Looking for a cheap to run/maintain daily - budget $4k

[Bizmark]

My commo is pretty thirsty taking about $70 odd of fuel to go 400ks. So I'm considering buying a second car which will be much better on fuel so my weekly expenditures go down.

My budget is $4000 max, this is to cover purchase price of the car and any costs to get it RWC if the seller doesn't supply one. If I can also squeeze rego and even insurance into that $4k that'd be great too

The car has to be a manual, be good on fuel (something along the lines of $50 to get 450ks if not more) and be reliable as it will replace the commo as the daily.

While I want something good on fuel, I would like for it to not be a slug. Preferably it'd be able to keep up with traffic easily and be able to merge/overtake when i need to do so. A bonus would be to easily get some extra ponies out of the engine to make it a bit quicker.

Lets hear your ideas!

EDIT: Has to be something of the 4 wheel variety, another purpose of getting a 2nd car is so i can learn manual

[CSP]

You don't think it's going to save you money do you? $20 less a week to run is only $1040 a year. BUT you then have all the running costs of BOTH cars plus I assume you'll still drive the Commodore a bit too. Overall, it will end up being more expensive to own two cars, not less.

[sleepa]

I'd say a good start would be a mid 90's nissan pulsar with the SR20de engine. Called the SSS, you might be able to pick one up for 4 grand.

My GF has a 94 pulsar with the 1.6 L engine and it is very efficient, reasonable amount of space and a decent amount of power but it loses a bit up the top, but i reckon the 2L version would be a pretty damn good daily.

Heres one i just found
1995 NISSAN PULSAR SSS N14 CBU Private Cars For Sale in NSW - carsales.com.au

[brokenikon]

Scooter. Definitely scooter

[ssv 08 ute]

Scooter. Definitely scooter

lololo...scooter = fail on the dont wont a slug meter...

[nemesis_adrasteia]

rodeo/hilux deisel, reliable, relatively cheap to run and practical.

[Astranomical]

Hilux diesel is also a fail on the "don't want a slug" meter...while they're practically bulletproof, and good on fuel, they're also as gutless as Hell - the older ones anyway. Can't say anything about the Rodeo, haven't driven one, but I'd imagine they'd be similar.

[tim005]

what about a motorbike, a small 250 will get you around town and at quite a zippy pace.
or if you're real stingy you could go for a postie bike.... reliable as #### and bulletproof, although gutless.

[50LTRv8]

i vote for a bike also

[Bizmark]

While bikes are cheap to run and have a fair bit of go, i'm after a car so i can learn manual in that too, but thanks for suggesting bikes anyway.

[Drawnnite]

an old 85-93 era corolla.
1. its a toyota
2. its a 4cyl
3. you can pick em up for around $2000
4. its easy to maintain and its a toyota!

if its a cheap daily then anything small. even something like an excel or whatever else.
mum has a corolla, and it does have enough guts to get places. it is enjoyable to drive, and easy on fuel.

seeing you want a manual, you can pick up a fair few with manuals in them. and not at a much greater cost.
and cheapish to insure. pretty good combo for a daily afterall

[Ado]

Pitty you want manual,i know of a S/C VX Calais on gas for $1500

[Ado]

There are bargains around,i got a 95 Festiva today for $1000 ,auto/air/steer.Its for a friends daughter.

[TMM]

Economical Fast Cheap
Pick two.

an old 85-93 era corolla.
1. its a toyota
2. its a 4cyl
3. you can pick em up for around $2000
4. its easy to maintain and its a toyota!

Agreed

[Darren_L]

bikes are expensive to run, don't buy one with the belief it will be cheaper to run than a small car, unless it's a scooter/100cc put-put
A lot of the little 250's use as much fuel as the bigger bikes because they are so low geared. You would be better off in the long run with a small car.

tyres don't last much more than 10,000kms and one tyre costs about as much as 2 car tyres
fuel economy isn't a good as you might think...... many small cars get better fuel economy.
Parts cost a fortune as does servicing.

as pointed out already though, if you are going to buy a second car to save money, then you are probably kidding yourself.
First there's the cost of the car that you need to recover in savings, 2 regos, 2 insurances, 2 cars to maintain.....

[Hangman]

an old 85-93 era corolla.
1. its a toyota
2. its a 4cyl
3. you can pick em up for around $2000
4. its easy to maintain and its a toyota!

if its a cheap daily then anything small. even something like an excel or whatever else.
mum has a corolla, and it does have enough guts to get places. it is enjoyable to drive, and easy on fuel.

seeing you want a manual, you can pick up a fair few with manuals in them. and not at a much greater cost.
and cheapish to insure. pretty good combo for a daily afterall

As above, a small jap 4 banger would be my choice. Not hard to find a manual one either.

[psycho_smurf]

I used to have a 3door 94 X2 Hyundai Excel. It used about 6L per 100kms, which bests my sisters 2008 Suzuki Swift. It was pretty zippy for such a little old car. When I bought it the owner said "it drives for a little bit then smoke comes out". It had no oil and no water in the radiator, yet amazingly no damage was done to the motor, so they're pretty tough! They arent exactly lookers, but they're cheap cheap cheap to run... sometimes when filling up the commy I wish I still had the X2.

[Bizmark]

A corolla is starting to sound good, especially those running the 4AGE, they go well for a 1.6 and you get the toyota reliability with it. Plus it wont attract much attention.

Excel sounds decent, no one would look twice at it.

[50LTRv8]

Ford laser?

[ari666]

1991 toyota camry

/thread

[illusionalvr]

tx3 turbo...

[zedda]

Why don't you sell/upgrade your current car & get something similar on dual fuel? Cost me $40-$45 per tank of lpg & I get 700kms.

[fuzzy2308]

n13 pulsar's are boss also x3 excels are pretty much bullet proof.

[nemesis_adrasteia]

deisel gemini. cheapish, manual. the lovely nacka-nacka-nacka of a deisel engine. good car

[anonymousmoose]

Why not put your commodore on LPG? The newer systems they got perform well and when you want the extra power, you can switch it off. My old V6 VX had LPG and it ran as cheap as a 4 cylinder. Plus you won't have to pay more for insurance and another car to register every year.

My V8 caprice also has LPG and have been very happy.


/posted via mobile device\