Changing my car - best Japanese cars?

toby_puppy

Hi

Looking to update my 2001 vw polo for another car and am thinking of either a Mitusbishi Colt, Suzuku Swift, Honda Jazz or Toyota Yaris.

My budget will be around £2500. Just want something quite nippy (the polo is so sluggish) and economical to run.

Not so bothered about boot space but a roomy interior would be good as I have a dog that likes to go in the car too.

Can any of you advise on any of the above makes and models, reliability or running cost etc please.
Thanks

LandyAndy

These are nice but this is the cheapest I could find.


http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201308208399494/sort/default/usedcars/price-from/3000/fuel-type/petrol/radius/1501/page/2/postcode/sp61ej/model/mazda2/price-to/4000/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/make/mazda?logcode=p

RedFraggle

We've just traded in a Swift and were very very happy with it. At 2.5k you'd be looking at an older one though and my friend criticised hers for not having sufficient acceleration.

Paradigm

Honda Civic 1.6 vtec.

Smallish boot but huge inside, drives well & is pretty nippy (for a 1.6). You should be able to get a good one for £2500

My OH has a 04 plate & averages 40mpg on a mix of town & A road driving.

marlot

Paradigm wrote: »

Honda Civic 1.6 vtec.

Smallish boot but huge inside, drives well & is pretty nippy (for a 1.6). You should be able to get a good one for £2500

My OH has a 04 plate & averages 40mpg on a mix of town & A road driving.

This or the Jazz would be a good choice, but listen for a rumbling from the gearbox, especially when moving off from rest. The bearings go.

The magic seating in the Jazz is perfect for carrying dogs - our elderly GSD could climb in and out easily. You can't really fit a dog guard though if using this option.

The Yaris is also a decent car. My wife just swapped her Jazz for a Yaris and is very happy with it.

Horizon81

If you want something with a bit more zip then look for the Yaris T-Sport. 1.5 litre engine, 0-60 in a touch under 9 seconds and they were all made in Japan, so you're actually getting a bona fide Japanese car. MPG should be in the high 30's.

The mark 1 had a facelift a couple of months into the 03 plate (you can tell the difference by the teardrop headlights). A 5 door was also introduced at this time which might be better if you're carrying a dog, but the 5 doors are rarer.

colin79666

Quite a lot of Suzuki Swift 1.3 and 1.5s in your budget. Fairly high mileage but as long as they have been serviced to schedule (every 9k miles) then they should prove reliable. The 1.5 gets to 60 in just under 10 seconds so reasonably nippy and get being light means good handling and ok fuel economy.
Auto Express liked it back in 2007: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-reviews/38063/suzuki-swift-15-glx

amandagreen82

marlot wrote: »

This or the Jazz would be a good choice, but listen for a rumbling from the gearbox, especially when moving off from rest. The bearings go.

The magic seating in the Jazz is perfect for carrying dogs - our elderly GSD could climb in and out easily. You can't really fit a dog guard though if using this option.

The Yaris is also a decent car. My wife just swapped her Jazz for a Yaris and is very happy with it.

Agreed, I think installing a dog guard is the best way to keep your pet safe. There's a really nice article on different types of dog guards here - http://ukcaraccessories.wordpress.com/dog-guards/