Best secondhand car for under 300k

[Jamestaylor]

Second year uni student, need a ride for under 300k, as nice as broke can get. 

I've been looking on a lot of websites, I have found some options and I'd like some second opinions

 

- Honda Civic FD (06-12)

- Honda City (08-12)

- Ford Fiesta (09-2011)

- Nissan Almera (10-present)

- Mazda 2 (2010-11)

 

I'm leaning towards the civic, would love some opinions or other car recommendations from people who knows about cars than me. (probably everyone!)

 

Oh and maintenance cost/insurance is a factor, although small cars at this level i'm really expecting all of them to save similar fees/insurance prices.

[kartman]

The best option from your list for someone who is 'broke' and maintenance /insurance even probably day to day running costs a factor is of course the Civic so your leaning spot on.

 

Edited March 23, 2017 by kartman

[Kwasaki]

Whatever except ford IMO you say you lean to the civic sounds like you've made up your mind already, just check service history.

I will add get it serviced at Cockpit or a B-Quick outlet not Honda for a saving.

Also consider 2nd class insurance as apposed to 1st class as a saving too.

[Jamestaylor]

4 hours ago, kartman said:

The best option from your list for someone who is 'broke' and maintenance /insurance even probably day to day running costs a factor is of course the Civic so your leaning spot on.

 

My worry is that the 1.8L engine in the civic would be more costly to run and service. I personally have no idea. 

 

25 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Whatever except ford IMO you say you lean to the civic sounds like you've made up your mind already, just check service history.

I will add get it serviced at Cockpit or a B-Quick outlet not Honda for a saving.

Also consider 2nd class insurance as apposed to 1st class as a saving too.

Far from made up my mind, Its just i see the civic as getting the most value for my money.  I've also been looking at a Toyota Yaris.

 

Interesting about the ford though, the fiesta is the most sold model in Britain i believe and has received only positive reviews in the western world, any reasons for not recommending it?

[transam]

26 minutes ago, Jamestaylor said:

My worry is that the 1.8L engine in the civic would be more costly to run and service. I personally have no idea. 

 

Far from made up my mind, Its just i see the civic as getting the most value for my money.  I've also been looking at a Toyota Yaris.

 

Interesting about the ford though, the fiesta is the most sold model in Britain i believe and has received only positive reviews in the western world, any reasons for not recommending it?

You ain't in Britain.....This is LOS....

[petermik]

Nissan Almera I,ve had two...very economcal, reliable, and maintainance is cheap also

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, Jamestaylor said:

Far from made up my mind, Its just i see the civic as getting the most value for my money.  I've also been looking at a Toyota Yaris.

 

Interesting about the ford though, the fiesta is the most sold model in Britain i believe and has received only positive reviews in the western world, any reasons for not recommending it?

Are you on about the Yaris new with 1.2 engine ?? or older model with 1.6  thought you said you only have 300k.

Honda Civic's come with 1.6 as well in older models.

My daughters Honda City is 1.5 a very and economical also my wife's Yaris is 1.5 the same cheap to run.

Nissan's are good and Mazda's too the Mitsubishi's has good reports too for money.

All of the above much more reliable that Ford fiesta IMHO.

There are people that own them that will disagree but whatever the car people own here in Thailand they will say there's is the best as a matter of course.

[patyh]

2 hours ago, Jamestaylor said:

Interesting about the ford though, the fiesta is the most sold model in Britain i believe and has received only positive reviews in the western world, any reasons for not recommending it?

 

The reason why people here don't recommend the Ford is not because of the car itself.. but rather the not so positive experience with after sales service.. 

 

While depreciation would be a factor when buying new cars, second hand cars tend to have reach a price where they are now more stable.. so depreciation would not be an issue there. 

 

Let's go through your options (Without looking at prices though)

 

- Honda Civic FD (06-12)

 

This is one of the a popular vesion of the civic. Before Honda decided to change it to a crap design one.. At least they did revert to a great looking design with the current Civic. If you're a student, I would expect you to have a tight budget on running cost as well.. The car, with the 1.8 Ltr engine isn't exactly fuel saving.. So expect to pay more for fuel though.. The car is quite tight at the rear as well.. So another thing to consider. 

 

- Honda City (08-12)

 

The Honda City.. I presently drive the MFY2017 Honda city which is a great car with great space and great engine all behind that Honda badge which signifies reliability.. However, the 08-12 city, while a great car, also has the same drawback as the civic, the car has miserable rear seats.. 

