Hi guys, I'm looking for my first car, I'm after an auto in the 2k region. Pretty much need something to get me to and from work. I was looking at a Holden Astra 1995 on tm, I bought a dog and lemon report which recommend to avoid this model like the plague.
So my question is, what models should I be looking at! And anything else re: cars, I really have no idea what to look for. Also are there any good car yards in ChCh that sell cheap cars!
Thanks for your time :)
bmwnz,
Dec 20, 6:29pm
Avoid the D&L Guide like the plague.
daryl14,
Dec 20, 6:38pm
Yes, Return the dog & lemon and quote the CGA in that is it not fit for the purpose for which it was purchased. That's the general consensus round these parts.
Not that there's much love lost on the holden astra either.
carmad50,
Dec 20, 6:47pm
want eliabilitygo toyota nissan then honda and others cant go far wrong that way cars are cheap parts are cheap reliability s good get car u like checked by qualified person mecanic before you buy very important that is shake steering wheel motor got rattles leave it thereshake steering wheel any noises click click ka thump ka thump leave it there check tyres wear on the side s in the middle all signs of suspension / steering wear brakes grind ,park it leave it check handbrake pul it up more than 4 clicksrear brake shoes /pads required soon run the engine , stop motor ,motor not 2 warmrelease pressure radiater cap slowly ,inspect the water or coolant is it milky or other color than green or water leave it there,inspect the cap s inside rubber is it worn ! does it have oil traces there , signs of blown head gaskets is it leaking oil ,where s the oil leaking from , does it chnage gears auto manual gearboxes , alot to learn quickly mecanic can do a drive and pick most faults at small cost maybe 60 bucks a time but then you pick the rite car before that aye use advice given above you ll do okand whats the asking price 4k start at 2 k wave some hundy notes if the deals guna be done cash talks and the rest walk mate hope u get a great deal
countrypete,
Dec 20, 6:58pm
OMG that was one sentence!At least Jazz uses punctuation.
kcf,
Dec 20, 7:00pm
In the $2k price bracket maybe keep a good watch out for a 1990-1994 or so Pulsar sedan 1500.They tend to go quite cheaply, and are a fairly solid car.They have a couple of electrical issues that are common and easily fixed (electric windows stop working, air con stops working other than on fan speed 1, and fan speed 1 stops working), also the air flow meters conk out, but they're fairly easily dealt with by an auto sparky.
They don't hold their value as well as the same year Corolla, but they're a good cheap little runabout.
As previously mentioned by another poster, I wouldn't wish a $2000 Astra on my worst enemy.
Corolla, Starlet, Sunny, Pulsar in the auto range are all "ok but reliable".The Civic's you have to avoid the dual carb engine, and the CVT auto trans versions, which might be a bit more car homework than you want to get into.
intrade,
Dec 20, 8:14pm
should be able to get 2 to 3 grand i got a good one but i probably sold it for 2500$ to a visitor for a while with corollas its the problem they get older and must have been looked after or they be just as mutch bombs as anything else that was not looked after 20 years later . my one is a corolla 3 speed auto with 312.000km fully serviced and i would say it will go fine another 100 to 200 tausend km before its worn out . automatic cars i buy nothing else then toyota from the 90s
carmad50,
Dec 20, 8:16pm
yerp it was a long sentance, have to admit but then it has a lot of info ,when you go shopping for a car first time out , some of the heaps I ve come across in this townfor 4k and over ,I would nt give away they were that bad now Ill go back and edit and add commers for those edumacated folks
thejazzpianoma,
Dec 20, 8:20pm
Is learning to drive a manual an option!
If it is this is well worth considering, with cheap cars the auto transmission is about the most likely thing to have a catastrophic failure and be too expensive to be worth fixing. Also, it will make the car use more fuel, have less power and cost more to service.The auto's on most old cars usually have not been service properly and are often on their last too.
My personal formula for buying cheap cars (other than getting a manual one) is to pick something that is a good car but is shunned in NZ because of our weird obsession with only liking Japanese cars. PIck the right car and you will have something that is just as reliable but substantially newer, safer and in better condition than what else is available in the "usual suspects" list of Corolla's, Pulsar's etc.
Remember though, not all alternatives are good cars so pick your options carefully.
Also. with each car you are considering add up what needs to be done to bring it up to scratch and make sure you have budget for it. It would be very rare to find a 2K car that does not have some servicing that is overdue. Consider doing the basics yourself (oil change, filters etc), plenty of videos on the net and advice on here to help you learn.
Some suggestions are:
Fiat Bravo/Brava/Marea with the 1.6 engine. Brilliant car, economical, super reliable and galvanised so no rust problems. Parts are easy to get from several places in NZ and are cheap.
