I need help to nake a decision! (car related)

[Eezee]

Budget 10-12k.

Need: reliability, ideally a good warranty, lower depreciation, no more than 4m long to fit on my drive.

Looking at a Toyota Yaris Design edition. 2017 model. 30k miles. Garage won't hold car past tm and I'm up the wall with exams do struggling to make a decision. This will be a cash purchase so a big deal for me as I can't get reasonable finance due student status / low income.

Can any yaris owners of this era give me the pros & cons of this era model before they release the car ftom my reservation? Please 🙏 I've given myself a migraine thinking about it on top of my exams!

Have you googled for Honest John reviews?

Yaris autos often have weird gear boxes. I wouldn’t be buying one without a test drive tbh.

my favourite car this size / budget are Polos. Nippy, reliable, and very easy to fix if needed. There is also a lot of self-help on the internet for minor things due to Polos being the car of choice for young men.

Test drove a skoda automatic. Didn't like it (the automatic aspect, the car was ok otherwise). So only looking at manuals now. Plus I read autos are around £1k extra! Which my budget can't justify!

@HaveYouHeardOfARoadAtlas thanks, seems to be a theme of reliability but a little boring on there for the yaris in general. I'm torn. I need reliability but worry the unique front grill end looks dated & will look more so in 5 yrs... I tend to keep cars for over a decade!

I've had a couple of Fabias and they're great cars! My old one has almost 200k miles and is still going strong with my mum 😁

Polo's out of my budget I think. I'd have to increase the age or drop the power if I went to polo's.

Toyota was named as one of the most reliable used car brand recently in a which survey so yes if you want longevity! Suzuki and Lexus were the others

I had a much earlier Yaris (2005) than the one you’re talking about, and it was fine, nice high driving position, but hardly exciting to drive. I did 30,000 miles a year when I was working, so none of my cars lasted all that long, but the Yaris lasted the shortest time of all, Vauxhall Corsas and Ford Fiestas were much longer-lasting, even at my high mileage.

I have a Fiesta now I’ve retired and it’s FUN to drive round the B-roads of Devon, it’s so responsive and cheerful, and parts are always available, not that I’ve needed any yet, I’ve only done 30,000 in 7 years with this one!

I have an earlier Yaris 2012 and I love it. It's so roomy and it's been very reliable. I changed the starter battery a few years ago but that's the main maintenance Ive had to do

@QuestionableMouse Wow that's impressove milage!

I was put off the skoda's in general when I learnt they have a cam belt that needs replacing every 5yrs / 80k miles. Currently at a cost £650 from the dealer so probably circa £400 from a generic garage. Seemed a lot to have to factor in every 5 yrs as running costs. Or for people not do it as often as advised?

I've only ever had cam chain.

@MavisMcMinty I had a yaris from the same era actually 20 years ago but it was so long ago & such a completely different model despite the same name as current yaris I didn't feel I could compare. Mine was reliable back then. I think I'm a boring driver cos I loved that car 🤭 but I've never had a Ford or Vauxhall to compare.

@SmartiesParty that's good to hear. How's your mileage? It is the 1.33 vvti engine? That's what I'm looking at. 99bhp I think.

A car is a tool to get you from a2b.

In the real world, for Yaris/Polo etc sized vehicles, the difference between models/manufacturers for reliability isn't as big as people like Honest John would have you believe.

Unless you need a car of your own tomorrow, in which case can you hire, being in middle of exams or a time of max work pressure, isn't the best time to decide.

Yeah, I thought “new cam-belt? Oh come on, that won’t break”… and then obviously it broke when I was doing 85mph in the outside lane of the M5. That was a very scary 3-lane crossing of a busy motorway to get to the hard shoulder in a powerless car. The AA eventually transported me the remaining 120 miles to my home in Devon in a recovery truck.

And that is my not-bothering-to-change-the-cam-belt-when-advised-to story.

@MavisMcMinty This! This is my fear! I'd think, if money was tight I might leave it another wk... month... then potentially boom. I've heard when it goes your engine is often destroyed too. Did you have much damage? It must've been so scary. I once had a tyre blowout on the motorway over 10 yrs ago with my toddler kids in the back & it still haunts me at times!

@Bromptotoo my current car has issues, red dash light. Not economical to fix, been quoted £1-2k. Car was worth less than 1k before the light appeared! So that's my urgency as I have been able to drive except essential local travel (work, food) for about 2 months and not seen my mum in the same who lives a motorway drive away with dementia in a care home. So I'm feeling that time pressure on seeing her as we can't get to her without a car. My head is wrecked with all the factors.

Engine wasn’t destroyed as far as I can remember, I was just terrified that without engine power my steering wheel might lock, and that while I’d be able to brake once or twice they’d also stop working.

A tyre blowout is terrifying at speed!

What’s your maximum car-buying budget, @Eezee ?

I work for a reputable car manufacturer.
I can get you a 2018 Corsa SRI Nav, 11500 miles (so very low for age), lovely spec, 11 months MOT, full 250 point check and serviced, timing chain rather than belt, 14 months full comprehensive warranty including 24hr roadside breakdown assistance and replacement car, delivered to a local dealership (with click and collect centre) of your choosing for £10,972 inc £25 fuel.

Any good?

Oh, and it has an actual spare wheel instead of one of those silly inflation kits.

The urgency makes it so stressful doesn't it?

I don't know the car but I don't care enough about the styling of my car to be bothered about a front grid thing. It'll just look like a Yaris from that era. It seems a pretty safe choice to me.

Btw my skoda Rapid has a cam chain, but it wasn't a deciding factor for me. I've had a timing belt go and take out a cylinder in a previous car. There's always a risk.

Android Auto/Apple Car play
DAB touchscreen radio
Bluetooth connectivity
Electric heated front windscreen
Heated electrically adjustable door mirrors
Sports trim
Front & rear fog lights
Automatic headlights
Air conditioning
'City mode' for steering which makes it light & manageable in tight spaces
Body coloured everything
90bhp
55.4 mpg (healthy!)
Insurance group 6E (brilliant)

I had corsas for my first few cars, never gave me a moment's trouble really, parts cheap and easily accessible.

Incidentally, I can do in 2yrs warranty, a years tax, and delivery for under £11,500.
(And it can be seen by any one of our 300+ branches nationwide if you're not local to us)

I’ve had two Corsas and I loved them. One of my farmer neighbours STILL has the Corsa he had when I moved here 24 years ago!

I had a Tigra after my Corsas, the Tigra was just a corsa wearing a fancy dress.
Eventually had to say goodbye recently as it was 18yrs old and had done 100,000 miles.

I still get a bit misty eyed......