 

- Ford Fiesta (09-2011)

 

The Ford Fiesta, the most popular car in Great Britan..Only for it to fail here because of the lousy dealer and the way they handle the Dual Clutch Fiasco.. Great car, with great space in the cabin.. Great ride as well.. You should check if the car has the 10 years TCM warranty if you really want the Fiesta.. Considering the current fiasco, I reckon you can get the Fiesta at a great bargain. 

 

- Nissan Almera (10-present)

 

Oh please.. The car with a dated interior.. I did not like the ride as well.. It wasn't great.. The interior looks really dated.. Even though it is fuel efficient, I wouldn't buy it.. Would pick a mitsubishi instead. 

 

- Mazda 2 (2010-11)

 

No. I would stay away from this generation of Mazda 2.. Drink fuel like no tomorrow. 

 

 

 

 

[Jamestaylor]

8 hours ago, patyh said:

 

The reason why people here don't recommend the Ford is not because of the car itself.. but rather the not so positive experience with after sales service.. 

 

While depreciation would be a factor when buying new cars, second hand cars tend to have reach a price where they are now more stable.. so depreciation would not be an issue there. 

 

Let's go through your options (Without looking at prices though)

 

- Honda Civic FD (06-12)

 

This is one of the a popular vesion of the civic. Before Honda decided to change it to a crap design one.. At least they did revert to a great looking design with the current Civic. If you're a student, I would expect you to have a tight budget on running cost as well.. The car, with the 1.8 Ltr engine isn't exactly fuel saving.. So expect to pay more for fuel though.. The car is quite tight at the rear as well.. So another thing to consider. 

 

- Honda City (08-12)

 

The Honda City.. I presently drive the MFY2017 Honda city which is a great car with great space and great engine all behind that Honda badge which signifies reliability.. However, the 08-12 city, while a great car, also has the same drawback as the civic, the car has miserable rear seats.. 

 

- Ford Fiesta (09-2011)

 

The Ford Fiesta, the most popular car in Great Britan..Only for it to fail here because of the lousy dealer and the way they handle the Dual Clutch Fiasco.. Great car, with great space in the cabin.. Great ride as well.. You should check if the car has the 10 years TCM warranty if you really want the Fiesta.. Considering the current fiasco, I reckon you can get the Fiesta at a great bargain. 

 

- Nissan Almera (10-present)

 

Oh please.. The car with a dated interior.. I did not like the ride as well.. It wasn't great.. The interior looks really dated.. Even though it is fuel efficient, I wouldn't buy it.. Would pick a mitsubishi instead. 

 

- Mazda 2 (2010-11)

 

No. I would stay away from this generation of Mazda 2.. Drink fuel like no tomorrow. 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for the detailed reply. 

 

Ive eliminated the ford based on the replies here and the other current ford thread (Shame, i think the car looks great!) And the Mazda 2, I really didn't like the look of it that much from the beginning and if its as you say there is no reason to buy it.

 

The Almera does have a horrible interior (newer car but worse than the civic) but it looks great from the outside.

 

Probably going for either the Civic or the City

 

8 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Are you on about the Yaris new with 1.2 engine ?? or older model with 1.6  thought you said you only have 300k.

Honda Civic's come with 1.6 as well in older models.

My daughters Honda City is 1.5 a very and economical also my wife's Yaris is 1.5 the same cheap to run.

Nissan's are good and Mazda's too the Mitsubishi's has good reports too for money.

All of the above much more reliable that Ford fiesta IMHO.

There are people that own them that will disagree but whatever the car people own here in Thailand they will say there's is the best as a matter of course.

The new yaris with the 1.2 Engine, my friend owns a car tent and have found me one for 295k. Not the top model and i believe its in horrible orange colour. Although it is from 2013, which is relatively new compared to my other options and I can always wrap it in a different colour when I save enough money.

[JaseTheBass]

The new yaris with the 1.2 Engine, my friend owns a car tent and have found me one for 295k. Not the top model and i believe its in horrible orange colour. Although it is from 2013, which is relatively new compared to my other options and I can always wrap it in a different colour when I save enough money.

Drive an Almera then you'll reject it. It feels like a hangover from the 70s.

[burgerking]

Bought a civic new in 2007, drove it for 8 years totally trouble free, that's what i would be going for if i was you, easy on petrol if driven properly. Honda have so many service centers all over Thailand, ( cheap to service so stick with Honda as they know what they are doing) and on par with bquik in price. You can pick up a nice 2007 with full service history starting around 300,000. Take your time at looking as the prices have dropped dramatically with all the new models that have come out. The market is flooded with them so there are some great bargains out there ..

