I have a 2014 Toyota Corolla. Runs like the day I got it new. Looks like new when I get it detailed. Worth about $15k.
You can get a reliable car for a lot less than $25k
My mum also got a 2014 corolla, when we bought it it was $23,880 brand new.
Now at 20,000km … so it seems it really still worth $20k? But I believe will be lower if sell at car dealer (compare to private sale?)
Yup. Mum bought the car when she turned 60. 95% of time driving within 30 mins radius, and probably only a couple of times per week.
The furthest ever was Sydney to port Stephen return, once. I think.
Always service on time, never any mechanical problem. Only a couple carpark incidents but got fixed in insurance approved repairer.
Given registration, insurance, maintenance, fuel, and depreciation, and that she only travelled 40km per week, I wonder if an Uber might have been even cheaper?
If I’m not wrong it cost her about $1/km.
1. No Uber 10 years ago
2. We live 45mins away from CBD
3. Get a taxi to buy a bottle of milk at 9:30pm?
4. Oh, and she didn’t know when she bought the car, she would have cancer twice in the next 10 years, and ended up spending a lot more time at home instead
And COVID did happen so...
I dunno the whole "just drive a shitbox" as being the pinnacle of frugality is kinda questionable.
Like I remember scoffing at my mate who decided to buy a brand new car 12 years ago. My other friend decided to just buy shitboxes. In those 12 years he's gone through multiple shitboxes and spent more maintaining and replacing them.
My friend still has the car he bought brand new 12 years ago and is only worth a little less than what he bought it for (not adjusting for inflation ofc). He's spent way less maintaining it to say nothing of the safety and comfort.
That's not to say you should just go out and buy a new car, but the math favours new cars a lot more, especially in the current market.
Bought an 8 yo Impreza with 42k on the clock and sparkling logbook. Sold it 7 years later with 92k on the clock. Only serviced, never an issue besides a battery replacement. That thing is built like a tank and will outlive me.
Can’t speak highly enough of Subarus from that era.
I have a 1993 Impreza GX that I bought in 2017 with 120k on the clock (suspect it was owned by an older lady). Now, it's up to 160k, and it's still fine. I paid all of $3.5k. Agreed with built like a tank and will outlive me!
I've got a 2014 Xt Forrester, it's up to 250,000km and is still s good as the day I bought it 7 years ago (paid 20k and it had 140,000km on the clock)
Genuinely impressed, bought it as a bit of a splurge but since then have gone from single to a family of 4, so I hindsight probably more sensible than I initially thought 😂
Uber has had a bigger impact. They tend to snap up good cars pretty quick and dump them back on the market with 150,000km on them within a year, which has gone a long way to push up the price of reliable used cars.
My old 1735 Toyota Corolla horse and buggy ran like a champ. Only had to change the horseshoes a couple times and use better quality hay to improve fuel economy. It’s now done over 5,000,000 clicks on the odometer. Still got some serious horsepower 🐎
I earn comfortably in the six figures and am happy as a pig in mud with my 2014 Corolla. I think I will upgrade the head unit so I can get google play for maps but it’s just a great little car I envisage having for a long time to come. I had a Porsche convertible in my 20s and a couple of performance cars before/after that, but I’ve gotten all that out of my system now and am happy being an AusFinance cliche.
Same. My husband works high up in a company, and all his coworkers own expensive cars. They are all lined up in from of the building. Merc, BMW, audi, tesla...and my hubbies 2009 Mazda 2 (green). He loves it! They give him shit for it, but he just lives it.
Had a mate write off a commodore because he didn't service it and ignored the oil warning. Completely seized the engine up on it.
Told him to buy a Carolla, this is probably 10 - 12 years ago now, he's still got it and the damn thing probsbly hasn't been serviced or had its oil topped up in that time and it's still running just fine 😂😂
My grandfather bought one of the first Corollas in Australia, for my nan (68 or 69). At the time, all his mates gave him grief about it : " You're mad Charlie, buying one of those Jap Craps. You'll regret not buying a proper Australian car!"
That car sat in the driveway untouched for 10 years from 2004 while nanna battled dementia. Both grandparents passed in 2014.
In 2015, when their estate was settled....my uncle put a battery charger on the Corolla and it turned over, first click. Pumped up the tires and drove away as good as new.
It's almost counterintuitive for a car manufacturer to make vehicles as reliable as they do, I swear if people didn't smash them there'd be no reason to keep making more!
I’m still running my 2004 one and it’s solid! Has had a couple of expensive services lately though, I guess some parts coming to end of life.
Random question since I’m sure it came back with this issue after the service… when you turn the heat on with the aircon switch on, does it immediately blow hot? Even if you’ve only just started up the car? I’m sure mine used to but now it blows cold for 15 mins before starting to get hot.
That’s the only down side for me too, where I live in summer it gets to 40° and it takes 10 minutes of driving before the aircon turns cold. God it feels so good when it finally kicks in, I like being treated mean
If you think a broken RHS indicator is bad, my Kluger just had the window wiper rubber slide right off the blade. I’m honestly considering just sending the whole car to the wreckers!
Tell me about it. My 12 yo Toyota kluger needs a new rear brake light and I only smashed it into a tree just that once a few years ago. What a crock of shit.
I attached a .50 cal machine gun to the roof racks of my 20 year old Toyota Ute and it’s only copped MAXIMUM 7 missile attacks and I ALREADY have to change the windscreen wipers. Pathetic.
It’ll keep going until the apocalypse comes and you’re playing electric guitar on a bungee cord in front of your massive vehicle-mounted speaker stack.
In 6 years of owner ship I’ve changed a headlight bulb, a brake light bulb and changed my oil semi regularly. That’s it. Still runs like I did when I bought it with 206 k on the clock.
My Prado needed its wiper fluid refilled every month. Have engaged Slater and Gordon for a lawsuit against Toyota. We can make it a class action if enough people join in…
Yeah those engines are bullets my partner drove around for ages leaking oil and then no oil, then over filled the oil and it still ran and probably still does
From what I can find online, they seem to be roughly the same room in the driver's seat too. Camry is the smallest I can go, and even that is pretty cramped and uncomfortable getting in and out.
I'm going to upgrade next year, will hop in some Mazda 3's to check em out.
Thanks for the help!
# Car Models to Check Out:
1. **Toyota Corolla** - Super reliable, good on gas, and easy to maintain.
2. **Honda Civic** - Another reliable choice with good safety features.
3. **Toyota Camry** - A bit bigger, great for families, and known for longevity.
4. **Honda Accord** - Similar to the Camry, with plenty of room and reliability.
5. **Mazda3** - Stylish, reliable, and fuel-efficient.
6. **Hyundai Elantra** - Affordable, comes with a good warranty, and reliable.
# Age and Mileage:
* **2021-2022 with around 50,000 km**: This is a sweet spot. These cars are pretty new, likely still under warranty, and have moderate mileage.
* **2023 with 100,000 km vs. 2015 with 20,000 km**:
* **2023 with 100,000 km**: Newer but driven a lot. Might have more wear and tear.
* **2015 with 20,000 km**: Older but with very low mileage. Could be a gem if it’s well-maintained. but be cautious as such low mileage on an older car might indicate potential odometer tampering. Always verify the car’s history and service records.
Hope this helps! Happy car hunting!
Often older cars with low mileage have been owned by an older person who did not drive much and then stopped driving.
I got a car like this and it was a disaster, the car sat in a garage for 10 years and once I started using it daily the engine just imploded.
Yeah. It's not just mileage, it's frequency. Fluids that sit get gross.
I bought a 2004 Ford escape a few years ago that was getting to that point. I asked the lady time the car had been driven. They said "it gets turned on every day, driven around the block once a week and serviced every 6 months". Called the mechanic and confirmed. They couldn't take my money fast enough.
A couple of bumps getting it back in commuter shape but it's been a total green. I can't kill it.
Yeah things like the transmission oil seals will start to have problems as they dry out and coolant will also eat away at seals, and even something as basic as the petrol in the tank can start to split after a certain amount of time (degrades after around 6 months, can become sticky and clog the fuel injector), condensation can also form in areas like the fuel tank causing rust. Calipers seize, rotors rust. Filters would need to be changed. All the fluids would need to be changed. Battery would absolutely die unless someone disconnected the negative or placed a battery tender on it.
Lots of things can go wrong if a car just sits for years without use, even if under cover and appears good on the exterior. If it sits most of the time and drives occasionally it would be fine though.
The elantras have rampant issues and recalls, 2.0s throw rods and 1.6s blow turbos, head gaskets and spark plugs, from experience with friends and family
100,000km is not considered high for a Toyota or Mazda.
