Spending as Little as Possible on a Second Car

[GarrettM]

Looks like we'll be bucking the COVID trend by spending money.... on a second car.

We're both still very lucky to have jobs, which means the kids are still going to school/daycare.

Even with MrsGM working from home, and my ability to get a roster change, it's too hard for us to be in so many places at once, with just the one vehicle. And she doesn't want me getting public transport anymore, which I can't argue with.

Not the ideal scenario, but it is what it is.

 

[GarrettM]

Looks like we'll be bucking the COVID trend by spending money.... on a second car.

We're both still very lucky to have jobs, which means the kids are still going to school/daycare.

Even with MrsGM working from home, and my ability to get a roster change, it's too hard for us to be in so many places at once, with just the one vehicle. And she doesn't want me getting public transport anymore, which I can't argue with.

Not the ideal scenario, but it is what it is.

After getting a lease quote on a small car, we're just gonna buy a super cheap, banged up older model for a couple grand or whatever we can scrape together.

Seems crazy to commit to 4 or 5 years paying off a car we wouldn't even buy if not for corona.

It'll literally be so I can get to and from work, so any reasonably safe A to B thing will do.

Can't wait to have a cassette deck again!

 

[Denali]

Sounds smart. Dont commit to a 4-5yr loan just right now and I suspect there might be some good deals on offer.

Try some ex lease auctions if thats an option. Avoid sales reps cars (high KLMS) but some are low KLMs.

 

[cove]

@GarrettM do look for a Toyota is what I thought when you talked about an inexpensive vehicle. There may be some in your price range and should be ok.

 

[Denali]

I'm not sure about that. Definitely not the case in WA at any rate. I reckon you'd struggle to find many employers that flexible to be honest.

She works three days a week, and I am now home for two of those days. The other day we have school vacation care and Mister1 goes to childcare.

We've put our childcare issues are not an excuse to work from home policy on hold. WFH, if you have kids, WFH with the kids. Flexible hours to suit inc time outs for mental breaks and going outside.

@GarrettM do look for a Toyota is what I thought when you talked about an inexpensive vehicle. There may be some in your price range and should be ok.

Corolla seems to be one of those cars that keep going. Even liked them when Ive had hired cars.

 

[GarrettM]

@GarrettM do look for a Toyota is what I thought when you talked about an inexpensive vehicle. There may be some in your price range and should be ok.

Corolla seems to be one of those cars that keep going. Even liked them when Ive had hired cars.

Corolla, Jazz, Getz, and a few others all on the look list.
Doesn't need to be flash. Just functional.

 

[Denali]

Fiat Bambina! Saw one drive past our house yesterday and threatened hubby that Im going to get one in yellow if he forces me to replace my Subaru XV

My Subie has about 20klms on it and its 5yrs old next month

 

[Bindibuys]

replace my Subaru XV My Subie has about 20klms on it and its 5yrs old next month

Mine is grey, what colour is yours? (mine 3 years old - hand me down from hubby who has to have new car every 2 years for work)

 

[Denali]

Mine is grey, what colour is yours? (mine 3 years old - hand me down from hubby who has to have new car every 2 years for work)

This is mine. My last car was also a Subaru and I wouldnt replace it (20yrs) until hubby put his foot down - and even then I only bought it because it was yellow

 

[Flying mermaid]

Corolla, Jazz, Getz, and a few others all on the look list.
Doesn't need to be flash. Just functional.

We bought quite a few Jazzs for the kids over the years and Dr FM bought another one after her car was written off in an accident. Very good value for a small functional car. If I remember correctly her last one was around $17,000 and came with standard frills like a reversing camera.

 

[blackcat20]

We usually can’t have our kids with us if WFH but there’s leniency at the moment. I still prefer not to, so she goes to care but was home sick yesterday so I had to manage. Fortunately she slept a fair bit.

 

[OATEK]

We've put our childcare issues are not an excuse to work from home policy on hold. WFH, if you have kids, WFH with the kids. Flexible hours to suit inc time outs for mental breaks and going outside.


Corolla seems to be one of those cars that keep going. Even liked them when Ive had hired cars.

Corolla, Jazz, Getz, and a few others all on the look list.
Doesn't need to be flash. Just functional.