 

Good luck at whatever you choose.....just my 2 cents. 

[smileydude]

No Toyota options?  Honda's are great but cost of parts and maintenance are higher then Toyota's and if you look at the reliability rankings in the US they have fallen down the charts (assuming that the Honda's made in the US are of even better quality then the ones made here too).  Toyota's have the most service centers and fairly decent resale values.  Downside is they're common and bland.

 

Ever consider the Suzuki Swift?  Best seller in Japan and that probably says something since the Japanese have so many choices.

[lockyv7]

I to am looking for a car for the misses in this price range when she starts her new job and this is very helpful, The Suzuki Swift is also one of my choices. 

[csabo]

On 3/23/2017 at 8:06 AM, kartman said:

The best option from your list for someone who is 'broke' and maintenance /insurance even probably day to day running costs a factor is of course the Civic so your leaning spot on.

 

At about 90,000 km engine block should be properly cracked.

http://www.carcomplaints.com/Honda/Civic/2006/engine/cracked_engine_block.shtml

[bubba]

On 23/03/2017 at 3:18 PM, patyh said:

 

The reason why people here don't recommend the Ford is not because of the car itself.. but rather the not so positive experience with after sales service.. 

 

While depreciation would be a factor when buying new cars, second hand cars tend to have reach a price where they are now more stable.. so depreciation would not be an issue there. 

 

- Ford Fiesta (09-2011)

 

The Ford Fiesta, the most popular car in Great Britan..Only for it to fail here because of the lousy dealer and the way they handle the Dual Clutch Fiasco.. Great car, with great space in the cabin.. Great ride as well.. You should check if the car has the 10 years TCM warranty if you really want the Fiesta.. Considering the current fiasco, I reckon you can get the Fiesta at a great bargain. 

 

I was going to suggest a Ford Fiesta as well. They really are great little cars, and even going four years back, they have some decent technology, such as bluetooth and handsfree. The engine burns less fuel and develops more horsepower than the similar Jazz.

 

But the best part is that they have suffered a lot more depreciation than Toyotas or Hondas, which of course are the only cars that many Thais would even consider. Also, there was the dual clutch problem that cause a lot of bad PR and further drove depreciation. As you say, there is still a ten year warranty that would cover that. Considering all that depreciation,  I would say you could get a full year newer Fiesta than a Yaris or Jazz for the same money.

Edited March 29, 2017 by bubba
Spell correct

[mettech]

got a nice mazda 3 protege 2002 manual transmission run very good and got it for the time being here till next month low prrice  200 thousand or lower.

I still drive it .

[shady86]

Get a Honda jazz or city for town driving as they use less fuel. Civic will take more fuel. I got a 08 crv last year for 430k, it's comfortable and good car but use up a lot of fuel. Smaller engines tend to save more fuel so choose wisely.

[luap81]

On 23/03/2017 at 3:13 AM, Jamestaylor said:

Second year uni student, need a ride for under 300k, as nice as broke can get. 

I've been looking on a lot of websites, I have found some options and I'd like some second opinions

 

- Honda Civic FD (06-12)

- Honda City (08-12)

- Ford Fiesta (09-2011)

- Nissan Almera (10-present)

- Mazda 2 (2010-11)

 

I'm leaning towards the civic, would love some opinions or other car recommendations from people who knows about cars than me. (probably everyone!)

 

Oh and maintenance cost/insurance is a factor, although small cars at this level i'm really expecting all of them to save similar fees/insurance prices.

For goodness sake, buy brand new Mitsubishi Mirage only 383.000 Baht. Don't waste your money on a second hand car.

[dinsdale]

2nd year uni student. Broke. Can buy a car for 300k. Ahh. Ain't education great these days.. Please open your eyes, look around you and see what broke/poor really is. Poor diddums have no money for car 300k +

Edited March 29, 2017 by dinsdale

[bazza73]

I am wondering why a secondhand Toyota Vios is excluded from consideration. Plenty of them around at that price level, and the engine is bulletproof.

[Ulic]

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the Japanese models. Just a matter

of selecting the car in the best condition that appeals to you the most.

ie. good service history, no major accidents, never flooded etc....

[Jamestaylor]

8 hours ago, smileydude said:

No Toyota options?  Honda's are great but cost of parts and maintenance are higher then Toyota's and if you look at the reliability rankings in the US they have fallen down the charts (assuming that the Honda's made in the US are of even better quality then the ones made here too).  Toyota's have the most service centers and fairly decent resale values.  Downside is they're common and bland.