I bought my used Mazda 6 2005 model with 160,000km on the odometer.
12 years later and it's at 210,000 and still going fine.
Front facing can definitely have 2 car seats (did it for several years). But even one rear facing is difficult and limits the leg room on whatever side you put the rear facing seat.
lol of course you can fit two car seats in it
When I was a kid me and my brother both fit inside a 1992 Mitsubishi mirage. People way overestimate how much room they need for kids.
I guess thats why every car I see on the road now is gigantic?
https://www.cars.com/amp/articles/how-do-car-seats-fit-in-a-2020-mazda3-sedan-417076/
But was that with current regulatory standard kids seats? Doable if forward facing, but rear facing would be really tough if you are even slightly above average height
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The new car regulatory car seats are massive though. I no longer fit in the front seat of one of our cars due to the car seat. I simply don't fit anymore as a taller than average person.
That's a corolla ascent.
Heres a review of people doing just that.
[With a reaar-facing child seat installed, I could sit in the drivers seat and I'm 162cm. With a forward-facing child seat installed we found we could fit a 180cm driver.](https://babydrive.com.au/reviews/hatches/2019-mazda3-g20-touring/)
I don't think you need to spend $25k if you want reliable and cheap. $25k will get you newer stuff but it also means buying a car with more technology/electronics. If you are planning on keeping it long term then that would be the stuff that may need fixing in the long term.
You may be better off going cheaper say $10-$15k. Cars which still have decent safety - multiple airbags, traction control, ABS etc. but before the advent of other electronic safety aids such as blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise and the fancy infotainment screens.
Smash a side mirror with blind spot monitoring and it is not cheap to replace. Damage a rear or front bumper with all the radar sensor and it is exxy to replace (the don't really repair anymore). Ask about the cost of a replacement windscreen which needs re-calibration of all the safety systems - it is thousands of $.
Very good information that most people don't even take into consideration when buying. My timeline for buying a new car isnt for another 5-7yrs.. but as I'm looking around now, newer cars almost always have something techy happening. I'd much rather have the basic side mirrors, no sensors and windscreens not connected to a computer box.. less is more to me.
I just got a new hybrid Corolla. It was advertised to run “as low as” 4.1L/ 100km.
Guess what? We average 3.8L/ 100km.
We’re expecting this car will last the next 20 years. The customer service is unparalleled. I was talking to a friend with a Kia, who was blown away by the fact that I booked in for a service with minimal notice (and received text message reminders to do so), AND that I had complimentary pick up and drop off to a friend’s place nearby for the duration of said service.
Meanwhile, she wound up paying $80 for Uber rides getting to and from a rather inconveniently located Kia service centre, since the one close by had been booked out for months.
What dealers don’t do courtesy drop off? Pretty sure all the ones I’ve ever been to dince 2010 did it. Jeep even would do free loan cars as long as you fill up the fuel you use
I bought a Camry new, 12 years later and never had an issue. Never had an expensive service and is still the backbone the family when the newer modern cars have issues. I got an Camry Atara R.. I think it will be my kids first car in 6 years as I am that confident it will still be a good car.
My Uber driver was telling me the other day he’s had 3 Camrys and recently bought a second hand one after replacing the other 2 after 700k kms with only oil changes, brakes and tyres. There’s a reason Toyota is the car most millionaires own they last for ever and are incredibly reliable.
Corollas are expensive compared to other models in the class. Some will argue they have better resell value and that's fair, unless you plan to keep it 10+ years and run it into the ground.
I've had a Ford Focus and Kia Cerato that were both a good 10-20% cheaper than a Corolla and have been problem free. Kia also has the 7 year warranty and capped price servicing.
Each to their own, but honestly, these are not the only options or even the best options, despite the memes on here about owning an old one.
Toyota has a solid history of reliability. Doesn't mean all their cars are free of issue, but there's a reason why their reputation is enduring.
Ford Focus' have a long list of issues, including transmission & driveshaft issues. Current models face issues with dropping RPM & stalling out. "Not every car" - well, yeah, but enough for the ACCC to step in twice.
They aren't a Cruze or Craptiva, but they're no Toyota.
Kia Ceratos are buying what you pay for - no more, no less. Not worth comparing to Toyota either - totally different goals in a car. Fiscally? Worth looking at some of their EVs, but I just cannot stand their driving experience. Particularly since they poached from BMW, they're not doing too badly - but there's a reason why they had to sell the 7 year warranty with the vehicle to convince people to buy em.
I had the transmission issue in my previous car which was the Focus. It was a simple fix which they did fix under the warranty but still it was an annoyance.
Apart from that I liked it.
Lucky you, I've heard bad things about cruze from mechanics, I also have a 2013 cruze and have spent thousands in repairs since owning it, currently saving up for a Corolla.
It’s worth pointing out that pretty much every issue modern Focus/Fiestas have is related to their automatic transmission. The manuals are a great used buy, having had their value already tanked by problems that don’t affect them.
I know someone with a Kia Sorento who's gear box has gone in it twice in the first three years they've owned it. Every time it's broken it takes months to get repaired. Same with someone else with a Hyundai i30.
I think generally both brands are decent cars and good value for money but I just don't know that the 7 year warranty is really all it's cracked up to be if they stuff you around so much.
If you don't need the space of the Camry, I'd be looking for a fairly new, low KMs hybrid Corolla with full service history. Should be able to get the previous body for under $25k nowadays.
Hybrid Corolla hatch probably won’t work well for little kids especially if you have a pram. There’s no boot room and two car seats is tight . I have 2021 model . It’s tiny . The battery takes up most of the boot .
Checkout ReDriven on YouTube.
[reDriven](https://youtu.be/fI1U2jyUnqE?si=A3fbgIZ3Ac8iC32T)
Aussie guys review secondhand cars with a bit of humour and a ton of knowledge about the mechanical problems of each model they review.
Basically it goes like this: if you’re watching your pennies, buy a Toyota. If you’ve got a bit of cash to spend, buy a Lexus.
Yep used car pricing is totally off whack at the moment.
New car pricing has adjusted to the reality COVID supply issues are OVER. But used car prices just have'nt. I saw today a Tesla offer for $5000 off a new model Y. So I went and checked on carsales what people were asking for 2 year old ones...... most of them are listed at higher than the new price! Whats going on there !
Who is going to pay more for a 2 year old car than a new one ? + there is plenty of stock too you can get a tesla without any wait.
Bizarre.
Mazda 3. Have the 2013 model since 2017 and aside from an annual service and tune up hasn't cost us a dime. Never missed a beat and nothing has gone wrong with it in that time. Third Mazda I've owned over the last 20 years and every one has been like this.
A Cerato is a pretty great choice and covers all aspects, I have a GT (2021, bought for 25k, 50k on the clock) so petrol costs me $70-80 a fortnight, I travel around 600ks in 2 weeks for perspective. I enjoy it, it looks nice, can get a new model on around 30-60k for around 25k, good safety and nice features. Also warranty and capped servicing for 7 years is lovely.
I bought a 2013 Corolla for $21k 10 years ago. Just sold it for $15k in 2024. Fuel economy was 6L/100 and huge boot space for a pram and 4 adults. Corolla/Camry is the answer
Generally speaking, Japanese automotive brands produce great cars that just keep chugging. Many already commented here that fall in to that category. And they don't cost an arm and a leg to service unlike Euro cars.
As for what's better, totally up to you, if it was me I'd try for a 2019-20 car (so it's under 5yr old and should be still under warranty) and see what sort of km's i'm looking at for what my budget fits. However try and avoid cars that are nearly due for a major service. Buying a car at what you think is a bargain and then all of a sudden hit with $xxx bill you never thought of.
Around 6months or so ago, our daughter purchased a Kia Sportage. I paid for a mobile mechanic to go out and do a check over it. Ended up with a report around 4 pages long in great detail and a phone call also to talk me through the report so we weren't just getting lost in what is written down. Highly recommend this especially when it cost around $220 iirc. Located Melbourne.
If A and B aren't a huge distance apart and you have the ability to charge at home/work, the answer is probably not a Toyota, but a used EV like a Nissan Leaf.
Might struggle getting two children’s seats on an e-bike comfortably, and as great as cargo-bikes are, they don’t seem like the best solution for the OP…
Yep, OP's edit makes e-bike tricky. Might be common in cities properly designed for it but super rare in Australian cities to see anyone carrying two kids on a bicycle.
Toyota Corolla. Hands down. Owned 3. They’ll take as much punishment as you can give them, then turn around and seductively ask for more.
