Need an automatic runaround for ~R1,500 pm

Mike Hoxbig

Mike Hoxbig

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Hey guys,

I'm not that clued up on the lower end of the market, so I need a bit of help.

Second hand/demo will do, as long as there is finance available since I don't want to drop a bunch of cash on a car. I'm mostly going to be using this to work and back.

As mentioned it should be automatic. Should also be reliable, cheaply serviceable and easy to source parts.

So I was thinking of the usual suspects - Brio, i10, Picanto etc. but can't seem to find anything where I'd be paying around R1,500 pm. I'm against balloon payments but don't mind dropping a 30%-odd deposit though.

Any help?

Thanks :)
 
Audi TT i'm not trolling, buy it and set yourself fee. Would have said MX-5 but you want an automatic. #YOLO
 
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That'll finance you roughly R65k to R75k, excluding your deposit and insurance. Small, reasonably priced autos are thin on the ground and in huge demand, so to find a decent one is a bit of a battle. Here's a quick cars.co.za search to give you some background.: Automatics with less than 100 000km on the clock, 2010 or newer, and priced below R100k... 20 advertised across Gauteng. I'm familiar with some of the dealers that come up and I wouldn't touch their cars with a barge pole, so you're down to maybe a dozen options.

The i10 and Picanto aren't awful, and the little Sirions are quite snazzy if you can overlook the fact that Daihatsu has exited the local market. With the requirements you've set you're probably in for a Vivo if you can find one. It's got by far and away the nicest gearbox of the lot, but all the normal Vivo caveats apply.

Also, the Brio blows chunks.
 
Auto i10 is horrendous, stay far away from that underpowered piece of crap.

I've got an automatic Subaru Legacy 3.0R full house that you can have for the price of a small hatchback. :whistle: Previous owner financed it :p
 
Vegeta said:
Audi TT i'm not trolling, buy it and set yourself fee. Would have said MX-5 but you want an automatic. #YOLO
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I'm already free - have a paid off 86 and don't need to sit with the headache of an old Audi possibly breaking. Just want something cheap and reliable for a daily commute of ~16 km return...
 
HapticSimian said:
That'll finance you roughly R65k to R75k, excluding your deposit and insurance. Small, reasonably priced autos are thin on the ground and in huge demand, so to find a decent one is a bit of a battle. Here's a quick cars.co.za search to give you some background.: Automatics with less than 100 000km on the clock, 2010 or newer, and priced below R100k... 20 advertised across Gauteng. I'm familiar with some of the dealers that come up and I wouldn't touch their cars with a barge pole, so you're down to maybe a dozen options.

The i10 and Picanto aren't awful, and the little Sirions are quite snazzy if you can overlook the fact that Daihatsu has exited the local market. With the requirements you've set you're probably in for a Vivo if you can find one. It's got by far and away the nicest gearbox of the lot, but all the normal Vivo caveats apply.

Also, the Brio blows chunks.
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Thanks, appreciated. Will play around with the filters.

The car doesn't have to be below R100k though. I can throw about 30-35k on a deposit. The Vivo is a decent option but the automatics seem to be hard to find, and that's before they meet the price requirements.
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
Thanks, appreciated. Will play around with the filters.

The car doesn't have to be below R100k though. I can throw about 30-35k on a deposit. The Vivo is a decent option but the automatics seem to be hard to find, and that's before they meet the price requirements.
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Well, the figures I mention are just worked back, albeit roughly, from what you said in your OP. ±R1.5k p/m with a 30% deposit will give you a budget of around R100k. And yes, the auto Vivos are very scarce, because they're sold new in piddling numbers compared to the rest of the range. Probably a 50:1 or worse ratio.

You may want to consider a Vespa. :D
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
cheap and reliable for a daily commute of ~16 km return...
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Wait why not commute in the 86? Or is this for the ms? She should get a 86 or MX-5 to be fair. If it's for you then, i mean use your toy as much as you can, it's fun
 
Vegeta said:
Wait why not commute in the 86? Or is this for the ms? She should get a 86 or MX-5 to be fair. If it's for you then, i mean use your toy as much as you can, it's fun
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It's a manual and I don't want to wear it out in traffic. Fuel consumption is also about 11-12l/100km on a daily commute...
 
Whatever you do, stay away from the Ford automatics (not sure if the Figo comes in it, but the Fiesta specifically)
They're extremely unreliable and those auto boxes are a nightmare.
 
Should be able to do a Polo for R1500 in Tiptronic.

Otherwise older Audi A3.

****

Quick look on Car find says for R80 000 you can do a Mercedes C-Class, Mercedes A-Class, Daihatsu Sirion, Polo like I guess, BMW 320.

Those are all 2005 or newer.
 
TehStranger said:
Auto i10 is horrendous, stay far away from that underpowered piece of crap.

I've got an automatic Subaru Legacy 3.0R full house that you can have for the price of a small hatchback. :whistle: Previous owner financed it :p
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I've got an i10 1.2 auto and it has the same power than the 1.2 turbo Polos.
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
It's a manual and I don't want to wear it out in traffic. Fuel consumption is also about 11-12l/100km on a daily commute...
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No man I don't think you have to worry about wearing a Japanese manual out I have 250k on mine have put over 300k on others I've never replaced a clutch or gearbox in a jap car. Suppose it matters how you treat them. Will the extra fuel justify the investment and will it justify not being mr cool cat on a weekday? I think not!
 
If you can find an old Smart Forfour 1.5 Passion - Auto, wonderull car except for the odd electronic problem, had mine for 10 years,

just had 2 problems on the indicator unit once and the electornic controll unit, both times had to wait a few days to get replacement parts (dealer had to import units as not held localy in stock).
 
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