Fiat Bambina! Saw one drive past our house yesterday and threatened hubby that Im going to get one in yellow if he forces me to replace my Subaru XV

My Subie has about 20klms on it and its 5yrs old next month

Mine is grey, what colour is yours? (mine 3 years old - hand me down from hubby who has to have new car every 2 years for work)

This is mine. My last car was also a Subaru and I wouldnt replace it (20yrs) until hubby put his foot down - and even then I only bought it because it was yellow

View attachment 215080

You do know that all these posts are going to move to the "What car do you drive thread" as soon as the mods notice them!

 

[GarrettM]

You do know that all these posts are going to move to the "What car do you drive thread" as soon as the mods notice them!

Not mine surely! I'm just LOOKING for a car. I'm not yet driving it.

Post automatically merged: Apr 17, 2020

We bought quite a few Jazzs for the kids over the years and Dr FM bought another one after her car was written off in an accident. Very good value for a small functional car. If I remember correctly her last one was around $17,000 and came with standard frills like a reversing camera.

Would totally get a newish Jazz in better circumstances. But these are unique times.
The one I'm looking at is a 2003 version.

 

[Denali]

I was happily surprised that my car, 2015 plate and purchase, doesnt need a pink slip/inspection this year. Got my rego papers today and it said Inspection Not Required

One less thing to stress about so it can all be done online.

 

[bPeteb]

We sold our Jazz to a friend of a friend and it’s still going strong. 2005. Like most cars needs regular servicing. Ours was dealer serviced then decided to use a local mechanic after five warranty finished. We’d started to have issues with the CVT. Dealer had suggested replacement. Mechanic checked transmission oil and his thoughts were that it had never been replaced. After two full flushes it ran like new. If you’re considering an auto Jazz the CVT is the one thing to be wary of. If that’s good, then it’s a great little car. Same for similar age Suzuki Swift.

 

[Forg]

As long as you keep it simple, Japanese-made is still the best bet for reliability.
This does tend to push the price of such cars up a bit.
Oh, actually, Civic hatches are made in the UK but they seem pretty reliable too.
You won’t save that much money on fuel going to something like a Jazz over something like a Corolla. Definitely nowhere near as much as the cost of fixing something very minor that fails! So go on condition & service history, IMHO. In fact, should you find a 4cyl Camry or Accord in perfect condition, the extra size won’t cause you to use more fuel per year than the cost of a minor service.

If the requirements are cost & reliability, one possible alternative is a Mitsubishi Lancer. They’re not fun to drive, they’re not fun to look at, your neighbour will not be impressed. They were archaic when new. But ... they do seem to hang together, and being so completely beige they’re cheap. Beware with cheap cars the tendency of previous owners to cut corners on maintenance, but if you can find a Lancer with a full service history it should serve you well (because they insidiously try to bore you to death & suck out your soul by not giving you any sensible reason to ditch & replace with something not so much like an SUV).

 

[Hvr]

My 17 year old Mitsubishi Mirage is still going strong. Nothing to look at, the radio is near dead, the CD player long gone but the engine is still going strong.

I don't drive much but when I do this has everything I need to get around.

 

[vetrade]

Low km means less wear and tear so I'd always choose that over a newer car with more km if they were around the same price. The cost of even a single mechanical failure can make a "good buy" look horrible in a flash.
Very few cars are ever the same after a significant accident (especially in the front end) so look for things like uneven gaps between body panels, doors that don't close cleanly and evidence of paint overspray on bolts etc under the bonnet in the engine bay.
Sadly, I reckon it would be a miracle if you got a car worth buying for around $2k. Be prepared to stump up $4k or more even if it puts a squeeze on your finances ATM

 

[Forg]

Sadly, I reckon it would be a miracle if you got a car worth buying for around $2k. Be prepared to stump up $4k or more even if it puts a squeeze on your finances ATM

There are good cars around for under $2k. Rooting them out isn’t easy. Thing is, a dunger in a same-age make/model isn’t worth that much less than a mint example, except for special cars.

To give an example, we gave our 20yo mid-spec Commodore to a charity when we bought our new car 5 years ago. It was fine, a good car, no accidents & good paint & no rust, everything worked & had always been maintained; the only thing that stopped working was the radio-cassette so it’d been replaced (aftermarket). We didn’t sell it because it wasn’t worth my time & effort dealing with the sorts of people who‘d haggle with me over the ~$1.5k I’d have advertised it for in the hope of getting $1k for it.

 

[cove]

I thought the Toyota Prius that had done 535,000 kms was not really suitable for you @GarrettM . It is not in WA so hard to get tempted on that one in carsales.