Recommendations for a underrated car for low $ and commuting high Kms

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Originally Posted by Markf

For a while I had a 99 auto Hyundai Sonata. Got it at 243k km's and unloaded it at 450k km's or thereabouts. To my knowledge it's still a daily driver from Dandenong to Hoppers Crossing. Cosmetically it's rubbish but mechanically it's fine. An old workmate has an early i30 with a bazillion km's on it and it's fine - just normal servicing. Lots of lease fleets are Hyundai's these days. One of the big wigs of 13CABS uses leased Hyundais and puts LOTS and LOTS of km's on them before he changes them over. He uses the Hyundai option because they never let him down.
If it was me, I'd go the Hyundai option. After a few years they start to look like crap but they go on and on and on. Tey seem to drink bugger all fuel too which is a bonus.

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Thanks Mark
Yea the Old Hyundais just seem to keep on going (in all honesty Ive treated them poorly apart from Oil changes). And if you need parts they are stacked 10 high at the tip (mid 90s ones that is). An ex fleet i30 could be a great option at the auctions.

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Originally Posted by squizzyhunter

Thanks mate I know nothing about these PTs apart from my partner having an illogical visceral hatred of them[biggrin]
Keep me posted mate and ill try read up on them

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Yep most people that have never driven one hate them, and half that have driven them hate them, most mechanics wont touch them so they are really cheap or free to good home, this one only cost me $1500 . Oh I also put a new clutch in it.

Brilliant little cars and solid as , I deadset hit a kangaroo and leapt into the air as it went under me , not a mark and wheel alignment still true. Just cant afford to keep paying $700 a year rego for a car I don't need and don't have space to store.

I'll let you know if she doesn't take it.

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Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

shorten the oil changes (I know guys that have installed quick drains and cut holes in the panels for access to filters) and the coolant changes

and on most small front engined mobile bump stops they'll go forever, till the timing belt lets go.

Id be aiming for one of the earlier mid sized diesel VW or volvos, one thing that the small cars do not stack up well against is roo strike.

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Cheers Dave
Quick drains and logical pannel holes now this is something I would definitely get behind, thats brilliant.
I will have a look into the Volvo, something like a late 90s early 2000s V40??. Volvo would also be good value for $ as most people dont want to be a "bloody Volvo driver"[biggrin]

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Originally Posted by trout1105

What is wrong with using the 110 as a commuter, The money you would save on rego alone would offset any fuel cost gains owning/driving the extra ****box car?
I use my D2a for pretty much everything and clock up 25-30K a year in it and it is WAY more fun to drive also much more comfortable than ANY of the hideous little ****boxes mentioned here so far[thumbsupbig]

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Cheers Trout
The reason is mainly that Ill need to spend some big $$ and time sooner rather than later. The 110 has been neglected due to $ after getting back from 12 months travelling up north in it. Even after the second interior wash I still come out with red dust on me, I have been putting off replacing the trasfer box as I really dont look forward to that (well untill Im set up down south with a decent shed with concrete floor). This is one of the reasons I want another ****box is so I can take some time again to give the 110 some much needed love. My 110 has always been a little rough but with a lot of help was able to get her to a mechanically good (body is another matter) for the trip. But with no time spent on it for a while I am reluctant to rely on it for everyday long commutes (300 Tdi with 420Km+). It is nice to not have to get it back to running order every day when trying to do some work on her again.

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Originally Posted by 101RRS

So you did 450km per week in Qld - what will you be doing in Vic?

Smaller crap boxes will not handle very high Km per week - you will something that does not scream its head off and is a bit more relaxed.

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Yes will still be going those sort of KMs on average

So 450km a week is not much at all - I thought you said high km [thumbsupbig] in that case any old **** box as long as it reliable will do.

Garry

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Originally Posted by squizzyhunter

Yea I wouldnt touch a new Citroen the old ones were great... maybe the Peugoet went the same way then.

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If you wouldn't touch a newish Citroen (and I wouldn't either outside warranty period) avoid Peugeot as the Citroen is just a re-bodied Peugeot.
They are identical mechanically (except the gas suspension)

We love our 2015 Mazda 2 as a reliable comfortable economical commuter car. It has only needed servicing and just got new tyres at 60,000 Ks. We had a Yaris before that and it was also ultra reliable, but the Mazda is a better drive, the engine is livelier and the auto is six speeds, not 4 as in the Yaris. Plenty of Mazda 2s around roo.

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Originally Posted by rick130

If you wouldn't touch a newish Citroen (and I wouldn't either outside warranty period) avoid Peugeot as the Citroen is just a re-bodied Peugeot.
They are identical mechanically (except the gas suspension)

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Cheers Rick, I did not know that.
Looks like I only like the old french cars now then

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Originally Posted by numpty

Just sold my 16 year old Mazda 323 with 290,000K's. Still getting 7l/hundred and everything still worked including the air con, original clutch and mainly consumables replaced during it's life.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Mazda 3 or possibly an Hyundai i30 if I was looking for a medium commuter.

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I also had a Mazda which was largely faultless, but the Mazda 3 is notoriously noisy so maybe not ideal for long drives.

There are some really cheap, near new Falcons around with the LPI LPG fitted. The drawback is the lack of boot space in the sedan because of the LPG tank.