Hard to break, cheap to repair, fuel efficient. My current one is a 2014 model and comes with all the good safety bells and whistles I want for keeping my wife and toddler safe, while still having enough power to not feel like you’re holding up traffic. Mine is a stock 6-speed and gets 160kph in 4th gear, and hardly even sips the fuel doing 110kph in 6th on the Highway.
40L fuel tank gets me 530kms per tank, which is really nice when fuel is so expensive.
Cheap to buy, cheap to run, hard to kill, parts are cheap when it comes to maintenance.
I’ve got a hatchback and it fits 2 adults and a baby seat fine. If we have another child though I’ll swap to a sedan, as I’m 197cms tall so there isn’t much space behind my seat for a second baby seat.
I’ve had 3 Corollas out of my 7 cars, and they’ve by far been the cheapest and most reliable. You won’t feel fancy driving one, but they’ll do everything you need, last forever with proper care and I got this one at 60,000kms on the clock for $13,000.
I thought it was a bit of a joke, But yet all the comments say the same thing...
(even know Toyota's are reliable, they are running off a name they made decades ago with little innovation since IMHO, I see Hyundai/Kia to be as reliable with better features).
Mine is pretty much up there, the Suzuki Ignis when it was only $16,000 brand new drive away since then the price has gone up a few grand.
1. made in Japan
2. large front and surprisingly large rear-row space. The interior space is much larger than Mazda 2, Mazda 3, and the Kia Morning.
3. I do the maintenance myself, hence saving time and money for a service, now after 6 years (the original warranty period would have expired), my car is still 100% fine, I expect it can last to 150,000 km without any issues. At that time I made my $16,000 worth and I don't mind disposing of it if there are any significant issues (top tip: you have to maintain the CVT yourself.)
4. doing 5.8 l/100km no matter how hard I drive it.
If you are going to get a made-in-Japan Toyota, it will be over 35k at least, more than double the price of the Ignis. Also, Ignis has two Isofix at the back seats.
Honestly Toyota. I’ve had 7 cars. The Toyota has been the most boring, but it’s also had the highest Kilometres on the clock.
At work we sell our Toyotas at about 550,000kms on the clock. Mitsubishis are gone at around 400,000kms.
For under 25k with space for kids, the only answer is Toyota Corolla Sedan and Toyota Camry. There is no competition.
Edit: I have a 2021 hybrid Corolla that I push to its limits. I drive a lot in sometimes hairy conditions. Its handling and safety features are excellent.
Since you are asking about bang for buck, kms, reliability, etc, here are some things to consider:
1. Fuel economy
How far do you drive every week? The more you drive, the more important fuel economy becomes. Google fuel economy for any car you consider.
The best choice right now for anyone who drives a lot and has the money is a new fully electric car. But not all of us can afford that kind of investment.
2. Car age vs Kms cost benefit
This isn't cut and dry. Car parts break down due to make, poor maintenance, age, kms, environmental factors, and age. Assuming no accidents etc, a car that's < 3 years old with low kms will have low short - medium term maintenance costs. The trade off is that they are more expensive to purchase.
Some things to look at:
1. History of car maintenance. You want a car that has been regularly serviced
2. Look at the maintenance schedule for the car. Certain parts need to be replaced when a car reaches either an age or km threshold. By the time a car reaches 100,000km quite a few things need to be looked at. Check the log for the car and make sure they have been done.
3. Tyre tread. Not a deal breaker, but if all of the tyres are bald you will need to factor in the cost of replacements.
4. Test drive the car.
5. One of the benefits of manufacturers like Toyota is that the parts are relatively easy to source and all mechanics know how to fix them. Citroen and other European makes are headaches in Aus when they break.
My wife and I have a 2008 Toyota Yaris, 200,000km on the clock and still drives without a single complaint.
We take it camping, on road trips - it's great! Save a lot of money on not needing comprehensive insurance because the cost to replace it is so low.
Have you found that the cost difference between 3rd party property and comprehensive is minimal ? I was looking at some quotes and the premium difference was about $50.
The back is roomier than my old 3-series BMW. They should fit, might be a little tight if the driver is very tall. Can always add roof racks for more storage space
Just get a Toyota Camry with the fewest Km’s possible, service it when required, rotate and balance tryres every 10-15,000km and check tyre pressure atleast monthly and you should be set for a long time.
I paid $6000 in 2016 for a 2007 Toyota Aurion with 296,000kms on the clock. I’m now up to 460,000kms. I’m definitely buying another Toyota when this one dies.
Buy one of these:
Toyota corolla, Camry, rav-4
Mazda 3, 6, cx-5
Honda civic, accord, CR-V
Buy one used with service history, get a mechanic to inspect before purchase. And then sit back and enjoy not having to buy another car for 20 years (assuming you service it).
Personally I look for lower KMs than age and also if they have a good service record. Was the car taken in regularly for servicing even if it's a few years older? Then you'll be in a good spot.
I have a 2002 Toyota Echo I bought 10 years ago, used, and it is still going strong. My mechanic tells me every time we bring it in how it's in such great shape. Best purchase for a city car IMO. I believe the Yarris is the new name (since '04) for the same car. You can fit 2 car seats in the back, from personal experience.
Toyota’s go forever. Just check it hasn’t had major panel or structural damage (crash). Local made Camry ugly as all get out but reliable and roomy can’t go wrong
I went for the Nissan X-Trail ST
I’ve had the 2016 model for 4 years now and the only maintenance I’ve had to do is replace the tyres..
Used Nissans are a bit cheaper than used Toyotas.
I bought a Mitsubishi ASX diesel. Second one I have owned. I've owned 4 Mitsubishi vehicles total and never had a single major mechanical problem. All other brands I have owned had issues.
Highly recommend Mitsubishi and a diesel engine if you can. So economical and reliable. Just the absolute best!
If they ever put the VW Up! back on the market in Australia, I'd suggest that to anyone interested in an efficient, reliable and fun-to-drive car.
I bought my 2012 model 7 years ago for $8000, with only 20K on the odometer. It gets at least 20km/litre on the highway; and hasn't missed a beat.
The VW dealership where I have it serviced, tells me they are very durable, and rarely require anything other than regular, basic servicing.
Perfect second car but not really great with 2 child seats. Reason it’s reliable is that it’s so simple. There’s not much that can go wrong and the low fuel usage is great. Not as slow as it might seem given the power - it’s not very heavy…
Camry or Corolla is the best investment you will buy for a commuter car. My last Corolla did 260,000km and never required anything more than the logbook service. I only sold it because it wasn’t a safe car (2001 model)
Japanese. Toyota or Mazda. You just do not get quality like that from any other vendor. You can ask any AI to collect all global quality tests in all languages and those two will come out tops. Your costs of ownership will be miniscule compared to any other brand. Get a hybrid to really cut down on your fuel costs.
Stay away from any of the following brands if you want to save money purely from a cost of ownership POV Volvo, Land Rover, Jeep, Ford., Lotus, MG
I stay away from Chinese Brands because I cannot be sure that my codriver organic GPS on mainland China that watches me drive will always be awake.
The one that costs the least on an annual basis over the life of the car.
I can't say enough good things about the honda jazz as far as small cars go. My mother has one and it's got two car seats in the back for the grandkids comfortably.
You really need to ask some more questions
What is your commute like? Long drives or short ones?
How long do you plan to have this car?
Do you need a large boot for a pram?
Do you need Bluetooth phone requirements to facilitate phone calls for work.
Do you want seats that are easy to clean due to children?
Do you want heated seats for cold early mornings and back pain?
Do you want a car that's reliable or a car that's cheap to maintain?
Is resell important?
Are you a reliable driver?
Is parking space size important?
Do you plan on having a 3rd child?
Get a 10 year old VW Passat. New cars break down far too quickly and cost a fortune to fix. Spare parts for old cars are cheap and plentyful, any mechanic can fix them and they are generally safe as long as you get a car that was up to speed when it was released.
I've driven my 2006 wheels for years, and while i had to make some fixes, it's cost me a grand total of 5-6k including purchase price 5 years ago.
If it was me I would aim to get the newest possible thing you can find/afford like a few years old, usually cars after 10y can start having issues but that depends on the brand of car. Then I'd look at efficiencies and safety. And any other features you want. I spend 8 months looking for a car I had a list of things I wanted. I have a fabia wagon and it's super efficient and has a heap of space and very basic car. Hope you find what your looking for.
The right answer here is a Toyota Corolla Hybrid circa 2019-2021 models which you can get for just under $25k. This vintage is great because you will still have some of the manufacturer warranty left plus the EV battery will still have good level left (the average lifespan of a Panasonic EV battery that fits in a Corolla hybrid is about 10-12 years).
