Need a cheap reliable car

[Elie]

It's time that I get a car that is cheap reliable, good on gas, blue tooth ready and air conditioning.
I checked out the local Toyota dealer and the car I looked at was a 2012 Corolla for $14,000. DAMN that's expensive!

Anything else you recommend?

Need it for this little bugger!!IMG_1326 (2).jpg

[UtwigMU]

In that range I'd also look into Honda Civic, VW Golf/Jetta/Passat (check which engine you get, some are reliable than others - my 2001 VW Polo GTI is reasonably reliable - I can skimp on taking it for repairs for couple of months - when one light lights up, it's OK, when 2 light up, it's necessary and with 3 warnings it's inevitable).

I'd also check out Audi A3/A4/A6 and BMW 3 or 5 series, Mercs B and E are also not that expensive anymore. You'll have to get older than 2012. I did calculation for VW Polo on Slovenian market with 10k km per year and best is to buy at 3 years and sell at 8. After 8 years TCO goes up again (major repairs) but after 13 years car stops loosing value much and if big repairs have been made TCO drops again.

My brother has Alfa GT (and TransformX here also has an Alfa). While that car is magnificently beautiful, reliable it is not.

Toyotas are too drab for my taste. I think once you buy Opel or Toyota, you've thrown a handful of earth on the coffin of your inner child.

For Bluetooth, you can just get a stereo unit for about 200€ and upper range cars have bluetooth since about 2006.


Buying a car is a fraction of total cost. And paying more for car does not translate linearly into higher TCO.

If you know a bit German or can use Google translate, you can get cost per km which is reasonably well calculated on ADAC:

https://www.adac.de/infotestrat/autodatenbank/autokosten/autokosten-rechner/default.aspx

Personally for 12k I'd go for VW Golf Mk VI GTD. Or maybe go for 2008 Accord or 2009 Civic Type S. For example my friend drives top equipment 2.4 2003 Accord and that car is brilliant still.

Ford is reliable, drives excellently but does not age as well as Japanese or German cars past 8 years. Mazda is also not bad.

[Brian Ellis]

For that price, you can get a new https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacia_Lodgy basic, trimmings extra. My daughter's partner has one and is delighted with it, reliable throughout the winter. He paid ~ CHF 12,000 with bluetooth, GSP etc. I don't know which engine he has but he finds it economical. Just an idea...

[Elie]

I would buy a Dacia Lodgy, or an Alfa or an Opel except they are not available in Canada
Now for that inner child of mine, I have the BWM 545i and a 1987 Maserati Biturbo SI which I am repairing. This newish car will be more for her to drive around with the baby while I am at work and for me to drive when she's at home not going anywhere to save on gas.

Yes the Toyota Corolla is boring as all hell. perhaps the VW golf then? Hmmmm....

[UtwigMU]

If going Golf, 1.9 TDi is most reliable engine. Also the 2.0 TDi is good. The TSi engines had problems innitally but were worked out latter - skip early Mk6 with TSi. Depending how much you drive (if more than 20-30.000 km/year) diesel might be more cost effective (if they are allowed/sold in Canada). If less, then go for petrol. I don't know how it's in Canada but here VW parts are cheap and plentiful. For example original (all Polo) oil cap 4€, original wiper blades (3) 18€, original dash button cover 2€, original glove box closing mechanism 15€, original clutch 300€ and there is also German ebay (I ebayed ballast for xenons for 60€ because list price is 150-200€). Also I found original BBS GTi wheels in good condition for 180€ for a whole set.

At around 160.000km you need to do big service (drive belts, etc..) which costs 300-500€, so if buying car with about that mileage, check if it has been done. Also worth to pay 20€ to take it to official service where they give you history and tell you about state before buying. I have/had to replace a lot of stuff between 160k and 200k but I always knew a month or two in advance I have to take the car in service. It has failed me only once just the day before I planned taking it in (it was about 3-5 months overdue).

