Good second hand car for +-R80k?

[TeRRoRByteZ2007]

e36 BMW, you can get a very good condition 328i for under 50k

As much I would love to get a BMW, I'm looking for something that is 2005 or later. I'm not sure how economical that 328i would be, but I suppose the money saved could help with fuel And my wife would probably kill me if I came home with it...

 

[TeRRoRByteZ2007]

Ok so pretty much the list has been narrowed down to:
VW Polo TDI (very scarce, but might be lucky to pick one up somewhere). How are the 2.0L Petrol versions?
Ford Fiesta
Honda Civic
Toyota Corolla (I'll still test drive and see if I like it)

 

[vaultedskies]

Ok so pretty much the list has been narrowed down to:
VW Polo TDI (very scarce, but might be lucky to pick one up somewhere). How are the 2.0L Petrol versions?
Ford Fiesta
Honda Civic
Toyota Corolla (I'll still test drive and see if I like it)

You could probably add the Jazz to your list as well? It has lots of space/seat folding arrangements for prams, etc and should be really reliable as well. I've only heard good things about it.

I drive a Fiesta and our pram barely fits in my boot (admittedly it is quite a big pram). The Jazz would have no problem swallowing it up. Having said that, how often would you be using your car for baby transportation? In our case my car is simply for work and back, my wife's car does all the family transport through the week and over weekends.

 

[JackWhite]

e36 BMW, you can get a very good condition 328i for under 50k

I noticed others suggesting this vehicle in the past. Are they cheap to maintain?

 

[TeRRoRByteZ2007]

You could probably add the Jazz to your list as well? It has lots of space/seat folding arrangements for prams, etc and should be really reliable as well. I've only heard good things about it.

I drive a Fiesta and our pram barely fits in my boot (admittedly it is quite a big pram). The Jazz would have no problem swallowing it up. Having said that, how often would you be using your car for baby transportation? In our case my car is simply for work and back, my wife's car does all the family transport through the week and over weekends.

I like the Jazz, but my wife doesn't and she keeps saying its a ladies car. Also heard only good things about them.

It's probably true, I won't be using the car as much for baby transportation as my wife would, maybe just on the odd occasion.

I found this Honda Civic I just need to have someone look at it for me. It doesn't look too bad?

 

[Fox1]

How about this?

My wife has one and its very light on juice, has bootspace for once the kid comes and falls within your budget.

Brilliant reliable car. That 1.4 engine pulls off nicely and provides a quiet an effortless ride. Also, you can still get a good resale value later on.

 

[vaultedskies]

I like the Jazz, but my wife doesn't and she keeps saying its a ladies car. Also heard only good things about them.

It's probably true, I won't be using the car as much for baby transportation as my wife would, maybe just on the odd occasion.

I found this Honda Civic I just need to have someone look at it for me. It doesn't look too bad?

In that case check out a Fiesta?

The mags on that Civic seem to suggest the previous owner liked to floor it... ;P

 

[TeRRoRByteZ2007]

In that case check out a Fiesta?

The mags on that Civic seem to suggest the previous owner liked to floor it... ;P

That was my thought too. How important would KMs be on a maintained car? I've always loved the hatchback Civic, but they just seem out of reach. Found this nice looking diesel Civic hatch.

I would like a Fiesta, I loved the TDCi I had a few years back, but can't find one with low KMs on. I'm not sure how the petrol models are, I've never driven one.

 

[Zyraz]

Mitsubishi Lancer is also a good option in that price range .
http://www.autotrader.co.za/makemodel/make/mitsubishi/model/lancer/search?sort=PriceAsc&gquery=null

 

[TeRRoRByteZ2007]

Mitsubishi Lancer is also a good option in that price range .
http://www.autotrader.co.za/makemodel/make/mitsubishi/model/lancer/search?sort=PriceAsc&gquery=null

I have actually looked at them. But think I read somewhere on this forum that it is expensive to maintain outside the service plan and warranty. Also, I'm not sure how they are on fuel usage? Looking for something below 7.5L/100KM if possible

 

[vaultedskies]

I would like a Fiesta, I loved the TDCi I had a few years back, but can't find one with low KMs on. I'm not sure how the petrol models are, I've never driven one.

I have a 1.6 petrol and it's nice and nippy. Equally, I haven't driven the diesel, which I guess would be nice for driving in traffic with the extra torque.

