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.

 

[Daver6]

Have you considered just putting the money towards taking an Uber or similar? Would depend on a little on how far you need to travel etc.

 

[cove]

There are quite a few Toyota Corollas that are in Perth that might suit but you will have to negotiate hard.

 

[eastwest101]

As others have said - anything manufactured in Japan will have the highest reliability if well maintained and least number of kilometres is worth considering. Mitsubishi Lancer, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Nissan Pulsar/Tiida, Mazda 3 or Suzuki Swift, really the recent models of Hyundai i30s have come close to Japanese reliability and quality of manufacture. Nothing made in India, Malaysia, Thailand, South Africa or Australia will have as high standards as Japanese or recently South Korean manufacturers. Everyone wants SUV's and dual cabs now so small and medium hatches and sedans even in good condition have depreciated fast.

 

[BAM1748]

Nissan Pulsars are cheap as chips. Can buy ex govt ones in Sydney with sub 20k kms for $10k. So one with 100k km is likely $5k or less.

 

[Forg]

Nissans haven't been as reliable as they used to be since not long after Renault bought them. I wouldn't buy anything Nissan from about the mid noughties on; at least, not and expect Toyota or Mazda or Honda reliability.

 

[eastwest101]

Nissan Pulsars are cheap as chips. Can buy ex govt ones in Sydney with sub 20k kms for $10k. So one with 100k km is likely $5k or less.

Yeah - everyone forgets about Nissan..

From what I've gathered the OP lives in Perth so maybe flying to an auction in SYD probably logistically a bit difficult at the moment, unless he has a friend who can bid, and then there is still the roughly $1-$2K cost of trucking/train a car to Perth.... but you are right - often the big city auction prices still makes them the place to buy even with the hassle of going there and then driving back....

 

[cove]

We sell all our cars on carsales but ours are typically 200,000kms and around 3 to 4 years old. Pretty much current models but they go for $8000 to $10,000 typically.
I think @GarrettM might pick up a Toyota or Nissan for between $2000 and $5000 that will be quite serviceable. Both my sons have had Toyota Prius models for many years and the biggest issue was the central locking failure. The battery that was supposed to last 8 years was still going after 15 years.

 

[GarrettM]

Didn't realise this would create so much discussion.

I've looked at a Nissan and Camry both similar age and similar mileage. Also similar money.

The Nissan was super neat inside and out, but I could tell the engine wasn't right after a little drive. As soon as I took my foot off the accelerator it was like the gearbox was trying to slow the thing down. So I dunno.

The Camry drove super well, but was quite tatty inside. Ripped upholstery in the doors and ceiling. Which I can live with if I have too.

Probably checking out a Lancer on Monday, and possibly a Fiat Punto just for something different,
There are a few Corrollas around for about $2.5k, so they might be worth a look, but they'd need to be pretty decent.

My very first car was a 1980 Mazda 323 I bought for two grand in 1998. It had a whole in the floor which was wasn't great when it rained. I did not think I would be back in this particular market again.

But $2k is the strict budget, as set by SWMBO.

Hopefully when I find a suitable choice it will get the AFF seal of approval.

 

[Forg]

Hopefully when I find a suitable choice it will get the AFF seal of approval.

A Cessna?

 

[Daver6]

Another thought, although less ideal coming into winter. What about a scooter?

 

[eastwest101]

Didn't realise this would create so much discussion.

I've looked at a Nissan and Camry both similar age and similar mileage. Also similar money.

The Nissan was super neat inside and out, but I could tell the engine wasn't right after a little drive. As soon as I took my foot off the accelerator it was like the gearbox was trying to slow the thing down. So I dunno.

The Camry drove super well, but was quite tatty inside. Ripped upholstery in the doors and ceiling. Which I can live with if I have too.

Probably checking out a Lancer on Monday, and possibly a Fiat Punto just for something different,
There are a few Corrollas around for about $2.5k, so they might be worth a look, but they'd need to be pretty decent.

My very first car was a 1980 Mazda 323 I bought for two grand in 1998. It had a whole in the floor which was wasn't great when it rained. I did not think I would be back in this particular market again.

But $2k is the strict budget, as set by SWMBO.

Hopefully when I find a suitable choice it will get the AFF seal of approval.

Wow - a budget of $2K pretty much guarantees SWMBO will be picking you up from the side of the road a few times or you will be on a first name basis with the local RAC contractor, in that price bracket its pretty common for one of the following to die almost immediately (transmission, engine, alternator and/or radiator) and I've found a $2K car is almost always a $3-$4K car once that happens unless you are happy to DIY of course.

Having said that I have heard of Toyota Camry's still going after 250,000km and even 300,000km plus, at that price bracket its all about the longevity and age of the engine I would think?

 

[serfty]

i30's can be surprising with their factory standard bells and whistles ... but in any reasonable condition they go for 4k.

2k is tough.

 

[cove]

The Corolla has one of the best reputations. Look for a 1.8 litre motor although the 1.6 litre would be a bit more economical.
I had a Mazda 323 in the US about the same era as your one and it didn’t like hill climbs to Vegas. You are driving on the flat in Perth so no problem there.
Avoid Jeep, Fiat, Alfa, Land Rover, Jaguar,Audi as they like going to the repair shop.
I used Mobil One oil and never cooked the engine.

 

[GarrettM]

A Cessna?

I could park a Bell Jet Ranger in my front yard. Not sure if there's space on the roof at work though.

 

[cove]

None of us are flying anywhere @GarrettM so we are all pretty much housebound. In between we all wonder if frequent flyer points will ever work again.
i think if you do go for a $2,000 car for travel to work you should get an RAC membership if you are not already a member.
Next make sure your mortgage has a 2 at the start of the interest rate number.
Now back to the Blues Brothers for the 199 th time......

 

[cove]

How would MrsGM react to you buying two vehicles and making one good one out of those two. My nephew is doing that with a Datsun in City Beach at the moment. Not sure what the neighbours think plus you do need a mechanical aptitude greater than zero. He has done this before when he lived in Wembley but that was about 10 years ago. He wants this one to fly despite having no wings.

 

[GarrettM]

How would MrsGM react to you buying two vehicles and making one good one out of those two. My nephew is doing that with a Datsun in City Beach at the moment. Not sure what the neighbours think plus you do need a mechanical aptitude greater than zero. He has done this before when he lived in Wembley but that was about 10 years ago. He wants this one to fly despite having no wings.

I bet he doesn't have two kids under 5.

 

[cove]

No @GarrettM he has 3 daughters and the youngest is around 11 now. It might get quite scary for him when he has 3 teenage daughters in one house.
Have you spotted anything that is for sale and are you a mechanical whizz ? I had to learn by the experience of owning an early model Ford Falcon which had engine and gearbox issues.
All the folks who had Toyota Corollas and had them for more than a decade and up to 20 years seemed to have only modest issues.

 

[kookaburra75]

A Cessna?

There is precedent for that in WA

Fine for man who taxied plane down town's street and stopped at pub

A 37-year-old man who taxied his light plane down a WA town's main street and parked it at a pub is fined over the incident.

www.abc.net.au

 

[GarrettM]

No @GarrettM
Have you spotted anything that is for sale and are you a mechanical whizz ?

I've got a few leads on some apparently decent options. Mechanically I'm fairly limited, but I can manage a few things. I do have mechanical mates though.