The trim levels are trendline, highline and then GT, GTi and GTD (there is also R but that is IMO too much power for a Golf). Maybe if it's cold there heated seats would have been nice.


Also Volvos are good. Here people who are rich but don't want to appear pretentious driving BMWs and Audis have them. I know ~5 people who drove/drive Volvos and none of them complained.

[Wulfman]

You'll laugh, but a relative of mine just bought a Citroen C4 Cactus (in this yellowish/green hue). Hilarious looking car with some interesting design choices. The short version: trimmed down to the basics, but rather clever/functional.

[Brian Ellis]

You'll laugh, but a relative of mine just bought a Citroen C4 Cactus (in this yellowish/green hue). Hilarious looking car with some interesting design choices. The short version: trimmed down to the basics, but rather clever/functional.

If he puts his foot to metal, does it become a Citroen pressé, especially in that colour?

[dZeus]

You'll laugh, but a relative of mine just bought a Citroen C4 Cactus (in this yellowish/green hue). Hilarious looking car with some interesting design choices. The short version: trimmed down to the basics, but rather clever/functional.

Is it anything like my experience with the Picasso?
I drove a Citroen Picasso as a rental from Europcar (in France) once, and that was an 'experience'. The first time I was driving without an ignition key to turn (it's enough to just put the key into the compartment in the console), there was no parking break to pull (instead it's automatically engaged after cutting the engine and standing still), and that I had a long fight with the buttons on the centre console to try and change the climate control/fan speed (I gave up eventually because I had to mind the road rather than fiddle with the 10 million functions of the central control system).
The only positive part (imo) was that the windscreen wipers automatically engaged when it started raining.

Personally I prefer cars with very simple manual controls for these things that don't get in the way when driving. Isn't the best thing about cars that they're all working the same way more or less? I wouldn't want to imagine each computer manufacturer using a different keyboard layout either...

[Wulfman]

The relative in question is about to turn 70, and I haven't heard anything but praise, so I'd guess it can't be all that bad.

[Evildead666]

Toyota Corolla is the most reliable car on the planet I think.
A mid-2000's one would be cheaper, and would still rumble on for an eternity.
Honda Accord is pretty good choice too, solid engines, for both of them.
Just do the everyday/every year oil and filter changes and stuff, and they will go on and on.
We broke a cambelt On a Honda Accord Coupé (manual gears) imported from the US, on a hillstart , and the valves didn't even touch the pistons, which surprised everyone.
2.0l DX petrol 12V, from about 2000 iirc.
Nissan do good also, Primera is old, but trustworthy.

None of them are any flash, and they can be pretty expensive when it comes to big repairs on unregular parts.
If they've been regularly serviced, which owners of these types of car generally do (old people, sorry ), and if the garage dude doesn't fake it, just because they are old and won't notice.

My neighbour had his Nissan Bluebird 1.6 to 387000Kms, and only sold it (30€) because the front wheel drive shafts were each worth more than the car. And there was a hole behind the licence plate on the boot, almost the size of the licence plate It was a good few years ago though.
He liked it so much he bought a Nissan 100NX, which is basically the same underpinnings, with a lightweight sport body. Its a 2+2 though, and the "3rd seat" is very unconfortable, especially with the T-top open (wind in face 100% of the time).
Thats still going, and not quite up to 200000 yet.

[UtwigMU]

The old Primeras I see tend to rust more than Accords or Corollas subjectively. While Citroens are totally different cars from what I drive, I really like them. Once I had to bring 4 Bosnian welders and all the stuff their wives told them to bring from Holland to Slovenia with Citroen C5 estate. 20 minutes into the trip they wanted to change local Dutch pop radio for their Bosnian music CDs. I drove 180km/h (112mph) through entire blody Germany to shorten the trip. Also once I drove friend's C4 Picasso from Slovenia to Genova. Both trips I liked the car. Smooth, dignified, comfortable, forward looking, not for screeching or dashing around.