent in terms of robustness.

I ran a sunny with that engine to 200k miles and the only hiccup was when the fuel pump went. The engine itself never gave a days bother and never even burned a drop of oil.

Fuel pump in a sunny???? They were carb'd engines and didn't have a fuel pump.

JohnBoy26 · 08-06-2018 9:59am

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

Fuel pump in a sunny???? They were carb'd engines and didn't have a fuel pump.

They were fuel injected from 1993 onwards

Mine was a 94

08-06-2018 10:07am

Surely the carb' ones had a mechanical pump where the diaphragm could rupture / wear out?

kupus · 08-06-2018 10:10am

Bigus wrote: »

The most compelling reason for getting a newer car below @ 1.22

1998 Corolla vs 2015 Auris crash test , and I'd say a Corolla would fare a lot better than a mk1 almera

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xidhx_f-ouU

I only had a quick look. Are my eyes deceiving me.

there is no engine in the corolla?

JohnBoy26 · 08-06-2018 10:14am

Augeo wrote: »

Surely the carb' ones had a mechanical pump where the diaphragm could rupture / wear out?

Never seen a carb one give fuel pump trouble. It was a common failure on the efi after 100k miles on all nissans from that era.

Is the mark 1 Almera the greatest car ever?

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