Advice for a cheapie second car

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Nuro

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Hi

Any advice on what to look or not to look for on a second cheap car? The car will only be used around twice a week, probably less than 50km per week. We are hoping to do the sensible thing and buy one cash, it doesn't need to be new or fancy, we basically just want something reliable. Budget wise I'm not quite sure. As cheap as possible of course since there is a tipping point where it becomes cheaper just to use Uber, but the freedom of a car would be cool.
Anything around R30 000, or am I living in a dream world?
 
Check on cars.co.za or autotrader.co.za or Gumtree what you can get for R30K.

I doubt you will find anything decent though.
 
Honestly with so many cars being stolen I would not recommend Toyota Tazz. It's a good choice but just to be on a safe side I would stay away from Toyota Tazz/Conquest.

Stretch your budget to R40 000 then check these cars Ford Ka, Hyundai Atos, Kia Picanto if you got tight security Toyota Tazz.
 
Last edited:
Ramodiana said:
Old Kia Picanto or Chevrolet Spark.
Click to expand...

This

We had an old Spark and it is such a great little car. I am also looking for a R35k car. I need it to be reliable. Second hand is always a bit of a surprise. I mean - do you ever know how the previous owner/owners looked after the car.
 
Buy a 2000 Honda Ballade 150i with less than 200k on the clock. Mine's a backup at this stage with 380k kms, still going strong.
You can get one for around R30k, and you'll get aircon, power steering, comfort, etc...
 
Corsa lite with aircon, you can get good deals on private deals. Tazz is also fine but I don't know how people survive in SA in a car without aircon.
 
Nuro said:
Hi

Any advice on what to look or not to look for on a second cheap car? The car will only be used around twice a week, probably less than 50km per week. We are hoping to do the sensible thing and buy one cash, it doesn't need to be new or fancy, we basically just want something reliable. Budget wise I'm not quite sure. As cheap as possible of course since there is a tipping point where it becomes cheaper just to use Uber, but the freedom of a car would be cool.
Anything around R30 000, or am I living in a dream world?
Click to expand...
Corsa lite 30k
Golf 1 31 k
Nissan almera 2006 35k
Ford fiesta 06 models these start from like 38-50
 
Look for a car that you know parts are cheap and readily available for. Ford/Vw

Vw Polo and polo classic is your best bet. Cheap to fix and still runs great.

You will get a 99-2003 model in that range
 
Gonzo.B said:
Look for a car that you know parts are cheap and readily available for. Ford/Vw

Vw Polo and polo classic is your best bet. Cheap to fix and still runs great.

You will get a 99-2003 model in that range
Click to expand...
Insurance premiums in a polo ....not so cheap
 
Nuro said:
Hi

Any advice on what to look or not to look for on a second cheap car? The car will only be used around twice a week, probably less than 50km per week. We are hoping to do the sensible thing and buy one cash, it doesn't need to be new or fancy, we basically just want something reliable. Budget wise I'm not quite sure. As cheap as possible of course since there is a tipping point where it becomes cheaper just to use Uber, but the freedom of a car would be cool.
Anything around R30 000, or am I living in a dream world?
Click to expand...

Advice:
At that price, ignore milage and look at the quality of the vehicle:
Does it have rust.
Does it leak fluids.
Does it run smoothly.
Is it drivable.

My advice would be to get something as simple as possible. The less stuff in the car, the less stuff there is to break and cause problems.

Also, be prepared to spend a few thousand on getting it serviced and replacing a few parts. I recently bought a Nissan 1400 bakkie for about R35000. I have since spent about R10k getting the thing serviced and catching up on what I guess is about 10 years of services that were not done. I needed to get a new radiator, and will probably need to get a replacement distributor as I am suspecting the current one is on its last legs. That being said, you can space these things out a bit so it doesn't hit you all at once. This is what I am doing.

I looked at a couple before I eventually chose one, at this price range, you have to be very picky. If you feel uncomfortable driving the car, walk away.

Things that are difficult to catch are things like the bearings and such. This is what made up the first big service that I took it in for.

Also make sure you are either doing the stuff yourself or you have a mechanic you trust. Most mechanics would just see dollar signs if they see a jalopy roll into their garage.
 
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