currently have a 2000 Toyota Echo 1.3 manual great little car very economical will be sad when i have to see it go.Hubby says it will need to go as rust starting to show in the pillars :( Have had my car 9 years and never given me a problem.Now what to get do i get a later model or have a change all together will be looking at up to 10,000.I love the mini and allso the suzuki swift.
stevo2,
Nov 1, 11:57am
If you love the car so much, why dont you fix the rust or is it to far gone?
daryl14,
Nov 1, 12:41pm
Go and test drive an 06 or newer vw golf. You'll feel like you want those years confined to the echo back.
hardenbol,
Nov 1, 2:26pm
Allways liked the golf but never owned a european car hmm
tamarillo,
Nov 1, 2:29pm
Structural rust or just a little bubbling in paint? If latter just get it fixed. Former. sell it. Replace with newer version.
mush13,
Nov 1, 2:41pm
If you can afford it. maybe a NZ assembled 2011 or later Swift, I think they are physically bigger than the earlier Swifts and have a good safety rating.
whqqsh,
Nov 1, 3:05pm
we just bought a new Fiat Punto (the ones on TV 15,999), cost a bit more because we upgraded 2k for all the extras & well worth every penny (leather seats, steering wheel etc, way better looking dash, auto & dual heater controls, cruise, tinted windows, rain sensor wipers, body kit, chrome trimmy bits etc etc) . Great little car & doesn't feel like a small car to drive. The missus is very happy with it.
3tomany,
Nov 1, 3:10pm
If you are buying second hand, brand of car will be less important than finding the best example in your price range. Not many lemons out there just be sure of condition and ownership history and servicing, get a mechanical report. the obvious are yaris/ corrola, swift, mazda, ford fiesta / focus, VW golf / polo, honda jazz / civic, nissan, and of course your mini. Lots of choice and many name variables of some jap import examples so ask kazbanz on here if a car name confuses you. many more i didn't list but i think you get what i am saying so good luck.
peja,
Nov 1, 3:17pm
Seriously, I would look at getting the rust fixed if possible. Especially if you want another manual, as these are harder to come by these days. If the rust is too bad then a later model Echo/ Vitz / Yaris (they are all the same thing but for different markets) may be the way to go. I'd be really surprised that one of these has rusted that badly though, partner's 2004 Vitz which lives outside hasn't a spot of rust anywhere, and nor did the previous 2001 one which got totalled by a truck. Was such a great car, still going strong at 290.000 kms we got another
budgel,
Nov 1, 3:30pm
Good advice, I would definitely look at a VW Golf.
andy61,
Nov 1, 3:45pm
I never knew they still assembled Sukuzi Swifts in NZ, they must be very rare.My father had a Japanese import 2013 Swift, almost no space in the car, very small boot and rear seat space. Also the Swift had a very harsh ride, sold it because of the harsh ride.
mush13,
Nov 1, 3:48pm
ok should have said NZ new. :)
franc123,
Nov 1, 3:55pm
I'd be getting a pro assessment and estimate to sort the rust issue, if that's the only thing that's wrong with it. If it won't pass wof as it is what's it going to be worth to sell you reckon? Unless other areas of it are starting to get tired due to high kms or its going to need serious money spent on it generally you may as well just fix and keep it. If you do really want a change I'd look at Swift or a later Toyota, if you are the type that doesn't change cars for many years trust me you won't want to live with a Golf long term.
3tomany,
Nov 1, 4:12pm
i worked all that out when i test drove two of them swift and swift sport, ended up buying a fiesta it is superior in every way.
whqqsh,
Nov 1, 4:47pm
agree, we had one as cheap rental last time on holiday (we thought we'd get a Polo but the fine print said 'or similar') Wasn't impressed at all, harsh ride is correct. Over some roads I even compared it to Dads old Morry
kazbanz,
Nov 1, 5:05pm
Sorry Mush-no such thing. Hasn't been a car assembled in NZ for a fair few years.
kazbanz,
Nov 1, 5:11pm
Theres a fair few vehicles compete with the Vitz/yarris in that 10k range. yep you could update to a newer example of your car. To do so you can only go to 04 After that the shape changed and the car is a bit bigger. DY series Mazda demios (02-07) are a direct competition. Suzuki Swift Great car and has dropped to a point they are worth looking at Also in the Toyota Stable is the IST -which up to 05/06 IS a vitz just with a different body. Nissan Has the March which with a manual gearbox gets along about the same as the Vitz. ALL have a chain drive 4 cylinder engine similar to your Vitz.
mainlander05,
Nov 2, 12:43am
VW service costs are very very very expensive.bill had one and under its quarantee conditions it had to have approved parts.VW oil,$20 a litre, battery,$300.service,$600. My jappa,let's just say cheap and to the jap haters,its never missed a beat in the 3 yrs I've had it.
daryl14,
Nov 2, 1:04am
The OP isn't going to be buying new as they have stated a budget. Whatever they buy, they wil be able to have their car serviced at one of the many independant specialists around or even any run of the mill local garages without too much fear of anything going wrong. Stop your scare mongering.
djrandomguy,
Nov 2, 5:00pm
I had Echo's brand new for work, a 2004 manual and then a brand new one in 2012. Both cars had horrible rides, refused to go around a corner, poor all round vision, horrible plastic interiors, compromised load space and you have to rev the nuts off them to get them to move. I would recommend trying ANY alternative small car unless all you want to do is run back and forth to the supermarket. Yes they are reliable, but not worth the complete lack of joy every time you drive it.
kazbanz,
Nov 2, 5:32pm
Where I agree with you that VW PARTS are expensive compared to a jappa. If you compared apples with apples I suspect an equivilant Toyota car would be similar pricing to service.-Though why a NEW VW would need a battery baffles me. If its a used VW then I can tell you that they were ripped off. A used vehicle would have an aftermarket warranty and they CANNOT specify using the brand specific oil. Correct type/viscocity yes but not brand. Im no VW fanboy but even so I advise folks that day to day servicing of a VW is about the same price as anything else. Where it gets expensive is replacement parts outside of service items
hardenbol,
Nov 29, 11:03am
Definetly don't have to rev the nuts off my echo for it to move in saying that wouldnt own one if it was a automatic and smaller than a 1.3 motor.For the time being have decided my car is going nowhere :) have been told that it could cost between 400- 1000 to fix rust depending what they find when they take the screen out and much better than paying a vehicle off which i would have had to do and yes my car is a joy to drive.
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