Buying a car on a budget. what should I get?

Paddyboy · 18-08-2009, 02:25 PM

Hey guys,
My fiance has sold her car and we are looking at buying a 4cylinder car for her.
I have no idea on 4 cylinder cars and what make and model is good in this department.
Our budget is 7-8k, must be reliable, no more then 10 years old and economical. Im thinking 2000 corolla or lancer. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Yellow_Festiva · 18-08-2009, 02:46 PM

Corolla is my vote as well, but for that money you prob won't get anything past a 2000 model (old shape prior to current model).

Kia Cerato is worth looking into, and it will be a 2004 model.

2002ish Hyundai Elantra?

2000-02 Pulsar?

Possibly an early Focus?

**Polyal** · 18-08-2009, 02:53 PM

have thought a ford laser would be a good choice, KJ maybe..the one that came with the funky lynx version.

FERG_51 · 18-08-2009, 02:57 PM

Mate I am a mechanic at a FORD dealer ship the LASER is a very good car or CORROLLA or MAZDA or Nissan in the age bracket your looking at. Cheers.

barra240t · 18-08-2009, 03:03 PM

The Lancer/Mirage 1.5L is a great car. No amazingly quick, but very reliable. And they are fairly cheap. I have mine for sale on carsales if you were interested, but I am in QLD!

sgt_doofey · 18-08-2009, 03:47 PM

A Falcon on LPG. Cheaper than a petrol 4cyl car.

Ibrox90 · 18-08-2009, 05:04 PM

Ill get flamed but....A Magna they never miss a beat as long as you get a decent example it wont matter how much punish it takes it will not break

Iggypoppin' · 18-08-2009, 05:13 PM

Corolla. Toyota build them tough.

LTDterri · 18-08-2009, 05:15 PM

Pulsar,laser,323, all good choices, N15 pulsar is chain driven not that damn cam belt and would probably be my first choice, The old man has one which he has had since new (1999) NEVER let him down, never leaked oil, the key is to find an older person's one, they tend to drive these cars with respect

Windsor220 · 18-08-2009, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJXR6

Corolla. Toyota build them tough.

And fridge-like

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ibrox90

Ill get flamed but....A Magna they never miss a beat as long as you get a decent example it wont matter how much punish it takes it will not break

Until the auto starts flaring up. Other than that agreed good cars,.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polyal

have thought a ford laser would be a good choice, KJ maybe.

Would of thought a KN would be available at that price. Good cars. Identical to the 323s.

jaydee · 18-08-2009, 08:01 PM

I just picked up for my daughter a 99 Corolla CSX (2 air bags, ABS, fact mags,spoiler,6 stack CD) 124 thou kays, micky mouse cond for $7,200. Got the boy a 97 Mazda 626 air bag, mags, ABS and cruise for $6,400.

These are both excellent reliable cars and will be trouble free motoring, I hope.

You just have to do a bit of research and check out a few cars.

Make sure it has log books and had the timing belt done. No books then be wary.

eddie_7 · 18-08-2009, 08:09 PM

hyundai getz and toyota echo go for around 7k for a 2003-04 model with under 140k done.

Are there any other specifics you need eg: has to be 4 door, auto/manual, stuff like that etc

ILLaViTaR · 18-08-2009, 08:13 PM

If it's solely for fuel economy, then you'd be to put it blunt a braindead moron to choose a 4cyl over an LPG falcon.

For resale, insurance, ease of parking, hugging the right lane get a 4cyl.

Overall even with the dodgy resale the falcon will still end up cheaper ($25 a tank compared to $40-$60 for the 4cyl.

snappy · 18-08-2009, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ibrox90

Ill get flamed but....A Magna they never miss a beat as long as you get a decent example it wont matter how much punish it takes it will not break

You are right there family had a couple of them i drove one for a year or so , An i floged that car . Nothing broke except the cv joints which were not overly expensive to fix.

An to the op stop prentending you have a choice if your missus is like any other girl ive met she will get what ever one that looks best .

sgt_doofey · 18-08-2009, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILLaViTaR

Overall even with the dodgy resale the falcon will still end up cheaper ($25 a tank compared to $40-$60 for the 4cyl.

Just run it in to the ground. Don't have to worry about resale value then. Just parts value when you strip it and sell it off.

Just to back up what I posted before and ILLaViTaR's post, the wife and I had the use of the in-laws 2000 Corolla a few years ago before buying the Pug. It was the 1.8L model. It was still cheaper for my wife to drive the EL Falcon to work (I caught the bus) than take the Corolla due to the cost savings of using LPG. We had the use of this car and we basically left it sitting at home as it was cheaper to drive the LPG Falcon.
Even now with the 2.0L Turbo Diesel Peugeot, the Falcon still comes out on top on a cents per litre comparison over the Pug. Even with the Pug getting 6.0L/100kms and 900kms out of a single tank of diesel.

Mr X · 18-08-2009, 08:55 PM

Buy a Nissan Pulsar N14 onwards-no timing belts every 60 or 100 thousand k's.Never anything wrong with them when they come in for service.
Toyota spare parts prices will kill you,an Astra will make you want to kill yourself.Lancers had suspect head gasket as early as 60,000 km.Hyunda Getz isn't bad though.

Paddyboy · 19-08-2009, 05:07 PM

I like the N15 pulsar SSS and the 2000 corolla levin, they are both in the 8-9 range.
What about the Peugeot 2000 206 Gti? anyone know about reliability and parts costs?

EFPWR · 19-08-2009, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ibrox90

Ill get flamed but....A Magna they never miss a beat as long as you get a decent example it wont matter how much punish it takes it will not break

And if you get a manual.. no transmission problems!

RG · 19-08-2009, 05:25 PM

I'm going to suggest something different. My mrs was in the market for something like you are after and we ended up getting a 2001 Suzuki Baleno. Great economy, goes well, is comfortable and is reliable. Can't beat it IMO.

EFPWR · 19-08-2009, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RG

I'm going to suggest something different. My mrs was in the market for something like you are after and we ended up getting a 2001 Suzuki Baleno. Great economy, goes well, is comfortable and is reliable. Can't beat it IMO.

My sister has one of these.. they go well and run on the smell of an oily rag. I reckon the seats feel a bit too squishy on the sides (only has 62,000km) but aside from that a good car.

XR6_190 · 19-08-2009, 05:39 PM

If small car is not a necessity, and you just want a cheap reliable car, then go for a Magna, you should be able to get either a TH or TJ for that (1999 - 2003, just before they went and got all fugly :togo

with low km's and they are very well built, my folks have a Magna and a Verada between them, and they are both the most reliable cars either of them have ever had, and they both are pretty good to drive, with plenty of power.

That said, if you do want a small car (for ease of parking and such) then either the last of the Laser/ 323 (1999 - 2002), Pulsars (2000 - 2003), or Lancer, (1999 - 2003). Remember, you do pay more for the Corolla badge, so personally i would ignore them all together.

One other thing, with a budget of 7-8K, you are restricting what you can get yourself, (I'm not having a go at you, you only have what you have, I am having a go at the market). Small cars hold their value a lot better than their larger cousins, so if you can handle a bigger car, do as others have suggested, and get yourself a Falcon on LPG, it will cost you less to run, and you are getting more car for your dollar, and I say a Falcon, because they really do run better than anything else on LPG. Actually, I could be wrong, but for 8k, i think you could almost get into a BA, but don't quote me on that one.