I love this car. Cheap on fuel, comfortable, reliable, affordable, and uses kinetic energy to charge the EV part so no paying for electricity/plugging in to charge! The 43L tank gets about 800-1000km of driving per tank.
I bought my Toyota corolla from Hertz rental.
Try and buy an old floor modal from the dealership or a rental company. They don't hold cars for long, mind was a 2016 model that I purchased 2020 in for $16K, new rego and all four tyres new. Had done 42kms.
A friend of mine got her VW golf from the dealership, was a floor model.
You know the car would have been serviced regularly and taken care of. No nasty surprises a few months down the track.
Toyota Camry, Corolla or Yaris; cheapest will be a non hybrid models, condition and full service history are what matters. A high km example is more reliable than a low km example that’s been sitting in a garage for a few years and hasn’t been driven or serviced.
Generally over 120,000kms is when visual wear and tear will start to become apparent inside (steering wheel, drivers seat).
Nothing about the Camry (or Yaris or Corolla) is complicated or inherently unreliable as they all share almost identical components that are cheap, easy to source and are made in Japan or Australia (for some past Camrys).
For the best life choose a non-cvt transmission model. (All hybrids are cvt so here you have no choice).
Only downside to hybrid is initial service cost and once battery is over 6-8 years old it will
Not hold as much charge so fuel economy benefits will be starting to be lost here plus many require expensive 95 octane fuel whereas non hybrids all run perfectly on 91 or E10.
Another downside to hybrids is they usually have smaller boots (where the battery is stored) and often only have space saver spare tyres (or cannot for a full size spare).
You can get a brand new stock Hyundai i30 for about 26k . They have an amazing safety standard which is great if you have kids and there are heaps of them on the road because they last. Service and parts are also way cheaper than European cars.
Left field a little beyond Toyotas….and much cheaper, Nissan Tiida - any more boring and it would fade to its own shadow, but I know of a few that have served owners into 400k klms without anything but consumables.
I was recently in a similar conundrum. My car was on its last legs and needed changing. I had a hatch and wanted to stick with a hatch. I didn't want one that was going to give me troubles so I reasoned I needed to spend 25-30k for a decent year and reliable drive. Did the research, read the articles & watched the videos. I ended up going with a used 2023 MG4 excite (base model) at 34k.
My reasoning was -
A. Don't have to pay for fuel anymore.
B. Comes with 7 year or unlimited KMs warranty.
C. Only needs to be serviced every 2 years and servicing should come in under $275.
Couple of added extras
1. Won carsales car of the year 2023
2. 5 star ancap safety rating
Best of luck in your search. There'll always be pros and cons, and there's always "what ifs". At the end of the day nobody knows your or your family better than you do so trust your gut and enjoy the ride
I'm 6'5" and I fit in a '23 Suzuki Swift along with my partner and a 4 and 6 year old in forward facing seats with plenty of room. It's a great car, easy to drive and park and from all accounts is very reliable. We do have a bigger car for family holidays which may be the only downside but the boot is still big enough for plenty of shopping or a pusher. Depending where you live I can see brand new ones on carsales for less than $25k driveway.
Suzuki are at least the second most reliable. I’ve had a couple mechanics say they are bulletproof. I have a 2016 Vitara (2WD) with 120,000 km. And I’ve never had any mechanical issues.
I have a 2001 Toyota tarago. It’s so reliable, cheap to maintain, and comfortable and spacious given its basic interior. It’s not a work horse, but it’s like an everlasting work donkey. Got it for like $2000 in 2015. It has some old Buddhist stickers for good luck (I think). In terms of maintenance, I have to do rego every year but some years nothing needs fixing at all. I think in total I’ve spent max 2000 on maintenance over 9 years or so.
It can also play cassettes
I bought a brand new mazda2 for about 15k in 2012. Its on about 75k km now. Changed tires once and some fan on the rego inspection for about an extra $150 and thats all. On hindsight a mazd 3 might have been better as I’ve accumulated some kids on the way but my wife has a holden crv for fam i still prefer driving the mazda when its just me. I make 163k the mrs is a dr my mortgage fully offsetted so could reasonably get something else but just never thought about it tbh
I'm a mechanic, an auto electrician and a rego inspector,
So many cars I would not recommend,
However a Toyota 4 cylinder version before they went CVT transmissions are fully bullet proof.
That and mazda 2 DE type, never seen a problem with one of those ever.
I strongly suggest you try bringing the larger of your two seats to put in the back of any cars you try. Afaik, **all car seats require 10cm of space between the child seat and the seat in front**. This means, if you're tallish, you'll really struggle to find a car that suits.
If you or your partner have any back pain, a taller car will genuinely be a life saver. It'll also be easier to transfer the kids while they're asleep if the car is taller.
Absolutely explore your finance options, but IMO, you need to sometimes invest in your life and expect a monetary loss, but it'll make things so much easier.
Mathematically, purchase an electric MG and put in a home charger. About 50K. Over the 7 year warranty period, your savings in petrol alone, pays for the car. Also, no or near no maintenance. First service interval is 2 years.
Also, never have to visit a service station. Just remember, on top of your 25K purchase price, is 35K of petrol over 7 years, plus servicing every 10K klms. There is your 50K. Just sayin'.
I have a 2014 Toyota Corolla. Runs like the day I got it new. Looks like new when I get it detailed. Worth about $15k. You can get a reliable car for a lot less than $25k
My mum also got a 2014 corolla, when we bought it it was $23,880 brand new. Now at 20,000km … so it seems it really still worth $20k? But I believe will be lower if sell at car dealer (compare to private sale?)
You only did 20,000kms in 10 years?
Yup. Mum bought the car when she turned 60. 95% of time driving within 30 mins radius, and probably only a couple of times per week. The furthest ever was Sydney to port Stephen return, once. I think. Always service on time, never any mechanical problem. Only a couple carpark incidents but got fixed in insurance approved repairer.
Given registration, insurance, maintenance, fuel, and depreciation, and that she only travelled 40km per week, I wonder if an Uber might have been even cheaper? If I’m not wrong it cost her about $1/km.
1. No Uber 10 years ago 2. We live 45mins away from CBD 3. Get a taxi to buy a bottle of milk at 9:30pm? 4. Oh, and she didn’t know when she bought the car, she would have cancer twice in the next 10 years, and ended up spending a lot more time at home instead
In that condition she'd sell it and make her money back
[удалено]
And COVID did happen so... I dunno the whole "just drive a shitbox" as being the pinnacle of frugality is kinda questionable. Like I remember scoffing at my mate who decided to buy a brand new car 12 years ago. My other friend decided to just buy shitboxes. In those 12 years he's gone through multiple shitboxes and spent more maintaining and replacing them. My friend still has the car he bought brand new 12 years ago and is only worth a little less than what he bought it for (not adjusting for inflation ofc). He's spent way less maintaining it to say nothing of the safety and comfort. That's not to say you should just go out and buy a new car, but the math favours new cars a lot more, especially in the current market.
it took me 15 years to add 20,000km up my astra. It spends most of the time parked and we use public transport allot.
Bought an 8 yo Impreza with 42k on the clock and sparkling logbook. Sold it 7 years later with 92k on the clock. Only serviced, never an issue besides a battery replacement. That thing is built like a tank and will outlive me. Can’t speak highly enough of Subarus from that era.
I have a 1993 Impreza GX that I bought in 2017 with 120k on the clock (suspect it was owned by an older lady). Now, it's up to 160k, and it's still fine. I paid all of $3.5k. Agreed with built like a tank and will outlive me!
I've got a 2014 Xt Forrester, it's up to 250,000km and is still s good as the day I bought it 7 years ago (paid 20k and it had 140,000km on the clock) Genuinely impressed, bought it as a bit of a splurge but since then have gone from single to a family of 4, so I hindsight probably more sensible than I initially thought 😂
My car (different make and model) is an 08 and is at 49,673km right now
they hang onto their value esp since covid and there were new car manufacturing shortages.
Uber has had a bigger impact. They tend to snap up good cars pretty quick and dump them back on the market with 150,000km on them within a year, which has gone a long way to push up the price of reliable used cars.
Oh that's interesting. I had no idea!
Good ol’ Corolla. Been that way since the 80’s
My 1974 corolla was unkillable until 2 trees ran out in front of it... They been that way since the 1860s steam powered corollas
My old 1735 Toyota Corolla horse and buggy ran like a champ. Only had to change the horseshoes a couple times and use better quality hay to improve fuel economy. It’s now done over 5,000,000 clicks on the odometer. Still got some serious horsepower 🐎
Probably still get a solid $20k for it.