Fiat Punto - Especially the smaller 1.1 and 1.2 litre engine models. Very basic, reliable, fun to drive and mostly galvanised so no rust issues. The FIre series engines in these are amazing on fuel and very very reliable.
Citroen Xsara (In manual only, definitely not an auto one of these) Parts are not as easy and cheap as with the Fiats but are available. Nice and simple in terms of engine and maintenance, a lot of car for the money. I bought a really mint one for 2K and enjoyed 9 months of nearly cost free motoring. Fairly good in a crash, better than most 2K cars. Very good on fuel, nice comfortable ride and handling.
There are a bunch of others I would consider too, but that should get you started.
thejazzpianoma,
Dec 20, 8:29pm
One more thing. I would suggest looking at a wide range of vehicles so as to cast a wide net for a bargain. Then do your research on each one to see whether its a lemon or a "hidden gem" that people overlook unnecessarily. You just have to develop a nose for sifting the real advice from the "Dog and Lemon" type nonsense from people who will just knock everything not Japanese.
There are definitely some rubbish cars made everywhere in the world, but there are some great ones too.
carmad50,
Dec 20, 8:36pm
fords and holdens and mitsis in the 90sjust absolute rubbish vehicles , plenty of 4 wdrive teranos around thoe a manual under 3 k would be rare easy to work on take u anywhere and cheap with diesel costs rego and ks not cheap matainance at a garage same tyre wearusually a new set of tyres on these good for 8o thou ks as long as u service and do filters regularly youd get a great run from them good luck with your first car
kazbanz,
Dec 20, 9:06pm
OP-in your price range its more a case of what to avoid rather than what to buy. Generally you will find that if a car seems to be too good to be true most likely it IS.Case in point being the car you are interested in. incidently its actually an Opal Run individual cars past people who know cars to help out. Incidently it also pays to think a bit laterally. Yep the mainstay is the corolla or pulsar But the toyota marino is a corolla mechanically or a Nissan presia is a Nissan pulsar or bluebird underneath
neville48,
Dec 20, 9:44pm
commers for those edumacated folks
Quotecarmad50 (45 )9:16 am, Fri 21 Dec #9 Thats "edgimicated", geezuss ar yoo dum or sumpthing.
sr2,
Dec 20, 10:08pm
+1; very sound advice (as usual).
arrithedog,
Dec 20, 10:43pm
Most cars are reliable these days - AS LONG AS THEY HAVE BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY ! Check that, then when the cam belt was last changed, and that ALL the sundry items were done at the same time. That job can cost up to a grand, and if the belt (or any of the other components associated with it) fail, then your looking at twice what the car's worth (at least) to get it running again. But I'm not a mechanic, just someone who's been driving an awful long time.
arrithedog,
Dec 20, 10:45pm
Also, nearly all my cars have been dissed by the D & L guide, but I have them serviced regularly and never had a problem with any of them.
kazbanz,
Dec 20, 11:04pm
Hey no arguements with you there. BUT unlike that one eyed prat with the D and L there are people here who work on cars day in and out. Some cars as they have aged have proven to have a range of reliability issues
arrithedog,
Dec 21, 5:43am
I must have been lucky. :-)
franc123,
Dec 21, 5:55am
Shakes head.
berg,
Dec 21, 6:08am
For that money I got my Mum a mid 90s Mitsi hatch 5 door and it was the most reliable, fantastic wee car she's had. Bombproof reliable and zero problems up until the point a van ran over the front of it. There are some good cars out there if you are willing to go looking. As said by most above, look into cars with a good maintenance history but also cars that have easily available and reasonably priced parts and servicing.
afer_daily,
Dec 21, 6:24am
TIP No 1 ) dont buy from me .
mber2,
Dec 21, 10:43am
I gave up trying to read this about 1/4 way through. Try using some punctuation and paragrapghs. It makes it a lot easier to read.
chebry,
Dec 21, 7:18pm
Most 90s Jappas will give you a good run for under 2k Remember in Mexico the early 90s Pulsar was still in production a couple of years ago tough little cars, Throw the D&L guide away its not a reliable guide to anything.
millesime,
Dec 21, 8:25pm
Thanks for all the info guys, its been very helpful. I'm going to look at a Toyota Corolla this afternoon and have made a mental note what to look out for/ check. Have also found a few models on tm that have been mentioned above.Yeah I wasn't sure about the D&L reports but it did make me aware that there are models to avoid.
What's the max km's I should be looking at! Obviously the cars I'm looking at have done a lot of mileage. Thanks.
millesime,
Dec 23, 7:56am
Is a Toyota Cavalier 1997 a good model! I was told the parts are harder to come by! (Specs: auto, with new water pump, thermostat and 120,000km, chain belt) I'm test driving it tomorrow.
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