2nd Hand Car - Choices

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superskully

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Dear Members
Here is my situation.
We have 1 car in the family (just wife and me for now).
I am looking to buy a 2nd hand car as a run around car. I will use the car maybe 2-3 times per week and for short distances only. Maybe longer distances (not more than 150km one way) but very seldom.
Budget is 20-35k. But i dont want to spend on repairs... though services wont be a problem cost wise.
Options are:
Toyota and Honda.
Tazz vs corrola vs ballade.
Ones i can find are: Tazz (1998-2002), corrolla (1997-2000) rare though, ballade (1995-2000).
VW is also an option though Citi golfs are unsafe and high risk (insurance higher).
I can find polos (also high risk and higher insurances). A polo that i found was a 2000 model 1.4 Playa at 30k.
I did see 2 BMWs though on auction on BOB.
1996 528i or 2001 320d (though the diesel scare me cos of the turbo replacement costs). These cars will be much safer and nicer to drive though i am not sure about repair costs (we had an Audi once and it costs us 10k to repair (cam belt cut, head blew, valves burnt) about 8 years ago (non Audi Dealer)).
Or should i bite the bullet and buy a Yaris for about 60-65k. Safer and will have good resale.
Opels are also on the table, corsa lite or older astra's.
So, these are my guesses:
Safetywise: BMW>Honda>Opel>Polo>Toyota=Citi
Reliabilty and repair costs: BMW<Opel<Polo=Polo<Honda<Toyota
Insurance:VW>Toyota>BMW>OPel>Honda
Fun (drive, looks): BMW>VW>OPel>Honda>Toyota
Cost (value for money, resale): ??? (this is where the yaris comes in as it will probably be a better 'investment' a few years down the line.
Fuel and service costs are fine, its just that i dont want to pay 10k for a repair.
 
I may be biased, but I'm quite fond of older Mercedes Benz cars, such as those from 1990 to 1994. Not the lightest on fuel perhaps, but inexpensive to buy, very comfortable to drive and very reliable. And the service costs arent too bad - R2000 for a standard service and R4500 for a full service.

I bought a 1993 190E for R45k, couldnt be happier with it.

EDIT: I wouldnt buy a car as an investment unless its a classic and you leave it in the garage. Whatever car you buy, you will lose a lot of money on it. Just buy the car that makes the most sense in terms of servicing, fuel costs, insurance and comfort/practicality.
 
Ancalagon said:
I may be biased, but I'm quite fond of older Mercedes Benz cars, such as those from 1990 to 1994. Not the lightest on fuel perhaps, but inexpensive to buy, very comfortable to drive and very reliable. And the service costs arent too bad - R2000 for a standard service and R4500 for a full service.

I bought a 1993 190E for R45k, couldnt be happier with it.

EDIT: I wouldnt buy a car as an investment unless its a classic and you leave it in the garage. Whatever car you buy, you will lose a lot of money on it. Just buy the car that makes the most sense in terms of servicing, fuel costs, insurance and comfort/practicality.
Click to expand...
I have heard about these cars, W something (200E, 230E...). They are a bit difficult to find. Who do you service with.
Why i said 'investment' is that if sell 5 years down the line, the Yaris may offer better resale (but it does cost more so my argument may be invalid).
 
W124's are the E-Class of those years - the nice big box shaped Mercs. 230E's from that series are a good balance between reliability, power and economy.

W201's are the C-Class - they look like the W124s but a little smaller. They are harder to find because they were all imported, but are very good cars. They are all designated as 190E's, even though their engines can be anything from 1.8L to 2.6L.

Apparently, the two cars are mostly identical in terms of their engines and suspension, but replacing bodywork on a 190E is much more expensive because they were imported. So... as long as you dont crash a 190E, you are fine!

I service my car through a German mechanic that I got in touch with through a friend that is very passionate about these old cars, and he trusts this guy. The mechanic is also the one who found me the car - one of his clients wanted to sell theirs and he arranged the sale. The business's name is Corvette Motors in Randburg if I remember correctly.
 