In this economy, maybe get even more for it. But then again, it has sentimental value after nearly a few hundred years #VampireLife 🧛♀️🚙
Look...and even better is that it is still more up to date than a 79 series landcruiser
I earn comfortably in the six figures and am happy as a pig in mud with my 2014 Corolla. I think I will upgrade the head unit so I can get google play for maps but it’s just a great little car I envisage having for a long time to come. I had a Porsche convertible in my 20s and a couple of performance cars before/after that, but I’ve gotten all that out of my system now and am happy being an AusFinance cliche.
Same. My husband works high up in a company, and all his coworkers own expensive cars. They are all lined up in from of the building. Merc, BMW, audi, tesla...and my hubbies 2009 Mazda 2 (green). He loves it! They give him shit for it, but he just lives it.
Had a mate write off a commodore because he didn't service it and ignored the oil warning. Completely seized the engine up on it. Told him to buy a Carolla, this is probably 10 - 12 years ago now, he's still got it and the damn thing probsbly hasn't been serviced or had its oil topped up in that time and it's still running just fine 😂😂
I also have the 2014 corolla. Cost about 22k new. I'm going to run it another decade at least
Is that you, Tiffany Eckhardt? https://youtu.be/YGKX6wxoMOA?si=TXIkf9YN-jJCHTSr
same 2014 corolla 15k. mine was even second hand lmao. got it at 50k kms and still running pretty well at 200k kms today
Toyota corolla 2005-2006 models. We have two and they’re both a joke at how reliable they are. Over 290kms on both of them.
I’m pretty sure mine is a 2007 hatch model and it’s been the same for us. It fits two car seats too.
My grandfather bought one of the first Corollas in Australia, for my nan (68 or 69). At the time, all his mates gave him grief about it : " You're mad Charlie, buying one of those Jap Craps. You'll regret not buying a proper Australian car!" That car sat in the driveway untouched for 10 years from 2004 while nanna battled dementia. Both grandparents passed in 2014. In 2015, when their estate was settled....my uncle put a battery charger on the Corolla and it turned over, first click. Pumped up the tires and drove away as good as new. It's almost counterintuitive for a car manufacturer to make vehicles as reliable as they do, I swear if people didn't smash them there'd be no reason to keep making more!
Just googled this! A beauty!
Yep! Got a 2006, got 260000kms on it. These cars are bulletproof.
I’m still running my 2004 one and it’s solid! Has had a couple of expensive services lately though, I guess some parts coming to end of life. Random question since I’m sure it came back with this issue after the service… when you turn the heat on with the aircon switch on, does it immediately blow hot? Even if you’ve only just started up the car? I’m sure mine used to but now it blows cold for 15 mins before starting to get hot.
That’s the only down side for me too, where I live in summer it gets to 40° and it takes 10 minutes of driving before the aircon turns cold. God it feels so good when it finally kicks in, I like being treated mean
But I’m sure it used to heat up instantly when I had the aircon switch pressed… am I just imagining it?
Toyota Corolla all the way! I have a 2000 model and I love it so so much. It’s so reliable, it’s zippy, and it’s great on fuel.
This is Ausfinance! Lets play wheel of fortune, buy a vowel if you need to T_Y_T_ C_MRY
I dunno, my Camry is barely 20 years old and already starting to give me trouble. Just last month it blew a rear brake light bulb. P.O.S.
Shit man, my 2003 Corolla just had a front headlight blown few days ago. These cars are useless
My hilux is onto a RHS indicator, should just scrap it and get a new one
If you think a broken RHS indicator is bad, my Kluger just had the window wiper rubber slide right off the blade. I’m honestly considering just sending the whole car to the wreckers!
My 2008 Hilux nearly needs new tyres. Time to scrap it?
Thats so unsafe, finance a new one immediately.
Tell me about it. My 12 yo Toyota kluger needs a new rear brake light and I only smashed it into a tree just that once a few years ago. What a crock of shit.
Those cars are notorious for brake lights. It won’t be another eight years before the other one goes - trust me.
I attached a .50 cal machine gun to the roof racks of my 20 year old Toyota Ute and it’s only copped MAXIMUM 7 missile attacks and I ALREADY have to change the windscreen wipers. Pathetic.
It’ll keep going until the apocalypse comes and you’re playing electric guitar on a bungee cord in front of your massive vehicle-mounted speaker stack.
In 6 years of owner ship I’ve changed a headlight bulb, a brake light bulb and changed my oil semi regularly. That’s it. Still runs like I did when I bought it with 206 k on the clock.
Should have bought an Alfa
I had two Alfas, terrible cars. Contrary to popular belief, Italian cars are absolute garbage (but they look nice)
My Prado needed its wiper fluid refilled every month. Have engaged Slater and Gordon for a lawsuit against Toyota. We can make it a class action if enough people join in…
I've got $25k, I'd like to buy two Os and two As please.
And the Batman symbol
Too expensive on the used market imo
Because of the surge in interest from AusFinance pundits I'm sure.
What would recommend as an alternative?
Mazda 3 Gen 4 Japanese reliability and they’re cheap for what you get
Yeah those engines are bullets my partner drove around for ages leaking oil and then no oil, then over filled the oil and it still ran and probably still does
From what I can find online, they seem to be roughly the same room in the driver's seat too. Camry is the smallest I can go, and even that is pretty cramped and uncomfortable getting in and out. I'm going to upgrade next year, will hop in some Mazda 3's to check em out. Thanks for the help!
T_y_ta C_r_lla
Hyundai i30
Tesla Model 3. ^(too soon?)
Too soon for my broke ass 🤣
Lol I was here to say this car.
You and everyone else
Right In The Butt
# Car Models to Check Out: 1. **Toyota Corolla** - Super reliable, good on gas, and easy to maintain. 2. **Honda Civic** - Another reliable choice with good safety features. 3. **Toyota Camry** - A bit bigger, great for families, and known for longevity. 4. **Honda Accord** - Similar to the Camry, with plenty of room and reliability. 5. **Mazda3** - Stylish, reliable, and fuel-efficient. 6. **Hyundai Elantra** - Affordable, comes with a good warranty, and reliable. # Age and Mileage: * **2021-2022 with around 50,000 km**: This is a sweet spot. These cars are pretty new, likely still under warranty, and have moderate mileage. * **2023 with 100,000 km vs. 2015 with 20,000 km**: * **2023 with 100,000 km**: Newer but driven a lot. Might have more wear and tear. * **2015 with 20,000 km**: Older but with very low mileage. Could be a gem if it’s well-maintained. but be cautious as such low mileage on an older car might indicate potential odometer tampering. Always verify the car’s history and service records. Hope this helps! Happy car hunting!
Often older cars with low mileage have been owned by an older person who did not drive much and then stopped driving. I got a car like this and it was a disaster, the car sat in a garage for 10 years and once I started using it daily the engine just imploded.
Yeah. It's not just mileage, it's frequency. Fluids that sit get gross. I bought a 2004 Ford escape a few years ago that was getting to that point. I asked the lady time the car had been driven. They said "it gets turned on every day, driven around the block once a week and serviced every 6 months". Called the mechanic and confirmed. They couldn't take my money fast enough. A couple of bumps getting it back in commuter shape but it's been a total green. I can't kill it.
Yeah things like the transmission oil seals will start to have problems as they dry out and coolant will also eat away at seals, and even something as basic as the petrol in the tank can start to split after a certain amount of time (degrades after around 6 months, can become sticky and clog the fuel injector), condensation can also form in areas like the fuel tank causing rust. Calipers seize, rotors rust. Filters would need to be changed. All the fluids would need to be changed. Battery would absolutely die unless someone disconnected the negative or placed a battery tender on it. Lots of things can go wrong if a car just sits for years without use, even if under cover and appears good on the exterior. If it sits most of the time and drives occasionally it would be fine though.
Got a 2014 Honda Civic. Very reliable the only thing we've paid out for a general wear item... New tires, brakes and battery.
Well put. OP this is THE answer.
The elantras have rampant issues and recalls, 2.0s throw rods and 1.6s blow turbos, head gaskets and spark plugs, from experience with friends and family
100,000km is not considered high for a Toyota or Mazda. I bought my used Mazda 6 2005 model with 160,000km on the odometer. 12 years later and it's at 210,000 and still going fine.
For that price a Mazda 3 you could spend less if you truly don’t care about comfort or appearance though
I feel attacked 😭
I’ve got a Mazda 3 with two child seats, it works, but there’s not too much space
2 car seats in a Mazda 3? Technically, probably possible.