 

Ever consider the Suzuki Swift?  Best seller in Japan and that probably says something since the Japanese have so many choices.

I do actually like the looks of the Swift, its also popular because a lot of people think of it as a budget-Mini Cooper (atleast thats what ive heard).

But my ex drove a Swift, so I've had a chance to live with it and I must say, its incredibly small. As someone who is 191 cm tall, I could barely drive it properly it certainly didnt have as much leg room as other cars in its class. 

 

5 hours ago, shady86 said:

Get a Honda jazz or city for town driving as they use less fuel. Civic will take more fuel. I got a 08 crv last year for 430k, it's comfortable and good car but use up a lot of fuel. Smaller engines tend to save more fuel so choose wisely.

I have been looking at some 09 Honda Jazz models, i saw one for 276k the other day, white and looks almost the same as the current model. 

 

5 hours ago, luap81 said:

For goodness sake, buy brand new Mitsubishi Mirage only 383.000 Baht. Don't waste your money on a second hand car.

I'm looking for something not above 270-280k so i have enough left over for insurance and other hidden fees. 

 

2 hours ago, dinsdale said:

2nd year uni student. Broke. Can buy a car for 300k. Ahh. Ain't education great these days.. Please open your eyes, look around you and see what broke/poor really is. Poor diddums have no money for car 300k +

Fair enough. Should have meant I'm more on a tight budget and not broke haha. 

 

1 hour ago, bazza73 said:

I am wondering why a secondhand Toyota Vios is excluded from consideration. Plenty of them around at that price level, and the engine is bulletproof.

While I like the current Vios, the one before that (same with the previous Yaris) I find just plain ugly with a dated design. Compare a 2009 Vios to a 2009 City, Jazz or even Civic and I think the Vios just looks completely dated both exterior and interior wise. 

 

[Jamestaylor]

Also I couldn't help but notice some of the ridiculously under priced car in the classifieds section on this site. A 2010 City for 125k, A 2011 Honda Jazz for 175k and a Nissan Tiida for 90k, all of which are half of their current market prices, are they all scams?

[Inepto Cracy]

Honda City has the worst suspension out of all the Honda's, it will make you puke on any journey longer than ten minutes. Look at the Toyota Yaris for the best of all worlds, 1.5 is the Toyotas best Yaris. I know, just sold mine.

[JaseTheBass]

Honda City has the worst suspension out of all the Honda's, it will make you puke on any journey longer than ten minutes. Look at the Toyota Yaris for the best of all worlds, 1.5 is the Toyotas best Yaris. I know, just sold mine.

I must have had a broken City previously. I drove it all over Thailand with never a problem and never felt sick. Miles better than the Vios or Yaris cars I have had the misfortune to drive, or any other rubbish Toyota sells here.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

[Reefhunter]

What about the Honda Jazz?

Small, compact, reliable, economical, easy to find a park and far roomier than any compact cars I've seen. Tilt the seats down and you can pack a small house in there. Very roomy.

[bazza73]

7 hours ago, Jamestaylor said:

Also I couldn't help but notice some of the ridiculously under priced car in the classifieds section on this site. A 2010 City for 125k, A 2011 Honda Jazz for 175k and a Nissan Tiida for 90k, all of which are half of their current market prices, are they all scams?

A lot of the very cheap ones are completely clapped out, have done over 200,000 km and/or have had minimal servicing.

[dinsdale]

8 hours ago, Jamestaylor said:

Fair enough. Should have meant I'm more on a tight budget and not broke haha.

OK. Fair enough. Doesn't matter what your looking for. They're all way overpriced. 

[steve187]

I have an auto 2006 honda city 1500, 121,000 kilos, never missed a beat, new tyres, battery rear wheel bearing that's it.comfortable, quiet, reliable. thinking of changing, but then i think why, should be good for another 5-10 years, now a 2nd car, so daily milage is now low.

some cars from 200,00 to  400,000 - http://www.one2car.com/car/?area=&location=&state=&type=&body_type=&make=&model=&model_group=&sub_model=&series=&nickname_label=&variant=&yearrange=&min_year=&max_year=&pricerange=200000-400000&min_mileage=&max_mileage=&min_price=200000&max_price=400000&color=&transmission=&vehicle_type=car&sort=price.asc

[mettech]

Used car are very expensive here because of the way they drive and destroy them so a good second hand car and deal with a farang perhaps you would not get taken for a bad ride

I got one last year mazda 3 protege the older 1.6l enginne manual 5 speed run like a charm and cheap on gas.

The farang that sold me that car was a good man.

Now going back to my country and car will be parked if not sold by mid April.