Your best bet would be to bite the bullet. The Yaris would in this case be your best and safest bet. It cost more to buy but will give you reliable cost effective transport for a long time and you'll be smiling the day when you need to sell it.

Just by default the older the car the more costly it is to run in a manner of speaking because the time frame in which parts start failing due to age and wear and tear has been reached.
Any Toyota or Honda is the best reliable choice. We have owned many toyota's all lasting 5 years/100 000km or more and without any failure of any sort what so ever.

Just make sure what ever car you decide to take ALWAYS but ALWAYS check for full service history. Make sure the car has not been through a million owners and that it's not been a demo/rental car.
 
Ancalagon said:
W124's are the E-Class of those years - the nice big box shaped Mercs. 230E's from that series are a good balance between reliability, power and economy.

W201's are the C-Class - they look like the W124s but a little smaller. They are harder to find because they were all imported, but are very good cars. They are all designated as 190E's, even though their engines can be anything from 1.8L to 2.6L.

Apparently, the two cars are mostly identical in terms of their engines and suspension, but replacing bodywork on a 190E is much more expensive because they were imported. So... as long as you dont crash a 190E, you are fine!

I service my car through a German mechanic that I got in touch with through a friend that is very passionate about these old cars, and he trusts this guy. The mechanic is also the one who found me the car - one of his clients wanted to sell theirs and he arranged the sale. The business's name is Corvette Motors in Randburg if I remember correctly.
Click to expand...

Thanks Guy.
So the 200E, 230E are the boxier ones, usually between 1990 to say 1997 and the c-class like C220 usuall aroun 1999.
 
Earlier than that, probably 1995. The German mechanic did say that he thought the electronic systems in the newer mercs (pretty much any merc after 1995) made them unreliable and expensive to repair, although he did say mechanically they are very sound. Its up to you though - I'm sure not all C class mercs have those problems.

Yeah, the C-Class replaced the 190E, I think from about 1995-1997 onwards.
 
Would get the tazz... cheap to maintain and run, low on gas.
 
I just went from a Honda Ballade 1.6i 1994 Luxline to a 1.6i 2001 Opel Corsa Classic (Sedan) and I can so far say that I'm very happy.

J

superskully said:
Dear Members
Here is my situation.
We have 1 car in the family (just wife and me for now).
I am looking to buy a 2nd hand car as a run around car. I will use the car maybe 2-3 times per week and for short distances only. Maybe longer distances (not more than 150km one way) but very seldom.
Budget is 20-35k. But i dont want to spend on repairs... though services wont be a problem cost wise.
Options are:
Toyota and Honda.
Tazz vs corrola vs ballade.
Ones i can find are: Tazz (1998-2002), corrolla (1997-2000) rare though, ballade (1995-2000).
VW is also an option though Citi golfs are unsafe and high risk (insurance higher).
I can find polos (also high risk and higher insurances). A polo that i found was a 2000 model 1.4 Playa at 30k.
I did see 2 BMWs though on auction on BOB.
1996 528i or 2001 320d (though the diesel scare me cos of the turbo replacement costs). These cars will be much safer and nicer to drive though i am not sure about repair costs (we had an Audi once and it costs us 10k to repair (cam belt cut, head blew, valves burnt) about 8 years ago (non Audi Dealer)).
Or should i bite the bullet and buy a Yaris for about 60-65k. Safer and will have good resale.
Opels are also on the table, corsa lite or older astra's.
So, these are my guesses:
Safetywise: BMW>Honda>Opel>Polo>Toyota=Citi
Reliabilty and repair costs: BMW<Opel<Polo=Polo<Honda<Toyota
Insurance:VW>Toyota>BMW>OPel>Honda
Fun (drive, looks): BMW>VW>OPel>Honda>Toyota
Cost (value for money, resale): ??? (this is where the yaris comes in as it will probably be a better 'investment' a few years down the line.
Fuel and service costs are fine, its just that i dont want to pay 10k for a repair.
Click to expand...
 
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