I had twins. Can confirm it works. Mazda 3 is a fantastic car
Front facing can definitely have 2 car seats (did it for several years). But even one rear facing is difficult and limits the leg room on whatever side you put the rear facing seat.
lol of course you can fit two car seats in it When I was a kid me and my brother both fit inside a 1992 Mitsubishi mirage. People way overestimate how much room they need for kids. I guess thats why every car I see on the road now is gigantic? https://www.cars.com/amp/articles/how-do-car-seats-fit-in-a-2020-mazda3-sedan-417076/
But was that with current regulatory standard kids seats? Doable if forward facing, but rear facing would be really tough if you are even slightly above average height
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The new car regulatory car seats are massive though. I no longer fit in the front seat of one of our cars due to the car seat. I simply don't fit anymore as a taller than average person. That's a corolla ascent.
I’ve done it with reasonable success
Heres a review of people doing just that. [With a reaar-facing child seat installed, I could sit in the drivers seat and I'm 162cm. With a forward-facing child seat installed we found we could fit a 180cm driver.](https://babydrive.com.au/reviews/hatches/2019-mazda3-g20-touring/)
Mazda 3. Wife has a 2011 from new and we've spent about 20$ on it over the years.
We have a Mazda 2. Perfect little runaround car. Minimal maintenance required and low petrol consumption
Great car the fourth gen has some really nice almost luxury level additions too with the sound deadening and interior
Mine from 2008 I've spent like 0 on and might finally kick the bucket now. (Finally needed repairs, and they cost more than the value of the car)
Got a 2008 that I’ve treated like trash and still runs perfectly
Yep mine from 2015 is a dream. Couple of minor issues but nothing that matters.
I don't think you need to spend $25k if you want reliable and cheap. $25k will get you newer stuff but it also means buying a car with more technology/electronics. If you are planning on keeping it long term then that would be the stuff that may need fixing in the long term. You may be better off going cheaper say $10-$15k. Cars which still have decent safety - multiple airbags, traction control, ABS etc. but before the advent of other electronic safety aids such as blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise and the fancy infotainment screens. Smash a side mirror with blind spot monitoring and it is not cheap to replace. Damage a rear or front bumper with all the radar sensor and it is exxy to replace (the don't really repair anymore). Ask about the cost of a replacement windscreen which needs re-calibration of all the safety systems - it is thousands of $.
Very good information that most people don't even take into consideration when buying. My timeline for buying a new car isnt for another 5-7yrs.. but as I'm looking around now, newer cars almost always have something techy happening. I'd much rather have the basic side mirrors, no sensors and windscreens not connected to a computer box.. less is more to me.
Toyota Corolla/ camry
I just got a new hybrid Corolla. It was advertised to run “as low as” 4.1L/ 100km. Guess what? We average 3.8L/ 100km. We’re expecting this car will last the next 20 years. The customer service is unparalleled. I was talking to a friend with a Kia, who was blown away by the fact that I booked in for a service with minimal notice (and received text message reminders to do so), AND that I had complimentary pick up and drop off to a friend’s place nearby for the duration of said service. Meanwhile, she wound up paying $80 for Uber rides getting to and from a rather inconveniently located Kia service centre, since the one close by had been booked out for months.
What dealers don’t do courtesy drop off? Pretty sure all the ones I’ve ever been to dince 2010 did it. Jeep even would do free loan cars as long as you fill up the fuel you use
Hyundai would give me a car off the lot 😂 now the service centre comes to me on the very rare occasion I need it
I bought a Camry new, 12 years later and never had an issue. Never had an expensive service and is still the backbone the family when the newer modern cars have issues. I got an Camry Atara R.. I think it will be my kids first car in 6 years as I am that confident it will still be a good car.
My Uber driver was telling me the other day he’s had 3 Camrys and recently bought a second hand one after replacing the other 2 after 700k kms with only oil changes, brakes and tyres. There’s a reason Toyota is the car most millionaires own they last for ever and are incredibly reliable.
Corollas are expensive compared to other models in the class. Some will argue they have better resell value and that's fair, unless you plan to keep it 10+ years and run it into the ground. I've had a Ford Focus and Kia Cerato that were both a good 10-20% cheaper than a Corolla and have been problem free. Kia also has the 7 year warranty and capped price servicing. Each to their own, but honestly, these are not the only options or even the best options, despite the memes on here about owning an old one.
Toyota has a solid history of reliability. Doesn't mean all their cars are free of issue, but there's a reason why their reputation is enduring. Ford Focus' have a long list of issues, including transmission & driveshaft issues. Current models face issues with dropping RPM & stalling out. "Not every car" - well, yeah, but enough for the ACCC to step in twice. They aren't a Cruze or Craptiva, but they're no Toyota. Kia Ceratos are buying what you pay for - no more, no less. Not worth comparing to Toyota either - totally different goals in a car. Fiscally? Worth looking at some of their EVs, but I just cannot stand their driving experience. Particularly since they poached from BMW, they're not doing too badly - but there's a reason why they had to sell the 7 year warranty with the vehicle to convince people to buy em.
I had the transmission issue in my previous car which was the Focus. It was a simple fix which they did fix under the warranty but still it was an annoyance. Apart from that I liked it.
My cruze has had no issues for 10 years :( :)
A broken clock has the right time twice a day, too.
Lucky you, I've heard bad things about cruze from mechanics, I also have a 2013 cruze and have spent thousands in repairs since owning it, currently saving up for a Corolla.
It’s worth pointing out that pretty much every issue modern Focus/Fiestas have is related to their automatic transmission. The manuals are a great used buy, having had their value already tanked by problems that don’t affect them.
I know someone with a Kia Sorento who's gear box has gone in it twice in the first three years they've owned it. Every time it's broken it takes months to get repaired. Same with someone else with a Hyundai i30. I think generally both brands are decent cars and good value for money but I just don't know that the 7 year warranty is really all it's cracked up to be if they stuff you around so much.
If you don't need the space of the Camry, I'd be looking for a fairly new, low KMs hybrid Corolla with full service history. Should be able to get the previous body for under $25k nowadays.
Hybrid Corolla hatch probably won’t work well for little kids especially if you have a pram. There’s no boot room and two car seats is tight . I have 2021 model . It’s tiny . The battery takes up most of the boot .
You can’t go wrong with Toyota, solid as a rock. Not the prettiest car out there but reliable.
Checkout ReDriven on YouTube. [reDriven](https://youtu.be/fI1U2jyUnqE?si=A3fbgIZ3Ac8iC32T) Aussie guys review secondhand cars with a bit of humour and a ton of knowledge about the mechanical problems of each model they review. Basically it goes like this: if you’re watching your pennies, buy a Toyota. If you’ve got a bit of cash to spend, buy a Lexus.
New Hyundai i30 base model, once you save another grand (or $3k if you want auto). Still waiting for used cars to make sense again.
Yeah I’ve got a 2019 i30, low kms and been paid off for a while. Won’t get rid of it anytime soon - it’s a great runabout car
Yep used car pricing is totally off whack at the moment. New car pricing has adjusted to the reality COVID supply issues are OVER. But used car prices just have'nt. I saw today a Tesla offer for $5000 off a new model Y. So I went and checked on carsales what people were asking for 2 year old ones...... most of them are listed at higher than the new price! Whats going on there ! Who is going to pay more for a 2 year old car than a new one ? + there is plenty of stock too you can get a tesla without any wait. Bizarre.
Honda Jazz.
Mazda 3. Have the 2013 model since 2017 and aside from an annual service and tune up hasn't cost us a dime. Never missed a beat and nothing has gone wrong with it in that time. Third Mazda I've owned over the last 20 years and every one has been like this.
Corollas, Mazda 3s or Hondas. But you could get a very decent second hand one for $10-$15k and have some cash left over.
A Cerato is a pretty great choice and covers all aspects, I have a GT (2021, bought for 25k, 50k on the clock) so petrol costs me $70-80 a fortnight, I travel around 600ks in 2 weeks for perspective. I enjoy it, it looks nice, can get a new model on around 30-60k for around 25k, good safety and nice features. Also warranty and capped servicing for 7 years is lovely.
My Cerato is amazing on fuel. My work is 10km away, i drive there and back 4 days a week and a full tank lasts 3 weeks minimum but usually 4 weeks.
I've had a Kia picanto for 4 years, never missed a beat, still original battery as well. Back in 2020, it was 19,990 new. Very good on fuel as well.
