Best options for budget of £2k

[ZGeorge]

Hi all

My 2007 Yaris has failed its MOT due to emissions, garage advised engine is burning oil (which I don't argue with) and is probably worn (clocked over 100k miles).

I only bought this earlier this year so not happy as thought a Yaris was reliable! I need a car for my job so am resigned that I'm going to have to sack the Yaris off and get another car.

Any advice/opinions on a reliable car for a £2k budget - used for a mixture of city and motorway driving in excess of 100 miles a week.

Cheers!

[eleveneleven]

Stick with a Japanese n/a petrol

I'd go with a Gen 7 Honda Accord. should be able to find a high milage but half decent one EX model around that price.

Comfortable, enough toys if you get the EX (electric heated seats, auto lights/wipers etc) drive well and extremely reliable if taken care of. My Friend has 189k miles on his and still tight as a drum.

Cant go wrong with a Civic either but they're a little noisy higher speeds.

[ZGeorge]

Thanks - I just need reliability and a good engine - I can live without any luxuries if it comes to it.

This 07 Yaris has already cost me a replacement exhaust due to corrosion so I'm wondering what's gone on with the engine?

I only know some basics about cars so am worried I'll face the same issue again with a high mileage petrol engine. Last car was an 03 Golf TDI, I loved it I have to say.

[GreatGranny]

Auris

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202209199...

Nissan Note

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202209179...

[Truckosaurus]

ZGeorge said:

...This 07 Yaris has already cost me a replacement exhaust due to corrosion so I'm wondering what's gone on with the engine? ...

The exhaust rusted away (and in fact fell off!) my otherwise pristine Lexus, so I think Toyota just make exhausts that rust easily.

I suspect the smokey engine might be due to lots of short journeys over the life of the car so never warming up leading to extra wear for the miles done (also extra condensation down the exhaust to add to the rusting?).

Edit to Add: For your budget I'd go a size up from the Yaris to an Auris or Civic as you'll get more for your money especially if you go for a 'big' engine (1.6 or more)

Edited by Truckosaurus on Friday 7th October 13:56

[ZGeorge]

GreatGranny said:

Auris

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202209199...

Nissan Note

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202209179...

Thoughts on diesel engine over petrol?

[ZGeorge]

Truckosaurus said:

The exhaust rusted away (and in fact fell off!) my otherwise pristine Lexus, so I think Toyota just make exhausts that rust easily.

I suspect the smokey engine might be due to lots of short journeys over the life of the car so never warming up leading to extra wear for the miles done (also extra condensation down the exhaust to add to the rusting?).

Edit to Add: For your budget I'd go a size up from the Yaris to an Auris or Civic as you'll get more for your money especially if you go for a 'big' engine (1.6 or more)

Edited by Truckosaurus on Friday 7th October 13:56

Yeah maybe so, just so annoyed after paying nearly £2k for it earlier this year after reading so much about the Yaris being a solid engine!

[GreatGranny]

ZGeorge said:

Thoughts on diesel engine over petrol?

Normally short trips don't suit diesels but for £2k you just buy the best one you can find petrol or diesel IMO.

You'll be looking at older diesels which don't have the same issues as modern ones.

We have a 13 year old Fiesta 1.4TDCi which has done 120k miles.
Even though it's been abused and only gets a service when I can be bothered it refuses to die.
Sounds like a bag of spanners though

[TheAlastair34]

Id stick with simple non turbo petrol engined cars

you have had a bad experiance with the Yaris but on the whole they are very reliable

If you go for a turbo diesel there is loads more to go wrong, injectors, dmf, turbo any one of those woudl cost you nearly half the car budget

[Ankh87]

There's loads of Toyota cars you could go for. Celica's, Corolla's, Aygo's, Yaris' and Auris at that price.
Look at Kia's as well like a Cee'd or something.

It completely depends on how much space you need. You can get a decent MK2 Yaris or a Micra with low mileage.

