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

Originally Posted by squizzyhunter

Yes I am a fan of most Toyotas but they hold their value too well from the reputation of reliability so are are either overpriced or appropriately priced from this.

Depends on how old and what dollars. I have a ‘97 Camry V6 with 250KKM on it - cost me $700. Likely to still be going when I die I reacon. Needed lower control arm bushes and a few things I got for $60 from pick a part to get a RWC for it. Drives great, is my junker/family spare/friends spare car, and those that have driven it comment how quiet and smooth it still is for its age.

Anything for under $1000 with a RWC is dirt cheap IMO.

Originally Posted by bsperka

I30 diesel or 1.5l Honda Jazz. Both have a timing chain and great fuel economy. Mazda 2 for fuel economy as well, but some engines apparently have a timing belt, so need to factor in the replacement cost every so often. Or drive it until it goes ping.

Ha ha yea with my former hyundais it has been a drive till ping plan. Thats another +ve for the i30

Originally Posted by Homestar

Depends on how old and what dollars. I have a ‘97 Camry V6 with 250KKM on it - cost me $700. Likely to still be going when I die I reacon. Needed lower control arm bushes and a few things I got for $60 from pick a part to get a RWC for it. Drives great, is my junker/family spare/friends spare car, and those that have driven it comment how quiet and smooth it still is for its age.

Anything for under $1000 with a RWC is dirt cheap IMO.

I agree thats a great deal, is it pretty thirsty or not too bad? I suppose for back up vehicle the efficiency wouldn't be great issue.

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

I do it in a 6x6...

remarkably, the motor bike and the arkie have about the same travel times for some destinations,

the bike because it can thread through the smaller gaps.

Arkie because its seems that most of melbourne has worked out that the orange blinky light is someone telling you what you're about to do, not begging permission...
Apparently the ole NT Might of way roadrules work here too.

Originally Posted by squizzyhunter

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"

yep easy on insurance too And, runs on vege

Originally Posted by squizzyhunter

Cheers Bigbjorn
I forgot about the Auctions, does it still work out worthwhile given the hassle, auction cost and mandatory haulage?
As for the size i would like a wagon for bikes & boards ect but not too fussed about size. In saying that the Yaris may be a little twitchy for high country kms (only speculation as I havent driven one though).

Perhaps buy here before moving to Freezeyourarseoff Land. I don't know how auctions are run in Vic but here you buy an ex-Govt car at auction with a Safety Certificate and can register it there and then.

I was a fleet manager some years ago and would only ever buy Holden-Valiant-Falcon. Jap second then Euros dead last and only under pressure from jumped up execs who needed a "prestige" car to drive to the private school, golf club, etc. When these broke down they amazingly took a long time to fix, waiting for parts, and so on. I would rent them a Corolla or Datsun out of pure spite.

Bit of history now but the most reliable and lowest repairs were VC Valiants. This fleet had 70 of them. Aside from the occasional disaster, usually country reps busting holes in radiators and sumps and ignoring gauges and lights, and continuing to drive.

Squizzy, if it was me I would be looking for a low kms. last model Commodore.

SV21 Camry. Still a few tidy one's about.

Originally Posted by Bigbjorn

Perhaps buy here before moving to Freezeyourarseoff Land. I don't know how auctions are run in Vic but here you buy an ex-Govt car at auction with a Safety Certificate and can register it there and then.

I was a fleet manager some years ago and would only ever buy Holden-Valiant-Falcon. Jap second then Euros dead last and only under pressure from jumped up execs who needed a "prestige" car to drive to the private school, golf club, etc. When these broke down they amazingly took a long time to fix, waiting for parts, and so on. I would rent them a Corolla or Datsun out of pure spite.

Bit of history now but the most reliable and lowest repairs were VC Valiants. This fleet had 70 of them. Aside from the occasional disaster, usually country reps busting holes in radiators and sumps and ignoring gauges and lights, and continuing to drive.

Squizzy, if it was me I would be looking for a low kms. last model Commodore.

Thanks for the insight BigBjorn
Ill be heading down at the end of the week so wont have a chance to get one up here before I move down.
I never been much of a fan of commodores (or falcons for that matter) I will look into them now though as they are probably now good value as not many people do like them. Still look quite inefficient at 9-11L per 100Km though.

I run a factory gas Falcon RTV ute in and out of town 5 days a week, previously we had a BA sedan on dedicated gas. By far the cheapest vehicle to run I have ever owned. Cost on fuel is about $60 per 550KM and parts are reasonably priced. If you get the late model injected ones they even have a couple of extra KW over the petrol version. 285000 KM and still going strong, I bought it with 34,000 on it
I bought the ute from Queensland and the BA from a "wholesale" dealer in Melbourne. The BA was cheaper there than at the Canberra auctions.

Regards,
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