 

[saturnz]

I noticed others suggesting this vehicle in the past. Are they cheap to maintain?

yeah they are very cheap to maintain, the head, block, gearbox, brakes, clutch etc are all cheap.

fuel economy is not bad, if you have a heavy foot it will punish you ofcourse

they also keep their value, so you will be able to sell it again quite easily and not lose much, perhaps even make a small profit if you look after it

 

[Zyraz]

I have actually looked at them. But think I read somewhere on this forum that it is expensive to maintain outside the service plan and warranty. Also, I'm not sure how they are on fuel usage? Looking for something below 7.5L/100KM if possible

As the owner of one , not true on the service being expensive on the standard models .
The Evo , well I assume would be a slightly different story when it comes to servicing price.

And fuel usage : well as with any car/engine , it depends on your driver`s driving style.

 

[TeRRoRByteZ2007]

Interesting... I'll add it to the list of cars I'm looking for then

Sometimes I have a heavy foot but other days I can really drive economically... depending on how close the needle is to empty

Do they have suede material seats? On this one I can't make out if it is dirty or just the seats.

 

[Zyraz]

Interesting... I'll add it to the list of cars I'm looking for then

Sometimes I have a heavy foot but other days I can really drive economically... depending on how close the needle is to empty

Do they have suede material seats? On this one I can't make out if it is dirty or just the seats.

Yep , got same problem

Depends on the model GLS , GLX etc have different engines and extras.
My advice , dont just look at online photos . Go look at the cars personally .
Maybe even take a drive down your local Main (car sellers) street and take a browse around.

Also don`t underestimate the lowered highjack/stolen risk as its not as popular as for example a Polo or Figo etc.

 

[ice_cubes]

For that budget, I would say go for the corolla

 

[TeRRoRByteZ2007]

Ok I've got another question.

I spoke to a dealer the other day and recommended that when buying a car and taking finance, instead of putting all of the deposit down I should rather use a small amount for the deposit and then use the rest to pay off the finance. Example:

My money : R80000
Car value : R90000
Deposit : R30000
Finance : R90000 - R30000 = R60000
Pay off : R60000 - R50000 = R10000 then have them recalculate repayments.

Does this actually work? In my case, if there is perhaps a car that I really like, but it is just above what I have and can't take out finance for a small amount.

 

[vaultedskies]

Ok I've got another question.

I spoke to a dealer the other day and recommended that when buying a car and taking finance, instead of putting all of the deposit down I should rather use a small amount for the deposit and then use the rest to pay off the finance. Example:

My money : R80000
Car value : R90000
Deposit : R30000
Finance : R90000 - R30000 = R60000
Pay off : R60000 - R50000 = R10000 then have them recalculate repayments.

Does this actually work? In my case, if there is perhaps a car that I really like, but it is just above what I have and can't take out finance for a small amount.

I've heard this as well. Theoretically, the higher your finance amount, the better interest rate you'll get. However, the difference between R60k finance and R10k finance is probably negligible.

 

[jansdejager]

Ok so pretty much the list has been narrowed down to:
VW Polo TDI (very scarce, but might be lucky to pick one up somewhere). How are the 2.0L Petrol versions?
Ford Fiesta
Honda Civic
Toyota Corolla (I'll still test drive and see if I like it)

Also investigate part costs. VW tend to be expensive in this department. I don't recommend buying Honda's second hand because people often don't treat them properly, much like BMW's. Toyota's and Ford's aren't a bad way to go in that segment. Just do proper service if your going long distances (as with any old car). Best place to find offers are bulletin boards (supermarkets, community halls, sports clubs), because that's where pensioners advertise and they take the best care of their cars. Don't consider a car for extra's like electric windows or ac because those break first. Don't bother with automatics, unless everything is in stellar working order. The Renault Clio is not a bad way to go for a smaller car. Renaults are well made.

 

[TeRRoRByteZ2007]

Also investigate part costs. VW tend to be expensive in this department. I don't recommend buying Honda's second hand because people often don't treat them properly, much like BMW's. Toyota's and Ford's aren't a bad way to go in that segment. Just do proper service if your going long distances (as with any old car). Best place to find offers are bulletin boards (supermarkets, community halls, sports clubs), because that's where pensioners advertise and they take the best care of their cars. Don't consider a car for extra's like electric windows or ac because those break first. Don't bother with automatics, unless everything is in stellar working order. The Renault Clio is not a bad way to go for a smaller car. Renaults are well made.

Thanks for your opinion. I had a look at a Renault Clio III 1.5dci. I really liked the car but I'm worried about Renault reliability and resale value. I just don't want to waste my money and end up with a dud. My dad has a Renault Scenic 1.9dci, was a lovely car, turbo blew and didn't cost that much because the turbo was available somewhere else other than the dealer. Then some garage put in petrol instead of diesel, well it stuffed the whole engine, luckily he didn't have to pay for that. It was never the same after that incident.

I suppose I shouldn't really look at buying to sell because either way I'm probably going to lose out.

The Clio 1.5dci is really light on fuel though.