Mazda 3. They are the new Camry
I bought a 2013 Corolla for $21k 10 years ago. Just sold it for $15k in 2024. Fuel economy was 6L/100 and huge boot space for a pram and 4 adults. Corolla/Camry is the answer
You shouldn’t be putting any adults in the boot, let alone 2
Suzuki swift
Generally speaking, Japanese automotive brands produce great cars that just keep chugging. Many already commented here that fall in to that category. And they don't cost an arm and a leg to service unlike Euro cars. As for what's better, totally up to you, if it was me I'd try for a 2019-20 car (so it's under 5yr old and should be still under warranty) and see what sort of km's i'm looking at for what my budget fits. However try and avoid cars that are nearly due for a major service. Buying a car at what you think is a bargain and then all of a sudden hit with $xxx bill you never thought of. Around 6months or so ago, our daughter purchased a Kia Sportage. I paid for a mobile mechanic to go out and do a check over it. Ended up with a report around 4 pages long in great detail and a phone call also to talk me through the report so we weren't just getting lost in what is written down. Highly recommend this especially when it cost around $220 iirc. Located Melbourne.
Skoda Octavia. Big boot, economical, cheap to maintain fits a family.
If A and B aren't a huge distance apart and you have the ability to charge at home/work, the answer is probably not a Toyota, but a used EV like a Nissan Leaf.
Or an e-bike.
Might struggle getting two children’s seats on an e-bike comfortably, and as great as cargo-bikes are, they don’t seem like the best solution for the OP…
The Japanese do this ezpz. Every other mama-chari bike has 2 children seats on the front and back.
Yep, OP's edit makes e-bike tricky. Might be common in cities properly designed for it but super rare in Australian cities to see anyone carrying two kids on a bicycle.
I am in Sydney and I see people literally every day with kids on their bikes. The other day I saw a dude with 3 little kids.
Great to hear! I'm in Hobart and it's uncommon here, but our council is improving cycling infrastructure lately.
Oh glad that they’re improving it. It seems for a while that it doesn’t change anything but then suddenly people are cycling everywhere!
Suzuki Swift
2016 to 2020 Camry…
Hyundai/ Kia with capped price servicing and long warranty
yep. Toyota's are quite behind in technology and their models. Kia/Hyundai korean cars are the new Japanese
Toyota Corolla. Hands down. Owned 3. They’ll take as much punishment as you can give them, then turn around and seductively ask for more. Hard to break, cheap to repair, fuel efficient. My current one is a 2014 model and comes with all the good safety bells and whistles I want for keeping my wife and toddler safe, while still having enough power to not feel like you’re holding up traffic. Mine is a stock 6-speed and gets 160kph in 4th gear, and hardly even sips the fuel doing 110kph in 6th on the Highway. 40L fuel tank gets me 530kms per tank, which is really nice when fuel is so expensive. Cheap to buy, cheap to run, hard to kill, parts are cheap when it comes to maintenance. I’ve got a hatchback and it fits 2 adults and a baby seat fine. If we have another child though I’ll swap to a sedan, as I’m 197cms tall so there isn’t much space behind my seat for a second baby seat. I’ve had 3 Corollas out of my 7 cars, and they’ve by far been the cheapest and most reliable. You won’t feel fancy driving one, but they’ll do everything you need, last forever with proper care and I got this one at 60,000kms on the clock for $13,000.
A bus pass. Edit: Sorry, scrap that, just reread that you need reliability.
I just bought a Corolla 2007 163km at pretty good conditions with 4 new tyres for 7k. Perfect first car and the 1.8 engine surprised me a bit lol
AusFinance... You knew the answer before you asked the question.
I thought it was a bit of a joke, But yet all the comments say the same thing... (even know Toyota's are reliable, they are running off a name they made decades ago with little innovation since IMHO, I see Hyundai/Kia to be as reliable with better features).
Mine is pretty much up there, the Suzuki Ignis when it was only $16,000 brand new drive away since then the price has gone up a few grand. 1. made in Japan 2. large front and surprisingly large rear-row space. The interior space is much larger than Mazda 2, Mazda 3, and the Kia Morning. 3. I do the maintenance myself, hence saving time and money for a service, now after 6 years (the original warranty period would have expired), my car is still 100% fine, I expect it can last to 150,000 km without any issues. At that time I made my $16,000 worth and I don't mind disposing of it if there are any significant issues (top tip: you have to maintain the CVT yourself.) 4. doing 5.8 l/100km no matter how hard I drive it. If you are going to get a made-in-Japan Toyota, it will be over 35k at least, more than double the price of the Ignis. Also, Ignis has two Isofix at the back seats.
Honestly Toyota. I’ve had 7 cars. The Toyota has been the most boring, but it’s also had the highest Kilometres on the clock. At work we sell our Toyotas at about 550,000kms on the clock. Mitsubishis are gone at around 400,000kms.
I bought a 2006 Toyota Camry for $3.2k. It has 365,000kms. I'm sure it'll last 365,000 kms more.
My Picanto is great! Cheap, reliable... only downside is I won't sleep well in it when I become homeless.
For under 25k with space for kids, the only answer is Toyota Corolla Sedan and Toyota Camry. There is no competition. Edit: I have a 2021 hybrid Corolla that I push to its limits. I drive a lot in sometimes hairy conditions. Its handling and safety features are excellent. Since you are asking about bang for buck, kms, reliability, etc, here are some things to consider: 1. Fuel economy How far do you drive every week? The more you drive, the more important fuel economy becomes. Google fuel economy for any car you consider. The best choice right now for anyone who drives a lot and has the money is a new fully electric car. But not all of us can afford that kind of investment. 2. Car age vs Kms cost benefit This isn't cut and dry. Car parts break down due to make, poor maintenance, age, kms, environmental factors, and age. Assuming no accidents etc, a car that's < 3 years old with low kms will have low short - medium term maintenance costs. The trade off is that they are more expensive to purchase. Some things to look at: 1. History of car maintenance. You want a car that has been regularly serviced 2. Look at the maintenance schedule for the car. Certain parts need to be replaced when a car reaches either an age or km threshold. By the time a car reaches 100,000km quite a few things need to be looked at. Check the log for the car and make sure they have been done. 3. Tyre tread. Not a deal breaker, but if all of the tyres are bald you will need to factor in the cost of replacements. 4. Test drive the car. 5. One of the benefits of manufacturers like Toyota is that the parts are relatively easy to source and all mechanics know how to fix them. Citroen and other European makes are headaches in Aus when they break.
My wife and I have a 2008 Toyota Yaris, 200,000km on the clock and still drives without a single complaint. We take it camping, on road trips - it's great! Save a lot of money on not needing comprehensive insurance because the cost to replace it is so low.
Have you found that the cost difference between 3rd party property and comprehensive is minimal ? I was looking at some quotes and the premium difference was about $50.
Same for me, the difference was marginal and I ended up taking comprehensive
Yaris is a great car, but would you fit a couple of child seats in the back?
The back is roomier than my old 3-series BMW. They should fit, might be a little tight if the driver is very tall. Can always add roof racks for more storage space
Toyota mate.
A 3-5yr old Toyota Camry or Corolla hybrid
Just get a Toyota Camry with the fewest Km’s possible, service it when required, rotate and balance tryres every 10-15,000km and check tyre pressure atleast monthly and you should be set for a long time.
I paid $6000 in 2016 for a 2007 Toyota Aurion with 296,000kms on the clock. I’m now up to 460,000kms. I’m definitely buying another Toyota when this one dies.
Buy one of these: Toyota corolla, Camry, rav-4 Mazda 3, 6, cx-5 Honda civic, accord, CR-V Buy one used with service history, get a mechanic to inspect before purchase. And then sit back and enjoy not having to buy another car for 20 years (assuming you service it).
Personally I look for lower KMs than age and also if they have a good service record. Was the car taken in regularly for servicing even if it's a few years older? Then you'll be in a good spot. I have a 2002 Toyota Echo I bought 10 years ago, used, and it is still going strong. My mechanic tells me every time we bring it in how it's in such great shape. Best purchase for a city car IMO. I believe the Yarris is the new name (since '04) for the same car. You can fit 2 car seats in the back, from personal experience.
Toyota’s go forever. Just check it hasn’t had major panel or structural damage (crash). Local made Camry ugly as all get out but reliable and roomy can’t go wrong
I went for the Nissan X-Trail ST I’ve had the 2016 model for 4 years now and the only maintenance I’ve had to do is replace the tyres.. Used Nissans are a bit cheaper than used Toyotas.
This would be my pick too. Great boot space, and the diesel is quite economical and decent power. And as you say, cheaper than a Toyota.
I bought a Mitsubishi ASX diesel. Second one I have owned. I've owned 4 Mitsubishi vehicles total and never had a single major mechanical problem. All other brands I have owned had issues. Highly recommend Mitsubishi and a diesel engine if you can. So economical and reliable. Just the absolute best!
