Replacing my Yaris

fatpiggy

Its a sad day today My 2001 plate 1l Yaris exhaust pipe started to blow (it sounds like a Porsche now!) and given that it has 165K miles on the clock, the brakes will definitely need new discs at service in June, plus the clutch is the original and has a return of about 3 inches so the end isn't far off, I've decided it isn't economically viable to have the work done. I drive around 60 miles every day including weekends and need something that is reliable, economical, spacious enough to swallow my cello and assorted feed and bedding for my horse, nippy and not much larger than my Yaris for ease of parking. A friend says the new model 1l Yaris still has the old engine in, despite being a bigger and heavier car and he reckons is now badly underpowered. I have around £4.5K in cash and might be able to drum up a bit more. Any suggestions anyone? I'm very keen to avoid Renault and Peugeot but would consider a Citreon, no chance of a Fiat or Vauxhall. My mechanic is an old friend who works independently so I trust his advice. How about a Mitsubishi Colt? I'd go up to about 1300cc, but given the price of petrol and my high mileage, a smaller engine is more appealing. I do about 50% on the motorway, am happy to pootle at 63mph so not a speed merchant and since it lives on my drive, something not prone to corrosion is also important. Oh yes, and it has to 5 door, I won't compromise on that!

My Yaris has been the best car I've ever had. All it cost me in the 6 years I've had it has been a nearside shock absorber and a new throttle cable. It was perfectly happy to start in temperatures of minus 16, chugged through 8 inches of snow, doesn't have a spot of rust anywhere and does over 425 miles on a full tank of mixed road driving. As I said, I'm very sad to see him go.
Suggestions please!

MX5huggy

Stick with it non of the above are good reasons to get rid, yes you have to spend a bit of money but better the devil you know and depreciation is going to be much worse on something newer.

Inactive

MX5huggy wrote: »

Stick with it non of the above are good reasons to get rid, yes you have to spend a bit of money but better the devil you know and depreciation is going to be much worse on something newer.

Agreed, the OP will be hard pressed to find anything as good.

mkaibear

fatpiggy wrote: »

Its a sad day today My 2001 plate 1l Yaris exhaust pipe started to blow (it sounds like a Porsche now!) and given that it has 165K miles on the clock, the brakes will definitely need new discs at service in June, plus the clutch is the original and has a return of about 3 inches so the end isn't far off, I've decided it isn't economically viable to have the work done. I drive around 60 miles every day including weekends and need something that is reliable, economical, spacious enough to swallow my cello and assorted feed and bedding for my horse, nippy and not much larger than my Yaris for ease of parking. A friend says the new model 1l Yaris still has the old engine in, despite being a bigger and heavier car and he reckons is now badly underpowered. I have around £4.5K in cash and might be able to drum up a bit more. Any suggestions anyone? I'm very keen to avoid Renault and Peugeot but would consider a Citreon, no chance of a Fiat or Vauxhall. My mechanic is an old friend who works independently so I trust his advice. How about a Mitsubishi Colt? I'd go up to about 1300cc, but given the price of petrol and my high mileage, a smaller engine is more appealing. I do about 50% on the motorway, am happy to pootle at 63mph so not a speed merchant and since it lives on my drive, something not prone to corrosion is also important. Oh yes, and it has to 5 door, I won't compromise on that!

My Yaris has been the best car I've ever had. All it cost me in the 6 years I've had it has been a nearside shock absorber and a new throttle cable. It was perfectly happy to start in temperatures of minus 16, chugged through 8 inches of snow, doesn't have a spot of rust anywhere and does over 425 miles on a full tank of mixed road driving. As I said, I'm very sad to see him go.
Suggestions please!

Do the maths on depreciation and you're almost certainly going to find that sticking with your Yaris makes more sense than getting a new car. Even with #bigbill coming for clutch / exhaust / discs.

Strider590

As above, its impossible to save money by buying a car. It's always better the devil you know, even brand new cars seem to be forever breaking down.

Your looking at a bill of around £500 to fix yours up... You can't get another car for that much!

If on the other hand, you just want one... Then fair enough

fatpiggy

Thanks folks, my thoughts had always been the same but I suspect my mechanic will say just don't do it and go and spend the money on something else. My plan had originally been to take it up to him a month before the MOT is due and get it completely checked over and a have price quoted for any necessary work, and then decide. There is every chance, given its huge mileage that things at the front will be wearing - steering rack and track rod ends, that sort of thing, plus how worn is the gearbox with that sort of mileage? I'm a very gentle driver, and don't do anything unnecessary like holding the clutch down, plus I skip gear changes where possible but you can't hold back the years. I wouldn't want to spend £700 from my kitty and sixth months down the line be faced with another big bill or definitely having to replace the car and having even less money to shop with. Even having a friend do it which is so much cheaper than a "proper" garage, still costs money and the VAT and petrol price rises are really hitting me hard, so finding some spare cash to save is getting harder. Of course I should get rid of the horse (old, retired and drug-dependent) and then I'll be rolling in cash but I will have lost the best thing in m life.

Ooh, decisions decisions. Perhaps I'll go and see my mechanic buddy anyway.

Oh, I should add, no way would I ever buy a new car (because of depreciation) - I usually get them at 3 or 4 years old with the lowest possible mileage.

Strider590

Maybe we just think more wisely on these forums, there's definitely a British culture of abandoning cars as soon as they start to need work...... I honestly think its that bad that it's become automatic and no logical thought actually goes into it.

fatpiggy

I know what you mean Strider, but I tend to be a bit too much the other way. I just adore my little car and it would break my heart to see him go. I know full well I would never get anything that good again. My horse is exactly the same really - logic absolutely dictates that I should say she has had a good long life and it is crazy to keep her going at such enormous cost (she is one of the only drug-controlled epileptic horses in the UK and her drugs cost me over £300 a month and I've been treating her since 1998 :eek:) but I never thought when I started that she would still be alive all this time later (and they cost pennies back then until the EU intervened), plus she will pay the ultimate price in the end so I keep finding the money and living on the breadline as result. I'm a sentimental eejit

Kilty_2

There's a lot to be said for keeping it going however I'd wonder what other issues are around the corner given it's done such a high mileage.

When's the next timing belt change due etc? (if it has one and isn't a chain)

Small cars demand a premium on the used market so if you pick the right one depreciation isn't as massive as it is with larger ones. I've just bought a brand new Kia Picanto for less than lots of small cars still sell for at 3 years old - it'll be too small for your requirements though I reckon.

somethingcorporate

How about look for another yaris with low mileage? Picked mine up 3 years ago with 100k on the clock. Has done another 40k since without needing so much as a new windscreen wiper.

Set me back all of £1,500. Lovely cars!

Kilty_2

somethingcorporate wrote: »

How about look for another yaris with low mileage? Picked mine up 3 years ago with 100k on the clock. Has done another 40k since without needing so much as a new windscreen wiper.

Set me back all of £1,500. Lovely cars!

Don't really see the point in going from a 165k car to a 100k car since if it's been abused in it's life the drivetrain will be in worse condition. Fixing the current one and praying it doesn't have any serious problems in the next couple of years is probably better than finding an older used car of unknown origin.