Need a second car, any suggestions?

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eschey

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Hey guys,

My partner and I are in need of a second car as we both have jobs in different parts of the city. Nothing special or expensive, just an every day car thats fun to drive and generally easy to work on etc.

I live in New Zealand so I'm not sure if prices are applicable, I'm more looking for suggestions on decent quality cars but in a relativly low price range. We're willing to spend up to $6k (NZ dollars).

Anyway, we already have a station wagon so are probably leaning more towards a smaller car like a coupe.

I'd also appreciate general thoughts on some possible cars that I've seen for sale. They are:

1996 Audi A4 1.8 (non turbo)
150k km on the clock and only $3k :O

1996 Honda Prelude SRI
146k km on the clock, $4800

1996 Nissan Primera P11
170k km on the clock, not sure on price they want.

So yeh, any advice or suggestions on reliable, fun cars to drive would be great :)

Thanks
eschey
 
So what would your criteria be? Just reliable and fun?

Any preferences about age/transmission/kms/economy etc? 6k will buy quite a bit of car these days.
 
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1998 Nissan Wingroad. Manual, 4wd, 1500cc

We'd prefer a manual, probably anything newer than 95 for age and less than 170,000kms. I guess we'd also like something smaller than a 2.5, so no massive v8's lol

But the main thing would definatly be for it to be reliable. The current car has only needed to have a CV boot replaced and I've had it for 18 months.
 
Just had a quick look at trademe. I've kept it to manual coupes '95 onwards.


There seem to be a smattering of AE111 Levins on at the moment that sorta fall into what you're looking for. From what I hear, they're pretty decent to drive, and the 4age is a pretty solid motor for a 1.6. Haven't heard any horror stories reliability wise either

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Cars/Toyota/Levin/auction-252371233.htm


The FTO, looks weird, but drives pretty well from what I hear. Again, theres a few for sale at the moment, but most appear to be tiptronic though. Not too sure about the reliability aspect, as I'm not overly familiar with them

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Cars/Mitsubishi/FTO/auction-251029158.htm


If you can find one that hasn't been wrapped around a tree, non-turbo r33 skylines might be a bit of fun as well. They seem to hold up pretty well unless you want to thrash the living daylights out of them.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Cars/Nissan/skyline/auction-252912361.htm

Whereabouts in the country are you at? Or how far are you willing to travel to get a car?
 
4AGE... tends to eat oil at high mileage if its been abused... will depend on the actual condition of the car... but it's an otherwise solid car.

FTO... tiptronic... no... wonderful little V6, but lots of niggling engine electronics issues with Mitsus of that age.

R33? Have no opinion, never tried one... but a big V6 car isn't going to be the most practical or frugal car out there.

What's in the Wingroad? A fuel-injected four pot or a carbureted one? If it's the EFI version of the engine, that's a pretty decent one... given it's a Sunny body and the chain-driven GA engine, it should be relatively reliable... only issue is the four-wheel drive, as I'm not sure how tough the extra differentials are. Still... easy to drive, lots of useable space, pretty tough. But fun? Nah... not without some knackered rear tires and a little dirt.

A P11 isn't a pulse-raising ride, either, but it's a competent performer and the engine is pretty good.

The Prelude is probably your best bet, as long as it's a manual.

What it might all come down to is the condition of the specific cars for sale... At between 100,000 to 200,000 kilometers, you're looking at some worn electronic sensors and possible engine issues for any of these cars if the previous owner has been less than diligent in terms of routine maintenance and proper driving.
 
niky
R33? Have no opinion, never tried one... but a big V6 car isn't going to be the most practical or frugal car out there.
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lol what? :lol:

on topic, what about Subarus and the like? they had coupes (SVX, Leone, XT) and then there's naturally oh so lovely E36 BMW's..
 
Leonidae
lol what? :lol:

on topic, what about Subarus and the like? they had coupes (SVX, Leone, XT) and then there's naturally oh so lovely E36 BMW's..
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None of the Subarus you mention are '95 or newer, not a 100% about the SVX though. Don't they have pretty serious gearbox gremlins as well? The only 'small' Subarus in his age and price bracket would be WRXs that have been thrashed to hell and back, or NA Imprezas which aren't the most exciting things ever.