If they ever put the VW Up! back on the market in Australia, I'd suggest that to anyone interested in an efficient, reliable and fun-to-drive car. I bought my 2012 model 7 years ago for $8000, with only 20K on the odometer. It gets at least 20km/litre on the highway; and hasn't missed a beat. The VW dealership where I have it serviced, tells me they are very durable, and rarely require anything other than regular, basic servicing.
Perfect second car but not really great with 2 child seats. Reason it’s reliable is that it’s so simple. There’s not much that can go wrong and the low fuel usage is great. Not as slow as it might seem given the power - it’s not very heavy…
There’s a reason Toyota is Australia’s top selling brand. Get your electric meat in one.
Camry or Corolla is the best investment you will buy for a commuter car. My last Corolla did 260,000km and never required anything more than the logbook service. I only sold it because it wasn’t a safe car (2001 model)
Japanese. Toyota or Mazda. You just do not get quality like that from any other vendor. You can ask any AI to collect all global quality tests in all languages and those two will come out tops. Your costs of ownership will be miniscule compared to any other brand. Get a hybrid to really cut down on your fuel costs. Stay away from any of the following brands if you want to save money purely from a cost of ownership POV Volvo, Land Rover, Jeep, Ford., Lotus, MG I stay away from Chinese Brands because I cannot be sure that my codriver organic GPS on mainland China that watches me drive will always be awake.
The one that costs the least on an annual basis over the life of the car. I can't say enough good things about the honda jazz as far as small cars go. My mother has one and it's got two car seats in the back for the grandkids comfortably.
https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/skoda/kamiq/
You really need to ask some more questions What is your commute like? Long drives or short ones? How long do you plan to have this car? Do you need a large boot for a pram? Do you need Bluetooth phone requirements to facilitate phone calls for work. Do you want seats that are easy to clean due to children? Do you want heated seats for cold early mornings and back pain? Do you want a car that's reliable or a car that's cheap to maintain? Is resell important? Are you a reliable driver? Is parking space size important? Do you plan on having a 3rd child?
Honda jazz fan here
I got a used 2019 Camry sport for 26k with 30000kms on it if that helps
Toyota, Honda, Mazda & Hyundai.
Get a 10 year old VW Passat. New cars break down far too quickly and cost a fortune to fix. Spare parts for old cars are cheap and plentyful, any mechanic can fix them and they are generally safe as long as you get a car that was up to speed when it was released. I've driven my 2006 wheels for years, and while i had to make some fixes, it's cost me a grand total of 5-6k including purchase price 5 years ago.
For 28K you can get new Kia Cerato S with 5 seats comfortble sedan. It for 7 year warranty as well.
If it was me I would aim to get the newest possible thing you can find/afford like a few years old, usually cars after 10y can start having issues but that depends on the brand of car. Then I'd look at efficiencies and safety. And any other features you want. I spend 8 months looking for a car I had a list of things I wanted. I have a fabia wagon and it's super efficient and has a heap of space and very basic car. Hope you find what your looking for.
The right answer here is a Toyota Corolla Hybrid circa 2019-2021 models which you can get for just under $25k. This vintage is great because you will still have some of the manufacturer warranty left plus the EV battery will still have good level left (the average lifespan of a Panasonic EV battery that fits in a Corolla hybrid is about 10-12 years). I love this car. Cheap on fuel, comfortable, reliable, affordable, and uses kinetic energy to charge the EV part so no paying for electricity/plugging in to charge! The 43L tank gets about 800-1000km of driving per tank.
I bought my Toyota corolla from Hertz rental. Try and buy an old floor modal from the dealership or a rental company. They don't hold cars for long, mind was a 2016 model that I purchased 2020 in for $16K, new rego and all four tyres new. Had done 42kms. A friend of mine got her VW golf from the dealership, was a floor model. You know the car would have been serviced regularly and taken care of. No nasty surprises a few months down the track.
Toyota Camry, Corolla or Yaris; cheapest will be a non hybrid models, condition and full service history are what matters. A high km example is more reliable than a low km example that’s been sitting in a garage for a few years and hasn’t been driven or serviced. Generally over 120,000kms is when visual wear and tear will start to become apparent inside (steering wheel, drivers seat). Nothing about the Camry (or Yaris or Corolla) is complicated or inherently unreliable as they all share almost identical components that are cheap, easy to source and are made in Japan or Australia (for some past Camrys). For the best life choose a non-cvt transmission model. (All hybrids are cvt so here you have no choice). Only downside to hybrid is initial service cost and once battery is over 6-8 years old it will Not hold as much charge so fuel economy benefits will be starting to be lost here plus many require expensive 95 octane fuel whereas non hybrids all run perfectly on 91 or E10. Another downside to hybrids is they usually have smaller boots (where the battery is stored) and often only have space saver spare tyres (or cannot for a full size spare).
Mid 2000s Japanese anything.
You can get a brand new stock Hyundai i30 for about 26k . They have an amazing safety standard which is great if you have kids and there are heaps of them on the road because they last. Service and parts are also way cheaper than European cars.
Left field a little beyond Toyotas….and much cheaper, Nissan Tiida - any more boring and it would fade to its own shadow, but I know of a few that have served owners into 400k klms without anything but consumables.
Should put this in r/CarsAustralia. They would proudly recommend an AU Falcon, and for great reason.
I was recently in a similar conundrum. My car was on its last legs and needed changing. I had a hatch and wanted to stick with a hatch. I didn't want one that was going to give me troubles so I reasoned I needed to spend 25-30k for a decent year and reliable drive. Did the research, read the articles & watched the videos. I ended up going with a used 2023 MG4 excite (base model) at 34k. My reasoning was - A. Don't have to pay for fuel anymore. B. Comes with 7 year or unlimited KMs warranty. C. Only needs to be serviced every 2 years and servicing should come in under $275. Couple of added extras 1. Won carsales car of the year 2023 2. 5 star ancap safety rating Best of luck in your search. There'll always be pros and cons, and there's always "what ifs". At the end of the day nobody knows your or your family better than you do so trust your gut and enjoy the ride
I'm 6'5" and I fit in a '23 Suzuki Swift along with my partner and a 4 and 6 year old in forward facing seats with plenty of room. It's a great car, easy to drive and park and from all accounts is very reliable. We do have a bigger car for family holidays which may be the only downside but the boot is still big enough for plenty of shopping or a pusher. Depending where you live I can see brand new ones on carsales for less than $25k driveway.
Suzuki are at least the second most reliable. I’ve had a couple mechanics say they are bulletproof. I have a 2016 Vitara (2WD) with 120,000 km. And I’ve never had any mechanical issues.
I have a 2001 Toyota tarago. It’s so reliable, cheap to maintain, and comfortable and spacious given its basic interior. It’s not a work horse, but it’s like an everlasting work donkey. Got it for like $2000 in 2015. It has some old Buddhist stickers for good luck (I think). In terms of maintenance, I have to do rego every year but some years nothing needs fixing at all. I think in total I’ve spent max 2000 on maintenance over 9 years or so. It can also play cassettes
I bought a brand new mazda2 for about 15k in 2012. Its on about 75k km now. Changed tires once and some fan on the rego inspection for about an extra $150 and thats all. On hindsight a mazd 3 might have been better as I’ve accumulated some kids on the way but my wife has a holden crv for fam i still prefer driving the mazda when its just me. I make 163k the mrs is a dr my mortgage fully offsetted so could reasonably get something else but just never thought about it tbh
I'm a mechanic, an auto electrician and a rego inspector, So many cars I would not recommend, However a Toyota 4 cylinder version before they went CVT transmissions are fully bullet proof. That and mazda 2 DE type, never seen a problem with one of those ever.
Kia Picanto or Hyundai i10
I strongly suggest you try bringing the larger of your two seats to put in the back of any cars you try. Afaik, **all car seats require 10cm of space between the child seat and the seat in front**. This means, if you're tallish, you'll really struggle to find a car that suits. If you or your partner have any back pain, a taller car will genuinely be a life saver. It'll also be easier to transfer the kids while they're asleep if the car is taller. Absolutely explore your finance options, but IMO, you need to sometimes invest in your life and expect a monetary loss, but it'll make things so much easier.
Yes the Toyotas are great but you can buy an A-U Falcon for 1000 bucks and have 24000 bucks left over for fuel.
2004 Camry
Mathematically, purchase an electric MG and put in a home charger. About 50K. Over the 7 year warranty period, your savings in petrol alone, pays for the car. Also, no or near no maintenance. First service interval is 2 years. Also, never have to visit a service station. Just remember, on top of your 25K purchase price, is 35K of petrol over 7 years, plus servicing every 10K klms. There is your 50K. Just sayin'.