[ingenieur]

It could be a waste of money so it's a gamble but if you can't see blue or black smoke gushing out the exhaust of your current car you could try getting an MOT at another test centre. Maybe you were scammed at the first one. Can happen. It's a gamble though.

[Scootersp]

ingenieur said:

It could be a waste of money so it's a gamble but if you can't see blue or black smoke gushing out the exhaust of your current car you could try getting an MOT at another test centre. Maybe you were scammed at the first one. Can happen. It's a gamble though.

or try Wynn's "stop smoke" got to be worth a tenner. Add it and run it for a few hundred miles?

[ZGeorge]

ingenieur said:

It could be a waste of money so it's a gamble but if you can't see blue or black smoke gushing out the exhaust of your current car you could try getting an MOT at another test centre. Maybe you were scammed at the first one. Can happen. It's a gamble though.

It’s not blowing smoke but it is going through a lot of oil so I’m tipping there’s an issue with the engine.

[W201_190e]

I’ve got a Peugeot 107 and so does my wife. Before I virtually lost all interest in cars, I had the typical cheap barges, E39 5 Series, E46 330ci, 190e etc etc but our little Pugs (actually Toyota’s) are the best cars we’ve had. I do 150 miles a week in mine and it’s,touch wood, been rock solid.

Sure I’d like something more comfortable but I don’t see cars as anything more than a means to travel nowadays and my priority is low running costs. You can’t buy a cheaper car to run than a 107/C1/Aygo. Can’t go wrong with them tbh. And they’re so plentiful even if the engine went pop you can buy another engine for £200 and pay someone £100 to fit it for you.

I’ll have reason to have to get a bigger car next year, and I’m dreading it. Like yourself I don’t have a large budget and there is a lot of absolute st out there.

[ZGeorge]

Thanks for all the info - I’ll not write off Toyotas as my next (budget) purchase , I think I just had a bad experience with this one.

[egor110]

What about a civic or focus ?

My mrs has a grands worth of mk2 focus and it's absolutely fine , handlings pretty good , spares are cheap.

[Brassblaster]

egor110 said:

What about a civic or focus ?

My mrs has a grands worth of mk2 focus and it's absolutely fine , handlings pretty good , spares are cheap.

I tend to avoid Ford's out of laziness - I wouldn't buy one unless the service history was decent and very often isn't... And I can't personally be bothered to put the extra effort in to find the ones that have been locked after better.

The Focus platform is good and the 1.6/1.8 petrols are decent little engines and cheap on parts...
But I'd (personally) look at the Focus based "P1" Volvo's with the same 1.6/1.8 petrol engines instead - so C30 and S40 (V50 estate commands a premium and C70 hardtop convertible rarely comes with the smaller engines). Realistically you pay little extra for the Volvo badge but they're a good bit more likely to have been cared for rather than treated as whitegoods in my experience.

As I say though, "in my experience", yours may vary!


Edit: I would, by and large, probably look at Japanese cars too - and in fairness Volvo's are also what I know best, albeit the Volvo 5-pots moreso than the Ford petrols.

[egor110]

With a budget of 2k max I'd wouldn't fuss about service history other than cambelt .

You can easily stamp up a service book so it looks immaculate , I'd rather just actually drive it and if it drives nicely that'll do

[ZX10R NIN]

I'd say it's worth taking a look at the Astra they're reliable easy to maintain & a decent car:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202209219...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202210060...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202209109...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206086...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202210060...

[Puppisadeer]

ZGeorge said:

Hi all

My 2007 Yaris has failed its MOT due to emissions, garage advised engine is burning oil (which I don't argue with) and is probably worn (clocked over 100k miles).

Is it uneconomical to repair? Or have you just lost faith in it? I have a 2002 Yaris, bought it 4.5 years ago on 115,000 miles with no service history. I’ve had to replace original parts (starter motor, exhaust, coils), but it’s fundamentally been a very reliable car and cost me naff all to maintain.