E36 BMW: Could work. But it might be quite hard to get a manual one with reasonable kms in decent condition within his pice range. There are quite a few auto ones for sale atm though.

niky
R33? Have no opinion, never tried one... but a big V6 car isn't going to be the most practical or frugal car out there.
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Frugal, maybe not, but they're more than reasonable unless you drive like an utter idiot. I don't see why it wouldn't be practical though. The OP doesn't state that he wants a "small" small car, I just figured he wanted something that's not a station wagon. I mean, an R33 coupe wouldn't be THAT much bigger in size than the A4 sedan he is also considering would it?

With respect to the 4age eating oil etc, you'll be hard pressed to find any engine orientated towards performance that won't have any issues at all if they're ragged on endlessly. All comes down to the car itself. I reckon I'd take a well maintained "unreliable" car than a thashed "reliable" one any day.

OFF TOPIC EDIT: If anyone wants to buy a Type-R Integra in New Zealand, now is probably a good time. At the moment, type-R's seem to outnumber normal Integras by about 1 million to 1 on trademe.
 
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Not really a coupe, but the U13 Nissan Bluebird SSS is reliable, looks ok and has manual and the KA24DE 2.4L inline-4 which is overall a very good engine. Had one a few years before we got the '05 'Rex, great car.
 
Get a Mazda MX-3 V6. You might not go especially fast in a straight line, but you'll be grinning so hard the top of your head might peel back.
 
eschey
1996 Audi A4 1.8 (non turbo)
150k km on the clock and only $3k :O
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My parents have a 98 1.8 A4 and that thing literally runs forever, well over 220,000 miles on the clock and it's had one break down. Other faults have been few and far between, it's a reasonable nice car to be in as well, everything inside works perfectly and it's not a bad interior full stop.
 
Famine
Get a Mazda MX-3 V6. You might not go especially fast in a straight line, but you'll be grinning so hard the top of your head might peel back.
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Same applies to any of these, and you'll struggle to get less than 30mpg whilst you're at it. It'll be reliable if looked after, and if you don't do your own maintenance, it's a great place to start. If you do do your own maintenance, it'll be a doddle. Running costs are hardly anything here in the UK - not sure about NZ - and you'll be able to park almost anywhere in the city. Only downside is making sure you buy a rust free one. And don't have a crash.
 
How about a mkiii VW golf/jetta/gti. They are cheap and come in a wide variety of engine and trims. The best part is they have personality.
 
Roo
Same applies to any of these, and you'll struggle to get less than 30mpg whilst you're at it. It'll be reliable if looked after, and if you don't do your own maintenance, it's a great place to start. If you do do your own maintenance, it'll be a doddle. Running costs are hardly anything here in the UK - not sure about NZ - and you'll be able to park almost anywhere in the city. Only downside is making sure you buy a rust free one. And don't have a crash.
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And aren't over 6 foot and don't have kneecap/forehead insurance.
 
A Mini? Well... if the wife is struck by the looks, maybe she'll stay infatuated with it long enough for you to actually enjoy it. I know what mine would say... :nervous:

Leonidae
lol what? :lol:
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Was having a wonderful day yesterday... brains as addled as a an addler. :lol:
 
Famine
Get a Mazda MX-3 V6. You might not go especially fast in a straight line, but you'll be grinning so hard the top of your head might peel back.
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I'll second that. But yeah, these would be the Eunos Presso or the Autozam AZ-3 in this part of the world.
 
Im willing to travel as north as Auckland and as south as Taupo.

Does anyone know about a Citroen Xsara 1.8 VTS? Our old neighbour had a Citroen and he said it was really reliable, is this just a one off or have other people had good experiences with Citroens?

Thanks

Oh and what about a Hyundai coupe?
 
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eschey
Oh and what about a Hyundai coupe?
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If you want a reliable coupe, you should always aim for something Japanese.
How about a Celica? It's a Toyota, so it will live forever. They have pretty much the same engine as a Camry, so they're cheap to maintain are insure... and they look great.

I found a few nice examples after a quick search 👍

http://www.autotrader.co.nz/UsedItemResults.aspx?N=4294967182+4294965603+0

The Audi A4 you mentioned also sounds like a great buy. :)
 
Yeah I think the Audi A4 sounds good... With 150k on the clock and the price sounds reasonable!! Wonder if the condition is still good or not... But other than that, a good choice ;)
 

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